I am back in China now, Shenzhen to be exact. Shenzhen is more of a shopping center for people from Hong Kong than anything else. It was one of the first Special Economic Zones set up to encourage foreign investment and entrepreneurs to start or move their businesses to China.

I took a three hour flight from Bangkok, Thailand on Air Asia. AirAsia is Asia’s most popular no-frills budget airlines. I don’t mind flying with them but there isn’t much leg room for taller people. Seats are unallocated so there is a mad rush to get on the plane. All seats are economy with no separate classes. They fly into China to Shenzhen and Xiamen from several Asian capitals. You can book flights directly from their website. They boarding passes they give out look more like shopping receipt from a supermarket.

Airport buses take you into town around 30 kilometers away. The guide on the bus helped me find and book a hotel. It was already past midnight, so I was thankful for her help. The bus driver even dropped us off right at the hotel.

The guide helped a group off the bus check into the hotel and she gave me her mobile number if needed help. It was 2 a.m. by the time I got to bed. I was woken by the phone and it was the guide calling me. Being woken up from a deep sleep there was no way I was going to be able to understand what she wanted. Probably wanting to sell me a tour or something. Even with my limited Chinese it is going to take me a while to get back into speaking Mandarin.

If you need a cheap hotel in Shenzen the Wah Chung Inernational Hotel is not a bad option with rates starting from around 160 RMB a night.

Address: 3041 Shennan Road East Shenzhen, China. Telephone: (0755) 8223 8060.