What health considerations do I need to worry about?

As with traveling to any foreign country, traveling to China requires some consideration to health issues. Perhaps the most important considerations are obtaining necessary immunizations and medications and being aware of other precautions to take while in China.   Immunizations One of the most important health issues to handle before you leave is immunizations. The Center for Disease Control (CDC) offers a listing of recommended immunizations for different countries that you should get before you leave. Some of them require time between multiple shots, so make sure that you plan ahead to give yourself proper time to complete the immunizations.   Medications You will also want to ensure that you have all necessary medications you will need for your trip. Beyond any medications you normally take, you may want to consider taking pills for traveler’s diarrhea. If you are planning to travel in the south west of China some sources say you should take malaria pills. (Others say it is only necessary if you are traveling away from main cities and closer to the most southern border). You will probably want to keep all essential medications in your carry-on luggage so you will have it incase your luggage is lost.   Precautions Before leaving on your trip you should research additional precautions to take for avoiding health problems in China. For instance, it is important to know that you should never drink tap water or swim in any rivers or lakes. You can find information online or through a health clinic offered in your area. A health clinic gives you specific information on traveling to your destination. Check with your local county health department to see if they offer any clinics, or check the CDC’s website (below).     Additional resources: (see “What resources are available?” for additional details)                         www.cdc.gov/travel/ - general travel health information             http://www.cdc.gov/travel/eastasia.htm - east Asia travel health information             http://www.mdtravelhealth.com/destinations/asia/china.html - China travel recommendations – medications, immunizations, other considerations

How should I pack?

Obviously what you decide to pack depends largely on you, and how you travel. However, there are a few recommendations for how you pack you should pack your luggage.   Consider a backpack Though not essential, you should consider using a backpacker’s backpack for your main luggage because it will make many aspects of traveling easier. Many locations have a lot of stairs that make rolling luggage more difficult. Backpacks are also generally easier to fit on trains and buses because they are longer rather than wide. You may also want to have a smaller backpack to use as a day pack when you leave your main luggage at your hostel.   Travel light You don’t want to have heavy luggage to carry all around China – especially if you decided to use a backpack. How much you have to carry your luggage will depend in part on how you choose to travel. If you take planes and taxis everywhere it probably won’t be too big of a problem. But if you’re planning to save money by taking local buses in the cities and doing some walking, you will have to carry your luggage and you will want it to be as light as possible.   You will want to leave room in your luggage to bring things home with you. You will probably come home with more than you left with, so don’t fill your bag to the airplane weight limit before you leave or you’ll have to pay extra to get everything home. For international flights you can have 50-70 pounds depending on the airline, but all flights inside China have a 44 pounds (20Kg) limit and you can only have one check-in bag.   Plan on doing laundry You should plan on doing laundry while you are there. This will greatly reduce the amount of clothing you have to bring, which often takes up most of the space in your luggage. Most hostels will have laundry service, or at least be able to tell you where to get it. Generally you can wash several days’ worth of clothes for a less than a few dollars so don’t worry if you have to do laundry often. You can also bring soap along and wash them yourself, but keep in mind that in many places of China the climate is very humid and your clothes will take a long time to dry. This is an important consideration even if a hostel has a laundry facility because there are few effective dryers in China.   Also consider bring some old clothes that you could leave there. This will make room for more souvenirs on your way home, and you won’t have to be worried if something happens to your clothes.   Buy some items when you arrive Most things are cheaper in China than they are back at home. Some items you may be better off getting once you arrive rather than buying it before you leave. For instance, don’t go out and buy laundry soap for the trip when you could get it at market there for less than a third of the cost. Electronics are generally not cheaper, however, nor are real foreign name brand items (like clothing brands).

How should I handle my money?

Once you arrive in China you will need a way to access your money, and there are a few things you should prepare for before you go. China is still a largely cash-based society, so you may find it a bit different from the check or credit-card-based society that you are used to. The basic options for handling money include cash, traveler’s cheques, ATMs and credit cards.   Cash Bringing large sums of your home currency is probably not the best way to get your money to China. Carrying cash is always a danger and pickpockets are definitely present in China. You will, however, want to bring some cash with you so that you will have something to use right away.   Many banks will allow you to exchange your money to Chinese currency before you go, which makes things even more convenient. It may take them a few days to get the Chinese currency though, so plan ahead. If you don’t get your money exchanged before hand you’ll need to do it once you get there at either the airport or a bank. The airport probably won’t give you the best rate, but again you’ll want some money when you get there for a taxi before you can even get to a bank. Banks will give you a better rate, but some banks won’t exchange foreign currencies.   The best place to exchange currencies in China is Bank of China. Many other banks will exchange currencies, but you usually can’t tell until you go in and ask. To exchange currency you will need your passport, and plan on having to fill out some paperwork.   Traveler’s cheque Traveler’s cheques are a safe way to transport larger sums of money. They are however, more difficult to get exchanged and essentially only the Bank of China will do it, so it can be difficult if you can’t find one. There will also be a service fee for exchanging them. American Express has some offices where you can exchange their traveler’s cheques without a service fee, but they are only located in major cities. American Express also offers a traveler’s cheque card – check their website for options. As with cash, you will need your passport to exchange traveler’s cheques.   ATM ATMs are one of the most convenient ways to handle getting money in China. You should check with your local bank and find out what service fees will be attached when you withdraw money in China. Some may have large fees, but others will charge you only a regular ATM fee of $1.50. Many banks prevent withdraws from foreign countries as a security precaution, so be sure to inform your bank before hand that you will be in China so that they don’t prevent you from withdrawing from a foreign country.   By using ATMs you can withdraw moderate amounts of money a few times rather than carrying large sums with you all the time. You should be cautious however, to use only ATMs located inside large banks to ensure that your card information does not get stolen.   Credit Cards China is still a largely cash-based society and so credit cards are not used in very many places. Their use is expanding, but don’t rely on being able to use your credit card for all purchases. Generally large companies such as airlines will accept your card, but don’t expect it in small stores. Also if you do not inform your credit card company that you will be traveling for security reasons they will most likely not approve a purchase in a foreign country.     Additional resources: (see “What resources are available?” for additional details)   http://www10.americanexpress.com/sif/cda/page/0,1641,22395,00.asp?us_nu=dd –American Express traveler’s cheques and cards