How to Be Fine: Traveling to China Without an Expensive Visa
Hong Kong is not in China. Wait...what?!
My husband and I normally take a trip at least once a year. We are pretty seasoned travelers however; we made a costly mistake. It was a hit to my ego however; I want to share it so no one else makes the same error.
The plan was to visit Hong Kong (5 days), Shanghai (2 days) and then Beijing (3 days) before heading back home to Memphis, TN.
We booked:
1. Delta Airlines from Memphis to Hong Kong
2. China Southern Airlines from Hong Kong to Shanghai
3. China Southern Airlines from Shanghai to Beijing
4. Delta Airlines from Beijing to Memphis
Each airline stated to "check local Visa restrictions".
They didn't include a link or any helpful FAQs. Pretty much they will fly you to your destination but it's on you to research if you can get in and how long your visit can be.
I want to several official websites that stated Hong Kong had a 90 day max on a visit without a Visa for U.S. citizens. I read blog posts on people recommending a trip to Hong Kong because of this. However; there was not any blogs or articles I could find that hopped in the order of our itinerary. I went Republic of China websites that were in English and researched as much as I could.
The Visa restrictions stated U.S. citizens may visit a country in Mainland China using this verbiage.
"As of December 28, 2017, Beijing Capital International Capital....will implement the transit without visa policy for foreigners holding effective international travel documents, determining dates in 144 hours and taking connected international flights to third countries (regions) from 53 countries, e.g. Austria."
"Transit foreigners may enter or exit through any of the six ports above and stay in the administrative areas of Beijing, Tianjin or Hebei for 144 hours."
144 hours equates to 6 days. I see the same policy for Shanghai. Our flight itinerary had us in each location less than 6 days so we are good to go, right? No.
See the part where it states "and taking connected international flights to third countries (regions) from 53 countries, e.g. Austria."
That was the part where we missed the mark. Shanghai and Beijing are in Mainland China/People's Republic of China. Hong Kong is not a part of MAINLAND freaking China. Hong Kong is known as Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China or Hong Kong SAR. Geography buffs need to not add shame here because I am already ashamed I didn't know that. I found out by a quick conversation in the work break room with a coworker who just came back from a similar trip.
I quickly called to reschedule our trip. Now it would have to be: US to Shanghai/Hong Kong/Beijing/back to US since you have to take a "connecting international flight to a third country". Basically, China will allow you to visit without a Visa for a max of 6 days as long as you show proof you are flying to another country, not another destination in China. Hong Kong would have to be a trip in-between the 2 mainland China destinations since it is separate from mainland China would meet the requirements of "taking a connecting international flight to third country".
After re-calculating flights, hotels etc. we decided to not take the flight from Hong Kong to Shanghai. We would only take Hong Kong to Beijing. We spent another $500 on flights from Hong Kong to Beijing and forfeited about $400 on the Shanghai flights. In addition to what we already spent on flights. What a hit to the wallet and ego.
Do not make this same mistake.
You probably are wondering why we didn't apply for a Visa. They are about $200 per traveler and they have to match exact travel dates so if you move your travel a day early or late, you would have to get the dates on the Visa modified. The typical application process is about 3 months. And lastly, all the articles I read stated I could visit Visa free for 6 days.
However; we made the best of the trip and had a great time despite the hiccup. It's normal to have something unexpected but don't let it scare you or stop you from international travel. I'm about to give you some snack-able bits of travel tips on where we stayed, what we ate and did while in each location.
Where to go in Hong Kong:
1. Lantau Island: Gondola ride to the Tian Tan Buddha
2. IFC Mall
3. Temple Street Night Market
4. Star Ferry across Victoria Harbor
5. Montane Manson (Yick Cheong Building)
6. Nightlife: Bar hopping on Lan Kwai Fong (called LKF for short)
Where to eat in Hong Kong:
1. Yat Lok for roasted goose (1 Michelin Star restaurant)
2. Tim Ho Wan for dim sum (world's cheapest Michelin Star restaurant)
3. Yum Cha for more dim sum
Where to stay in Hong Kong:
We stayed at the Courtyard Marriott located in the Central area. Link here
 |
| Roasted Goose at Yat Lok |
 |
| Tian Tan Buddha |
 |
| Glass Bottom Gondola ride over to Tian Tan Buddha |
 |
| Hong Kong Hotels are pretty much all high-rise. Awesome views unless you are afraid of heights. |
 |
| Montane Mansion was amazing in person. Hard to capture this place in a photo. |
Where to go in Beijing:
1. Tiannamen Square (buy tickets in advance because they do sell out!)
2. The Great Wall of China (take the lift up and ride the toboggan down)
3. The Beijing Zoo
4. Pearl Market (buy souvenirs here)
Where to eat in Beijing:
1. Siji Minfu (Peking Duck)
2. Bayi Laoye
3. McDonald's chicken wings (seriously, so bomb!)
Where to stay in Beijing:
We stayed at the Renaissance Beijing Capital Hotel. Link here
 |
| Tiannamen Square |
 |
| Siji Minfu Peking Duck |
 |
| Lift Ride to the Great Wall |
 |
| The Great Wall was the highlight of the trip! |
 |
My Tips on Traveling to Hong Kong and China:
- Download a VPN service. This area of the world has censored browsing so you will need this to get to websites like Facebook and Instagram.
- Keep tissues in your bag. This is not always a common amenity for cafes or restaurants to have paper towels on the table, etc.
- Download Google Translate
- Look up directions/subway maps and screenshot them if you will not have phone service
- Understand that "personal space" is a Western concept. Locals will be closer and in your "space" but it's because it is not a part of their culture.
- Tipping is also a Western concept.
- Local airlines such as China Southern Airlines are known to not take off on time.
- Book your tour of the Great Wall in advance. Go to the side of the wall known as "Mutianyu" because it's less crowded than the "Badaling" side.
- Wear comfortable shoes and clothing. It's hot there and a lot of walking.
- Keep ALL TRAVEL DOCUMENTATION on you. You will need to show the airlines and customs when you are going in and out of the country so they allow you in under the new traveling without a Visa policy. They will not allow you on the plane or into the country without this physical evidence.
We had a great time even with all the travel stress. We had an awesome time and learned a lot. We are never scared to go to a new place.
Namaste,
T. Singleton
Comments
Post a Comment