The Silk Road in Gansu, China, 2006
Duration : 0:4:0
Music: The Great Dunhuang, by Dao Lang
Archive for January, 2010
The Silk Road in Gansu, China
By admin in China Sightseeing
Jan
27
Comments (3)
Chinese Visa – How to Obtain a Tourist Visa to China
By chinaholidaysblog in General Travel
Jan
14
A Chinese tourist visa is a requirement of all U.S. citizens who would like to do tourism on the mainland. While the Chinese consular services offers several differnt types of visas, this article will provide information on how to apply for a China tourist visa.
Visa applications by mail are no longer accepted by the Chinese consular services. You can submit the application yourself or get someone you know to do it for you. This can be a friend, relative, travel agent or visa expediter.
The validiy on a China visa can be either 3, 6 or 12 months. You have the choice of single-entry, double-entry or multiple-entry visa. An additional travel permit is necessary in order to visit any non-open city. This can be obtained at the local public security bureau in China.
The China Tourist Visa
A China tourist visa, also known as an L visa, is usually valid for 30 days from the day of entry. Upon arrival, your documents will be examined by an inspection agent. If all your documentation is in order, an entry seal will be stamped in them. You have to submit a request at the local public security bureau if you decide to extend your stay in China.
A tourist visa limits your activity while in China to tourism and visits with family or friends. You need to request a Foreign Travel Permit at the local public security office if you would like to enter a restricted area.
Chinese Visa Requirements
The following items are required in order to obtain a tourist visa to China.
Declaration Form
All travelers who apply for a China visa are required to also complete the Declaration Form. You need to fill in your full name, nationality, passport number and the countries or U.S. states you have visited in the two weeks before filling out the form.
Valid United States Passport
You have to submit your current, valid and signed U.S. passport along with the application for the tourist visa. Your passport needs to have six months validity beyond your date that you arrive in China. Also, you should make sure you have at least one blank visa page in your passport.
ONE (1) Passport-Style Photograph
The photo has to be 2×2 inches in size. It is recommended that you obtain the photo at a location that has experience with passport photos. The photo will only be accepted by the consulate if it is high resolution, clear, and provides proper contrast with white background.
Completed Chinese Visa Application
The China visa application has seven sections. The first section is for personal information such as name, sex, nationality, date of birth, passport number, occupation, etc. The second section is where you provide information about your trip to China. You have to submit the reason for your trip, the number of entries you want, when you plan to arrive in China and how long you plan to stay.
Questions about your health and prior travel are found in Section 3. You need to include information about previous trips to China. Section 4 is for your contact information such as home address, work or school address, contact in China, telephone numbers and email.
The fifth section is for additional declarations about your trip. The sixth section asks information about the person that completed the form if other than the person requesting the visa. The seventh and final section is for your signature.
How to Get Your China Tourist Visa Quickly
Regular processing of your visa to China can take 4 business days or more. Express and rush processing can be requested in you need to obtain your visa quickly. Express processing takes 2 to 3 business days. Rush processing can be done in only 1 business day. Both these expediting services require the payment of an additional fee.
If you are unable to travel to the nearest Chinese embassy or consulate general and do not have a friend or relative who can do it for you, then you will need to contract a private visa expediter. Expediters will submit your visa application and accompanying documentation for you. This allows you to get your China visa expedited as quickly as the same day.
Shanghai Travel Guide
By admin in China Holidays
Jan
9
Overview of Shanghai
Duration : 0:4:14
http://blog.delta.com/
Discover the forbidden city
By admin in China Sightseeing
Jan
4
Beijing forbidden city. Influences of colours and numbers on the architecture of China’s forbidden city…
Duration : 0:2:5
Things to Prepare and Other Tips for China Travel with Children
By chinaholidaysblog in General Travel
Jan
3
A visit to China to see the wonderful places and historical landmarks there would be one of the most memorable experiences that could happen to anyone and this could be even more unforgettable if shared with loved ones and your children. However, traveling with children has some drawbacks as children are naturally mischievous, easily bored and would not stay in one place for a long time. This is why the following tips for China travel with children should be considered during your travel preparations, and these are quite different from tips for traveling to china alone.
Preparation and Other Tips for China Travel with Children
Traveling with children can be a great challenge and would definitely test your preparedness and whatever amount of patience you have in reserve. However, with the right preparation, traveling with children can be a rewarding experience and the following tips for China travel with children can help enjoy your trip and get the most wonderful experience with your family.
* Considerations before Departure
There are special considerations when traveling to China with kids and this includes visa and passport requirements and the corresponding discounts on fares and other fees. Prepare an itinerary that could cater also to your children, particularly cultural and educational destinations. Choose trips that would be relaxed for you and your children and avoid destinations where you would exert much effort physically. These tips for China travel with children are beneficial for the enjoyment of the journey.
* Your Children’s Health and Needs
One of the most important tips for China travel with children is to make sure your children are fit for travel. Have them checked up before embarking and always follow what your doctors say and recommend and if bring required medicines as required. Ensure that you have everything you need in your luggage including proper clothes for children, toys, food, feeding-bottles if you have an infant with you and a complete first-aid kit.
* Transportation
Your children’s safety is foremost during travel and is one of the most important tips for China travel with children so ensure that they are properly wearing seat belts or placed in a special seating. Make arrangement with you airlines, ship or train stations regarding special needs of your children so these can be prepared in advance. Do not let them out of your site or let them wander in the cabin and other areas. Manage to keep the children quiet and occupied during the journey by supplying activities that are able to capture their attention.
* Lodging
When making arrangements for your accommodation, contact your hotel prior to embarking, informing them of your condition and to make sure adequate facilities for your children, like extra beds or a crib, are available and prepared. Part of the tips for China travel with children is to check any items or gadgets in your hotel room upon your arrival that may be dangerous to your children. Ensure that you are knowledgeable of emergency procedures and other related facilities in your place of accommodation.
* Food and Drinks
Unlike adults, children may not be appreciative of certain foods and dishes that are new to their palates. While in China, avoid letting them eat unwashed or unpeeled fruits, as well as some uncooked delicacies you might encounter on your journeys. These tips for China travel with children could help you avoid problems with upset stomachs or even diarrhea. There are lots of commercial foods available at grocery stores which your children can eat if you have problems with the local dishes.
Air Travel: Should I Fly
By chinaholidaysblog in General Travel
Jan
30
Pros and Cons of Air Travel
Air travel has become very popular in the last few decades. Air travel is convenient and safe and these are the main reasons that have contributed to the increase in popularity of air travel. The following are some of the positive and negative factors involving air travel.
Disadvantage: Airplanes Cause Pollution.
The major shortcoming of air travel is the pollution caused by it. Airplanes emit greenhouse gases into our atmosphere which contributes to things like global warming. This is considered as a serious drawback by people who are keen to limit the effect of global warming on the universe. Nowadays many airlines are taking necessary actions to reduce the global warming effect by becoming more conscious about the environment. One of the ways in which this is achieved by many of these airlines is to retrofit winglet devices that make the aircraft fuel efficient. Apart from this the airlines invest a large sum of money to replace their old aircraft by fuel efficient aircraft.
Disadvantage: High Cost
High cost of travel makes many people avoid traveling by air. You may be able to travel by car to many destinations at a very cheap price as compared to traveling by flight. You can take advantage of discount
airline travel to obviate the high cost of travel by air. Ultimate decision for flying or driving is dependent on whether you get a good deal on the airfare or not.
Disadvantage: Fear of Flying
Many people avoid flying for specific reasons. For anyone that has ever been on a flight that has experienced extreme turbulence or some type of other event it can be rather terrifying.
Advantage: Speed of Travel
One of the major advantages in air travel is that it is able to take you to any of the places where airports are available at a much faster rate than any other forms of transportation. While it can take days to drive across the United States, a person can fly the same distance in a number of hours. This helps us to enjoy longer vacations because we have to spend less time traveling.
Advantage: Easy to Travel Long Distances
Air travel also allows us to travel to faraway places that would otherwise be too difficult to travel to. We can fly to any destination around the world. Flying to far off destinations takes longer duration; however they are still shorter than the time taken if you had to rely on alternative modes of transportation.
Advantage: Safety
With regards to other forms of travel, air travel is considered to be one of the safest. We normally hear more about car accidents taking place as compared to air accidents. Even train derailments causing deaths are also being heard of very frequently. As regards to air travel related accidents you will find that the frequency of occurrences is relatively minimal. Many people decide to travel by air since they feel that it is safer to fly than going by other means of transport.
Choosing air travel is a personal decision, based on the factors discussed above along with a multitude factors not discussed here. For most travelers safety, speed of travel and cost are the over riding factors. As long as cost remains affordable air travel will continue to grow in popularity.
For A Great Camping Trip, Follow These 3 Tips
By chinaholidaysblog in General Travel
Jan
30
When someone buys a travel trailer, especially for the first time, they cannot wait to go on their first excursion into the outdoors. The excitement builds as they make campground reservations and plan to spend time enjoying nature or relaxing in a hammock by the fire. A good RVer is prepared for whatever problems that may arise as problems always do. This article will share 3 simple things that if not taken into consideration will totally ruin any trip you take.
When planning a trip in your camper trailer the obvious things are easy to prepare for. Where you are going to camp, what you are going to eat etc. However, when planning a trip, 3 issues are often overlooked in the excitement of preparing for the trip.
#1: Check The Wheels and Tires
The biggest issue overlooked are the wheels and tires until one goes flat. If you are stuck on the side of the road with a flat tire and without the proper tools or with a flat spare, it will ruin your day. Before you leave, check your tires. An indication of dry rot in your tires are hairline cracks in the sidewalls. This happens to all tires eventually. Replace worn tires and make sure the tire pressure is up to manufacturer’s specs. This is so simple yet it is the biggest issue faced on the road because it is overlooked by so many people.
#2 Check Your Axles
Then make sure your axles are lubricated. This is easy to do especially since so many newer models have easy lube axles that don’t even require loosening of a lug nut. Lubricate your axles before each trip using a grease gun. Find a mechanic or an RV tech and have them do this if you don’t know how. It is so much cheaper to have that done before your trip than to try to replace burned bearings by the side of the road.
#3: Test The Batteries and Charging System
This is another area so often overlooked until there is a problem. It is easily avoided by a simple battery check before you leave your house. Your travel trailer comes with deep cycle marine batteries. That means that the battery can be totally drained of power and when recharged will come back to full strength. Automotive batteries when drained will never return to full strength. Check your batteries before you leave to make sure they will take the proper charge. Also, get the power converter in your travel trailer checked to make sure it is working properly. Travel Trailers are wired for direct current (DC). They are designed to be operated by battery power. Your power converter will convert the direct current to alternating current (AC), or regular household electricity, that campgrounds are wired with. They also recharge your batteries when plugged into shore power at the campground. If your power converter isn’t working properly, you batteries will be drained quickly, the air conditioner will not work and you are in for a bad experience.
I know these such simple issues that anyone should know and do on a regular basis. problems] people encounter on the road result from one of these things. These are so simple to check and fix before you leave. Do not let simple issues like these ruin a great time with your family.
Compare all car hire deals in one place
By chinaholidaysblog in General Travel
Jan
27
With so many car hire companies to choose from it is difficult to know where to start. Basic questions you need to ask include:
- Are all car hire deals the same?
- Should you choose an established brand name in car rental?
- If I book direct will that save me anything?
- Is the location of the car pick-up a factor in the cost?
- Is the date a factor in determining the car hire costs?
There is not much to choose between the fundamental packages offered by most major car hire firms. The things, like insurance waiver, that may, or may not, be included in the cost are the main things which distinguish one offer from another. If you have to pay extra for comprehensive insurance cover for your hire car this can significantly increase the total cost of rental. “Collision damage waiver” often only covers you above a certain sum, which you still have to pay in the event of a claim. There is often still a fixed amount which is not cover by the collision damage waiver and this can by hundreds or even thousands of pounds. It is only when then arrive to collect a hire car that customers are asked for a credit card to be ‘swiped’ as security against this cost, or to an additional insurance charge to alleviate, or in some cases, completely eliminate this additional risk. This is the single biggest potential extra cost and any such charges should be researched confirmed before booking.
Most car rental companies standardise prices although service at franchise-run locations can vary. The less well known, newer hire car firms are often little more than intermediaries who market a service under their brand but when you arrive you will find that your car might actually be supplied by one of the larger firms. Relatively obscure car renters can actually be partnering with the much bigger firms, so that you actually pick the car up from a familiar branded hire desk.
Website which compare the prices of all major car rental companies allow buyers to check any extra charges as well as basic prices. Nearly all of the major rental companies can be compared in one place and so they all know that the need to offer their cheapest deals on car hire comparison websites. To compare all car hire prices online www.car-hire-rental.co.uk uses a technology which Travolution , the respected English travel media said that this car hire comparison service was the “Best car hire website”.