China Travel Guide
Food
- Avoid drinking any beverages served with ice cubes and crushed ice, including smoothies.
- Be very cautious when purchasing bottled water since some of them turned out to be tap water. Make sure to open the bottle yourself to make sure it is sealed.
- Tap water is not potable (undrinkable) for foreigners. Do not ingest even while brushing your teeth.
- Bring along extra water, food, diapers and toilet paper while traveling in rural and remote areas for you and your children.
- Chinese meals are consisted of several main dishes and soup, depending on the group size. You can expect at least eight dishes and soup while your tour is in progress. Usually your meals, which are included in your tour cost were pre-arranged; you may experience repetitive menus and excessive food.
- Cuisines in China differ between regions and provinces. The main cuisine styles can be divided into four different types: Shandong, Sichuan, Huaiyang (Jiangsu province) and Guangdong style.
- Shandong cuisine contains a lot of seafood, scallions, expensive and sometimes exotic ingredients and salty-flavored elements. A typical example will be the stewed scallions and sea cucumber dish.
- Sichuan cuisine employs a great deal of spicy and peppery seasonings. Shredded pork in chili and garlic sauce is a popular option.
- Soup is the most important element of Huaiyang cuisine. Locals of the Jiangsu province usually like a mild and sweet flavor of the cuisine.
- Guangdong cuisine features freshness, delicacy and crispiness. Roasted piglet is a classic favorite that features a delicious and crispy skin.
Electricity Voltage & Drinking Water
- The standard power voltage in China, Cambodia, Korea and Vietnam is 220V. It is highly recommended to bring along converters while traveling.
- There are two kinds of sockets in China: flat blade plug and V-shaped flat prongs. If your plugs have different configurations, you will also need an adapter.
- Tap water is not potable (drinkable) in Asia. Contact the hotel floor attendant for assistance.
- Bottled water is readily available for purchase in stores and markets throughout Asia.
Health Precaution
- Always wash your hands before eating, after sneezing and coughing.
- Avoid eating raw or under cooked food.
- Do not drink tap water or refreshments with ice.
- Before planning to visit attractions that are located in high altitude areas (such as Tibet, Yunnan province and some areas in Sichuan province), remember to seek medical consultation everyone’s body’s will react differently to the high altitudes and may suffer from Acute Mountain Sickness (AMS), also known as Altitude Sickness.
- Increase your steps gradually while hiking in highland regions.
- Be sure to bring along preventive medications when sightseeing in high altitude attractions; oxygen supplies are widely available in most spots.
Chinese Custom Checkpoints
- All travelers need to bring along all declared items when leaving China. Import duties will be imposed on missing items.
- There are two channels within the customs checkpoints: red channel for travelers with items to declare and green channel for those who have nothing to declare.
- If you ended up having a larger amount of foreign currency than you originally declared upon entering China, you will need to present a legal document issued by the China State Foreign Exchange Administration Bureau to bring your excess possession with you.
- Each traveler is allowed to take no more than $300 Yuan/RMB worth of medicinal materials out of China.
- It is strictly prohibited to export medications made from rare animals, such as musk, antler, leopard and tiger bone, rhinoceros horn and elephant skin.
- Antiques need to be declared at all times. Attempts of hiding and smuggling antiques through customs will be severely punished.
- Antiques and related products must carry the appraisal marks issued by the related Chinese culture administration department and the legal document of export sales.
Travel Insurance
Lotus Travel highly recommends clients to purchase travel insurance when traveling internationally. The Travel Plus Plan offered by the Travelex Insurance Company has excellent travel benefits and children 16 and under are free of charge when traveling with an adult. Please refer to Lotus Travel’s Web site at Insurance for more details.