Having more time and money than young people, senior people have better reasons and are more affordable to explore the world, especially to the places on their bucket list. China is a great destination for seniors: safe environment, beautiful natural scenery, delicious food, profound culture and long history, besides, respecting the elders is a traditional Chinese virtue. Senior travelers will be well taken care of in China and enjoy a happy time in the journey.
To help the senior traveler to have a better travel experience and choose proper destinations, we have sorted out useful information in the following.
When choosing a destination in China, senior traveler should consider three major factors: accommodation, transportation and altitude of a destination.
A good sleep will make you have enough energy for the next day and comfortable bed is very important for those who have sore bones. Clean and a well accommodated hotel will definitely improve the travel experience. Except for the very remote places, most of destinations have starred hotels around them. Convenient transportation is very important in travel. For senior travelers, places where are reachable by flights and bullet trains are recommended. Flight and bullet train are more fast and comfortable than other transportation means. Some remote place in western China can be only reached by coach, and travelers often spend more than five hours on the road. High altitude places like Mount Everest are not suitable for senior people, and senior people are easy to have altitude sickness in these places.
From the above, when senior travelers choose destination in China, places with comfortable accommodation and convenient transportation are better choices. Destinations with severe environment and high altitude are suggested to be ruled out of the itinerary. Most cities in China, like Beijing, Shanghai, Xian, Chengdu, Guilin, and Hangzhou, etc. are all good destinations to experience Chinese culture and natural scenery. While high altitude destinations like Mount Everest, Mount Kailash, Namtso Lake, etc. are not recommended for senior travelers.
For senior travelers, taking a cruise is also a good choice. The most popular cruise travel among senior travelers is Yangtze River Cruise, which has a slower travel pace and can save energy for the travelers. On the cruise ship, travelers don't need to carry heavy luggage to find accommodation, and they can just enjoy the stunning scenery along Yangtze River and have a leisure time on the ship.
In China, you can see senior people play Tai Chi in almost every public park and square. Based on the Yin-Yang theory and Five Elements in traditional Chinese philosophy, combining the Meridian Science in traditional Chinese medicine, Tai Chi is a traditional Chinese martial art which is practiced for defense training and health benefits. Not like other Chinese martial arts, Tai Chi is slow and easy to learn, so it's very popular among senior people. Senior can learn Tai Chi in the Tai Chi gymnasiums or just follow the moves of the Tai Chi players in the public parks and squares.
Besides learning Tai Chi, learn to write Chinese calligraphy with writing brush can be a joy to senior travelers. Chinese calligraphy is a visual art based on Chinese culture and Chinese character. Chinese calligraphy is considered as one of the symbols of China, and many foreign travelers put learning Chinese calligraphy on their must-do list when they visit China.
For those who love Chinese food, taste the delicious Chinese cuisines is not enough, learn some basic Chinese cooking techniques so that they can cook Chinese cuisine back home is more appealing for those foodies. Travelers can take cooking class in Xian and Guilin, where they can learn how to make Chinese dumplings and some featured dishes.
China shows different faces in each season, and every season has its own beauty. However, for senior travelers, it's better to avoid the following time: winter (refer to the winter of Northern China) and Golden Week holidays.
In winter, temperature of the Northern China is quite low, normally below zero. Most northern cities, like Beijing and Harbin will meet heavy snow fall during this period. There is no doubt that snow scenery is very beautiful, especially the snow scenes of most Beijing attractions, like Forbidden City and Great Wall. However, the cold weather is not good for senior people's health.
Golden Week in China refer to the first weeks of the Chinese lunar New Year (Spring Festival), May (Labor's Day holiday) and October (National Day holiday). China will encounter its tourism peak during these times, and many attractions will be crowded by domestic tourists. Thus, it's suggested to avoid these times and choose non-holiday time to visit China to avoid the crowds.
If you book a China tour package with us, you'll enjoy a private tour, which means private guide and driver will work for you, and using private car service will make your trip more comfortable, flexible and enjoyable. Senior travelers are more suggested to choose private tour than group tour. Though group tour is more economical than private tour, however, travelers will share guide with other tourists, and long-distance bus is often used to transfer the group tour travelers. While private tour travelers can be well taken care of and their demands will be fully heard and satisfied by the private guide. Senior travelers are recommended with private tour to have a better travel experience and more comfortable and enjoyable tour.
Safety should be firstly considered in travel for travelers, especially senior travelers. Due to physical limitations and being the numero uno on a thief's hit list, senior travelers need to pay more attention to the safety in the travel.
Travel insurance is very important for senior travelers who are easier to fall, get hurt and sick than young people, or need extra medication. Travel insurance usually costs about $100 ~ $200, not too much, but it can make sure you'll be covered if something goes wrong.
Hotel is a safe place and most people lock their valuables in the room when they go out. But for people with bad intentions can always find ways to unlock the room and steal the valuables. One tip to avoid this is that don't hang the "clean my room" sign when you're out. This sign will just tell other people you're not in the room and give the thieves a hint knowing when to conduct the act of stealing. Travelers can call the front desk to ask the hotel send staff to clean the room when going out.
Senior people have more sensitive tummies and many of them are restricted from sweet, spicy and greasy food. To maintain a good health condition, senior travelers are suggested to have light food in the travel. Chinese food is delicious and varied in flavors; however, some of the cuisines are not suitable for senior people, like spicy Sichuan Cuisine and Hunan Cuisine. Cold food, like ice cream and ice-cold soda are also not recommended for senior people for they may cause diarrhea. Fresh vegetables and fruit should be more consumed to avoid constipation.
There is a chance that travelers can't purchase the same medicine they usually take at home in China, so taking enough medicine with you is very important (enough means taking extra amount of one or two days in case of a delay). Try to write down your medicines names and find out the medication name you take in Chinese if possible. Medicines for air and car sickness, jet lag, diarrhea, acute gastritis and allergy should also better be taken with you. Band-Aid is also necessary when you get small cut.
Normally, senior people can afford more valuables than young people. However, if you wear expensive jewelries and watches in travel, that will make you a more obvious target of thieves. It's advised to keep your nice jewelry and watches at a minimum amount. As for cashes and credit cards, travelers can split them into several pockets, and put only a small amount of cashes into the wallet that you used most often to pay for the small purchases on the road.
A pair of comfortable shoes is essential in the travel, especially when you need to walk a lot. The best choice is athlete shoes, and flats are also helpful the senior people stay steady. Shoes with heels, even small ones, can make senior people easier to fall or sprain an ankle.
Before you leave for China, it's better to check the weather of your destinations and then, pack suitable clothes and gears according to the weather condition. Even it's in summer, you'd better take some long sleeve clothes for many places may have a big temperature difference in day and night.
Airlines provide special service for senior people over 65. Senior people can apply for the special service when they purchase the ticket. Ground personnel from the airlines will assist the senior passengers with the check in, security check and boarding. During the flight, senior passengers will enjoy special service from the flight attendants. For those who need wheelchair or bring wheelchair to the flight, the airlines will provide it for free or carry it for free.
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