Beijing and the Great Wall of China are two places all first-time visitors should put on their itinerary. To avoid tourist scams (and in Beijing there are many) read about it in your travel guidebook before you go to Beijing.
I love Beijing! The air quality is terrible, the traffic is a nightmare, and all of the tourist sights are crowded, but I still love Beijing because there is so much to see and do. Locals are very friendly, but make sure you bring a Mandarin phrase book. I easily spent six days here.
Beijing … Don't stay near the Tian'anmen Square area. It's full of tourists traps and pickpockets. Everybody tries to rip you off. Noisy everywhere. But Tian'anmen Square and Forbidden City are great!
Beijing … Great city, loads to see, forget about Mao's tomb, 3 odd hours to queue and no backpacks / water bottles allowed. The Wall is amazing, but Ming tomb's a waste of time. Tianeman Square, the Forbidden City, the Buddist temples, and the parks are great and the locals are very friendly. A major problem is language, you must have English - Mandarin cards or else... A funny story is an American tourist who used the box of matches from the hotel. The taxi took him to the match factory! Otherwise great. Train travel is very easy - use SEAT61.com, a great website about train travel.
Beijing Leo Hostel in Beijing … Leo's is excellent! Hey, the old adage, you get what you pay for -- people it applies. I had a private room for nearly three weeks. A hostel is noisy. it is the nature of the beast. Leo's is a great place. Excellent, in fact. If you are a dumb traveler and you wish for all the creepy comforts of home while in a foreign country, the Beijing Grand is a couple kilometers away. By the way, it costs $250 for one bloody night. If you are wondering whether or not Leo's is good for you, or not, I am telling you just now. Leo's is great. Simon, Mike -- everyone there are so gracious, so helpful, so interested in you, it makes my blood boil to hear anything negative about these guys. They have a damn fine place and will make anything happen that you desire. These people are great. Stay at Leo's. You will not regret it. I couldn't think of another place I'd rather stay in Beijing, and I have stayed at Grand Beijing Hotel. I'd rather be at Leo's! Happy travels, folks.
p.s. simon: thanks…
Sleepy Inn Downtown Lakeside Hostel in Beijing … Sleepy Inn was the first place we stayed in China and we booked at double private room. We didn't plan on staying in hostels, but thought it was a hotel when we booked. Our experience was so great we decided to continue staying in hotels. The ladies that work there were so friendly and helpful. They would book trains and rooms for you and give you detailed directions so that you didn't have to do the tour-group thing and go and get around on your own. The rooms are small and sparse, but it does the job. The lake is pretty and makes for a nice walk. There is a grocery store near by where you can stock up on food. This isn't a touristy area so the restaurants aren't made for tourists but many are excited to help you figure things out. We had a great experience at a Hot Pot restaurant around the corner. The Hot Pot restaurant is working on getting an english menu, but even without it, the servers went out of their way to call the manager Eric who was able to help us order and it was a…
Beijing Downtown Backpackers in Beijing … Excellent hostel in an ideal location for all of Beijing's attractions. Clean and friendly. The air conditioning worked well and the showers were hot. Helpful staff but not obtrusive.
Beijing Jianwai Soho Hostel in Beijing … This hostel is very nice. It's the only one I've been to in China, but if I go back to Beijing I'd definitely stay there again. It's very small, private, and clean. Feels like an apartment -- you get a front door key and can come back at all hours of the day and night. The staff is great too.
Saga Youth Hostel in Beijing … Lovely hostel, the reception is welcoming and turns into a great evening meeting and drinking area...beer is available at the reception and is very cheap (2yuan($0.25) a bottle as of 10/2002). the rooms are clean and the bathroom facilities are good. the staff are friendly and tollerant (we had some good parties :-))
HI - Beijing - Peking Youth Hostel in Beijing … we stayed here in june 2007 for ten nights while waiting for our visas to be ready. the hostel was cosy and left a good impression on us till now. they had a great receptionist but he has since left two months ago. try this hostel if you are there.
King's Joy Hostel in Beijing … Kings Joy Hostel is a very nice and central place to stay in Beijing. It is only a few minutes to walk to the Tian'anmen Square. The rooms are clean and tidy with a very nice furniture. The staff is always friendly and helpful. It is also possible to have breakfast in the hostel which is very western and delicious. All in all Kings Joy Hostel is a very warm and friendly place, which can only be recommended to spend one's time in Beijing in.
Qiao Yuan International Youth Hostel in Beijing … I stayed at the Qiao Yuan dormitory in 1984. It is an easy walk from the south train station which is also a city bus transit center. I usually stopped for a bowl of the best tea I ever had on the walk to the dorm. It is named for nearby Qiao Park which has large ponds that are very very beautiful when the lotus flowers are in bloom. My favorite remembrance is of waking up to the sound of horse hooves on the pavement outside, but that may be gone now. Its location is great. You may want to take a local train from the south station instead of an express from the main Beijing station.
Sitting on the City Walls Courtyard House in Beijing … Wow, Wow, Wow! That's about it really. Rick and co have managed to keep this hostel magical and I really felt like I got an inside few of the traditional life in Beijing. I'd say the hotels in Beijing are not as good as this place! The best hostel I've ever been in. And I've stayed in about a hundred at this stage!
New Dragon International Hostel in Beijing … We stayed at New Dragon for a week and loved it, it became like home. All the staff are relentlessly friendly and helpful, the rooms were really clean and comfy, toilets were clean, and it was a great spot -- just ten minute walk from WangFuJing -- the main shopping area -- with a metro stop. It's situated in a quiet hutong where you can get the feel for daily life in Beijing when you walk up and down -- you get to see daily card playing rituals, the bike repair stall. we loved it.
Flowering House Hostel in Beijing … a bit tricky to find the way there, but should be fine with map and directions given by the Hostel. The price is really good and the hostel is much more nicer than me and my friend expected! I think it's quite ok to not to have a kitchen in Beijing. Really cheap to dine out and not easy to get ingredients. I really love this hostel and enjoyed my time staying there.
HI - Beijing Jade Youth Hostel in Beijing … We stayed at this hostel for two weeks at the end of December 2004. It is newly built/renovated with brand-new furniture and equipment. I would say it is more like a small hotel than a hostel. We had a lovely double room with a bathroom for less than 18 US dollars a day (for two persons). We visited two other hostels before we found this one and I have to say Jade beats both of them. It is close to Wangfujing Street (subway station), and it is in the heart of the city, very close to the Forbidden City.
If you take bus 103 from the hostel to the zoo, you'll find a good and cheap shopping area, too (40 minutes away). When you arrive in Beijing, take the shuttle bus to the Xidan Aviation Building from the airport. When you get off the bus, try to avoid the taxi drivers lurking by and walk a few minutes in any direction along the main street. There grab a taxi, and it will take you to the Jade for about 12 yuans, which is about 2 US dollars. (Do not forget to print out the map you…
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