Looking for the best of all worlds in a place to stay.

[olindacat]

Hi. This is going to sound odd, but I have a plan! I'm trying to research a good place to live in China. My criteria is that it is clean, cheap, cool (not too far south), away from throngs of tourists, safe, with a real toilet, and that has a small town feel to it, with the best possible market for hiring help at the most reasonable rates. (Sorry, I know that's a mouthful!)

My plan is to essentially make my own personal spa to use for several months to lose weight and get into shape. So, if I can find a place where I can hire a trainer, massage therapist, salad/juice-maker/cook, etc., at reasonable rates, this may be a utopian solution!

Any thoughts are most-appreciated. Thanks!

[abcdefg]

Any thoughts are most-appreciated. Thanks!

An impractical project, to say the least. A town between Shangri-La and Deqin in upper Yunnan might provide the right scenery and ambience.

But I think you should first try to use an existing facility and its staff in a town you like even if it is not entirely up to your ideal specifications. Doing what you outlined in your post would require tons of money and be extremely wasteful, especially if you only use it a few months. Of course, maybe you are an eccentric millionaire, in which case also consider doing it in the mountains of Northern Thailand.

[olindacat]

Thanks for the input.

[Saxondale]

Take Qingdao into consideration.

[wushijiao]

Like abcdefg said, I would also go somewhere in Yunnan.

As far as salad and juice, this shouldn't be too hard, as veggies are fairly cheap in the mainland. You can buy a juicer and do it yourself to save costs (ie...I have a juicer and make vegetable juice most days).

You might be able to get good massages, but I'm not sure if you'll be able to find many high-quality massage therapists in small towns in Yunnan (but then again, maybe you can). I would also wonder whether or not you could find qualified trainers there too.

On the other hand, I think it would be fairly easy/fun to get into good shape with a mixture of running/hiking/biking in mountainous and scenic parts of SW China. You could also do weight training and core work too.

Good luck!

[olindacat]

many thanks for the kind help!

[abcdefg]

If you went into the mountains of upper Yunnan, you would have the added benefit of altitude training on your runs and bike rides.

[olindacat]

True. Thank you. I can't run anymore but can hike a bit. Walk.

[Gibbs]

Outside of Qingdao, technically still in the Laoshan Mountain district there is a road that runs Northeast. From Qingdao‘s Laoshan district 崂山区 follow this road: 滨海公路 (S293) through the mountain tunnel and drive towards a place called 朝阳洞. In this area there is beautiful scenery, natural springs, and few(er) people. Check it out if you have a chance.

[kungpao_chicken]

i would agree with Qingdao. The area is very nice, people friendly, modernized enough, great produce from the heilongjiang region nearby. Prices are more china and less shanghai.

Now if you aren't a pussy and like it raw and being near real mountains, you will choose an area in sichuan. I'm a creative person so a city like Chongqing drives me creatively, and you have absolutely no choice but to lose weight, especially if you live on the peninsula. I spent 3 weeks there, plenty of awesome cheap and healthy food, lots of walking up and down hillsides everyday, entertainment, and beautiful mountains and hot springs within a bus ride.

[olindacat]

I am not a puss, but am older and less capable than I was when I was a young buck. Thanks for the tips on Qingdao. Is there a good site where I can see ads for housing there?

[Brian US]

I want to be in your situation Mr. Original Poster.

I was intially disapointed with Qindao the first few days I was there, which was in part to being dropped off in the West part of old downtown. It wasn't until I found the new modern downtown in the East that I saw the beauty and blend of both ends. At the age of 20 I was never into seafood until I found that every othe restaurant along the coast served only seafood.

Also, consider a summer place in Harbin (哈尔滨). I'm a sucker for the Northeast of China as it reminds me of the the cold and flat midwest of the US.

[jkhsu]

Is there a good site where I can see ads for housing there?

Pardon my ignorance but from your original post, the things you want to do sort of require that you either are fluent in Chinese, are very familiar with how things work in China or will have a Chinese assistant to help you. If you haven't been to Qingdao or some other place suggested by people here, perhaps you can start by taking a trip there and staying at a hotel first? Try hotels.com or ctrip.com (for better values). For resources, try searching for Qingdao expat sites and maybe contacting people there.

[olindacat]

You're not ignorant. You're just making your own observations. Firstly, my goal is to find a place (meaning town or village in a region that is not too far south as I do not like mosquitoes). My purpose is to lose weight and get into shape. 'Why', you might ask, 'will this be any better than say, Idaho?' Costs. I am not rich. I work 19 hour days, get about 10 off a year, and so I have gone from a fit, good-looking triathlete to a fat old bear, in nine years. The last time I had any serious time off way in 2000. I took off much of the year and did this exact same thing only alone and on Maui. The difference between then and now is enormous, because I have all kinds of circulation and back issues and I need a lot of regular massage, expecially if I plan to kick all the pain killers and grin and bear it while I do this.

So, cost is a major factor. Yes, I am well-aware of the fact that language is a barrier. It has always been a barrier for me no matter where I travelled. I have a passport with extra pages that is almost full. I have done a lot of travel, and have been to China before: HK, Shenzen, Guanzhou, Beijng, Xian, Macao, and to golf courses outside of these main areas. So, while I am not entirely ignorant with respect to the general aspects of several cities, and my lack of language skills, I am fairly thrifty and capable of managing.

Part of my OP was asking, specifically, about reasonable rates for 'help', so that I could find solutions to some of the very problems you mention: lang. fluency, familiarity, assistance. I have not hired help in China before, but before I can even broach that subject, I need to first get a fix on a place, then establish what wages are like there. I have read that people make anywhere from $2.50 and hour to $100 and more, depending on locale, task, etc.

Obviously, I am not hiring an engineer. Moreso, I just need someone (in that small town) to occasinally translate. That would be a PT freelance guide, perhaps. This person could help me neg. my tenancy. He/she could help explain to new hires what I need. (I want two people, full time, two shifts, 9 hours a day with one hour break, six days a week, so do two primary tasks: keep house, and train me. When I say 'train' I mean something as simple as walking with me to force me out the dooor, helping me strech, etc.)

While I do this I'll cycle alone, or perhaps find a partner, and also look into finding other things to work myself. The basic premise is to be doing somethign physical 7 hours a day, to only eat raw foods. Now, yes, one could buy a juicer and DIY. But this is a health holiday for me. I want someone else to worry about washing the carrots, composting, etc.

I've budgeted 4000PMB per person per month. Is that reasonable?

In terms of housing, I can swing as much as 10-15K a month, if that is required.

Now, I don't want to be in metro Bejing. I don't want to freeze my butt off in Harbin. So, I post here asking for help.

I appreicate the suggestion to go to hotels.com. I stay in hotels 10-15% of my life, so I know how to find a hotel, or how to look up a town on Google. But China is big. Do I have to go 1000 miles out of BJ to find what I want, or can it be done more readily? Is the surrounding BJ area too cold to be riding a bike in March-April? I suppose I can Google it, but getting help from people with their 'boots on the ground' is far more intresting and, in most cases, helpful.

[olindacat]

Hi Brian: no you don't :-)

I'm as fat as a Panda but hopefully, I'll rid myself of this over the ensuing months. I too love the cold weather and northern regions. I used to have a chalet in the northernmost tip of Vermont and it was Harbin-like @ -30 F.

Perhaps I'll hole up there if I can find the right help. It's all about the people. If you get lucky, amazing things can happen with very little in terms of facilities.

Best to you and thanks. John

[abcdefg]

I've budgeted 4000PMB per person per month. Is that reasonable?

That should be enough. 3,000 RMB per person per month is probably adequate in a small town setting such as you want.

In terms of housing, I can swing as much as 10-15K a month, if that is required.

That is more than you will need. 2,000 RMB a month is probably enough in a small town setting such as you want.

The time of year would probably make a significant difference in what regions of China are suitable from a climate and temerpature standpoint. Have you narrowed that down yet, or did I miss it in a previous post?

As to a translator, think mainly in terms of a team of two or three people, maybe college students, who can help you over the phone and occasionally side by side. It can be a loose arrangement and should not cost much. Sort of a "piece work plus retainer" format.

You are going to need to go to the place you ultimately select and spend a few days setting it up. No way to do it all from the States ahead of time without hiring a costly personal assistant. And even then it would be hit or miss.

Maybe ink a deal with some TV reality show and get them to supply web cams and pick up all your expenses.

[olindacat]

Thanks, abcdefg:

I'm a publisher and also have a golf show that is somewhat reality-based. I'm debating bringing a 3-4 camera set-up just for that purpose. Not sure it is worth it and like my privacy.

Yes, you are right about being there, front and center, to set things up. I give it at least two weeks, maybe more, before I can even get my head screwed on after all the busy work.

No. I haven't settled on a location yet. I'm torn. This 'exercise' is for me to compare my big picture options. I first need to see if I can learn/understand enough about China's options to determine if I even want to move forward with this option. I am weighing the idea of being planted in one spot against a long, two-three month bike trip.

The bike trip options are also confounding. Do I do one in China, say along the terperature line that isn't oo cold, yet not too warm? Will I hit huge mountains midway? What about hygene or places to stay along the way? There's a guy who blogged about biking all of SE Asia, India, Nepal. But I hate mosquitoes. I know it sounds like I'm a whiner, but they drive me nuts. If I hear one, I'm done for the night. Can't sleep. Sleep is important. Just one of my pet peeves.

Of course, I can endure if that is my only option, but it isn't. Hence, my post here looking for Xanadu. I am sure, if I were there right now, and knew how to read street signs and cold hop into a rental car, I'd find what I want.

I have no problem going to the farthest ends of China. In fact, the farther away, the batter. I have considered Alaska, but March - June, I have no idea what I'm in for climate wise and I know they earn way more there so that'd be cost-prohibitive....

Cheap labor, weather between 40F and 65F, real toilet, access to safe fruits and veggies.... It's gotta be somewhere up there!

[jkhsu]

Have you looked into Suzhou or Hangzhou? The humidity might be an issue but the temperature matches what you're looking for in March - April. Plus, you're about an hour train trip away from Shanghai in case you need the big city support or urge. Some average temps below. I've included Qingdao for comparison:

Suzhou

http://weather.sg.msn.com/monthly_averages.aspx?&wealocations=wc%3a32281&q=Suzhou%2c+CHN&setunit=F

Hangzhou

http://weather.sg.msn.com/monthly_averages.aspx?wealocations=wc:CHXX0044&q=Hangzhou%2c+CHN+forecast:averagesm

Qingdao

http://weather.sg.msn.com/monthly_averages.aspx?wealocations=wc:CHXX0110&q=Qingdao%2c+CHN+forecast:averagesm

In general, the problem with China is that once you step outside of a major city, resources start to lack. Unlike the USA where I can drive to a small town and find clean water, plumbing, even Walmart, etc., I find China is just not like that. So you might find your perfect scenic spot with nice weather and all but you'll have to be flown out for medical care in case you need it.

Regarding safe fruits and veggies: I know natives in Shanghai who buy imported food because they think the local stuff is not safe or clean. When you say veggies, what exactly are you talking about? The only time I trust eating a salad there is at a place like Element Fresh or a 5 star hotel where I pay US prices and up. With cucumbers and tomatoes, I can wash with soap but I'm not going to trust raw produce there, especially if it has only been rinsed with tap water (which needs to be boiled before drinking).