Chongqing Travel Forum

Hi

I'm hoping to visit Chongquin in mid February but can't find out much information about Yangtze trips then. The only boat that I can find that is running is the Victoria Cruises ship - once a week.

Are there any others running then (don't have to be 5* cruise ships). Details and web links would be great. Should I book before I arrive or can I book at in CQ? Any idea of costs?

Many thanks

This is what a freind of mine posted on the Thorntree a week or so ago. He did it about 2 weeks ago and i'm heading down that way soon (next week or so). Hope it helps but if it doesn't answer your questions ask me in a week or 2

Sandra

hello All
an update for anyone planning on catching the boat down the Yangzai
river
from chongqing to yictang, or wuhan
it is possible to buy the tickets for the boat at the docks, there is a
ticket office there, to the left, it wil save you the cost of
commission
that all the tour offices charge
for example, my ticket 578 yuan, CITS charge 750 yuan, the ship office
would
charge around 440 yuan
also, you do not need to buy the tours (temple, ghost city, 3 little
gorges,
big dam) if you book through a tour company
again the charge commission, you will have tour reps on the boat who
will
sell you the tickets on the boat a few hours to a few minutes before
the
boat stops at these places, again, it will save you
for example
pagoda temple, ticket at the front door only 20 yuan, at the tourist
office,
its 40 yuan
3 little gorges tour, tour company 190 yuan, on the boat 150 yuan
big dam, 160 yuan, on the boat, 125 yuan
you could also avoid the extra 5 by either buying your ticket on the
cable
car for 2 yuan right there at the base of the cable car, or even walk
up the
stairs (but for 2 yuan, you would be crazy to walk it, long way)
by wary of all the tour companies, the boat is a means to rip off all
foreigners and even the chinese are not spared, food in the restaurant
is
not cheap i mean, cheap by western standards, but not chinese
standards, but
food was good)
and the biggest point i guess, is NOT too buy your sun deck pass, it
costs
anywhere between 60 to 120 yuan, you are technically allowed up for
free
be rude, be adamant, even be angry, be strong and just say no no no,
walk
pass the checkers and hang out up there, they will insist you must pay,
you
will see the chinese pay, but after 2 or 3 attempts to get money they
will
give up
after that first time, it is easier and by the end, i was never even
stopped
anymore, you DO NOT have to pay, even the tour companies in chongqing
told
me this......so simply be forceful, and dont pay, ignore them, its a
scam
also met travellers who jumped a train direct from yichtang to shanghai
for
about 370 hard sleeper
by the route the tour companies would suggest, its a 5 hour, 120 yuan
bus
ride to wuhan then the 1425, K13 train to shanghai.....this ticket also
cost
me about 370 yuan, plus that bus fare......i would recommend getting a
tour
company to book you those tickets though (especially in summer or over
holidays) cause that way you are guaranteed to reach shanghai, and not
be
stuck in hard seat, or worse still, stuck a few days when you just want
to
reach shanghai.....its worth the commission on this one, someone will
meet
you at the town with your ticket, or you will be told where to go to
pick
them up (in our case, a hotel travel agency)
the boats are rather tacky, feel cheap, chinese friendly anyhow, had no
security issues, etc but makesure anytime you exit the boat (you are
allowed
off, even if you dont pay for entrance to sights) that your door is
locked!
i saw the workers on the baot go around after most had left the boat,
and
they were unlocking doors, very strange!!! so lock and try to makesure
it
stays that way
but the scenery is great, the cruise slow and cool
the dam is half built, and despite the dodgy tour (1 hour at dam for
photos,
then they fill the rest of the time taking you to a very crap arquirum,
another temple (avoid the back room unless you planned on seeing very
old
dead bodies floating in a tank of vinegar!!! i wasnt expecting this
tired as
hell at 1pm!!!) and some very very sad horse show) all this is
happening at
night time, about 8pm till 12:30am while the boat passes thru the
locks....then the boat arrives in yichtang at 4am, and you are kicked
off
the boat, its cold too
up to you, depends on how much you want to see the big dam i guess, it
is
rather impressive, but you wont be able to see it from the locks, there
is a
mountain in the way, tour is the only way to see it....
there it is, enjoy...ps, the water has already risen quiet a lot, the
river
is effectively damed already.....so this is your last chance to see it
before they turn it on for real, but alot is gone already :( its a
beautiful
river

Hi Sandra

Thanks for the info - really useful insights.

I hear what your friend says about buying tickets directly at the docks. I got a reply last week from trekyangtze.com who are really helpful and who will arrange flights from Shanghai to Chongquin and from Yichang back to Shanghai for about Y1500 all in. I'll probably book the cruise with them as my time is very limited and I need to make sure of things in advance.

Hope you have a great trip.

Have fun!

I'll be doing the trip next week (wuhan to Chongquin). Am now in Wuhan to wait fro the extension of my visa. Still have to go to the docks and see if there is a ferry or anything going though. But that is always the case with me