The Internets have provided an almost embarrassing bounty of China- and Asia-related travel stories and news in the past week, now rounded up here for your convenience. Don’t miss the latest on the mess that is traveling in China during the October holiday.
Along with travel to Tibet, the government has banned flying kites in Beijing pre-National Day.
Bound for China?
- Don’t go to Tibet: Tibet will be closed to foreigners for National Day. According to Thorntree, the Tibetan regions of Sichuan and Gansu — including Xiahe and Langmusi — may also be affected by the government’s efforts to forestall any protests during the 60th anniversary of the Communist government. (So where should you go?)
- Be crowded in Hong Kong: Don’t think you can go to Hong Kong next week to escape the National Day madness. The Special Administrative Region is the hot ticket for mainland travelers, who will be out in full force until Oct. 8.
- Develop sustainably in Yunnan: James Fallows reports on attempts by an American, Brian Linden, to bring tourists to Xizhou, Yunnan Province, while preserving the region’s natural beauty. Linden doesn’t want the town to go the way of Lijiang.
- Go off-the-beaten-track in… Lijiang?: The NYTimes rather misguidedly encourages travelers to seek an off-the-beaten-track experience in Lijiang.
- Eat in Hangzhou: Food writer Fuschia Dunlop, whose memoir Shark’s Fin and Sichuan Pepper we highly recommend, offers her restaurant suggestions for Hangzhou.
- Follow Tim: Over at Tim’s Adventures, he is in the middle of writing up his trip to Beijing, Shanghai and Xi’an from earlier in September.
Or Beyond?
- Slurp pho with prostitutes in Singapore: The Washington Post brings us a culinary guide to the city’s red-light district.
- Learn to cook in Chiang Mai: Lauren at Ephemerratic writes about a cooking class she took in Thailand.
- Explore the markets of Southeast Asia: As part of gourmet.com’s Street Food Week, Karen Coates gives a run-down of eight great markets in Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos.
Not ready to hit the road? I’ve noticed a flurry of useful posts on budgeting for travel, particularly if you’re going ’round the world. Check out the great advice from Almost Fearless, Two Go RTW, and Twenty-Something Travel.
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