I can't believe that so many people in China went out of their way to help you make the border crossing. It really shows how friendly Chinese ppl are and also how safe China really is, as soon as you step foot out off China you had to have your wits about you as you almost got scammed by the private taxis in Vietnam, time to put up your guard until you return to China.
The helpful lady that helped you call the taxi in China advised you not to go to the border as it is almost closing time. You should have taken her advice.
Cant believe the only ppl at the border in Vietnam that helped you were some Chinese visitors. That is very sad to see. Honestly was planning to visit Vietnam sometime but kinda changed my mind a bit, hope you meet better people in the city. Good luck guys.
It cost $25 to find a taxi! I had heard before that there were a lot of arbitrary charges at the Vietnam border. I thought it was only for Chinese people, but now it seems that it is for everyone.
😂as a Chinese. I never have a good impression on Vietnam and Vietnamese. Not only because of the history, but also they don’t kindness and honest as Chinese.🎉 27:04
the driver is a legend, really deserves better if 50 is just for one trip, considering all the services even with the red pocket. Like carrying you on the first day of the new year? Incredible. Tho tipping culture isnt a thing in china, I would personally tip him just for his service.
I guess he won’t accept tip. When I first traveled to China the hotel staff refused to accept my tip later I found out there is no tipping practice in China.
Please do not do this in China, it is an insult to your personality. Chinese people value human relationships more, and if human relationships are combined with money, they will deteriorate.
Never let people at any bus station, airport etc walk away with your luggage like that, esp when you don't know what they are all about. Also on the Vietnam side, things can seem a little more sketchy than are things on the Chinese side (esp operators near such border checkpoint), so be more cautious.
Ahhh the women kept asking if you're going to Friendship Pass but they have accents in their dialect so the translator app couldn't pick it up! Glad it all worked out in the end!
yeah, it turned "Are you going to Friendship pass" to "Are you going to have a test" then the next time it translated "no hotels at Friendship pass" to "no hotels at one level". i was so stressed for them half way through the video...
The translation software failed on the most important part, it doesn't understand "friendship pass", and kept give out wrong translations. The "pass a test" line was the woman asking you whether you where going to friendship pass, the "hotel on one level" was the woman saying there was no hotels on the friendship pass.
IT's always fun to watch you guys. I love your Irish accent(me guessing), it always makes me smile. Enjoy Vietnam, don't forget to try their beef pho noodle.
I forgot how vexing traveling can be when using public transportation. To top it all off, the language barrier. But thanks to the Chinese taxi driver, and the bus driver in Vietnam, they got you both to Hanoi, Vietnam trouble free. And that is a success.
Your experience in the bus station just makes me appreciate much more of the public transportation experience in China - punctuated, affordable and clear instructions
immediately went oh no when I heard you saying it was chinese new year lol. even in vietnam a lot of people will be on holidays. imagine trying to do anything on christmas day except lunar new year lasts for 1-2 weeks for a lot of people :D
Wow, every border crossings? That's ambitious. What prompted you to do that? That's a long time in China. Do you like the country that much to plan for such an endeavour? BTW, I really enjoyed your videos. The 2 of you are advanturous, friendly and open minded people! Have the best fun and ignore the naysayers!!!
@@Alan_and_Shannon How are you going to cross to North Korea, Myanmar, India and Afghanistan from China? North korea might be the easiest among these 4. Myanmar is still in Civil war near the Chinese border, India is having border dispute with China (foreigners aren't allowed in near that border without permission), and Afghanistan...there is a new highway open with China but not sure if tourist can cross or safe to cross.
@@turtlesoup8134 I'm from Myanmar, Mandalay. The border crossing to Myanmar would be impossible now as a Westerner, they would most likely to allow limited border crossing for the locals from both side of the border towns only. The North-easten part is literally in civil war against military junta, even Burmese people could go there without any local guarantor because of fears for espionage.
That lady really stayed to help you guys on her Chinese New Year weekend lol. What a legend. You try that here in California, and I'll tell you to Uber and piss off.
Sorry mates but your mobile translator isn't fully capable of correctly translating some of the spoken Chinese into English. The woman asked you "are you going to the Friendship Pass?" It translated it into "Do you have a test?" Such translation errors occurred in all your China videos. The problem is not all Chinese speak perfect Mandarin. The taxi driver is Ok but the women on the street speak with an accent. So you need to doublecheck when confused.
Despite the complications, it looks like you guys did okay. For your next crossing from China to another country, I would get something to eat to bring with you, such as a bag of bread/bagels or some apples in case there are delays.😊 Hope the rest of your trip went as well as you had expected.
@@blardymunggas6884 No, it's exactly Chinese New Year. If you say it's Lunar New Year, then which Lunar calendar are you referring to? Moreover, China's old calendar system is not purely based on Lunar movement. It involves both Solar and Lunar movements. So it's totally wrong to refer Chinese New Year as Lunar New Year. And yes, Korean and Vietnam used Chinese calendar in old days for historical reason (again, not just any Lunar calendar, see?). Otherwise, they should have a different Lunar New Year day one year to another.
@@blardymunggas6884 I'm glad you know about Lunar new year, but it's just what the West calls it, or a form of cultural appropriation.No Chinese person cares someone celebrate Lunar new year in some countrie. Because Chinese New Year is not the same thing that other East Asian countries celebrate. The Chinese New Year calendar for keeping track of the year is over 2,000 years old, but it's been around longer. Festivals are changing. Until now the Chinese New Year is not the same as it was 400 years ago. Chinese people have always celebrated Chinese New Year, you can see it in ancient books, paintings, murals, artifacts and even prayer buildings. It's funny that some countries that preach cultural sharing on the internet don't even know when to welcome the New Year. The Chinese Yellow Calendar is calculated by a special organization, so please stop asking the Chinese when you should celebrate Lunar new year again, you should create your own new year date instead of culturally appropriating even the 24 seasons (even though your country can't even come up with all 24) Not, Chinese Lunar new year, Not Lunar new year. If you celebrate New Year in China, please call it Chinese New Year or Spring Festival.
@@YehWincent Stupid. So you r saying vietnamese also celebrates chinese new year? I am a chinese and I disagree with you. Its Lunar new year so in every country they call it differently
@1 no, you are wrong, both korea and vietnam do celebrate chinese new year, because they introduced spring festival from china when they introduced chinese agricultural calendars, since more than 1500 years ago, there are clear history records in both vietnam and korea record that their spring festival (new year celebration) comes from china
Their experience as shown here is why I'm against unplanned impromptu visit, esp crossing borders. Not just the inconveniences and hassles, but on off peak seasons they will take advantage of your lack of transport options to quote you higher than usual fares, because like it or not, you've to get out of that area. And I don't like to be "held ransom" in such a manner. You were lucky that you chanced upon 2 Chinese that have planned their journey into Vietnam and knew what transport to take them into Hanoi, and that they spoke a bit of English, otherwise if they are Vietnamese you will be still clueless and might end up taking the expensive option, because your translation app doesn't work for Viet-Eng translation. Not every time can be so lucky though when one travels.
China-Kazakhstan land border are much more better from my experience crossing back and forth between China and Kazakhstan. Thou from my opinion in this video that the Vietnam side was harder while China side was easier because the people were seen more helpfull.
Unfortunately, you guy went on Tet holiday so regular buses will not run. For the private car service that the other guy requested, 2 million VND seemed reasonable because most of the drivers were also on Tet holiday. This leads to unnecessary discomfort... Thank you for the very realistic recordings, hope you have a nice trip in Vietnam
The translation was wrong, the woman said to enter Vietnam you need to take a taxi to Friendship Pass at border as the taxi can't cross border, however there is no hotel there, she suggest that you shall stay in a hotel tonight and go there tomorrow. The translator failed to translate "Friendship Pass", it turned out as "test" or "one level".
Getting to Vietnam all for going back to China! Bravo to you two! And yes, always expect the unexpected and appreciate the bizarre moments - well said!
Like your unplanned travel style . A lot of hassle but the experience is one of a kind. But the phone translation is quite bad maybe due to the local accents.
The first time I went to Vietnam 6 years ago, the taxi driver at the airport tried to steal $100 from me. I think Vietnam is like China 20 years ago, poverty leads to some thieves. In addition, Vietnamese people are relatively friendly. I heard that Vietnam has also developed very rapidly in recent years.
@@comediangj4955 you must be joking. More like 20 to 30 when people were hustling like this in China. Not talking about development but dodgy street hustling
@@Alan_and_Shannonlol I love the honesty. Honestly, that works in China, usually. I remember panicking when I was going on a bus trip with a Chinese friend because he insisted we didn’t need to buy tickets until the morning of… and he was right! It was a domestic trip that time. Side note: Coke is so good for hangovers! Watson’s brand Sudashui (苏打水）is also really good-it looks like beer but it’s black with gold striping and sooo satisfying when you’re hungover. 😂
Some of the south-west borders in China are tough because of security reasons and scamming stuff etc. But if you ever go to Xinjiang, there's a pretty nice border there. The Russian one in Heilongjiang should be fine too but it's wayyyy to cold to go there right now. ... I don't know if North Korea has their border trips re-opened now, but years ago it was possible to have a day-trip there too.
China has 14 neighbors, can try each boundary line, even can travel with agency to North Korea easily. God, big challenge from Vietnam border to Hanoi!!!
Yes...Border conflict between China and India. Local war in Myanmar. But you could maybe enter India via Bhutan. Your trip through Xinjiang to Pakistan will be epic! @@Alan_and_Shannon
Think the stuff from hotel minibar are served with extra cost. To avoid unpleasant surprises it's better to confirm the price of food from there before taking
Interesting to hear why you didn’t enjoy Vietnam. Hanoi is not the greatest city and very hectic but compared to my time here 20 years ago it’s a lot better now.
wish i was there at the border of china & viet nam cuz i'm a vietnamese Chinese but then again you both didn't seem to have any trouble at all...have fun & safe travel !
I'm from Myanmar, Mandalay. The border crossing to Myanmar would be impossible now as a Westerner, they would most likely to allow limited border crossing for the locals from both side of the border towns only. The North-easten part is literally in civil war against military junta, even Burmese people could go there without any local guarantor because of fears for espionage.
Hi guys. Not sure if it's veen mentioned already when you aay thank you, it's like "Cher Cher" rather than "Shen Shen". There's no "n" sound at the end.
How did you manage to apply for a chinese visa while not being in your home country? I remember you stayed for about 3 weeks in China and then left for the Philippines. How did you get your initial 3 week visa and are you only using the one week free visa since then?
32:51 the receptionist went to take a shower before serving the customers - I just laughed off my chair..... But hey, the receptionist may not expect you guys were coming and it was a family-owned business so the receptionist may happen to be a family member of this hotel business. He/she may just went to have shower when the hotel was quiet at the evening, just like being at home. It is definitely a bit funny but I don't think you should take this as an example as a 'strange' or even 'bizarre' experience when travel in Asia - it just stereotypes things a bit too much.
I can feel you guys, I was finding all the traffic, bus, metro, public transportation when I travelled to US, Europe..whatever the cheapest, using google map only, but lots of research before hand...Have you taken NY subway 2am, 3am, surrounded by homeless and groups of black people? that's just an example lol the difference is English is used in all those places. If I travel to some place without English and Chinese languages, I will be scared, well, so far I didn't have that experience yet. lol
Really curious about how much research did you do before setting the challenge. For example, how do you plan to cross the China-Pakistan border which is on a 4.5 KM high mountain. Lol
Go to Halong Bay. Once you board a boat to one of the limestone caves, fishermen will try to sell freshly caught fish, prawns etc to you. You can definitely get a bargain and have a nice cheap meal coz many of the boats have on-board kitchens and chefs. On your way you can get souvenirs and beers as well. If you walk on the streets, old people will sell you fresh tropical fruits, like rambutans, mangosteens, etc. Quite cheap as well.
In China, the bus is getting increasingly unpopular since we can now travel much more comfortably by the high-speed train. Can you guys speak British/American English instead? Scottish English is definitely much harder to comprehend. We would like to enjoy your videos in a relaxed manner. Look for the bus single-minded and ignore all the others after crossing the border!
@@Alan_and_Shannon Next time you can enter the Hekou City in China from Lao Cai, Vietnam, through the Hekou Port, where you can take the Chinese high-speed rail to any city.
I was hoping to watch an Alan and Shannon video for Chinese New Year's day and you guys kind of let me down by spending it crossing a boarder.. You have missed all interesting new year's activities in China...
@@Alan_and_Shannon You need to find a way to browse local websites where there are info about these activities. In a lot of places, like you said , everybody returns to hometown during Spring Festival leaving an empty town. But they do have celebrations somewhere else.
China is very big, and there are many interesting places. It's a pity that you didn't go.If you want to see the most spectacular natural scenery, go to Guilin, Guangxi.Every province in China is different. There are so many interesting places.China is very safe and friendly, and there is no fear of being robbed in China. But the law and order in Vietnam is not as good as that in China. You should be careful in Vietnam. Moreover, Vietnam has a tipping culture, so it is necessary to keep tipping, which will increase expenses. Vietnamese architecture is similar to that of China, but the infrastructure is not as good as that of China. There are a lot of motorcycles in Vietnam, and the roads are very noisy. You should adapt to the environment in Vietnam.
I can't believe that so many people in China went out of their way to help you make the border crossing.
It really shows how friendly Chinese ppl are and also how safe China really is, as soon as you step foot out off China you had to have your wits about you as you almost got scammed by the private taxis in Vietnam, time to put up your guard until you return to China.
The Chinese people are very friendly and so kind
Chinese people are so friendly.
The helpful lady that helped you call the taxi in China advised you not to go to the border as it is almost closing time. You should have taken her advice.
Cant believe the only ppl at the border in Vietnam that helped you were some Chinese visitors. That is very sad to see. Honestly was planning to visit Vietnam sometime but kinda changed my mind a bit, hope you meet better people in the city. Good luck guys.
the girls were really helpful!
China has passed the chaotic phase and is more regulated.
It cost $25 to find a taxi! I had heard before that there were a lot of arbitrary charges at the Vietnam border. I thought it was only for Chinese people, but now it seems that it is for everyone.
😂as a Chinese. I never have a good impression on Vietnam and Vietnamese. Not only because of the history, but also they don’t kindness and honest as Chinese.🎉 27:04
Hope you had fun in China. Looking forward your visiting again. And I will keep watching your videos, adventure along your vlog.
Thanks so much! 😊
Love you guys. Greetings from a Chinese in Glasgow. Hope you have a safe and happy journey in Vietnam. 👍
the driver is a legend, really deserves better if 50 is just for one trip, considering all the services even with the red pocket. Like carrying you on the first day of the new year? Incredible. Tho tipping culture isnt a thing in china, I would personally tip him just for his service.
I guess he won’t accept tip. When I first traveled to China the hotel staff refused to accept my tip later I found out there is no tipping practice in China.
Tipping culture is not prevalent in East Asia...China, Japan, Korea. Some will take but mostly not. In fact, some will feel offended@@gliu1431
The Chinese believe in "no pain, no gain". If you tip him, he will think that you treat him as an inferior person and you are giving him alms.
@@Aapig You have to tip in Hong Kong.
Please do not do this in China, it is an insult to your personality. Chinese people value human relationships more, and if human relationships are combined with money, they will deteriorate.
Never let people at any bus station, airport etc walk away with your luggage like that, esp when you don't know what they are all about. Also on the Vietnam side, things can seem a little more sketchy than are things on the Chinese side (esp operators near such border checkpoint), so be more cautious.
yeah for sure!
The driver is so so so nice!!!
The red envelope sent to you by the taxi driver in China means New Year greetings.
I guess only in China, in Malaysia we didn't get any red envelope from text driver. lol...
taxi drivers in Thay...oh man, what memorie@@aftereffects00
@@aftereffects00 Maybe because they are the first customers in the new year 😊😊😊
Ahhh the women kept asking if you're going to Friendship Pass but they have accents in their dialect so the translator app couldn't pick it up! Glad it all worked out in the end!
yeah, it turned "Are you going to Friendship pass" to "Are you going to have a test" then the next time it translated "no hotels at Friendship pass" to "no hotels at one level". i was so stressed for them half way through the video...
translation app usually sucks at names of local places
Does this mean you might get a chance to visit Xinjiang in the future? Kazakhstan is one of the neighboring countries that shares border with China.
Kudos to the ladies from both sides of the border. Have a safe trip Mr. McA R.
The translation software failed on the most important part, it doesn't understand "friendship pass", and kept give out wrong translations.
The "pass a test" line was the woman asking you whether you where going to friendship pass, the "hotel on one level" was the woman saying there was no hotels on the friendship pass.
IT's always fun to watch you guys. I love your Irish accent(me guessing), it always makes me smile. Enjoy Vietnam, don't forget to try their beef pho noodle.
AFAIK they are Scottish.
If I'm not mistaken, they're from Glasgow.
Bahn Mi and Pho are the best
I forgot how vexing traveling can be when using public transportation. To top it all off, the language barrier. But thanks to the Chinese taxi driver, and the bus driver in Vietnam, they got you both to Hanoi, Vietnam trouble free. And that is a success.
You two almost became comedians in this clip, LOL
What an adventure! Love it! Looking forward to the next one.
Your experience in the bus station just makes me appreciate much more of the public transportation experience in China - punctuated, affordable and clear instructions
Vietnam isn't so straight forward i found. A little dodgy in their dealings.
immediately went oh no when I heard you saying it was chinese new year lol. even in vietnam a lot of people will be on holidays. imagine trying to do anything on christmas day except lunar new year lasts for 1-2 weeks for a lot of people :D
Wow, every border crossings? That's ambitious. What prompted you to do that? That's a long time in China. Do you like the country that much to plan for such an endeavour? BTW, I really enjoyed your videos. The 2 of you are advanturous, friendly and open minded people! Have the best fun and ignore the naysayers!!!
A good mix of different countries and cultures across all the borders!
@@Alan_and_Shannon How are you going to cross to North Korea, Myanmar, India and Afghanistan from China? North korea might be the easiest among these 4. Myanmar is still in Civil war near the Chinese border, India is having border dispute with China (foreigners aren't allowed in near that border without permission), and Afghanistan...there is a new highway open with China but not sure if tourist can cross or safe to cross.
@@turtlesoup8134想法是好的，但是做不到。比如说，去缅甸陆路口岸对游客不开放，缅甸规定去缅甸旅游只能坐飞机从昆明到仰光。当然偷偷溜进去是可以的，但要小心被割腰子。我从缅甸旅游就是偷偷溜回来的，瑞丽口岸。😅😅😅
@@turtlesoup8134 I'm from Myanmar, Mandalay. The border crossing to Myanmar would be impossible now as a Westerner, they would most likely to allow limited border crossing for the locals from both side of the border towns only. The North-easten part is literally in civil war against military junta, even Burmese people could go there without any local guarantor because of fears for espionage.
That lady really stayed to help you guys on her Chinese New Year weekend lol. What a legend. You try that here in California, and I'll tell you to Uber and piss off.
Sorry mates but your mobile translator isn't fully capable of correctly translating some of the spoken Chinese into English. The woman asked you "are you going to the Friendship Pass?" It translated it into "Do you have a test?" Such translation errors occurred in all your China videos. The problem is not all Chinese speak perfect Mandarin. The taxi driver is Ok but the women on the street speak with an accent. So you need to doublecheck when confused.
Wow, you guys are going to Vietnam. Admire you can travel so long.
Despite the complications, it looks like you guys did okay. For your next crossing from China to another country, I would get something to eat to bring with you, such as a bag of bread/bagels or some apples in case there are delays.😊 Hope the rest of your trip went as well as you had expected.
I will take the cue from the receptionist and put a sign on my work desk..."Back later. After my shower"
Most northern Vietnamese people also celebrate Chinese New Year. That's why you see very few people on both sides of the border.
Correction: Its Lunar New Year based on the more accurate Lunar Calendar. Chinese, koreans, vietnamese etc uses the lunar calendar as well.
@@blardymunggas6884 No, it's exactly Chinese New Year. If you say it's Lunar New Year, then which Lunar calendar are you referring to? Moreover, China's old calendar system is not purely based on Lunar movement. It involves both Solar and Lunar movements.
So it's totally wrong to refer Chinese New Year as Lunar New Year. And yes, Korean and Vietnam used Chinese calendar in old days for historical reason (again, not just any Lunar calendar, see?). Otherwise, they should have a different Lunar New Year day one year to another.
@@blardymunggas6884 I'm glad you know about Lunar new year, but it's just what the West calls it, or a form of cultural appropriation.No Chinese person cares someone celebrate Lunar new year in some countrie.
Because Chinese New Year is not the same thing that other East Asian countries celebrate.
The Chinese New Year calendar for keeping track of the year is over 2,000 years old, but it's been around longer. Festivals are changing. Until now the Chinese New Year is not the same as it was 400 years ago. Chinese people have always celebrated Chinese New Year, you can see it in ancient books, paintings, murals, artifacts and even prayer buildings.
It's funny that some countries that preach cultural sharing on the internet don't even know when to welcome the New Year. The Chinese Yellow Calendar is calculated by a special organization, so please stop asking the Chinese when you should celebrate Lunar new year again, you should create your own new year date instead of culturally appropriating even the 24 seasons (even though your country can't even come up with all 24)
Not, Chinese Lunar new year, Not Lunar new year.
If you celebrate New Year in China, please call it Chinese New Year or Spring Festival.
@@YehWincent Stupid. So you r saying vietnamese also celebrates chinese new year? I am a chinese and I disagree with you. Its Lunar new year so in every country they call it differently
@1 no, you are wrong, both korea and vietnam do celebrate chinese new year, because they introduced spring festival from china when they introduced chinese agricultural calendars, since more than 1500 years ago, there are clear history records in both vietnam and korea record that their spring festival (new year celebration) comes from china
Thanks!
Thank you !!
Their experience as shown here is why I'm against unplanned impromptu visit, esp crossing borders. Not just the inconveniences and hassles, but on off peak seasons they will take advantage of your lack of transport options to quote you higher than usual fares, because like it or not, you've to get out of that area. And I don't like to be "held ransom" in such a manner. You were lucky that you chanced upon 2 Chinese that have planned their journey into Vietnam and knew what transport to take them into Hanoi, and that they spoke a bit of English, otherwise if they are Vietnamese you will be still clueless and might end up taking the expensive option, because your translation app doesn't work for Viet-Eng translation. Not every time can be so lucky though when one travels.
China-Kazakhstan land border are much more better from my experience crossing back and forth between China and Kazakhstan.
Thou from my opinion in this video that the Vietnam side was harder while China side was easier because the people were seen more helpfull.
Man thats a clear comparison between China and Vietnam.
Of course he told you having shower, in fact he was taking a dump.😂
Happy Chinese Lunar new year 🧧
Happy new year!
Go back to Russia little pink Putin is the only person you love.
Is loong year
Unfortunately, you guy went on Tet holiday so regular buses will not run. For the private car service that the other guy requested, 2 million VND seemed reasonable because most of the drivers were also on Tet holiday. This leads to unnecessary discomfort...
Thank you for the very realistic recordings, hope you have a nice trip in Vietnam
Thanks for sharing your experience s great video
How much did you have to pay for the bus from the border to Hanoi on a per person basis?
Your journey is magnificent 😯
The translation was wrong, the woman said to enter Vietnam you need to take a taxi to Friendship Pass at border as the taxi can't cross border, however there is no hotel there, she suggest that you shall stay in a hotel tonight and go there tomorrow. The translator failed to translate "Friendship Pass", it turned out as "test" or "one level".
Google translate is always a$$h0l3 when needed the most.. 🤣
Alan should be using Baidu translate as it is more accurate.
Getting to Vietnam all for going back to China! Bravo to you two! And yes, always expect the unexpected and appreciate the bizarre moments - well said!
Thank you!
Like your unplanned travel style . A lot of hassle but the experience is one of a kind. But the phone translation is quite bad maybe due to the local accents.
The first time I went to Vietnam 6 years ago, the taxi driver at the airport tried to steal $100 from me. I think Vietnam is like China 20 years ago, poverty leads to some thieves. In addition, Vietnamese people are relatively friendly. I heard that Vietnam has also developed very rapidly in recent years.
But even today in big cities in Vietnam where development has been rapid, it's still a hustling vibe going on
As a Chinese, i wouldn't say 20 years, more like 10.
@@comediangj4955 you must be joking. More like 20 to 30 when people were hustling like this in China. Not talking about development but dodgy street hustling
@@k.k.c8670 back in 2014 there were definitely still a lot of "hustling" in most part of china, mainly in train stations or tourist busy spots.
9:25 a big foul up of the translation app lol - She literally asked if you were going to 友谊关 - Youyiguan i.e. the Friendship Pass.
You should have bought bus tickets in China.
for some reason we do everything without a plan
@@Alan_and_Shannonlol I love the honesty. Honestly, that works in China, usually. I remember panicking when I was going on a bus trip with a Chinese friend because he insisted we didn’t need to buy tickets until the morning of… and he was right! It was a domestic trip that time.
Side note: Coke is so good for hangovers! Watson’s brand Sudashui (苏打水）is also really good-it looks like beer but it’s black with gold striping and sooo satisfying when you’re hungover. 😂
You can try the high speed train travel from kunming to Laos. Kinda experience too.
Still better than the National express 😅
Better than the flixbus
You will not make the mistake of travelling in the period of the Chinese New Year again that is for sure.
7$ and 8$ hotel between two countries are quite significant on the quality
Pounds
@@Jkl62200 I dont have pounds on my keyboard
True...how the mighty empire has faded away, huh?@@mantapdjiwa9768
How the mighty empire has faded, huh@@mantapdjiwa9768
Such a treacherous journey !! If I were you, I might as well just turn around and get back in China 😭😭
why is vietnam your least favoriate country so far? can you make a video to talk about it?
Ya that vague comment kinda put me off from watching them. How can you say something like that and just leave it 🤷.
@@momonohomo150easy solution watch their Vietnam adventures
Some of the south-west borders in China are tough because of security reasons and scamming stuff etc. But if you ever go to Xinjiang, there's a pretty nice border there. The Russian one in Heilongjiang should be fine too but it's wayyyy to cold to go there right now. ... I don't know if North Korea has their border trips re-opened now, but years ago it was possible to have a day-trip there too.
It's so annoying because you refuse to do research. Guess what it's Chinese new year things close early. Like Xmas things close early.
China has 14 neighbors, can try each boundary line, even can travel with agency to North Korea easily.
God, big challenge from Vietnam border to Hanoi!!!
it ain't no way for visiting NK, it's not allowed to filming, Kim is a lunatic you know
True, but for safety reasons, I don’t recommend Western friends to go to North Korea.
@@SLEEPY0715 no risk at all.many indians travel there
@@SLEEPY0715 North Korea is safer to travel than afghanistan tbh
Wow.. That's 14 countries! Including Afghanistan and North Korea!
Afghan, India and Myanmar borders are closed for now, hopefully things change
Yes...Border conflict between China and India. Local war in Myanmar. But you could maybe enter India via Bhutan. Your trip through Xinjiang to Pakistan will be epic! @@Alan_and_Shannon
Think the stuff from hotel minibar are served with extra cost. To avoid unpleasant surprises it's better to confirm the price of food from there before taking
HAHAHHAHAHAAHAHAHAAHAAH the receiptionist is taking a shower!! I laughed so hard
can you not do that crossing by train? you must do laos via the new high speed rail
Vietnam New Year is the same as Chinese New year.. that maybe why the Vietnam side is so quiet too.
One of the member countries of the Chinese Character Cultural Circle, they also use the Chinese calendar
There's a high speed rail from Nanning to Dongxing, the town at the vietnam border. Can't understand why you didn't do any research at all.
The like being impromptu and chill. They have a 2 year Chinese visa and stay in 10 dollar hotels. No hurry. Lol
Interesting to hear why you didn’t enjoy Vietnam. Hanoi is not the greatest city and very hectic but compared to my time here 20 years ago it’s a lot better now.
wish i was there at the border of china & viet nam cuz i'm a vietnamese Chinese but then again you both didn't seem to have any trouble at all...have fun & safe travel !
What a journey, we visited Da Nang pre COVID, beautiful. But do NOT need tip shoppers even if they ask for it 😂😂
actually the bus you took was from Nanning. you should have taken this bus from Nanning directly crossing the border.
i‘m wondering how much you get in that two “red bag”from the driver， curiously
I heard in Guangdong they give 5 yuan each, probably similar
The bus station which the two ladies got in China is the same(Langdong)as u two took in Nanning😂😂😂
I'm from Myanmar, Mandalay. The border crossing to Myanmar would be impossible now as a Westerner, they would most likely to allow limited border crossing for the locals from both side of the border towns only. The North-easten part is literally in civil war against military junta, even Burmese people could go there without any local guarantor because of fears for espionage.
Yea it doesn’t look like it will be possible, such a shame we have heard Myanmar is such a beautiful country. I hope we get to experience it one day🥰
Those people trying to scam you and put you into a taxi
Hi guys. Not sure if it's veen mentioned already when you aay thank you, it's like "Cher Cher" rather than "Shen Shen". There's no "n" sound at the end.
oh my, you are so brave! I can imagine how difficult to pass the boarder without speaking any Chinese.
Imagine travelling through UK on Christmas day without booking anything. No one will stand around to help you.
That taxi driver is not Guangxi native. I guess he is from central China such as Henan or Shanxi province.
Daily Alan Shannon video checked. What app do u guys used for translating?
Please visit Lijiang, Dali & Diqing in Yunnan province! It’s absolutely stunning and beautiful. 🥺🥺🥺❤❤❤
people are super helpful in China! i also felt the same not being able to speak much
Wow... USD not accepted.
lol. It is accepted in the cities though but yeah, RMB has become quite popular
小本经营，只做熟悉的业务。
The bus company was where my twin sister worked before she was taken by a heart attack back in 2006. 😢
How did you manage to apply for a chinese visa while not being in your home country? I remember you stayed for about 3 weeks in China and then left for the Philippines. How did you get your initial 3 week visa and are you only using the one week free visa since then?
We got a 2 year visa in the UK before we left 5 months ago
Thanks for letting me know, makes sense now. Do you remember what you paid in total for the visa?
What a great goal! Awwww no fun about the hangover, but kudos for living it up!!
The border is busy because it is also a tourist attraction. The word “景点” on the top of the stone gate means it.
As I watched your video, I noticed you always have something negative to say even embarking your owned planned adventures.😢
Actually, there is a direct bus from Nanning,China to Hanoi for only 188 RMB
nice ladies, so helpful!
lifesavers!
keep safe and enjoy your trip.
Thank you!
32:51 the receptionist went to take a shower before serving the customers - I just laughed off my chair..... But hey, the receptionist may not expect you guys were coming and it was a family-owned business so the receptionist may happen to be a family member of this hotel business. He/she may just went to have shower when the hotel was quiet at the evening, just like being at home. It is definitely a bit funny but I don't think you should take this as an example as a 'strange' or even 'bizarre' experience when travel in Asia - it just stereotypes things a bit too much.
the translation app went horribly wrong, i'm really sorry for that
I can feel you guys, I was finding all the traffic, bus, metro, public transportation when I travelled to US, Europe..whatever the cheapest, using google map only, but lots of research before hand...Have you taken NY subway 2am, 3am, surrounded by homeless and groups of black people? that's just an example lol the difference is English is used in all those places. If I travel to some place without English and Chinese languages, I will be scared, well, so far I didn't have that experience yet. lol
Really curious about how much research did you do before setting the challenge. For example, how do you plan to cross the China-Pakistan border which is on a 4.5 KM high mountain. Lol
Oh wow! The next adventure goes on!
Go to Halong Bay. Once you board a boat to one of the limestone caves, fishermen will try to sell freshly caught fish, prawns etc to you. You can definitely get a bargain and have a nice cheap meal coz many of the boats have on-board kitchens and chefs. On your way you can get souvenirs and beers as well. If you walk on the streets, old people will sell you fresh tropical fruits, like rambutans, mangosteens, etc. Quite cheap as well.
The caves are absolutely gorgeous.
That was it, leaving Nanning. I supposed you could have taken high speed rail to Ningming, and walk over cross the border? Could be easier…😂
Too much beer? Shannon is your worst influence. Said Gweilao60
„Friendship pass“ sounds exactly like „there is a (game) level“ in Chinese.
In China, the bus is getting increasingly unpopular since we can now travel much more comfortably by the high-speed train. Can you guys speak British/American English instead? Scottish English is definitely much harder to comprehend. We would like to enjoy your videos in a relaxed manner. Look for the bus single-minded and ignore all the others after crossing the border!
buses aint too bad
@@Alan_and_Shannon Next time you can enter the Hekou City in China from Lao Cai, Vietnam, through the Hekou Port, where you can take the Chinese high-speed rail to any city.
absolutely do not talk in American or British English. I am being entertained by their Scottish Accents. Good!
下次从越南口岸入境
No! They're Scottish, so Scottish accent it is! You can't ask people to change their accent! Plus, it's the best accent in the world! 🏴
Why Western are far behind digital pay. 😊😊😊. Have fun in Vietnam and enjoy Vietnam food. Like to watch you both try local food. 😊😊😊
Would you do anything differently knowing the complication of getting to Vietnam?
I was hoping to watch an Alan and Shannon video for Chinese New Year's day and you guys kind of let me down by spending it crossing a boarder.. You have missed all interesting new year's activities in China...
There was nothing on where we were! Everywhere had closed down and everyone left
@@Alan_and_Shannon I suggest you guys find a way to browse local websites for information about these activities next time.
@@Alan_and_Shannon You need to find a way to browse local websites where there are info about these activities. In a lot of places, like you said , everybody returns to hometown during Spring Festival leaving an empty town. But they do have celebrations somewhere else.
Very ambitious but it kinda worries me a little. Some countries can be a little... lets say courageous to visit
india ?
or afganistan
China is very big, and there are many interesting places. It's a pity that you didn't go.If you want to see the most spectacular natural scenery, go to Guilin, Guangxi.Every province in China is different. There are so many interesting places.China is very safe and friendly, and there is no fear of being robbed in China. But the law and order in Vietnam is not as good as that in China. You should be careful in Vietnam. Moreover, Vietnam has a tipping culture, so it is necessary to keep tipping, which will increase expenses. Vietnamese architecture is similar to that of China, but the infrastructure is not as good as that of China. There are a lot of motorcycles in Vietnam, and the roads are very noisy. You should adapt to the environment in Vietnam.
这两个不是能够接受别人意见的人。他们很显然行事有自己的想法，而且不喜欢预先做功课。另外我觉得他们可能对食物的兴趣比对风景的兴趣大。
Can't believe how unprepared both of you are with your travel. It's common sense to at least have the currency of the new Country before you arrive. 🤨
Amazing trip.
So you mean you will back to China after Vietnam?
Yes crossing back through
When will you end this series? I mean no longer visiting China.
@@Alan_and_Shannon looking forward your adventure in other part of china 😀