Taken For A Ride With Insiders Shanghai

Guess what I got to do today? A super rad ride in a sidecar with the guys at Insiders Shanghai. A hella neat way to see Shanghai and such a thrill. I had bookmarked this idea in my mind, ever since I read about this experience months ago.

I totally lucked out too. The manager, Shane, told me they were booked up solid this week, but when I told him that it was just me and that I would be leaving tomorrow, he was kind enough to make an exception. He was even able to book another driver and photographer to come with, as I wanted some photos to commemorate my ride.

So bright and early this morning, I met Shane, Felix and Yoan down at the Andaz Hotel for my one hour ride. I wanted to see the Old City and the French Concession. As much as I love modern Shanghai, I wanted to see original Chinese settlements. After some introductions and safety tips, we were off.

In the Old City, we walked the market street, checked out homes with laundry hung across alleyways and spied a communal men’s bathhouse (!) then we rode to the French Concession and stopped off to tour the Alfred Dunhill Shanghai Home, a 2 tower neo-classical mansion slash exclusive club in the heart of the city.

Some pics:

The company doesn’t get many, if any, bookings from the local Shanghainese. Why would they pay so much money to travel within the city, when they could use public transport?

This experience is strictly sought out by tourists and ex-pats. If I was living in Shanghai, I might sidecar it a couple of times to get the lay of the land. And then definitely book them for out of town trips, like Beijing, Xi’an and Lijiang. The guides were friendly and knowledgeable. and it was oodles of fun. I’d definitely recommend them.

The lads dropped me off at the Propaganda Poster Art Centre, a hidden museum showcasing communist posters from the Chairman Mao era. After that, I walked through the pretty tree-lined streets in the French Concession until I hit Hauihai Road. Like Nanjing Road, it’s also a vibrant shoppers mecca and I prefer it more as it’s less of a circus. The high end stores here scream opulence and prestige, more so than their counterparts in New York, Beverly Hills and London.

I had dinner in Xintiandi, a trendy and fashionable enclave festooned with shops, restaurants, bars and nightclubs. This fashionable part of town was redeveloped from 1930s shikumen estates or stone tenements.

I walked through the very lovely Fuxing Park, on the way back to Taikang Lu. And although it was already night, I could feel the French influence of the park, what with its wide paths flanked by cherry trees. Reminded me of the Jardin de Luxembourg in Paris.

Can I say how much I love where I’m staying in Tianzifang? Especially at night when this labyrinth of an enclave is lit just by store signs, lanterns and twinkle lights. No street lights.

Oh Shanghai, I wish I had more time. You were so much fun and I shall be sad to leave you tomorrow. But you’ve made such an impression on me that I promise to come back again.