这是长城。This is the Great Wall.

我们四月到中国去！

We’re going to China in April!

WHAT SHOULD I BE THINKING ABOUT BEFORE THE TRIP?

Think about walking along the Great Wall, visiting the famous Terra Cotta Warriors, cruising the Li River and soaking in the sights and sounds of Hong Kong! The key to enjoying this trip is to have the right attitude.  Traveling with students and teachers is not like going somewhere with your family.  Things take time, there may be glitches and our actions can’t revolve around each person’s specific wishes.  Relax, be patient and enjoy yourself.  Every moment of this trip will be a unique experience that you will remember for the rest of your life.

WHO ARE THE CHAPERONES?

Your tentative hosts for the trip include experienced world travelers:

Lauren Drazen (Hall and Conard)        

Julie Havens (Conard)

Michelle Nicklas (Hall)

We promise:

▪ to focus on keeping you safe

▪ to keep you informed of what’s happening

▪ to remember that this is your vacation

▪ to help you (or get you help) if you have a problem

▪ to treat you with respect

▪ to trust you when you demonstrate responsibility

DO I NEED VACCINATIONS TO GO TO CHINA?

No vaccinations are required for a trip to China. However, you may want to speak with your doctor for a list of recommended vaccinations.  Most students have already had many of these recommended vaccinations (such as Hepatitis).  If you have any questions, please contact your doctor.

MEETING THE BUS AT CONARD

All travelers should meet on Thursday, April 10^th in the Conard parking lot.  As of this writing, we do not have exact flight times.  As the date gets closer, we will give you the exact flight itinerary.  CAVEAT:  You may not get on the bus unless you have your valid passport in-hand.  As soon as the passports arrive back from the Chinese Consulate they will be returned to you and it will be your responsibility to bring the passport on April 10^th.

HOW MUCH MONEY SHOULD I BRING?

We recommend that you have approximately $400 dollars for expenses during the trip, including snacks, gifts, souvenirs and incidentals.  Breakfast, lunch, dinner, and all activities and entrance fees are included.

WHAT ABOUT CHINESE MONEY?

It is important that you successfully plan for your spending money in China. 

人民币 RENMINBI:  Chinese currency is called Renminbi (‘people’s money’), often abbreviated as RMB.  Issued by the Bank of China, RMB is the sole legal tender for the People’s Republic of China. The symbol for RMB is ¥.

The basic unit of Renminbi is the yuan, with smaller denominations called jiao and fen.

RMB is issued in both notes and coins.  The denominations of paper notes include 100, 50, 20, 10, 5, 2 and 1 yuan; 5, 2 and 1 jiao; and 5, 2 and 1 fen. The denominations of coins are 1 yuan; 5, 2 and 1 jiao; and 5, 2 and 1 fen.

CREDIT CARDS:  All major credit cards are accepted at designated hotels, restaurants, cultural relics stores and government-owned department stores known as Friendship Stores. 

ATMS:   There are many ATMs in China, but only a selection of Bank of China machines accepts foreign cards. Check the back of your ATM card for the logos of the Cirrus (www.mastercard.com), PLUS (www.visa.com), and Aeon (www.americanexpress.com) systems and then contact the relevant company for a list of working ATM locations in China.

TRAVELER’S CHECKS.   Traveler's checks are only accepted at selected branches of the Bank of China, at foreign exchange desks in hotels, at international gateways, and at some department stores in the largest cities.

U.S. dollars, in contrast, may be exchanged at most branches of almost any Chinese bank.  For some vendors, U.S. dollars are sometimes preferred as a method of payment.  Local Chinese can get a better exchange rate on the U.S. dollar than foreigners.

UNIVERSAL CURRENCY CONVERTER: (www.xe.com/ucc) has the latest exchange rates of any currency against the ¥RMB and HK$ (Hong Kong dollar).  The U.S. dollar is approximately 7.3 RMB and 7.8 Hong Kong dollars.

WHAT ARE SOME ESSENTIAL ITEMS THAT I SHOULD BRING?

Here is a list of the most important items to remember. (Other things you can buy or borrow.)

▪ your passport, student ID and driver’s license

▪ any medications you take

▪ your glasses or contacts, if needed

▪ cash

▪ travelers checks/ATM card/credit card

TIP:  Keep your passport in the safe in the hotel.  Carry your driver’s license or Conard/Hall ID card for the purpose of identification, as well as a copy of your passport and visa stamp.

WHAT SHOULD I BRING IN THE CARRY-ON?

You should bring a carry-on bag containing ALL valuables (camera, MP3 player, etc.), fragile items, reading and other materials for use on the plane, and a change of underwear and essential toiletries and medications (in case your suitcase is misplaced).  You will also need a pen to fill out documents.

WHAT SHOULD I PACK?

Pack reasonably. Think about what you will need and won't need for one week. Plan to re-use several clothes items and leave valuable jewelry at home.  Remember, you will have more items to pack for the trip home (gifts, souvenirs, etc.).  Due to the variable weather (50° - 70° F), plan to dress in layers of outerwear. If it rains, we will still be doing a lot of walking.  If your checked luggage weighs more than 50 pounds, you may be subject to a fee by the airline. 

PACKING CHECKLIST

TIPS FOR PACKING: 

1.      Zip-lock Bags:  Use plastic zip-locks for small items and items that could leak. 

2.      Febreze:  Smoking is more prevalent in China than in the U.S..  Febreze kills the smell on clothes. 

3.      Sharing:  Talk with your roommate and see if you can share any items, such as shampoo, hair dryer, etc. 

4.      Baggage:  Review the Airline Baggage Rules and TSA Guidelines.

5.      Laundry:  Most hotels have reasonably priced laundry service which can be dropped off in the morning and will be back in your hotel room by the evening.  If you plan on doing this, make sure to budget a little extra spending money for the service.

ELECTRONICS AND CONVERTERS

For electricity, you will need a converter for chargers for most MP3 players, digital cameras and laptops.  You can bring travel irons and hairdryers but all require the converters.  Converters can be bought at travel stores or Radio Shack.  Just ask for assistance in getting a converter kit for travel to China.   Also, make sure the converter can handle the wattage of your appliance.

WHAT DO I NEED TO KNOW ABOUT TSA AND AIRPORT SECURITY?

TSA (Transportation Security Administration) will most likely open and inspect your bag after you check it.  Don’t pack any valuables or money in your suitcase.  Pack so that an inspector can easily look around in your suitcase.

When going through security at the airport, remove your jacket, shoes, belt, watch and any jewelry or coins.  Place them in the bucket provided or in your carry-on.  If you set off the metal detector, you will be searched.

DO NOT make ANY jokes about security or act annoyed with any security procedures.

See handout on TSA information and/or go to www.tsa.gov.

HOW CAN MY PARENTS GET TRIP UPDATES?

Tell your family and friends to call our trip voicemail hotline 232-4561 x 1214 and hear about our day’s events from trip members.  Each day a different student will give a voicemail update about what we did that day.

CAN I CALL HOME FROM CHINA?

There are various phone cards available in post offices inside hotels or at most newsstands. Among the phone cards are the IC card and IP card.

Most public telephone booths are IC telephones, which allow you to call home directly. The IC card is issued by China Telecom. International calls with IC telephone cards are expensive, over 10 RMB/minute. When you buy an IC card and want to call back home, find a telephone booth either in hotel, restaurant, airport, etc., insert the card into the phone and follow the instructions to dial the number you want.

IP cards are issued by different companies such as China Telecom, China Unicom, China Netcom and China Jitong.  China Unicom's rate for calls to America are approximately 2.6 RMB/minute. The others’ rates for international calls are close to that of China Unicom. Currently, the IP phone service has covered the whole country. There will be instructions on each IP card to tell you how to make a call. You can use the hotel phone to call with an IP card.  The hotel usually will charge an additional fee to use the card.

The following is how to dial international call from China:
00 + 1 + area code + phone number

WILL MY CELL PHONE WORK IN CHINA?

You should call your cell service provider first to find out if your phone will work in China and Hong Kong.  If not, they may have a plan you can sign up for.

Here is some important information regarding cell phones:

1.      Whatever cell phone plan/provider you select, make sure that the service works in BOTH China and Hong Kong (the service is different between the two).

2.      You can either buy or rent a cell phone that will work on our trip, depending on the cost and your situation.

3.      When getting a new phone (rented or purchased), here are some things to ask about:

a.       Do you have to buy a SIM card separately from the phone?  SIM cards are installed into the phone and allow you to use overseas service.  They also can be pre-loaded with a declining balance to pay for calls.

b.      Is the phone service only good in China and Hong Kong or in other countries as well?

c.       What is the per-minute charge for incoming calls and outgoing calls?

4.      When renting a phone, look for hidden fees (e.g. excessive shipping fees).

If your current carrier does not seem feasible or is really expensive, here are some other possible websites to investigate:

1.      www.Brightroam.com

2.      www.Mobal.com

3.      www.Telestial.com

4.      www.Pandaphone.com

POST CARDS

Post cards are a classic, tangible symbol of your travels.  Please consider sending a post card to your grandparents and other special people in your life.  Mail service tends to take about a week.  Stamps are sold at airports.

STREET SMARTS

▪ Each time you leave the hotel, take only what you’ll need.

▪ Look both ways TWICE before crossing any street.

▪ Be aware of your surroundings.

▪ Avoid suspicious people and places.

▪ Guard your camera and bags.

▪ Don't risk your safety for your valuables.  Give them up.

▪ Don’t carry your passport or other important items with you.

▪ Carry chaperone’s phone numbers at all times!

§   Carry the hotel’s card (with hotel name, address and phone number) at all times

WHAT RULES DO I NEED TO FOLLOW WHILE I AM IN CHINA?

Here are the rules we consider most important:

1.   Be courteous, respectful, friendly and patient.

2.   Don’t whine and/or complain.

3.   No drugs, alcohol, piercings, tattoos or sex.

4.   Don’t leave your room/hall after bed check.

5.   Always know the “game plan” before leaving.

6.   Show up on time.

7.   Never go anywhere alone.

8.   Stay within stated boundaries.

9.   Don't buy illegal or inappropriate items.

10. Don't steal (including from hotels or restaurants).

11. Report when others are doing something questionable.

WHEN DO WE GET FLIGHT AND HOTEL INFORMATION?

Approximately 45-60 days before departure, ACIS will give us our exact flight and hotel information.  As soon as we get this information, we will give it to you and your family.

WHAT IS OUR ITINERARY?

You can search the trip itinerary at www.acis.com.  Once you are at the site, click on “Trip Finder” in the upper, right-hand corner of the page.  Click on “200+ expertly designed itineraries” under “Catalog Tour”.  Scroll down to “China Old and New” and click on the link for a more detailed itinerary.

Thursday, April 10: OVERNIGHT FLIGHT   

·        Bus to New York.

·        Overnight flight to Beijing

Friday, April 11: BEIJING   

·        Arrival in Beijing.

·        Meet tour manager and get settled in hotel.

Saturday, April 12: BEIJING   

·        Tour of Beijing.

·        Visit the Forbidden City.

·        Visit the Temple of Heaven.

·        Go to Tiananmen Square to see the Great Hall of the People.

Sunday, April 13: BEIJING   

·        Excursion to the Great Wall.

·        Shop at hutongs and go on a Hutong Rickshaw ride.

Monday, April 14: BEIJING TO XI'AN   

·        In the morning, visit Beijing Zoo & Olympic site.

·        Fly to Xi'an and settle into hotel.

Tuesday, April 15: XIAN   

·        Excursion to site of the Terra Cotta Warriors.

·        Visit the Banpo Museum and Wild Goose Pagoda.

Wednesday, April 16: XIAN TO GUILIN   

·        Visit the City Wall from the Ming Dynasty.

·        Go to Shaanxi Provincial Museum with relics from Han and Tang dynasties.

·        Fly to Guilin and get settled into hotel.

Thursday, April 17: GUILIN   

·        Go on the Lijiang River Cruise.

·        Visit and shop at the Yangshuo Bazaar.

Friday, April 18: GUILIN TO HONG KONG   

·        Vist the Reed Flute Cave.

·        Visit Elephant Trunk Hill.

·        Fly to Shenzen and travel to Hong Kong via ferry.

Saturday, April 19: HONG KONG   

·        Half-day island tour.

·        Visit the Government Housing Estate.

·        Walking tour around the Kowloon area.

Sunday, April 20: DEPARTURE   

·        Depart from Hong Kong.

·        Arrive in New York the same day because of time difference.

HOW CAN MY PARENTS CONTACT ME IN CASE OF EMERGENCY?

As we get closer to the date of the trip, all three chaperones will be assigned cell phone numbers which will be accessible in both China and Hong Kong.  We will distribute this information as soon as we have it.  Please note:  These numbers are for emergency use ONLY.  For personal conversations, you must use hotel phones, public phones or cell phones (as described above).

NOTES

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NOTES

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This guide is an adaptation of the guide used by Mark Grudzien and Eric Collins for their trips to Madrid, and the one used by Jim Crabb for the Latin trips to Italy.  Thank you, Mark, Eric and Jim!!!

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