The Travel Tips

Below are some travel tips that we gathered from previous groups, and some of our own thoughts. Check with some other families who have traveled to the province you are visiting to see what is available.

The biggest thing to keep in mind is to remember that the trip isn’t a vacation. You will be traveling around China for two or three weeks and living out of a hotel room with a baby who isn’t used to you. On top of that you have the added stress of the logistics of the travel and the adoption process itself. The adoption process went very smoothly for us, but it was pretty stressful at times. You need to plan in advance things you may need since you may not be able to easily get them in China.

Angela will post our packing list soon.

Thermos: Some previous travelers said they never used their thermos, but we wish we had brought one with us.

Flashlight: We would have liked to have had a flashlight a few times. Living out of a hotel room is tough. I wish I had a headworn reading / camping light with me for searching through bags or just reading while Gracie was sleeping.

Calculator: You can bargain with some vendors, but you need a way to communicate a price with them. A simple four function calculator would have helped.

English: English was not widely spoken in Nanchang. Some people in the hotel spoke it, but nearly none of the people in the shops did. Most (but not all) of the shops and restaurants on Shamian Island in Guangzhou spoke some English, but not in the main part of Guangzhou. We saw English on most signage around both cities.

Credit Cards: In Nanchang, we were only able to use the Visa at the hotel. All of the other stores (including the Walmart) required cash. We exchanged money at the hotel (the exchange rate is the same nationwide). I would say that about half of the shops in Guangzhou took credit cards. I think the same went for restaurants (Lucy’s doesn’t). Call your credit card issuer and tell them you will be traveling in China.

Diapers: Diapers were pretty common in stores (well, the markets). We brought 40 with us, and bought some in China. I am not sure if we really noticed a difference between the American ones and the Chinese ones. Gracie wears a US size 3, and should have worn a Chinese M, but she was fine in the L. We found wipes in Guangzhou (didn’t look in Nanchang). I am not sure if they have the zinc oxide ointment.

Formula: The formula is a little confusing because there is nearly no English on the packaging. Bring your child to the store, grab a clerk, and get them to pick out the proper formula. The ones we saw were broken down in to stages 1, 2, and 3. I believe 2 is for 6mo to 18mo, but I am not positive.

Notebooks: We brought a small 2×3 notebook with us. We tracked Gracie’s food, sleep, and diaper changes for the first few days until we were sure we were good with all. It was also handy to keep track of the Gotcha Day gifts.

Flashcards: I really wish we had some flashcards (not sure if this is a good term) with some translated phrases on it, especially one explaining the adoption and another with “Hello. My baby is X months old. Which one of these should I buy for her? Thank you.” I would make the agency provide you with one.

Sales tactics: A lot of the sales clerks in stores were aggressive. There is nothing you can do about this except for politely saying no. Also keep in mind that there are lot more clerks in stores than what Americans are used to (this can be good and bad). This is also the same for a lot of the shops in Guangzhou, but also keep in mind that people will approach you on the street and ask you to visit their shop.

Clothing: Don’t underestimate the weather where you are going. There are a bunch of services on the internet that provide multiday forecasts, but we didn’t find these terribly accurate. Keep an eye on the weather leading up to your trip to get a general idea. Also remember that a lot of the older Chinese people believe in really bundling kids up when it is cold. No mater what you have on your child, someone will stop you on the street and scold you.

Traffic: Be careful with traffic. Don’t expect a car to stop even though you are at a curb and are pushing a stroller. The same goes for bicycles.

Toys: We underestimated the toys we needed. We eventually found ring stacker, but I wish we had brought one with us. Stacking cups are a big hit (they are called milk cups in China), and I also wish we had a small inflatable ball. A board book or two would also have been nice.

Laptop: Bring a laptop. If you don’t have one, buy a cheap one. Internet access is free in the Hong Kong airport, and it was also free at the Jiangxi Hotel. It was pretty cheap at the White Swan. Our friends and family really appreciated the updates. Bring an Ethernet cable with you.

Music: Bring an iPod and speakers, or put some music on your laptop.

Phone: With the laptop, we really didn’t see the need for the phone. You can buy a prepaid SIM card in Hong Kong and in China if you phone uses them. We were given an old phone, bought a SIM card in Hong Kong, and then realized that we didn’t have the unlock code for the phone. We didn’t miss it, though.

Batteries: You will chew through a lot of batteries in your digital camera.

Get In Shape: You will be doing a ton of walking, and will also be toting around luggage and other bags in addition to your new baby. You will want to be in good shape before the trip starts.

Walking Shoes: Make sure you have a good pair of walking shoes.

Baby Carrier: Most of Guangzhou was stroller friendly, but Nanchang wasn’t. It is also hard to push a stroller and tote around luggage. We had a hip-hugger type carrier. Others had the type that you wear in front.

A Big Bag: We brought a backpack-style diaper bag. I don’t think we could have managed with a tote style (too much to carry at times). I have a large messenger bag that I use on daily basis and brought it, but I didn’t end up using it at all.

Clothing: Two words, laundry service. We brought minimal clothing for us and had it laundered. We brought a lot of baby clothes, but still ended up going through a lot of outfits and pajamas for Gracie. I think we did laundry three times during the two weeks, and we ended up hand washing a few items near the end of the trip.

The Flights: We confirmed our airline reservations a few days before we left. We made sure they had our frequent flier numbers (it is a 16,000 mile round trip), and made sure they had us down for vegetarian meals. We were also able to order baby meals for the flight home.

We will post our packing list soon.