After a few restful gap stops in Qingdao, It was off to Shanghai! Anyone coming Qingdao wanting to get a bit of advice to go visit Shanghai for a few days – Look no further than this blog.
My parents were staying in the Holiday in very near the InternChina office. To get to the airport you can do the following:

1. Taxi – 80RMB roughly
2. Airport bus – 20 RMB per person (from near IC office, next to Copthorne hotel)

For domestic flights, check in is very simple; you just need to show your passports and know your flight number and destination. With the price of your ticket, you are allowed to check in one piece of luggage and a hand luggage. To book flights and see prices you can have a look at this website. The flight itself is only around 1 hour 10 minutes. We arrived in Pudong airport and took the Maglev train to the city centre and afterwards a taxi to our hotel. The Maglev is a superfast train to the city centre 400km an hour– have a look here. 

In Shanghai there are endless places to visit. On our second day we went to Yu Gardens, a garden in the centre of the city but with an ancient history. Around this area you can also do a bit of shopping, barter for pearls and walk around. Travelers tip: Show your student card to get half price entry (20RMB instead of 40RMB)

My parents and I also visited the Confucius temple which was beautiful and was also invited to a Chinese traditional tea ceremony. Tea is a very important part of Chinese culture and there are hundreds of flavors to try with unique healing properties.

The famous Bund. This is obviously the must see destination in Shanghai – free of course and an amazing view of the skyline in the city. Here you can take your classic photos, walk around and really get a feel of Shanghai during the day.

At night my parents and I ate at a beautiful Chinese restaurant called Lost Heaven – this was the best Chinese food I have ever had and well worth the money. It is very highly rated on TripAdvisor so consider this as a special treat.

Travelers trip: In the evening team up dinner here with a walk along the bund to see the beautiful lights. At the Bund, you will see many ferries and boats which look incredibly snazzy but cost you 100RMB per person. If you are on a bit of a budget I recommend taking the 2RMB ferry which takes you to the other side, it’s shorter but you still get the boat experience.

In terms of evening entertainment, for young people there are fantastic clubs and bars all around the city. Bar rouge is one which has a fabulous view but there are so many more. Not to age discriminate but parents are parents, and chucking it to house music wasn’t really on the cards. Instead we went to an amazing acrobatic show called the intersection of time. It is a must see if you have never seen a Chinese acrobatic show it is well worth the money (tickets from around 180RMB)  The tricks will blow your mind, and it’s very beautiful.

Whilst I was having a good afternoon sleep, my family visited the Shanghai Museum which is worth a visit especially with the free entrance .General transport here is really good. The metro system similar to Beijing is very easy to get around to most of the places; a self service ticket machine in English is in every station. Regarding taxis, they are slightly more expensive than Qingdao ones with meters starting at 14RMB or 18RMB in the evening.

Overall, we had an amazing time in both Shanghai and Beijing and managed to get unforgettable memories. Having a mini break on a weekend or having family visit is the perfect excuse to enjoy China from different eyes.

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