Yvette's first Chinese experience!

Yvette (from our Travel Australia team) visited China for the first time by herself, but she didn't let that deter her and had an amazing time

My first trip to China was alone as I was visiting my dad who works in Shenzhen. I found that English is not widely spoken in some parts of China and it can be difficult to get around, but I did find that young students who speak English are willing to talk to you. Because of this, it is advisable to take a Chinese and English map with you, as this will make it easier to get around.

I flew Air Asia from Kuala Lumpur to Macau and then took a ferry to Hong Kong, where I stayed with some friends in Kowloon. From Kowloon I took a ferry across to Shekou in Shenzhen, which was only about 40 minutes away. There are lots of English people in Shekou and most people speak English especially in restaurants.

I flew from Shenzhen to Chengdu, this is where the panda’s are, unfortunately I didn't get to visit the panda sanctuary as I was booked into a hotel in E Mei Shan and the sanctuary is about a 2 hour drive from the mountains. The scenery was very pretty here. I stayed at the base of the mountains and took a bus the next day up to the top. There are many temples in the mountains and there is a monorail ride that can take you to the highest point where you get some great views. There is also a Buddhist temple up there where you can stay if you choose to.

My next destination was Xian - early one morning I went on a sightseeing tour, this included the jade factories and the Terracotta Warriors. We were given a guided tour of each of the 4 "pits", where the life-size warriors were discovered - some of which have been repaired but the restoration work continues and the view is that there is still so much that has yet to be discovered. The first pit you go into the Terracotta Warriors are still covered, but they have unearthed some statues which are now in glass cabinets and are guarded. The 2nd pit is where they have unearthed statues which are still intact, the pit was huge. You can get professional photos done here which make great souvenirs. I took a Xian city tour which included the Bell Tower and markets.

From Xian I flew to Beijing, transferring by bus from the airport to the City. My hotel was next to the night markets which are famous in Beijing. The markets sell numerous types of food on sticks which you have to try to get the full experience! During my stay I took a bus to The Great Wall of China. Depending on which section of Wall you visit, you can either walk the Great Wall or take a cable car. When you reach the top they give you a certificate and have your photo taken.

I also visited the Beijing zoo and the Summer Palace. The Summer Palace is a must-see whilst you are in Beijing as it is a tranquil spot in this hectic city with beautiful gardens with many temples and lakes. This is where the famous 17 arch bridge is.

My hotel was close to the Forbidden City and Tiananmen Square. The Forbidden City covers a massive area and taking a tour here really gives you a feel for the lives the Emperors lived. Near Tiananmen square is a famous restaurant called the Quanjude Roast Duck, which serves the original Peking duck in front of you by the chef but you need to get there early.

Shanghai was my last destination and I found this to be a very lively, cosmopolitan city. I took a boat ride along the river to see the views of Shanghai and went up the Oriental TV Tower located in Pudong Park -the elevator was very fast going right up to the top. This gives you very good views of Shanghai, great for photo taking!

China is a great place to visit for holidays and the best piece of advice I can share with you is to always take a business card from the hotels you stay at (preferably ones that are in Chinese) so if you are going to explore the city and want to get taxi back, then you can just show the card to the taxi driver - easy!