Canada or China
Discussion
I spent over 3 weeks in China in 2010, put together my own trip and went to Beijing, Xi'an, Chengdu, Guilin, Yangshuo, Guangzhou and Hong Kong. Truely amazing place, full of suprises and I have already got another trip in mind when funds permit. Have not been to Canada yet, would love to go one day.
Diablos-666 said:
Well it seems both are out now. GF wasn't too keen on China and the quote we got for Canada came out close to £6k 
Out budget is £2k max each.
Back to the drawing board.
Ridiculous.Out budget is £2k max each.
Back to the drawing board.
Just go to Canada and make it cheaper.
I feel absolutely certain you could have a superb holiday in Canada for £2k each
blindswelledrat said:
Ridiculous.
Just go to Canada and make it cheaper.
I feel absolutely certain you could have a superb holiday in Canada for £2k each
This. We had 10 days in Banff in a lovely hotel, connecting flights through Heathrow, a £350 lift pass and snowboard carriage, basically everything bar spending money. And it came in around £1100 each. And that was fairly typical.Just go to Canada and make it cheaper.
I feel absolutely certain you could have a superb holiday in Canada for £2k each
blindswelledrat said:
Ridiculous.
Just go to Canada and make it cheaper.
I feel absolutely certain you could have a superb holiday in Canada for £2k each
We've been to Canada at least once a year since 1996, it's like a 2nd home Just go to Canada and make it cheaper.
I feel absolutely certain you could have a superb holiday in Canada for £2k each
Have just started putting this year's trip together. 3 weeks in September flying into Calgary and out from Vancouver.
Flights (for 2) £1050
4x4 hire for 3 weeks £900 (could save a few hundred with a smaller car)
Accommodation - Mostly make it up as we go along but £50-£100 a night gives a lot of scope for motels, hotels, cabins, B&Bs, in some of the most beautiful scenery you can imagine.
I'm in Harbin at the moment (far north, near Russia and N. Korea) for the snow and ice festival, which is great, but it's cold enough to reconfigure the anatomy of a brass monkey. -25 yesterday, and that's balmy compared to what it can be.
I love Beijing, one of my favourite cities, but the southern cities aren't anywhere near so nice.
Honestly, to get the best from China, you need to have been a few times, or speak some of the language, or have a local guide/helper. It's not somewhere you can just visit alone like a normal holiday and see the best bits.
I love Beijing, one of my favourite cities, but the southern cities aren't anywhere near so nice.
Honestly, to get the best from China, you need to have been a few times, or speak some of the language, or have a local guide/helper. It's not somewhere you can just visit alone like a normal holiday and see the best bits.
maser_spyder said:
I'm in Harbin at the moment (far north, near Russia and N. Korea) for the snow and ice festival, which is great, but it's cold enough to reconfigure the anatomy of a brass monkey. -25 yesterday, and that's balmy compared to what it can be.
I love Beijing, one of my favourite cities, but the southern cities aren't anywhere near so nice.
Honestly, to get the best from China, you need to have been a few times, or speak some of the language, or have a local guide/helper. It's not somewhere you can just visit alone like a normal holiday and see the best bits.
I did, put together a tour for myself and my fiance. As long as you do plenty of research, have a Lonely Planet guide book, and have everywhere that you want to go written in Chinese, you will be ok. I love Beijing, one of my favourite cities, but the southern cities aren't anywhere near so nice.
Honestly, to get the best from China, you need to have been a few times, or speak some of the language, or have a local guide/helper. It's not somewhere you can just visit alone like a normal holiday and see the best bits.
Avoid China like the plauge (which you'll probably contract if you venture there.) It is a truely horrible place. A dirty olace with very strange idea on what 5* should be. We spent 3 weeks in China in Sep/Oct and would never return, although the Waldorf=Astoria in Shanghai was fantastic, the rest of the country isn't worth the time, We did travel a fair bit, but had to cancel our Tibet trip due to medical reason.
However it si very doubtful that we will ever be back.
I would suggest Canada, I have been fortunate to visit Ontario and British Colombia, we much prefered BC and would go back if the oppurtunity arose.
However it si very doubtful that we will ever be back.
I would suggest Canada, I have been fortunate to visit Ontario and British Colombia, we much prefered BC and would go back if the oppurtunity arose.
Diablos-666 said:
Our budget is £2k max each
Me and Mrs Ghost did a trip to Vancouver and SF last September flying BA premium economy both ways and American between Vancouver and SF. We stayed at a top notch hotel in Vancouver and a decent boutique style hotel in SF. Total cost was c£4300 from memory and could easily get under your £4k budget if you chopped hotels around, chose non kids holiday dates or flew economy both ways.I would heartily recommend Vancouver and the surrounding area for a visit. The food, drink and countryside are excellent and by hiring a car for a few days you can get out and about. We drove to Whistler and explored countless other places we came across whilst just driving around.
We are looked after by Trailfinders and can recommend them
onlynik said:
Avoid China like the plauge (which you'll probably contract if you venture there.) It is a truely horrible place. A dirty olace with very strange idea on what 5* should be. We spent 3 weeks in China in Sep/Oct and would never return, although the Waldorf=Astoria in Shanghai was fantastic, the rest of the country isn't worth the time, We did travel a fair bit, but had to cancel our Tibet trip due to medical reason.
However it si very doubtful that we will ever be back.
I would suggest Canada, I have been fortunate to visit Ontario and British Colombia, we much prefered BC and would go back if the oppurtunity arose.
You must have covered a lot of China in just three weeks to make such sweeping statements!However it si very doubtful that we will ever be back.
I would suggest Canada, I have been fortunate to visit Ontario and British Colombia, we much prefered BC and would go back if the oppurtunity arose.
I've been coming here for six years, and haven't even scratched the surface.
But, it's not for everybody, and certainly not easy travelling like Europe.
We did Canada a little over a year ago, and it was fantastic. Think we spent c.£5k all up for 2 weeks, but that included a few days in Toronto, Ottawa and Montreal - if you're after experiences and are on a budget then just do the Rockies, Vancouver and Vancouver Island.
Flights, if booked far enough in advance, shouldn't top £700 each. Car hire and fuel won't be that much, and you can research B&Bs and smaller hotels to stay in. Eating out can be as pricey or as cheap as you want it - we did takeaway pizza a couple of times!
Flights, if booked far enough in advance, shouldn't top £700 each. Car hire and fuel won't be that much, and you can research B&Bs and smaller hotels to stay in. Eating out can be as pricey or as cheap as you want it - we did takeaway pizza a couple of times!
I have been going to Canada for the last 20 years. Done extensive parts and toured all over the place. Been sailing / driving / done the Rockies / the flat bits / helicopter trips / blah, blah blah....
You won't like it. Its boring and the scenery is all the same. Food is expensive and you won't see loads of bears and wales etc....
You pop over to China and enjoy that.
Leave Canada for me !
You won't like it. Its boring and the scenery is all the same. Food is expensive and you won't see loads of bears and wales etc....
You pop over to China and enjoy that.
Leave Canada for me !
maser_spyder said:
You must have covered a lot of China in just three weeks to make such sweeping statements!
I've been coming here for six years, and haven't even scratched the surface.
But, it's not for everybody, and certainly not easy travelling like Europe.
I found that walking in Beijing and beong pestered for money (people asking for dollars) on every block really annoying. I found people trying to sell me tat every 10m annoying.I've been coming here for six years, and haven't even scratched the surface.
But, it's not for everybody, and certainly not easy travelling like Europe.
My overiding feeling was that nothing was clean, and that there was a lot of show with no substance, and would rather go back to Canada again, or to any other country in fact.
onlynik said:
maser_spyder said:
You must have covered a lot of China in just three weeks to make such sweeping statements!
I've been coming here for six years, and haven't even scratched the surface.
But, it's not for everybody, and certainly not easy travelling like Europe.
I found that walking in Beijing and beong pestered for money (people asking for dollars) on every block really annoying. I found people trying to sell me tat every 10m annoying.I've been coming here for six years, and haven't even scratched the surface.
But, it's not for everybody, and certainly not easy travelling like Europe.
My overiding feeling was that nothing was clean, and that there was a lot of show with no substance, and would rather go back to Canada again, or to any other country in fact.
It's true there are people selling things every 10m, but actually, the BJ hawkers aren't particularly bad, Guangzhou is far worse. And it's a little strange, I have never, once, been asked for money on the street in BJ, and I'm there nearly every three months. Actually, BJ and HK are my two most favourite cities.
As I said earlier, to see the best of China, you have to go off the tourist trail, which means nothing from the Loney Planet guide, etc.
I thought Canada was great, friendly people, beautiful scenery, but it's not much of a challenge (if you're a tourist sadist like me).
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