Kid going to China for 2 months - essential setup for phone/data/vpn before departing?
My daughter will be going to China for about two months as part of her college study abroad summer program. Two months in Bejing primarily, and then about a week sightseeing on their own time in Szechuan. She's been reading up on what she needs to get her electronics ready for travel. So far, I've got her:
- CCC-certified power banks (got her two, each a different capacity, which should be more than enough to cover all her travel/charging needs);
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0G4MNXP2L
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0G4MNXP2L
She has installed both WeChat and AliPay on her phone
Credit card - I'll assign/add her as an authorized user of one of US-bank issued Visa credit card that have no forex fees to load into the two apps for use. I understand WeChat and AliPay does have a fee (3% for transactions > 300 RMB?).
Local currency; realistically, how much should she expect to have on hand?
Which eSIM would you suggest is best for her travel situation, being in China for two months with lots of data? She'll also be spending a few days in Singapore and Malaysia as well before arriving in China.
On the topic of VPNs; I'm hearing a lot of different suggestions; some say multiple layers of VPN? Which ones are the best one to use, for a student with access to all her usual apps (especially socials, such as IG, TikTok, FB, Google Maps, etc.).
Thanks!