Airbnb

August 31 - September 5, 2016 

I took a solo trip to Shanghai for five nights. Having been to Beijing before, I was eager to explore a new city in China but knew to keep my expectations low. To be honest, China isn’t a country I could live in. The food isn’t my favorite, I find it pretty overwhelming, and the language is excruciatingly difficult. Regardless, I enjoyed Shanghai for a few days.

I got 2GB of data (and no phone plan) for 200 RMB at Pudong Airport. Go to information or an independent carrier; prices are the same everywhere and no one will haggle.

I stayed at an Airbnb that a bit far from downtown (a km walk from Dongjing Road Station, which was a 30 minute subway ride from anything touristy). And since no one had stayed there before, it was really affordable at $103 for my entire stay. It’s a gamble sometimes to stay at a new place with no reviews, but they’re often cheaper.

The first thing I did in Shanghai was go to the large Japanese bathhouse, Gokurakuyu (極楽湯). Delightfully uncrowded when you go right when they open on a weekday. It was a nice way to relax.

Then, I went on a 3-hour Night Market Food Tour with Untour for 450 RMB. It was great to walk around Shouning Road Food Street (寿宁路美食街), eat and drink as much as possible, and be able to get answers from a native English speaker about local food and the city. This is the second food tour I’ve been on and I highly recommend them. It’s an efficient way to eat the best foods of a city easily.

I enjoyed walking around Yuyuan / Yu Garden and then to the riverfront boardwalk, the Bund. I had a nice lunch on the patio of M on the Bund (米氏西餐厅).

M50创意园 isn’t as vast as Beijing’s 798 Art Zone but it’s lovely to walk around and has numerous original art pieces. 

Finding Shanghai Propaganda Poster Art Centre is definitely part of the experience, and the 25 RMB entrance fee is modest for the humble museum.

I spent several hours shopping around IAPM Mall and the French Concession. 

Shanghai doesn’t have the beauty and history that Beijing has, but it’s significantly cleaner and easier to get around. If I went back, I think I’d likely try to get to People’s Square, the Jing’an Sculpture Park (静安雕塑公园), the Rockbund Art Museum (外滩美术馆), Southern Barbarian (南蛮子云南烧烤吧), and maybe even Shanghai Disneyland.