Comments on Pinay Travel Junkie: Great Wall of China Group Tour: To book or not to ...

Hi Ian! Mutianyu Wall is less crowded plus it'...

2010-12-15T15:19:16.753+08:00

Hi Ian! Mutianyu Wall is less crowded plus it's got a cable car ride. It's still cold in March for us Pinoys. It can get 0 deg C in the evenings and slightly above 10 deg C at daytime.

I will take your advise when I visit the Great Wal...

2010-12-15T11:29:00.344+08:00

I will take your advise when I visit the Great Wall, it is helpful when visiting one of the world's famed spot, however what is the difference visiting between Mutianyu and Badaling Wall? It is also very cold visitng on March?

Thanks...

Hi Calvin! We really wanted to go to Mutianyu also...

2010-05-16T20:51:25.500+08:00

Hi Calvin! We really wanted to go to Mutianyu also because of the cable car and bobsled, but then luck wasn't on our side. We were not able to find the bus to Mutianyu.

And yes, the winter cold can just be unbearable for us Filipinos.

We'd like to go back to China someday, to explore the western regions - and see more of the Silk Road. Datong is pretty interesting too. Another destination in our bucket list!

hi just stumbled upon your site. my wife and i als...

2010-05-16T19:31:21.268+08:00

hi just stumbled upon your site. my wife and i also went to china and it was a DIY thing. we went to mutianyu instead of badaling because we want to ride the cable car up and bobsled the way down. sarap! it was also cold that time but i think february is much colder.

our winter jacket from columbia was enough pero the problem was the hands. no gloves can ward away the cold. the only way is to get used to it which is hard for filipinos. same with the face, wearing a mask or scarf over your nose is no fun.

we didn't go to xi'an but went to datong instead for the hanging monastery. you should check out our trip on the travelogue section of my blog.

oh yeah, we had an advantage because my sister works in beijing and knows mandarin. :P she would be happy to help you out if she'd known.

Oh, I've read about that part of the wall - so...

2010-04-16T03:33:47.790+08:00

Oh, I've read about that part of the wall - sounds really interesting! Hopefully someday we can go back to China and try that hike.

Wow, that old lady must be real fit!

For a truly "authentic" and unforgettabl...

2010-04-16T02:37:50.127+08:00

For a truly "authentic" and unforgettable Great Wall experience (read, very few tourists), I recommend the hike from Simatai to Jinshanling. This is a fairly grueling hike, as it steeply ascends and descends the meandering wall. One must be in good physical condition to do the hike. I did it several years ago by myself in the heat of summer and almost collapsed. Thank goodness for the wonderful old lady who agreed to carry my rucksack over the last few miles. (I repaid her by buying a ubiquitous "I Climbed the Great Wall" T-shirt and some trinkets.) Despite the challenge, this trek offers stupendous views photography.

Not to worry, summer and autumn should be the perf...

2010-04-14T15:10:14.548+08:00

Not to worry, summer and autumn should be the perfect time to visit. We just wanted to know how it's like to travel in winter season. Ayun, ginaw na ginaw kami. Haha.

yay i want to go to great wall too! kaso gudlak ku...

2010-04-14T09:52:52.190+08:00

yay i want to go to great wall too! kaso gudlak kung kayanin ko ang lamig haha! :P

So true HappySole. It is more difficult to ask for...

2010-03-20T12:25:41.225+08:00

So true HappySole. It is more difficult to ask for directions, haggle, and even just chitchat. Tour guides can be lifesavers. And they give you a lot of information you won't get from the internet and guide books.

thanks for the advice! too bad it didn't work ...

2010-03-19T06:48:01.759+08:00

thanks for the advice! too bad it didn't work out well for you..

in countries that do not speak English, backpacking style is definitely harder. hope it's not true for other places.

Yep Jerik, it was of course still worth it.

2010-03-19T01:02:52.341+08:00

Yep Jerik, it was of course still worth it.

i couldn't agree with you more. there are time...

2010-03-16T06:51:56.877+08:00

i couldn't agree with you more. there are times when taking the tour is much more practical. but atleast you were able to visit the great wall. i haven't been there and thanks to you for the advice, i shall definitely take the tour when going there..

idol talaga! galing ng blog! informative with witt...

2010-03-15T10:04:39.044+08:00

idol talaga! galing ng blog! informative with witty and funny personal insights. sana magawa ko rin ito. kaso hindi ako magaling magsulat hehe. i also like your photos. sakto lang. hindi exaggerated ang pag-edit at alam namin kung maganda talaga ang lugar hindi yung maganda lang sa litrato. more power!

Dennis, I actually had a warmer down jacket... but...

2010-03-14T20:01:19.470+08:00

Dennis, I actually had a warmer down jacket... but it didn't make any difference either. I'm just really not used to cold weather. Five layers don't even work for me :(

From your photo, I can see why you feel so cold th...

2010-03-14T19:50:28.285+08:00

From your photo, I can see why you feel so cold that day - your outerlayer looks not enough. A down jacket would have sufficed.

Hi Janet! Yeah, booking a tour is worth the extra ...

2010-03-12T11:52:22.868+08:00

Hi Janet! Yeah, booking a tour is worth the extra yuans. And if you're travelling with someone, you need not join another group, cause 'group' pertains to two or more people. Have fun!

Claire, I am sure you will have that chance someda...

2010-03-12T11:33:19.016+08:00

Claire, I am sure you will have that chance someday. And when you do, tell me all about it!

yehey! thanks for posting. the most informative bl...

2010-03-10T15:15:27.340+08:00

yehey! thanks for posting. the most informative blog i found discussing how to get to great wall. however i will just follow your advice about booking a tour. we will go summer.

I guess I'll take your advice for this one if ...

2010-03-10T11:36:07.088+08:00

I guess I'll take your advice for this one if I get the chance to visit The Great Wall. This place is in my bucket list :-)

nice article gaye. would love to viit this place i...

2010-03-10T10:44:47.738+08:00

nice article gaye. would love to viit this place in the future...