For most of us, traveling overseas means budgeting carefully to contain costs. However, if you just won the lottery or are otherwise lucky enough to have money to burn, you might be interested in Gadling’s write up of China’s newly re-opened luxury hotel. The Peace Hotel, which just opened its doors back up after a 3-year, $64 million renovation, has rooms that start at $340 per night and go up to $1000 per night. Splurge on rooms here, at you can walk in the footsteps of former US Presidents Ronald Reagan and Jimmy Carter and silent-film legend Charlie Chaplin, all of whom stayed here often in the past.

Rooms and suites feature amenities like walk-in closets, luxury bathrooms, flat-screen CDs, powder rooms and in some cases, even dining suites so you can entertain guests in style. Sure beats staying in a Motel 6!

Luckily, if you’d like to see Shanghai and don’t have $340+ for a room in the Peace Hotel, there are plenty of other, cheaper rooms available in the city. A quick search at Yahoo Travel, for example, showed rooms available as low as $24 per night, although around $100 per night seemed average for most of the well-respected, global hotel chains.

No matter where you’re staying in Shanghai or how much your spending, you will need to apply for a China visa before you leave the US. If you’re traveling as a tourist, see China Visa Requirements for Tourists for more information on how to apply.

If you’re going to be in China on business, the requirements to get a visa are slightly different- see Getting a Chinese Visa for a Business Trip for more information.

Whether you’re traveling to China for business or pleasure, RushMyTravelVisa can help you get the documents you need to travel. When you apply through us, your professional visa specialist will walk you through the application process, helping you avoid common errors that could hold up your application. Then, we expedite your visa with the Chinese embassy for the fastest possible processing.

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Macau, once a Portuguese colony, is now a Special Administrative Region of China. It’s also known as the “Vegas of Asia,” and a recent Bootsnall article referred to it as a “gambler’s paradise.”

Like Las Vegas, Macau features a plethora of casinos, including local establishments as well as such familiar American names as Wynn and MGM Grand.  According to Bootsnall, the Wynn casino in Macau is “freakishly similar” to the one in Vegas.

Should you actually manage to beat the house, the streets are packed with jewelry vendors who will be more than happy to let you spend some of your winnings on some bling.  24-carat gold is the norm.

Most travel to China requires a visa, but Macau is different. Americans can visit for up to 30 days without a China visa, as long as they are just visiting as tourists. However, if you are visiting Macau for business, you will need to apply for a visa beforehand. Also, check the expiration date on your passport. If yours expires in the next 6 months, you need to apply for a passport renewal before you leave.

Although you don’t have to have a China visa to visit Macau, you will need one if you plan to stop in China during your trip. It may be possible to obtain to a China visa in Macau, but the US Department of State notes that some Americans have had problems doing so, and recommends that you obtain all necessary visas before leaving the United States. For more information on how to get a Chinese tourist visa, see Chinese Visa Requirements for Tourists.

If you need a China visa, RushMyTravelVisa can help. We make the visa application process much easier by providing a helpful checklist and personal assistance from a trained representative. Then, we’ll expedite your visa for you, personally delivering your paperwork to the appropriate embassy or consulate for the fastest possible processing.

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China is a magical place, at once ancient and modern, as more and more American tourists are discovering. There are innumerable reasons to get a Chinese visa and go exploring, but here are 5 of our favorites:

1. The Great Wall- Yes, visiting the Great Wall may be something of a cliché. But it’s still impressive.
2. Tomb of Qin Shi Huan: The tomb of Qin Shi Huan features thousands of terracotta soldiers and horses, each one unique. If Qin Shi Huan got in a fight in the afterlife with an Egyptian pharaoh, the Chinese emperor would most likely win.
3. Tiger Leaping Gorge: If you are the outdoorsy type, Tiger Leaping Gorge offers what is quite possibly the best backpacking trip in all of China.
4. Chinglish- Chinese and English are too very different languages. When attempting to translate between them, hilarity often ensues. This article from the New York Times has some great pictures of “Chinglish” signs from Shanghai.  Please keep in mind, though, that if Americans tried to write signs in Chinese for Chinese tourists without the assistance of a professional interpreter or someone who knows both languages really well, the results would probably be equally amusing.
5. REAL Chinese Food- After years of Chinese takeout, the sheer variety of Chinese food in China will be a revelation. Depending on the region you visit, you might find crispy, delicious duck, boiled scorpions or even “thousand-year” eggs preserved for a rainy day in ash and straw.

American citizens who want to visit China must first obtain the appropriate Chinese visa. China does NOT issue visas on arrival, so  make sure you apply in advance.

If you’re traveling to China as a tourist, you’ll want to apply for an “L” visa. You can choose to apply for apply for a single entry Chinese visa valid for 3-6 months, a double-entry visa valid for 6 months or a multiple-entry visa valid for 6 months, so double-check and make sure that the visa you are applying for gives you enough entries to accommodate your itinerary.

For more information on how to get a Chinese tourist visa, see Chinese Visa Requirements for Tourists.

RushMyTravelVisa can help you get a your visa quickly and easily.

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In terms of population, China is not only the biggest city in China-with a population of over 20 million people, it’s the largest city in the entire world. As you might expect from its size, Shanghai is an excellent shopping destination. In fact, it is often referred to as the “Shopping Paradise” and “Oriental Paris”.

In Shanghai, you can buy just about anything-the finest tea in China, beautiful pearls and delicate jewelry, brand names and knockoffs, and even fighting crickets!  If you are concerned about navigating the streets of Shanghai on your own, you can go as part of a shopping tour. However, traveling by yourself has its own advantages-you have more freedom to roam around, and you can spend the money you would have given the tour operator on stuff for yourself.

If you are planning in visiting the city and you want to shop independently, Matador Travel has an excellent guide on shopping in Shanghai.  One thing that makes shopping in Shanghai especially interesting is the collection of different markets: pearl markets, fabric markets, fashion markets, a tea market, even an animal and insect market where you can purchase the aforementioned fighting crickets. About.com has an excellent guide to the different Shanghai markets.

Shanghai is a world-class shopping destination, and China welcomes American tourists. However, if you’re going to Shanghai to shop, there’s one accessory you’ll need to purchase ahead of time: a Chinese tourist visa, also known as an “L” visa. China does not issue visas on arrival, so if you show up at the airport without one, you won’t be allowed to board your place.

What does it take to get an “L” visa? You will need the following:

• One completed Chinese visa application
• Your US passport
• One  passport photo

If your plane leaves within the seven days, you can include a copy of your itinerary to expedite your visa. Using a visa expediting company like RushMyTravelVisa makes the process quick and efficient-we’ll help you with your application and deliver your paperwork to the appropriate visa or consulate for the fastest possible processing.

Apply for your expedited Chinese visa today!