Isn't Ajisen Ramen the same price everywhere?

It's not easy to find so many overpriced places.

Why has your IP location changed?

Hi, I was wondering, when you travel solo, how do you get your photos taken?

It looks like the government is starting to take this seriously. Some districts are already piloting new approaches and studying these issues. Hopefully, things will keep improving.

Hey, a heads-up and some quick rant for those planning a trip to Guangzhou!

Firstly, traffic in this city can give you a headache! Even outside rush hours, it’s often so bad that you just have to breathe and keep calm. We once traveled from the Thirteen Rows area (a massive wholesale garment district) to Dongshan Kou (an artsy neighborhood filled with quirky stores and cafes), which was only a few kilometers away, but it took us two and a half hours! Furthermore, drivers seem to have a rather “free and easy” style, often changing lanes without signaling, so whether you’re driving or crossing the street, stay alert! Be warned: taxis in Guangzhou can be costly due to traffic jams, causing the fare meter to skyrocket. And as for subways… get ready to squeeze like sardines!

Secondly, some areas of Guangzhou appear rather “crude” — it feels quite messy, and hygiene could definitely improve.

There are just too many people! Don’t plan to visit popular tourist spots during holidays or weekends. We picked a weekday to visit Chimelong (a renowned theme park) expecting it to be less crowded, but we ended up only playing four rides all day — unbearable! Contrary to what people think about weekdays being less crowded, truth is, everybody thinks that way. Strongly recommend choosing when the crowds are thinner (like after schools reopen), or opting for VIP skip-the-line tickets; otherwise, you might lose faith in life while waiting in line. Also remember to apply sunscreen, as the sun is brutal!

Before shopping around in Dongshan Kou or the Thirteen Rows, remember: do your homework online! This time, without any prior research, we dashed straight over, only to find out later that many shops specialize in wholesale orders, with minimum purchases set at ten items. Moral of the story: do your research!

Another word of caution: avoid driving in Guangzhou. It not only disrupts travel plans and wrecks your mood due to heavy congestion, but parking spaces are hard to come by, and the fees can be eye-watering: in Shenzhen’s city center, the daily parking rate at places like Huangteng Plaza never exceeds 60 yuan. In Guangzhou, though, decent spaces charge a minimum of 90 yuan per day. We were completely surprised when we realized that parking fees were the highest expense of the trip!

One amusing incident was with food delivery: at our accommodation, delivery drivers didn’t actually deliver right to your door. We intended a tasty breakfast the following morning, but since we weren’t informed of the delivery, we stumbled across the cooled-down, now lackluster meal, sitting alone in the designated pick-up cabinet downstairs, only upon waking up mid-morning.

Overall, however, some parts of Guangzhou still won me over:

• Firstly, the food here is still amazing! A local tradition of enjoying dim sum while having tea is excellent, with all sorts of delicacies offered alongside fluffy rice noodle rolls — fantastic indeed! One chain café named Dian Duo De is quite decent, priced reasonably and worth visiting.
• Secondly, great clothing options in both Dongshan Kou and the Thirteen Rows. Numerous fashionable designer stores and affordable outlets await, making it difficult for us to fully explore this trip. I’ll be back next time without a doubt to find hidden gems once more.

Summing it all up—Guangzhou was filled with pitfalls during this trip. I shall take pause before planning another visit now. #Guangzhou #pitfalls

Is Shentong the Shanghai Metro? That's an interesting name for it.

Is it really that cheap on Xianyu?

You should definitely go to the Daxing Wildlife Park. The one at Xizhimen is too small and mainly relies on its pandas to attract visitors.

Let's be honest, it's about not having enough money to stay. If you have money and a good income, everywhere looks good. Without money or a stable income, you won't feel secure anywhere. Financial stability is the foundation for everything else.

I don't even dare to reply. Honestly, I was just strolling around Beijing that afternoon looking for a place to hang out. I couldn't find one at the moment, so I just casually made a post on Xiaohongshu.

Totally! As a Hangzhou native, I genuinely love everything about my city – its name, its style, its scenery. It's so moving, it brings tears to my eyes, to see such a positive post that isn't swayed by all the online bashing. I make it a point to comment 'Thank you for loving Hangzhou! Everyone is welcome to visit!' on every post that praises our city.

Looking for recommendations for travel agency operations coordinator or educational tour positions.

Well, here we go with our "May Day" holiday (just a reminder to foreign friends: this is an extremely busy travel peak week in China, crowded and expensive!). Our family set out with great enthusiasm, intending to enjoy ourselves in Hangzhou, and specially booked two river view rooms at the Wanda Marriott hotel in Qianjiang New Town of Hangzhou.

• The rent for one room per night is 1,800 RMB (approximately $256), and for two rooms for two nights, we spent around 10,000 RMB (around $1,400)!
• I thought to myself that, after all, it's a well-known brand, Marriott, and their services must be dependable. So we were looking forward to it!

But what happened? It’s hard to put into words!

• Issue One: Never-ending wait for check-in

  • We arrived at the hotel at 1 PM yesterday, but the receptionist slowly informed us that only one room was ready.
  • The other room? “Wait some more,” said they. This waiting extended for another three hours until 4:30 PM before checking us into the room!
  • Oh my gosh, having paid such a high amount for room fees, why didn't you apologize or offer any compensation for delaying our check-in? It makes it seem like we paid for your mistake?

• Issue Two: No room cleaning services? Absolutely not!

  • Today – the second day of our stay – we took our children out to play all day long.
  • Before leaving, we specifically mentioned to the front desk and asked them to clean up our rooms as soon as possible. They agreed wholeheartedly.
  • However, when we came back in the afternoon, we were shocked to see that nothing had been done; both rooms remained in the same state. They hadn't even cleaned up once!
  • We said, if you couldn't do it, then why give promises that can’t be fulfilled? How could a luxurious five-star hotel fail to provide the most basic cleaning services? No idea what that 1,800 RMB per night was for? Bad service delayed our guests’ time.
  • When contacting the front desk, their casual excuse 'maybe there was some miscommunication' simply doesn't suffice!

I just want to ask, @Hangzhou Qianjiang New Town Marriott hotel, are you serving us as your dearest customers or just letting us pay for extra troubles?

#HangzhouHotel #LuxuryHotelsInHangzhou #MarriottComplaintsInHangzhou #TravelToHangzhou

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Attention passengers! Take notes, circle highlights!

• High price ≠ perfect service: Especially during Chinese holidays (like “May Day” and “National Day”, which are national holidays), although you have booked an expensive five-star hotel, services might be compromised due to lack of manpower or chaotic management. Don't expect too much.

• Be prepared mentally for late入住: Promised check-in times might only exist theoretically.

• Ensure the housekeeper's attention to cleaning: Oral agreement to ‘clean quickly’ may just be empty promises.

• ‘Miscommunication’ might be an omnipotent excuse: Most commonly used explanation when hotels fail in service issues.

How to tackle these situations?

• If there are any problems, like rooms not being ready for a long time, or cleanliness failing to meet standards, you must raise the issue immediately. Don't be shy.

• When bringing children or elderly people and enduring weariness from travels, during booking process, confirm arrival with the hotel or choose off-peak entry times. If delays happen unexpectedly, you can try requesting some compensation, such as delayed checkout times, meal vouchers, etc.

• When setting requirements for cleaning, besides informing the front desk, hanging a "Please Clean Immediately" tag can help. Contact the housekeeping department once you come back and find out nothing has been cleaned.

• When problems affect your accommodation experience, stick to your demands – such as changing rooms and managers stepping in. Keep all related evidence (e.g., chat records and photos) to prepare for any potential complaints.

Exactly! Before we left, there was zero mention of any shopping. Our plane tickets were 2,000 RMB each, and only after we landed did they tell us about the shopping – I even put up with that. But then the guide started berating me! So, out of anger, I decided to post and teach everyone how to turn the tables and get some value back from the travel agency. (Honestly, if the guide hadn't kept nagging me, I would've just let it slide). So, to all the sisters who see this post, listen up: on that last day, just make your escape ASAP! A West Lake boat ride is about 50 RMB, and transport is around 50 RMB per person. For an extra 100 RMB, you can have a whole day of independent travel. If you haven't gone yet, haggle like crazy on the price beforehand, and you might even save that 100 RMB. You've clearly read this thoroughly – this is the real practical guide!

I find taking a taxi much better than dealing with downtown parking fees.

I was wondering, do I need to wear long-sleeved shirts for a trip to South Korea and Japan?

Certainly! Here is the translated version:

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To be honest, Suzhou was not originally on my travel list. However, when I bought a train ticket to Nanjing from Shanghai, I realized it would pass through Suzhou. Then, the famous old saying "Above there's heaven, below there's Suzhou and Hangzhou" popped into my head - meaning that Suzhou and Hangzhou are as beautiful as heaven. Thus, inspired by this thought, I decided to drop in to check out its charm.

At first, I had very high expectations for Pingjiang Street and Qili Tangshan as they portrayed visions of dreamy waterside scenes in the Jiangnan style with many ancient residences and canals. It was something I had never seen with my own eyes before.

What a shame, though, the two spots were heavily commercialized with countless modern restaurants along both sides of the street, as well as photo studios for taking pictures in costumes! So I failed to immerse myself in the authentic ancient village vibe...

️ Be particularly cautious of the Gengang Street!

• Highly recommended: If you have never seen such a bustling commercial street before (where many shops and restaurants gather), check it out!
• However: If you've already visited similar streets in other cities, there's no need to make a special trip here as they are pretty much the same. It would be better not to go if you could!

That being said, Suzhou's scenery still brought me a bit of surprise and novelty, especially its historic downtown area. It has its own unique charms worth praising!

#AboveThereIsHeavenBelowThereIsSuzhouAndHangzhou #SuzhouTrip #CautionInSuzhou

Yeah, it's so sticky and humid.

There are quite a few restrooms, but the map isn't very clear; Baidu Maps is actually more helpful.