Family Holidays: China family holidays
Take the Family holiday rating 
Why
Stretching more than 3,000 miles. from the western shore of the Pacific Ocean across Asia, China is a country of immense size and huge variety, with a population of 1.3 billion. Forever linked to its ancient civilization, friendly people, and many of the world’s most revered treasures, such as The Great Wall, Terracotta Warriors & Horses at Xi'ian and the Yangtze River. Today, you can also find, absolutely spectacular architecture and ever changing towering skylines in Shanghai, especially in the rapidly expanding financial district Pudong, and with Beijing hosts of the 2008 Summer Olympic Games massive developments, offering a wealth of luxury accommodations and exquisite cuisine. Since the early 90's, major cities and tourism centers have undergone a total metamorphosis of infrastructure upgrade, visitor comfort and transportation facilities.
This vastness adds to the dilemma of which cities and regions to visit first; seeing "everything" in one start-to-finish, whirlwind trip, may not always be the way to go, especially with little ones, so why not target a couple of places you and kids won't want to miss, and explore from there.
- Top left: Orient Pearl Tower, Pudong Financial District, Shanghai
- Top middle: Man on way to market, rural China
- Top right: Giant panda at Research Station, Chengdu
- Bottom left: Yangtze River
- Bottom right: Part of the 7000 strong Terracotta Army, Xi'an
When
China has a diverse climate, from semi-tropical summers in the south-east, to hot, dry summers and bitterly cold winters in the north-east, so your decision about when to go should be based on the regions you plan to tour and the kind of weather your family enjoy.
Generally,the best time to visit China is in autumn and spring. During that period, temperatures are reasonable throughout China, (around 20 to 24°C), with a limited amount of rain. Layered clothing is the great way to deal with changeable conditions that will make you comfortable with both chilly and warmer weather.
Warmer months to travel are from April to October. Summer, (June to August), can get very hot, especially in the famous 'four furnaces' of China: Wuhan, Tianjing, Chongqing and Nanchang, with temperatures well above 23°C. Most of China’s annual rainfall occurs during summer, so despite being hot, wet days are expected during this period. Umbrellas, light raincoats and rubber/plastic shoes should earn a small allocation of suitcase space.
How
International flights to China from the UK are frequent to both Beijing, Shanghai or alternativly Hong Kong, from London and many regional airports. Flight time is around 10 hours, and Beijing is 8 hours ahead. Check deals with British Airways, Expedia, Opodo and Last minute.com. Please note that a visa is required.
Stay
Hotel prices in the larger cities are not dissimilar to those in Europe and the USA, some with stunning architecture, from luxury to truly family friendly hotels. Once out in the rural areas you can find very reasonable places for £5 to £10 per night, and much cheaper if you choose to stay in hostels or dorms. Check Expedia, Virgin Holidays and Kuoni Travel for family holidays to Beijing, Shanghai and consider China adventure trips and tours that allow you to visit more than one region of this vast country. Alternatives to hotel stays include, escorted family tours, which make it easy to explore your chosen region and its highlights, whilst still enjoying guaranteed good quality accommodation without the stress, followed by a city or beach extension, or a multi-centre option.
Eat
Chinese cuisine is world famous. You should forget western food for a while and sample a great range of delicious dishes. Meals are huge, are taken early and often end with soup. Breakfasts are more savoury than sweet and often contain dishes you would not expect until later in the day. In the wheat producing areas of northern China noodles, dumplings and casserole type dishes predominate as well as availability of Peking Duck. Szechuan province is renown for its spicy dishes whereas the south produces stir fried meat and vegetables, fried rice, steamed chicken and fish.
Vegetarians need not be apprehensive, a non-meat alternative is always possible however Chinese chefs are not particularly familiar with the concept of vegetarianism so dishes tend to have a limited variety of vegetables and are not richly flavoured or spiced. However, fruit and vegetables generally in China are superb. A big, and unexpected, hit with many kids is Moonfruit, sometimes known as pamplemousse that looks like a huge grapefruit yet much milder and sweeter. Other things to try include soft baozi buns in various flavours, (savoury and sweet), from streetside outlets, if you're caught on the hop. You may wish to steer clear of some of Beijing's night market specialities, such as sheep testicles or deep fried scorpion!
Travel reading
Why not recommend a book? Search through Amazon.co.uk using the box below and then contact us with your recommendation.
