Originally Posted by TravelManKen
Thanks - I have a phone that works in China, I'm just going to purchase a pre-paid SIM card. We have a phone plan for calling China, so the connection is pretty good. We're Sprint/Nextel users, and I'm not particularly fond of their int'l calling plan, and I'm not willing to change providers and break a contract for a single trip.
You might get better value from giving your loved ones pre paid or rechargeable calling card to call you on (my family contacts me on my local mobile number in Fiji using one of these).
Also, colleagues who've recently worked in China report free WiFi in the hotels they've stayed in so think Skype!
Other than that, the extended trip is all about the kind of common sense you probably already exercise on shorter trips. With the possible exception of the clothes you like, you can usually buy just about everything else wherever you happen to be (unless you are in the arse end of nowhere and China could hardly be descried as that). So, hope for the best and prepare for hell
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