Preparing for a Trip to China – Culture Shock

While most travel destinations these days are tourist friendly and shouldn’t be considered intimidating, there are still some places in the world that many people find a bit more challenging in terms of culture shock. Novice travellers are less likely to head off to “the ‘stans’” and other more off the beaten track places. However there is a good chance they might want to go to China or India, two huge countries that have a wealth of history and cultural appeal but are very different from the western environment many of us are used to. China in particular is a common place for a stopover i.e., between USA / Canada and South East Asia, or between NZ/Australia and the USA / Canada. Here are some tips for managing culture shock if you’re spending some time in China and you’re new to international travel, or have mostly visited “easy” travel destinations like Europe, Australia or beach destinations that set up to cater to hoards of Westerners.

Tip 1: Give yourself time.

Especially if you’re dealing with jet lag, you can feel quite emotional for a few days after you step off the plane in a new country. Often you’ll be tired from your flight and the last minute trip preparations and goodbyes. Give yourself some time to emotionally process all the new sights, sounds, and smells that you’ll be encountering. Take it slow for a few days. This can be as simple as sitting at the airport for 10 minutes before you attempt to go find the taxi line. Don’t push yourself to rush around and see a lot too soon.

Tip 2: Bump your travel style up a notch.

Staying somewhere fancier than you’d usually stay can give you the extra dose of comfort that you need at the end of a long flight or a day of sightseeing. It’s nice to stay at a hotel where the staff speak good English and can help you if you need to ask a question, or need help figuring out transportation options and the like. When you’ve been dealing with a noisy crowded city, touts, or people getting in your personal space, you’re probably going to want a bed that’s guaranteed to be comfortable and a hotel room that’s clean and sound proofed. There are many Shanghai hotels that offer your typical high end comforts. You can always call the hotel to ask a question before making the booking e.g if you wanted to be sure that the staff speak good English. There is also no shame in hanging out at your hotel and enjoying the room service, views, bar, and/or pool if you’re feeling a little overwhelmed at the start of your trip. Give yourself whatever you need to acclimate and have a good time, rather than push yourself to the point you feel frazzled and emotional.

Tip 3: Do your research before you go.

Some people are comfortable just figuring out their transportation and picking places to eat on the fly. However, if you want a bit more predictability then research your transport and dining options before you go. You can always change your mind and do something spontaneous if you see a hole in the wall place that looks awesome, but planning ahead can save you lots of time and stress. This is especially true if you or your travel companion/s are fussy eaters or have special dietary needs. You can even take a vegetarian food tour in Shanghai. Themed tours that last a day or less can be a great middle ground between totally DIY travel planning, and some horrible organized bus tour.

Tip 4: Use stopovers to branch out.

If you’re worried about whether you’re adventurous enough for a particular travel destination, then don’t make that country the sole focus of a trip. Go there on a stopover, or say split your two week holiday between one “easy” country and one more challenging country. If you’re going on a long trip for several months, you might want to keep your plans flexible so that if you’re finding somewhere like India or China too challenging for a long period, then you can head to somewhere easier sooner. It can be well worth it to branch out beyond the travel destinations that offer little culture shock for Westerners. If you plan smartly, you can extend your comfort zone gradually and make sure you have a good time.

Image by DaiLuo under Creative Commons License.
This post was written in association with Pudong Shangri-La, East Shanghai but thoughts expressed are my own.