As a first time traveler, I was a little daunted that I chose Beijing as my first port of call. Prior to my trip I had heard that English is not widely spoken, which is partly correct. However, never underestimate the power of pointing at pictures and signs.

Having lived in London for the past 3 years, using the subway in Beijing came as second nature. There are station translations in English, therefore if you can handle the London Underground, you will have little difficulty using the subway.

I stayed in the Leo Hostel which was just south of Tianmen Square. An excellent location for sightseeing and a short taxi ride to the nightlife of the “Sun li Tan” area.

The hostel organised a tour of the Great Wall called “The Secret Tour”. I would highly recommend this as the area is very secluded compared to the more commercial Great Wall stretches. While it does take longer to get there, we almost had the wall to ourselves, providing excellent photo opportunities.

I visited most of the main tourist attractions such as “The Forbidden City”, “Tianamen Square” and “The Summer Palace”.

However one experience that stuck in my mind was visiting “Jingshan Park”. The entrance fee was half the price as the other attractions and much more picturesque. The atmosphere was fantastic as there were open dancing groups (yes I did join in!) and other cultural performances.

If you have the energy, I would certainly recommend climbing to the “Ten Spring Pavillion” at the top of the central peak. This provides a perfect panoramic view of “The Forbidden City” and the rest of central Beijing.

There are plenty of good eateries around. However, as with any other city, you’ll find the back streets cheaper than the main restaurants. If you’re on a budget you can easily find meals from £0.80-1.50, and a 660ml bottle of beer should cost between £0.50 and £1.

Shopping for clothes and accessories pretty much follows the same rule where the backstreets will provide better value. However be prepared to barter. I purchased a T-shirt for £3 when the shop keeper’s original price was £11.

One final recommendation would be to hire a bicycle and take a tour of the city. This is by far the best way to see Beijing. You could rent a bike from the hostel for £0.50 per hour or £3 for the whole day. As a novice cyclist, I found Beijing very bike friendly.

My next port of call is Shanghai via the overnight hard sleeper train.

Photo by ezioman