Berkeley Parents Network: Visiting China

Berkeley Parents Network

Visiting China

Berkeley Parents Network > Reviews > Places to Go > Visiting China

How safe is a trip to Beijing or Tokyo?
Thinking about a tour with older children
Traveling in China with a 3 yrs old

How safe is a trip to Beijing or Tokyo?

June 2007

I really want to visit Beijing and Tokyo but I feel hesitant about traveling there (especially to Beijing) because I have an 18 month old and I also hope to be in early pregnancy during the time of travel (Jan. 2008). I am concerned about us becoming sick from the water and/or food. Does anyone have advice about what the danger level is for a toddler and/or someone who is pregnant to visit these parts of the world? Do you recommend such a trip? What precautions should I take, etc.? Thanks!

Our daughter has traveled and stayed in China 5 times now since she was an infant. We took her first time to China when she was barely 5 months old. Beijing was one of the places we stayed. We stayed in a condo in Chaoyang District and highly recommend it over other districts. Beijing is pretty safe - especially with the coming Olympics. We have been traveling to China since early 90s and Beijing has turned into quite a comso city since then. The last trip we made to Beijing was less than a year ago. I have to say in my experience Beijing is a far better place than Shanghai (for some reason it just feel like chaotic, even though when we went to Shanghai in 2003 we thought Shanghai was better than Beijing, so something has changed and we think it's the pending Olympics). The food is quite good and there are lots of high end shopping areas in Beijing.

Anyhow, it's one of those places that can earn you bragging rights still. Bring your tour books. There are high end restaurants! and lots of historical sites. Our infant (she's three years old now but was 5 months when she took the first China trip with us) reacted way better in Beijing than Shanghai. In fact after that trip we almost bought a condo in Beijing (and now we are kicking ourselves as real estate in Beijing has trippled since then). No one drinks tap water in Beijing, everyone drinks purified water from bottles. They have a yogurt drink which is delicious! It tastes like our non fat plain yogurt but more like a smoothy. I think the food there is great but don't eat at street vendors.

Anyway, our daughter has been to China 5 times now (we did buy a place but in the southern region) and Beijing was a place that definitely she had no trouble adjusting. So I would recommend Beijing over Tokyo, if anything they don't eat raw fish in Beijing. Have fun wherever you end up! Alameda Mom

I hope I can help answer part of your questions. I've never been to Toyko, but I did travel to Beijing when, like you, I was very early in my pregnancy. It was a work trip that had already been planned before I realized I was pregnant. I talked it over with my husband (a doctor), who was of the opinion that (a) Beijing's risks are about the same for a newly pregnant woman as for anyone else, and (b) at that stage of pregnancy, there is not much that a doctor (even at the fanciest U.S. hospitals) could do to save a pregnancy that is going to miscarry. (My concern was about the available health care in China.) That said, I had a wonderful trip with no problems. I tell my son now that he has already climbed the Great Wall! :)

The precautions that I took were the same as those of my fellow travelers: I wore seatbelts, I didn't drink tap water (this included boiling the water I rinsed my toothbrush in), and I didn't eat street food. I also avoided meats that weren't hot (in case of Listeria) and, of course, alcohol. The other issue is morning sickness - I was not feeling sick at that stage of the game, and it certainly helped me enjoy the trip more. I don't think there's an increased danger per se if you're naseous, but Beijing like many big cities has lots of strong ODORS! If you're throwing up all the time you might be tempted just to stay in your hotel room, which is no fun at all! You should check with your OB of course but I think early pregnancy can actually be a good time to travel.

That said, I would say that traveling with an 1-year-old is a whole different ballgame. I will leave it to others to comment on the safety issues, since I don't know much about kid life in urban Asia. But I did travel with my son to Europe when he was about 18 months. It was a family trip that I didn't plan, a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that I didn't want to miss out on. I ultimately was grateful for the chance to travel, but it was really, really, really hard. At that age, they appreciate absolutely nothing about what they are seeing, and experience travel as only a series of traumatizing changes and disruptions of routine and sleep. My son was cranky and unhappy almost the ENTIRE trip. Even now I don't really enjoy looking at the pictures of the trip because I remember them as, oh, that's where I had to carry him through the streets for miles and miles because he refused to sit in the stroller, or that's the restaurant where he screamed so much he threw up all over the table, and so on. Your toddler may well be less demanding or rigid than mine, but if s/he responds at all negatively to changes in routine or other trips you have taken, I would propose rethinking the timing of your trip. I LOVE to travel and am anxious to see so much more of the world, but after that trip I've decided to wait until my kids are either old enough to understand what they are seeing, or to stay at Grandma's without me! Staying home for now

[Editor]: also see Visiting Japan

Thinking about a tour with older children

Jan 2007

We are looking for suggestions about taking a tour this year to China (Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Yangtze, Hong Kong) with our two older children. This will be our first time. What should we do to prepare for our trip? How to find the ''right'' travel package? Recommendations on reasonably priced travel agents, what not to miss, and what to avoid, would be very welcome. Signed, China newbie

I think tour packages or cruises make a lot of sense for Americans visiting China, especially for the first time. There are lots of ways to put together a trip. You could do an entirely land-based tour package, you could combine a land package with perhaps a cruise up the Yangtze, and/or you could take part in an active vacation package that includes hiking or biking. The variables include questions such as the size of the group you'd like to be part of as well as the kinds of accommodations you would be comfortable with. There are possibilities as well at all price points. It all depends on the kind of experience you would like to have for your vacation. David

Traveling in China with a 3 yrs old

June 2006

We will be traveling to China in July with our 3 yrs old, and spend about 4 days in Beijing for work, then plan to travel around for 10 more days or so, and fly back from Shenghai. I would really appreciate any suggestions of kid friendly attractions and activities. Also, if someone has tips on how to manage food, what should we bring with us? Is it easy eanough to buy western -type food outside the big cities? can one buy milk easily? (we have a pretty picky eater - white rice would work great, but that might be just about it) . Thanks for any advice, clueless in china
daniel

I lived and worked in rural China for a year. It is hard , but rewarding travel. The distances are HUGE. I would plan to not cover that much of the country with a three year old, especially if doing it by train (bus isn't an option there). Bring plenty of entertainment and get ready for the Chinese to want to touch and hold your child along the way. Foreigners and especially children are a novelty in the country. Enjoy! cyn

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