Talking Travel: Procrastinator's October Holiday Edition

Talking Travel is the Beijinger's weekly travel guide to great deals, interesting destinations, and weekend getaways. Visit every Tuesday morning for the latest for the frequent flyer.

October 1 is one week from today. Hooray, right? If seeing that brings travel trepidation because nothing's booked yet, we have one simple suggestion: time-shift.

In other words, at this point, the worst thing to do would be to try to leave October 1. Shifting your depature just a few days, to October 3 or 4, and returning after the holiday, say, October 9 or 10, will save big money (all prices below are roundtrip and exclude tax unless otherwise specified). Fly to Busan, a Talking Travel favorite for the holiday period, costs, RMB 3,598 including tax on Korean Air, leave on the 1st and returning on the 7th. Leave October 4 (just in time for the film festival) and return on October 8, 9, or 10, and it's RMB 2,388, with tax.

Similarly, Beijing to Bangkok on Cathay Pacific, departing October 1 and returning October 7, will cost RMB 10,690. Leave October 4 and come back October 10, and that drops to RMB 2,290. The same is true for Manila. Leave October 1 and return on the 7th, and it will cost RMB 8,860. Leave October 4 and return October 10, and it's only RMB 1,890. That extra RMB 7,000 will buy a lot of cold San Miguel, that's for sure.

Domestically, fly to Chengdu on Air China for RMB 1,690, leaving October 4 and returning October 9. Hangzhou can be had for only RMB 970 plus, leaving October 4 and back October 8.

Two spots Talking Travel can recommend are Ningbo and Weihai. Both are pleasant this time of year and can be reached in under two air hours. Known as a port city and shipping capital, Ningbo is the place many Shanghaiers go once they've been to Hangzhou too often. Civilized and clean, the former open port features colonial architecture, modern shopping, and seafood. Weihai, a former British colony, is similar to Qingdao, if Qingdao were smaller, cleaner, and far less crowded. It doesn't have much of a beach, but Liu Gong Island is a good spot for a day of hiking, sitting and having a picnic near unspoiled seascapes, and getting a bit of fresh air. If you go, try the Heqing Hotel. Getting a foot massage in their spa while overlooking the Bohai Sea and Liu Gong Island is not a bad way to end a day.

The next two editions of Talking Travel will be written from the Philippines. For all your upcoming holiday travels, one road flat safe.

Look for more travel information from the Beijinger every issue in our Get Out column.

Image: CathayPacific.com/the Beijinger