Further travel

Beijing - Travel Info

We do not deal with travel to and around Beijing and the rest of China, however as long-term residents we can put you in touch with people who do.

We also recommend The Insiders Guide to Beijing – by far the best guide book for Beijing – which is available for purchase on www.immersionguides.com or www.amazon.com

Travel Agents

In all cases please mention Koryo Tours to get the best deal.

-	For interesting trips around Beijing and further afield, contact Caroline at WestChina caroline@westchina.net.cn They speak excellent English and their trips allow you to get off the beaten track and experience the real China.

-	A small UK and China-based team dedicated to ensuring you have the best possible China experience at an affordable price. They offer a range of Self-Guided Adventures and Tailor Made tours. They are specialists in train travel in China with over 12 years of experience. www.thechinatravelcompany.com

Another China-based agent specializing in tours throughout China is the English-speaking Ms Ya Jing from the China Women’s Travel Service. She can help with hotel bookings, domestic and international flights and the notoriously hard-to-get-hold-of domestic train tickets. You can email her yajing1481@msn.com or call her on +86 13801 351846.

Domestic Air Tickets
We cannot arrange flights in, out and around China, however we can recommend Teresa Guan who speaks good English at China Huaxia Air Service xin72_2008@hotmail.com +86 10 6530 3155. We use her ourselves and she is always good at getting the best prices.

If you want to book domestic flights yourself or just get an idea of prices then good websites include www.ctrip.com and http://ticket.9588.com/FlightTicket/Main_E.aspx

Restaurants
Beijing has these in abundance, Chinese restaurants (of all different qualities) are on every street, as a basic indicator of quality look for one that has plenty of Chinese people inside and when it comes to ordering don't be afraid to point at what other people are having if it looks good. Here are some of our recommendations.

TOP END:
CHINESE: Made In China - the best duck in Beijing and great selection of other classic Chinese dishes. Excellent wine selection also.

Address: 1/F, Grand Hyatt Hotel, 1 Dongchang'an Jie, Dongcheng District 东城区东长安街1号东方广场北京东方君悦大酒店1层 Daily 11.30am-2.30pm, 5.30-10.30pm (tel: 6510 9608)

MIDDLE:
DUCK: Touted by many locals as being the best duck in Beijing and certainly at the best price. Also has good selection of Shandong and Northeastern food. Ring in advance to book or expect to wait in a queue at peak times.

Address: Xinyuan Xili Zhongjie (opposite Yuyang Hotel), Chaoyang District, 朝阳区新源西里中街(渔阳饭店斜对面), Daily 11am-4.20pm,4.50pm-10pm (tel: 6460 6711)

CHEAP:
ROUJIAMO (Chinese pork 'burgers'): This restaurant with its rustic décor specialises in food from Shaanxi province - think noodles, breads and the famous roujiamo - round breads stuffed with chopped pork. The service is fantastic and it's full of locals.

Address: 69 Chaoyangmen Nanxiaojie, Chaoyang District 秦唐府，朝阳区潮阳门南小姐69号 Open 5-10pm daily (tel: 6559 8135)

WESTERN: Capital M – the best terrace in Beijing with fantastic views of Qianmen and Tiananmen Square. Modern European food and great wine and cocktail selection. Go at the weekend for the brunch (approx RMB 200 per person). Address: 3/F, 2 Qianmen Pedestrian Street (southeast of Qianmen), Chongwen District 崇文区前门步行街2号3层 Mon-Fri 11am-2.30pm, 6-10.30pm, Sat-Sun 11.30am-5pm, 6-10.30pm (afternoon tea between 2.30-5pm), (tel: 6702 2727)

CHINESE: Dali Courtyard – fantastic Yunnan cuisine in a beautiful courtyard setting (approx RMB 100 per person excluding drinks)

Address: 67 Xiaojingchang Hutong, Gulou Dongdajie, Dongcheng District 东城区鼓楼东大街小经厂胡同67号Daily 10am-9.30pm (tel: 8404 1430)

There is a wide variety of cheap eats on the 5th floor of YaShow Market next to our office. Also, in the evening lots of food stalls spring up on the street that runs parallel to Sanlitun bar street next to Tongli Studios just behind the village. Also, don't forget to try jianbing 煎饼 - pancakes with an egg and spring onions served from stalls that you can find by the side of the road.

Bars
We are located near the famous Sanlitun Bar Street, however, we do not recommend any of the bars actually on that street but there are some good ones nearby in the Sanlitun area. Other areas with decent bars and restaurants are Houhai 后海, Nanluogu Xiang 南锣鼓巷 and Chaoyang West Gate 朝阳公园西门. Here are some of our favourites.

Atmosphere – the highest bar in Beijing at the top of the highest hotel – stunning views if there is no pollution! 80/F, China World Summit Wing, 1 Jianguomenwai Dajie, Chaoyang District.朝阳区建国门外大街1号国贸3期80层（中国大饭店北侧） (tel: 6505 2299 ext 6433)
Amilal – a chilled out bar in a traditional Chinese hutong 48 Shoubi Hutong, Gulou Dong Dajie, Dongcheng district. Open 4pm-late daily. 东城区鼓楼东大街寿比胡同48号 (no telephone)
George's - excellent cocktails in a low-lit lounge a stone's throw from our office. Walk in through the east gateof the Worker's Stadium and bear left. Walk round and it's just past the hotdog shop which also has a good bar underneath it called Fubar. Near Gate 12, east side of Workers’ Stadium, Gongti Donglu,朝阳区工体东路工人体育场东门内12号进口 (tel: 6553 6299)

The Village

There is a wide variety of restaurants and bars in the Village just near our office - the other side of YaShow Market (the shopping complex with the Adidas and Apple Store). There is something here so suit all tastes but here are some notable spots:
Hatsune - a hip restaurant serving excellent California-style Japanese food. Great lunch specials for only RMB 75. It's a good idea to book. S8-30 (opposite Element Fresh), Bldg 8, Sanlitun Village South,朝阳区三里屯路19号三里屯Village南区8号楼S8-30 Daily 11.30am-2pm, 5.30-10pm (tel: 6415 3939)
Modo - a modern wine bar serving well over a dozen wines by the glass, as well as small plates of tasty contemporary European cuisine. Try the pork belly. 3/F, Sanlitun Village South(close to Element Fresh), 朝阳区三里屯路19号三里屯Village南区3楼(近新元素)11am-11pm (tel: 6415 7207)

Blu Frog - American-style diner with delicious burgers and a great buy-one-get-one-free happy hour every day from 4-8pm. S4-30, 3/F, Bldg 4, Sanlitun Village South, 朝阳区三里屯北路19号三里屯Village南区4号楼3层S4-30, Daily 10am-2am (tel: 6417 4030)

If you are looking for something in particular let us know and we will be happy to make some recommendations. For listings of what’s on please check out the following websites www.thebeijinger.com and also www.cityweekend.com.cn