Travel Tips

Friday, January 6, 2012

Flight Update For China Tour: July 21 to August 8

The Departure And Flight dates have not changed but the airline flight numbers have changed.
This is the latest update that I have received from our Travel agent at Travel Cuts.

Air Canada Flight # 209 21JUL Departure Calgary 1005A Arrive Vancouver 1027A
Air Canada Flight # 029 21JUL Departure Vancouver 1215P Arrive Beijing 235P 22JUL
Air Canada Flight # 026 08AUG Departure Shanghai 345P Arrive Vancouver 1145A 08AUG
Air Canada Flight # 216 08AUG Departure Vancouver 200P Arrive Calgary 417P

Our travel agent will be issuing everyone an electronic airline ticket and contacting you 60 days prior to departure.

Thursday, January 5, 2012

Sichuan Province

Day 9 Chengdu

Day 10 Chengdu - Dujiangyan Irrigation system

Here is a short video by CCTV 9 that describes the Dujiangyan Irrigation system.
In China CCTV 9 is the Chinese National Television that broadcasts in English.

Wednesday, January 4, 2012

Visas

Everyone is required to obtain a visa which is placed in your passport in order to enter China.
You cannot apply more than 3 months in advance. You need to apply for your visa in May or June.
You can no longer apply by mail for your visa.
You can have another person who you trust go to the Chinese consulate in Calgary or Vancouver with your visa application and passport to drop it off and pick up your visa. The Chinese embassy is very prompt in processing your visa in one or two days. The last time , I went to get my visa, it was around $50. You need two passport photos for your visa application. Sometimes the passport photos for the visa application might be a different dimension from the regular passport photo, so you should ask your passport photographer. Costco in Calgary in Southeast Calgary takes good visa photos.
If you go to a travel agency to get them to obtain your visa they will charge you a ridiculous fee.
The Calgary Consulate is open from 9:00 am to 12:00 noon Monday to Friday. They close promptly at
12 noon even if there are 40 more people lined up the wicket closes.
In your visa application you might have to list the hotels where you will be staying.
I will ask our tour operator in China to forward me our tour itinerary from their company which I can email to everyone . You can print out this copy to show the Consulate clerk the proof that we are legitimate visitors.
If you have any questions filling out the visa application you can contact me. You can download the visa applications from the Chinese Consulate Website if you google it.

The rules for applying for a visa can change at any time.

Travel Tips For China

I asked our tour operator in China to compile a list of travel tips that Canadians would find helpful on our 18 day tour. Our tour operator will also be accompanying our tour throughout the 18 days as our tour leader. He will be meeting us at the airport, and providing priority clearance when booking into hotels, internal travel arrangements, liaison with the local guides ( he actually hires the guides), arranging our meals, attending to problems you might encounter, etc.
Our tour leader stays with us 24/7 from the day we arrive to the day we depart.

Click on this link : Travel Tips For China
*Safety and Medical issues
*Cultural issues
*Using the telephone
*Shopping in China
*Airline luggage allowance
*Money issues
*Guide service
*Others: Laundry, mail, electrical

Initial Deposits: Bookings have been confirmed

The deposit cheques were deposited into my corporate account on January 3.
A Two hundred dollar deposit is being placed to book the Air Canada return air fare.
I have the majority of everyone's email address and telephone number. I will forward your contact
information to our Travel Cuts representative who is booking our Air Fares. Our travel cuts representative will be contacting each of you individually to make arrangements to collect the balance owing on the air fare 60 days prior to departure. Travel Cuts upon receipt of the final balance will issue each individual their electronic ticket.

I will be placing a $300 deposit for each of you with the tour operator in China by making a wire transfer. I will asking everyone 60 days prior to departure to forward me a cheque with the balance owing for the land package. I will wire the balance to our tour operator in China.