Tea party leaves bitter taste
But Singapore slings sweeten travel for Tracey Foxall, writes John Anthony.
TRACEY FOXALL’S first trip to Shanghai was tarnished by a tea party that left a sizeable dent in her wallet.
The Booking.com New Zealand area manager made her first trip to Shanghai in 2014 to conduct some training at Booking.com’s office there.
The Booking.com website allows users to search the best rates for all sorts of accommodation from family-run bed-and-breakfasts to five-star hotels.
Foxall said she was amazed by how little English was spoken in Shanghai despite it being very commercialised.
So when a Shanghai local approached Foxall asking if they could practise their English with her, she didn’t suspect anything untoward.
Foxall said the friendly local then invited her to a tea ceremony down some backstreets.
‘‘When you’re in a place that’s quite foreign there’s a tendency to get swept away in the sights and sounds,’’ Foxall said.
The next minute Foxall found herself locked in a room, being offered small tastes of about eight different teas as part of a ‘‘traditional tea ceremony’’.
Then after being harangued to buy additional tea paraphernalia the bill came out at about $500, she said.
Foxall said she paid the bill and left ‘‘feeling sorry for myself and stupid all at the same time’’.
She later found out scammers offering a traditional tea ceremony experience often targeted tourists in Shanghai.
‘‘It’s just another small reminder if you are travelling to places to be more vigilant and sensible about things.’’
Foxall said she and staff in the Booking.com office now warn anyone travelling to Shanghai about the scam. Worst flight? My worst flight was a trip to Amsterdam transiting through San Francisco. I was due to be in a meeting shortly after arriving. However, I missed the connecting flight because of the long processing times at immigration. No one at the airport was willing to try to help me get on to a different flight, and I was bounced between airlines blaming each other. In the end, I was able to get on a flight, but ended up with a total travel time of more than 40 hours and had to head immediately to my meeting. Best flight? My best flight was my first business class experience, returning to New Zealand from Shanghai. From the welcome glass of champagne to the beautiful three-course dinner (with real crockery). I was extremely impressed by the quality of service from Air New Zealand and it spoilt economy for the rest of my life. Favourite international dish? I am passionate about Japanese cuisine and went to a fabulous izakaya and had some of the freshest sashimi I have ever had. Favourite international beverage?
‘Cliff diving at Ariel’s Point is one of the highlights as you can dive at easy, medium or daredevil heights.’
The Singapore Sling by the Raffles Hotel is my favourite beverage, and I look forward to having it whenever I am in Singapore. Must have travel item? Noise-cancelling headphones have on more than one occasion saved a travel experience from screaming babies experiencing their first long haul trip. Most underrated city? Boracay, Philippines is one of the most underrated cities in the world because of its white sand beaches and the amazing azure blue ocean. Cliff diving at Ariel’s Point is one of the highlights as you can dive at easy, medium or daredevil heights. The sunsets in Boracay are amazing from a Paraw sailboat. Best airport to land at? Singapore Changi Airport is truly world-class. It is clean and calm has an outdoor butterfly garden, koi pond and cinema, just to name a few ways to pass the many hours of transit time. It also has food options from all around the world to cater to all tastes. Top travel tips? I have Yelp on my phone which gives me access to the best local restaurants and attractions. I always take travel instructions in the local language for when I am arriving, and pick up a business card from the hotel where I am staying just in case I get lost, as I have a terrible sense of direction. Uber has made travelling in different countries also a breeze and the GPS tracking is very reassuring. One place you want to visit before you die and why? I would love to visit Croatia. The crystal-clear waters and stunning beaches combined with the historic architecture and amazing seafood makes it a dream destination. Favourite souvenir picked up travelling? When visiting Hong Kong I bought both of my girls a traditional Chinese dress (hanfu) and their excitement when they unwrapped the gift was fantastic. They felt very special being able to wear this to Chinese New Year celebrations at school recently. How do you deal with jetlag? I always try to fit as quickly as I can into the arrival time zone, particularly with meals and sleeping, but have found melatonin to be very helpful for a restful sleep.