You may want to check out Afanti restaurant, ask your hotel concierge for details. Also, dont forget to go to the Silk Market(Alley) and to check out the bar scene in SanLitun.

Beijing is great, have a great trip !!!!!

Did you actually get robbed or were you overcharged?

Cab drivers in Beijing are pretty good at leaving the meter running while they wait for their next fare. At the airport, this could add up, but I have a tough time believing any of these drivers would risk physically robbing a foreign tourist. Getting overcharged has happened to me more than once. The key is to make sure that the that the driver resets the meter and the flag fall reads something like 10-14 yuan, depending on the size of the cab. From the airport, the fare should not exceed 100 yuan to most hotels in the NE quadrant of the city. If it is A LOT more, ask the bell boy at the hotel to check the fare for you before you pay. Once that happens, the cab driver will usually compromise on something more realistic.

Please reset the meter sounds something like "ching knee daah (as in a sheep saying baah) bee-ou (as in ouch)" in Mandarin, or just point to the meter and wait for that magical sound of the meter being turned on...

or, da biao, which means 'turn on the meter'. (Say it like it sounds).

I agree with the two posters just above re Chinese Visas. For my trip last May, I sent in the stuff to the consulate in SFO and had my visa within a week.

I'll concur on the ease of getting a Chinese Visa. It really doesn't take much at all. If you get in a pinch and need the visa in a hurry, you might try VIP Passports. They aren't cheap at all but they are FAST. I was leaving to China and forgot to get my passport. I remembered this a week before the trip! I went to the post office, did the application and sent it to VIP. They had my passport, WITH chinese visa back to me in 48 hours. It cost $225 but was worth every penny. I think just getting the Chinese visa is $60 and they return it in a day or so.

[This message has been edited by kanebear (edited 10-26-2001).]

quote:

Did you actually get robbed or were you overcharged?

Kind of a combination of the two: although I avoided all the gypsy cabs at the airport one of the more zealous touts jumped in the cab (up front, I was in the back) and evidentally made some sort of deal with the driver so that I wouldn't get to the hotel without paying 380Rmb...we were literally driving around in circles for 20 minutes. In retrospect I should have either grabbed my bags and jumped out at the airport or just refused completely to pay and told them to sod off. I made a big deal out of it once I got to the hotel (since I took down the number) and when I got out I yelled at the porters (or whoever they were) to call the police. Nothing came of my complaints...but they left in a big hurry (enough of a hurry that I was still pulling my big bag out of the back when they pulled away).

A very avoidable situation; if I had been less of an idiot and more at ease with China (it was my first visit) this likely wouldn't have happened. Nevertheless, I'm a pretty seasoned traveller and getting scammed like this was a first for me. Hopefully the last time as well.

Here's a few scams to avoid in China:

- on a taxi, the driver tells you that the fare showing on the meter is in US$. (I know, this is so stupid but, believe it or not, I've heard so many people fall for this scam.)

- on a taxi, the driver "forgets" to turn on the meter and charges you as he wishes when you get to your destination. If this happens, call a police or "Gong An". They're usually very helpful.

- in a restaurant, order a dish per the server's suggestion. Before ordering anything that is not on the menu, ASK FIRST how much it is. This is specially common for seafood and exotic dishes.

But aside from these scam artists, who by the way exist in most major cities, Beijing is a wonderful place to visit.

Another tip regarding the taxis in Beijing:

After 11pm, there is a ten percent surcharge on all metered fares. But, after 11pm, the whole ball game changes. Many drivers refuse to use their meters and you will have to negotiate the fare. The best way to deal with this is remember how much you paid to get to your desination and then add 15% or so. Have the price written down and agreed upon in RMB, not USD (bp888 is right - I also know people who have been ripped off).

makin: i have to say that i disagree with your strategy. taxis are required by law to use their meters when asked and if you threaten them enough and mark down their license numbers, they usually come around. popular night spots can be an exception, but even there you can usually find someone who's willing to play by the rules. the bottom line is that it's bad to encourage their rule breaking.

as a matter of general policy, you should always get a receipt (with pickup and dropoff point) if you suspect you're being taken for a ride.



[This message has been edited by moondog (edited 10-27-2001).]