Discover China October 9 17, 2013

Transcription

1 Discover China October 9 17, 2013 Frequently Asked Questions - FAQs Tiger Hill, Suzhou Who can travel on the Kelowna Chamber of Commerce trip? Anyone with a valid passport, who wishes to travel with the Kelowna group on the October trip, and purchases the all-inclusive package prior to August 1, 2013, may travel. What is the registration deadline? July 31, 2013 What is the cost? The total cost is $2,475, which includes all airfare, hotels, ground transportation, meals, gratuities and fees. A $300 non-refundable deposit must be paid at time of registration. The balance is owing by July 31, Non-Chamber members pay $150 more per person. What if I cancel? You will need to cancel in writing, to the Kelowna Chamber of Commerce, prior to July 31, 2013, at which time your payment will be refunded, less the non-refundable deposit of $300. What travel documents do I need? You need to complete the Registration Form with your non-refundable deposit. You also need to complete the Waiver Form. About one to two months prior to the end of your trip (October 17, 2013) you need to complete the China Visa Application and send it to the Citslinc address indicated on the Visa Application Form, along with the appropriate documents (noted on the form) along with your China Visa payment, in order to receive it in time for travel. All necessary information is included on the China Visa Application form. The visa is good only for 90 days past the date of issue. You may also apply online through CIBT Visa Service from Canada, although you will need to provide additional documents that are not necessary if you apply through our Tour Provider, Citslinc. Do I have to send my passport to get a China visa? Is it safe to send a passport? Yes. You will need to send your actual passport, not a copy of it. The China visa is stamped on your passport and will become one of your passport pages. Visa requests cannot be processed without your original passport. Because of the importance of your passport, it is strongly suggested that you send your application in a secure way, using a traceable courier such as FedEx. 1 P a g e

2 Who/What is Citslinc? Citslinc International, Inc. is a tour operator and was established in June 1992 and operates out of Monterey Park, California. Leo Liu is the president of Citslinc. Mr. Liu has been coordinating tours to China for more than 15 years and has partnered with over 800 Chambers of Commerce and Boards of Trade since Each year more than 8,000 tourists visit China on Chamber tours such as this one. Our local travel partner who will be handling the payment transactions is Chamber member Expedia CruiseshipCenters, in Orchard Plaza in Kelowna. Payment information given to the Chamber will be processed by Expedia in accordance with provincial regulations. It can take up to three weeks to process a China Visa application. Apply early! The name, address and phone number of the contact in China (needed for your visa application) Citslinc International, Inc., 8 Chaoyanggongyuan Road South, Bldg 2, Room 1205 Beijing, China Tel: For the Kelowna Chamber of Commerce trip in October, 2013, ticketing will be handled by Expedia CruiseShipCenters in Orchard Plaza in Kelowna. All payments and contacts will be handled through the Kelowna Chamber of Commerce. May I register in a separate room? Registration is based on double occupancy. However, if you require a separate room, you may upgrade for an additional $500. What does the trip to China include? Your package includes round trip international airfare from Vancouver, hotel accommodations, deluxe tour bus, a knowledgeable English-speaking tour guide in each city, three full meals every day, fees for all attractions and all gratuities, except a single one-time payment of $25 to your tour bus driver on day one. When should I book my connecting travel? We recommend waiting until the final itinerary is released (typically 5 weeks prior to departure). Please give yourself a minimum of three hours between flights when traveling internationally. When will I receive my final itinerary? The itinerary will be finalized in August 2013 and will be given to all registrants shortly after with flight numbers and times; hotel names, addresses and phone numbers; bus number and colour code, name badge and luggage tags. Please wait to book connecting travel until this is received. Before you Travel Do I need travel insurance? Comprehensive Travel Insurance can be purchased through our local travel partner, Expedia CruiseShipCenters. Medical, cancellation and baggage insurance are strongly recommended. Do I need vaccinations? While immunizations are not required for entry into China at this time, you may wish to check with 2 P a g e

3 your health care provider or a travel health clinic to go over your vaccination needs and travel health advice. You can also check the Canadian government website at Will my cell phone work in China? Your cell phone might work in China but check with your provider. Your provider can also give you the service package options available to you to add onto your cell phone. You may want to purchase an international calling card as well. For more information on travel requirements to China please visit The Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada website: Packing How much luggage can I bring? You are allowed one carry-on and two checked bags. The checked bags should not weigh more than 50 lbs. each or 70 lbs. total. If connecting by air, please check with your specific Kelowna-Vancouver airline for dimensional information. Valuables, breakable items, travel documents and medications should be in your carry-on luggage. How much money should I bring and can I use credit cards and ATMs? Bringing $400 to $500 CDN in cash is appropriate - small and fairly new CDN bills ($5, $10, $20). Small bills come in handy because street vendors do not typically give you change. Currency exchange is available at all hotels, banks and airports, but these places exchange only a small amount ($75-$100) into the Chinese Yuan. You may also purchase Chinese Yuan before you depart but you may have to pre-order at your bank or financial institution. What will the weather be like? The temperature will range from 5C to 15C. What type of clothing should I pack for my trip? Most days you will be wearing comfortable sight-seeing clothes. Dress in layers as you will not be returning to the hotel during the day. You will be required to walk a fair amount, so bring comfortable shoes. Also, be prepared: the Great Wall has lots of stairs. For any Business meetings with distinguished guests men, please wear a coat and tie; and women, please wear business professional attire (dress, pantsuit, etc.). There are no cultural no-no s regarding dress, so be comfortable, but professional at business meetings. What voltage is used in China? China uses 220V. You will need a voltage adapter and converter. You can purchase these ahead of time at electronics stores or luggage stores or you may rent from the hotel. What personal items should I bring? The air quality can be poor, so if you have any breathing issues, bring all medications you will need. Also bring anti-diarrhea medication such as Imodium and Pepto-Bismol. Bring hand sanitizer and hand wipes. Bring several packets of toilet paper (see info on bathrooms below). If you have allergy tendencies, bring antihistamines and decongestants. You will not have the opportunity to easily purchase these aids in China. Bring all the contact lens supplies you will need for the whole trip. Baby wipes can also come in handy when using washrooms that are outside the hotels. 3 P a g e

4 Air Travel Am I guaranteed a specific seat on the plane? Travelers are not guaranteed a specific or assigned seat on the flights. Seats will be assigned at the airport check-in counter, thus it is important to arrive early. What time should I arrive at the airport? It is recommended that travelers arrive 3.5 hours prior to departure as seats are assigned at the checkin counter. What about airport security? The best information can be found at What airline are we flying on? Airline information will be finalized after the trip is paid for in full. A reliable carrier will be chosen based on availability and pricing at the time of booking. We anticipate the October 2013 flight will be on Air China. How long is the flight and what will happen during the flight? The flight is roughly hours depending on the flight itinerary, during which two meals will be served and three movies shown. Flight attendants will also distribute yellow arrival certification cards that should be filled out during the flight and presented at immigration before going to the baggage claim to get your luggage. You will land in Beijing and be met by your tour guide and transported to the hotel. On Tour What is the typical daily schedule? The program is fast-paced and includes full-day walking and travelling, typically: 6am wake up; 7am breakfast; 8am bus departure; return to hotel by 8pm. What will the bus travel be like? You will be assigned the same bus with the same people for the entire trip. On your registration form you will be asked to identify with whom you would like to be traveling. Each bus will have approximately passengers. Your seat on the bus will be "yours" for the day. You may leave personal items on the bus for the day, but take any valuables with you. The bus rides between cities will take approximately: from Shanghai to Suzhou - 1 1/2 hours; Suzhou to Hangzhou - 2 1/2 hours; Hangzhou to Shanghai - 3 hours. Will language be a problem? Your tour guides speak excellent English. English is also spoken at the hotels. Others will probably speak limited English but often will want to engage you in conversation in order to practice. What are the guidelines on tipping? The bus Captain will collect about $25 from each traveler on the first day for the combined services of the tour guide, the bus driver and all hotel personnel. Unless you request special services, you should 4 P a g e

5 not expect to tip anyone else. Will I have the opportunity to travel outside of the tour group? No. You may not leave the tour to travel or sightsee on your own except during designated free time during portions of certain days. You will be advised when those times are scheduled. What can I expect as far as hotels? All hotels are 4- to 5-star and have Western-style facilities including Internet service. The hotels have adapters, but it is recommended that you bring your own adapter. What are the exact hotels that we will be staying at? The hotels listed on the itinerary are tentative and subject to change as there are a number of 4-5 star hotels (comparable to Sheraton, Hilton, Marriott) that are used by Citslinc. In August when you receive your final itinerary, you will receive the confirmed hotel information. What type of food will I be served and what happens if I have food allergies or special dietary needs? Because of the size of the group, it is not possible to provide special meals. Breakfast will be a Western and Eastern-style buffet at the hotel. Lunch and dinner are family-style at local Chinese restaurants. This involves 8-10 people at a large round table. Servers bring out bowls of food for the table. Rice is served at every meal. Fresh fruit is typically the only dessert. As for beverages, soft drinks and beer are served. Can I drink the tap water in China? No. Citslinc International, Inc. recommends that travelers not drink Chinese tap water or use ice. Bottled water is available at your hotel or can be purchased on the bus or from local vendors. Travelers may drink hot tea, and bottled water may be purchased for about $1 for two bottles. What are the bathrooms like in China? Western-style bathrooms are provided at each hotel but if you need to use a restroom outside your hotel - most are a hole in the floor, without toilet paper provided. Make sure to take toilet paper with you. Baby wipes also come in handy. Are there any foods that I should avoid in China? Yes. Citslinc International, Inc. recommends that travelers avoid food from street vendors. How is the shopping in China? We will be visiting many stores and factories, but don't feel obligated to buy. Some stores are able to ship purchases home for you. It is culturally expected that shoppers will negotiate prices with vendors and that the actual purchase price of most items will be several times below the original asking price. Most vendors accept US/CDN dollars. For those cash transactions, please be aware that most vendors do not make change and it is always best to carry small bills whenever shopping in China. 5 P a g e