With travel to the Middle East on hold, it seems visits to many of the rising cities in tourism have been put on pause.
Dubai, a favourite among Brits, has seen its airport closed, and the rest of the UAE and Qatar have had travel disrupted.
Even if things start to open back up soon, it’s unlikely travel in the Middle East will get back to normal straight away.
Enter Shanghai, a destination with all the skyscrapers and luxurious malls of Dubai and Abu Dhabi – but without the need to fly via the Middle East.
To reach China’s biggest city and global financial hub, you can fly from the UK directly with airlines such as Air China and China Eastern.
Skyscrapers dominate the landscape in Shanghai, giving it a futuristic feel
Flights start from £327, and take roughly 11 to 12 hours.
While Shanghai is a much older city than Dubai, the prevalance of skyscrapers shows why it’s easy to compare the two.
You can make plenty of savings, too, with a lower cost of living in Shanghai, according to price comparison site Versus.
A meal at a mid-range restaurant in Dubai costs $81.68 (£61) and in Shanghai just $35.38 (£26.50), while an inexpensive one will cost $10.89 (£8.15) and $4.25 (£3.18) respectively.
And there’s lots to do in the city.
The Bund (Waitan), a famous 2.6 km long waterfront promenade in central Shanghai along the Huangpu River, is well worth a visit. Other towers from which to see the views include the Shanghai Tower and Oriental Pearl Tower, which has a glass-bottomed observation deck.
For greenery, visit the Yu Garden, a unique botanical garden, described by one visitor on Google reviews as ‘a Ming Dynasty painting come to life’.
Another wrote: ‘The atmosphere is amazing! Calm, traditional, and full of history. Walking through the pavilions, bridges, and gardens feels like stepping back in time, far away from the busy city outside. Everything is very clean, well maintained, and clearly taken care of. Overall, a great experience with a top atmosphere and excellent value for money. Highly recommended.’
The Tian An 1000 Trees in Shanghai is, like many places in the UAE, a highly unique and modern architectural gem.
The complex, which opened in 2021, features two mountain-like structures with 1,000 structural pillars, and looks like a ‘vertical forest’.
And like Dubai, there’s plenty of shopping on offer, with luxurious centres including IFC Mall and IAPM Mall.
Food is also popular, with a diverse range of options in the city.
Pan-fried steamed buns, one of Shanghai’s famous Han Chinese traditional snacks dating back to the 1920s, are worth a try, as are spare ribs with rice cake, a comparison report by Living in Dubai suggested.
Shanghai is even more popular than Dubai, with an 8.6/10 rating on Versus in comparison to Dubai City’s 8.4.
Reviews rave about the city, with one writing: ‘Shanghai is a wonderful city. It’s extremely clean, has vibrant and interesting neighborhoods to explore and has a lot to offer for anyone wishing to live there. The food is pretty good with great offerings from across Asia and usual staples of continental food.
‘The Bund is an amazing walkway and is a great showcase for Shanghai’s futuristic skyline – if you’re used to European cities for example, this will feel very foreign – and has great cafes.’
Another described it as the ‘best mega city in China’, adding: ‘There are lots of different styles of food, not very high price if you can afford an airplane ticket as a foreigner.’
A third wrote: ‘The New York of Asia. It is a melting pot of expats from a diversity of origins, age groups, industries, great communities, fascinating skylines, global food options available, vivid art scenes, strong history and heritage, new infrastructure and museums, and efficient transportation systems.’
The intriguing architectural design of Tian An 1000 Trees in Shanghai
And, unlike the Middle East right now, the FCDO has no major travel warnings in place for China.
However, it does note that the typhoon season in China normally runs from May to November, affecting southern and eastern coastal regions.
The GOV.UK website adds: ‘Air travel and other forms of transport can be affected. Monitor the progress of approaching storms on the Japan Meteorological Agency and the China Meteorological Administration websites.’
Whether you’re looking ahead to the Easter holidays, or are looking to get away in the next week, there are plenty of top choices for a sunkissed break – without the threat of of hasty retreat.
The Daily Mail has created a rundown of the best places to choose for your holiday instead.
For example, you might select sunny Spain, or up-and-coming Tunisia, for your next break.
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