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Kiersten and Tyler recount a 70-day trip through China, describing both its positive and difficult moments. They enjoy top-tier cities such as Beijing and Shanghai, affordable food and transport, sleeper trains and the friendliness of people they meet. The couple use A Maps, WeChat, Alipay and Meituan to navigate language barriers and daily tasks. They also talk about social etiquette they found frustrating, including public coughing and smoking. Their most difficult experience is a poorly organized Inner Mongolia tour with little English translation, miscommunication and a feeling of being stranded and disrespected. They describe this as one bad experience rather than a reflection of everyone they met.
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Cities, travel costs and useful apps
Kiersten and Tyler look back on a 70-day trip around China and describe a mix of impressive experiences and frustrations. They say friends and family were skeptical before the trip, but their own experience was more varied than those warnings suggested. They enjoyed major cities such as Beijing and Shanghai and also visited less-developed prefecture-level cities, noting ongoing infrastructure development. They highlight Chinese food, technology and daily life as distinctive and sometimes unfamiliar.
The couple describe people as curious and direct, and say a smile and greeting often led to friendly exchanges. They were invited to take part in Hanfu, a traditional clothing experience, and enjoyed social life in people's parks. Their expenses averaged about $75 per day, with sleeper trains, accommodation at $30–$40 per night and inexpensive food helping keep costs manageable. They also discuss Chinese hospitals as efficient and affordable compared with health care costs in the United States.
They recommend A Maps when Google Maps and Google Translate do not work well, and mention WeChat for translation, Alipay for payments and Meituan for food delivery. Digital tools help with everyday tasks, though language barriers still arise, especially when older people find translators confusing or off-putting.
Etiquette differences and a difficult tour
Some social habits make the trip uncomfortable for them, including open-mouth coughing, spitting, nose-picking and smoking in public or in non-smoking hotels. They also note that people may cut in lines and that privacy in public spaces can feel limited. Their observations are personal and reflect what they encountered during the trip.
The most difficult experience is a tour in Inner Mongolia. It is poorly organized and communicated, with little English translation. Misunderstandings leave the couple feeling stranded and disrespected. They say the experience was upsetting but isolated, and does not describe the entire Chinese population or culture. They finish by inviting viewers to share their experiences and encouraging people to keep a balanced view of travel in China.
FAQs (From the traveler's perspective)
- Q: What was the most challenging aspect of traveling in China?
- A: Kiersten and Tyler say the language barrier was the biggest challenge, even when using translators. They found that some older people were confused or uncomfortable with translation apps, making communication difficult.
- Q: What was your biggest complaint about Chinese social etiquette?
- A: They were uncomfortable with open-mouth coughing, spitting and nose-picking in public. They also mention smoking in public and in places they understood to be non-smoking.
- Q: What was the most memorable experience, good or bad?
- A: The Inner Mongolia tour stands out most. Poor organization and communication left them feeling stranded and disrespected, though they say this was an isolated experience.
- Q: What's your advice for travelers to China?
- A: They recommend downloading Alipay, WeChat and Meituan, and preparing for language barriers and cultural differences. Based on their experience, they also suggest caution with tours in remote areas when communication is difficult.
