Once we actually left on our trip to China, the trip was surprisingly easy. My husband and I bought one of those crazy cheap Groupon trips that you always see.
We had a few hiccups before we left the U.S. Read more about those issues here.
When we landed at the airport in Beijing, we grabbed our luggage and walked out the marked exit. We immediately spotted a “Rewards Travel China” sign. Our guide introduced herself as Amy.
Amy led us outside to a tour bus. We later learned that this would be our home for much of the next ten days. Hahahah! Our driver loaded our luggage as we settled in for the drive to the hotel.
Disclaimer: The bad news is that I got sick a day before we flew to Beijing. We eventually cancelled the extra excursions we’d booked. The good news for you is that this review is exactly what you’ll get when you book the trip.
Traffic was pretty heavy on our drive to the hotel. It took us about an hour to travel the 18 miles from the airport to the place near Olympic Park where we were staying for our three nights in the city.
Amy grew up in Beijing. Of course Amy isn’t her real name. It’s an English name she chose so it’s easier for the western tourists she guides. She gave us a quick history of China and pointed out landmarks as we traveled.
When we arrived at the hotel, Amy quickly checked us in and made sure we settled into our rooms. The hotel was extremely nice. It would be the equivalent of a 4-star hotel in the US.
The one strange thing is that each room had two single beds. None of the rooms our group stayed in had a queen or king bed at this hotel. Amy said it was because the hotel is designed for business travelers.
If you haven’t traveled internationally, it may be a little confusing when you walk inside your room. You aren’t going to be able to just flip a switch to turn on the lights. Look for the slot on the wall just inside the door. This is where you need to insert one of your room keys. You will be able to turn on the room’s lights once a room card is in the slot.
We found our room stocked with complimentary bottles of water and tea. There is also a kettle. Sodas are in a refrigerator, if you’d like to buy one. This particular hotel also had a restaurant as well as room service. (We opted for room service. I’d suggest going to the hotel restaurant or somewhere outside of the building. We we’re not impressed with the room service food.)
There is a t.v. in your room. Most of the stations are in Mandarin. We did find two movie channels and a world news channel in English.
Ask your guide any questions you may have before you go to your rooms to unpack. Amy was able to get us the Wi-Fi network and password. She also pointed out the ATM and asked about hours we could exchange money at the hotel’s front desk. She also made sure that we knew the exchange rate is the same across the country.
Pro Tip: If you didn’t bring RMB with you, go ahead and exchange it at the hotel’s front desk.
Amy advised us to carry smaller bills. She explained that we wouldn’t want to take $100 bills into the markets because counterfeit bills may be given as change. You’ll also want to take a close look at your money. There is one man on all RMB bills. The image is of Chairman Mao. He is the founding father of the People’s Republic of China. Keep in mind as you’re traveling in China, if you’re given any bills with a different image it’s either fake or a different currency.
We were on our own for the remainder of the day. Some people in our group walked to a nearby mall that is close to Olympic Park and had dinner.
Jeff and I planned, and booked, this beer tour by tuk tuk that we were really looking forward to. Since I wasn’t feeling well, we decided to cancel the bar hop and get to bed early. You’ll have to share your thoughts on the tour, if you decide to take it!