Brendon Lang is a China travel addict who has been living and traveling in China for more than eight years. He’s recently started blogging about travel in China at China Travel Go to help and encourage others to visit and experience an incredible country.
Cheapflights: What first intrigued you about China?
Brendon Lang: The language, history and extreme contrast between China and Australia intrigued me most in the beginning. Both written and spoken Chinese are fascinating and Chinese writing was like an indecipherable puzzle just waiting to be solved. I am a history buff so China’s rich history stretching back over 3,000 years is compelling. Australian culture is very laid back, easy going and to the point which is the opposite of Chinese culture, making China very intriguing.
CF: When you first moved there, what was the greatest challenge for you?
BL: Becoming independent. To be able to do all the things you normally take for granted – like ordering a meal or shopping and getting around without help – was a challenge. You have to overcome difficulties such as an enormous language barrier, completely different foods and dishes, and a transport system that at the time seemed chaotic and crazy.
CF: What’s the best mode of transportation to travel around China?
BL: Definitely trains. Train travel is comfortable (love hard sleepers), cheap, relaxing, reliable and does not have the pitfalls of flying – like delayed flights and high security. Traveling by train also gives you a uniquely Chinese experience and is an excellent way to meet locals and seeing the countryside. Unless I’m short for time and the train trip takes more than 24 hours, I always travel by train. Many train trips such as Beijing to Xian and Kunming to Lijiang are overnight so you jump on the train in the evening, socialize or relax a little, go to sleep and wake up refreshed the next morning at your destination.
CF: What’s your routine before you fly?
BL: Most Chinese airlines have little or no online entertainment so I always make sure my eBook reader is charged and loaded with a couple of good books and pack a spare battery. I am a great believer in using public transport so when flying to a new city, my routine also includes researching how to get from the airport into the city by bus or train.
CF: How do you recommend anxious travelers stretch their comfort zone?
BL: Copy the locals. With China, so many of the things that locals do is different so copying them is stretching most people’s comfort zones without being extreme. A typical example is eating. Walk into a small neighborhood restaurant, see what dishes the locals are eating and order one. This overcomes language barriers, avoids confusing menus and is a great way of getting recommendations. Just make sure you look at the dish carefully before you point at it.
CF: How do you deal with a difficult seatmate?
BL: With empathy, communication and tolerance. You are in a foreign country where customs and habits can and often are very different from what you are used to. This can cause seatmates to come across as being difficult, annoying and even obnoxious. Understand that when judged by local standards, there may be nothing wrong with their behavior. If the person is clearly being unreasonable, try to communicate with them so the two of you can be happy seatmates. When all else fails, tolerate them. The trip will soon be over and your difficult seatmate is a part of your travel experience.
CF: Of the airports you’ve passed through – Stateside and abroad – which is the most convenient?
BL: Singapore’s airport. You name it, they have it. Free movie theater, a hotel you can pay for by the hour, massage chairs, lounges, free Wi-Fi, city tours and much more. The biggest problem with Singapore’s airport is you can easily lose track of time and run the risk of missing your flight.
CF: Do you have a routine for staying healthy when you travel?
BL: Definitely. Two of my key routines are to research my destination so I can dress appropriately, and to carry plenty of water and eating cooked/prepared dishes where possible. For example there is nothing worse than spending much of your vacation clinging to your hotel toilet because you ate poorly prepared meat or drank bacteria filled water.
CF: How do you discover local or off-the-beaten-path places?
BL: By ignoring guidebooks and asking locals and other travelers for recommendations on places to visit. Hotel staff and taxi drivers are great for finding awesome destinations that you would normally never hear about. Earlier this year in Beijing I was talking travel with a Polish backpacker who told me about the 798 Art Zone. The next day I visited 798 which is an incredible place. I place I would not have found without a recommendation.
CF: How do you get around a new country if you don’t speak the language?
BL: By having the name of the destinations I want to visit written in the local language and enough money in my pocket to catch a taxi back to my hotel if I get lost. I normally ask staff at my hotel to write destination names for me and always grab the hotel’s business card so I don’t have any problems catching a taxi back when lost. I also make a point of familiarizing myself with local transport and I don’t do anything too adventurous in the first day or two.
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