ACTIVITY
The highlight of this tour is the visit to two ancient capitals: Beijing & Lhasa. You take a journey on board the world's highest train to reach Lhasa from Beijing.
ARRIVAL IN BEIJING
You can arrive in Beijing from any Chinese city via flight, vehicle, bus or train from any hub. Once you arrive in Beijing, your guide will meet you and drive you to your hotel. Air China operates flights between Kathmandu and Beijing via Lhasa (Tue, Thu & Sat - 2008). This flight offers spectacular views of Mt. Everest, Makalu and many other Himalayan giants. Please visit our website (www.explore-himalaya.com) for information on flight connections from Kathmandu and other cities of China.
Transportation
From Beijing to Lhasa you will be traveling in a train. We try to reserve you "Soft sleeper" class. Usually we can but if we can only get hard sleeper, we refund the difference in price. In such a scenario you may have to make do with a hard sleeper berth. There is no big difference between hard and soft sleeper cabins. Our research staff traveled on both soft and hard sleeper cabins on this train, a few differences we found were... there are 6 beds in hard sleeper and 4 in soft sleeper cabin, soft sleeper has a door and hard sleeper is without, there is LCD television on soft sleeper that plays only Chinese movie (mostly military & martial art movies); the hard sleeper compartment is a little far from dining car. Cushion used in soft sleeper is softer than the "hard" sleeper but the "hard" is comfortable enough for a good sleep.
GROUP SIZE
We bring together a small group of like minded people. During the trip, not only do they gain a memorable and insightful travel experience but also get an invaluable opportunity to interact with each other. On our fixed scheduled departures, group comprises of maximum12 & minimum 2 persons. You are likely to join a group from different countries. Average age ranges from early 20s to mid 50s.For private trips, no minimum and maximum apply.
If you would like to travel independently or with your friends, families and colleagues you are invited to choose any of the trips at your convenient time frame for any number of people (min 1 max 100 at a time).
ACCOMMODATION
In Beijing and Lhasa accommodation will be at 3 star hotel. If you would like to book a single room, please do inform us. A supplement charge will incur in that case. During the train trip, accommodation will be on soft sleeper bed.
GUIDE
Throughout your time in Beijing & Lhasa you will be accompanied by our professionally trained and experienced local guide who will not only act as an interpreter but will also provide valuable insights into the Chinese& Tibetan way of life.
FOOD
All breakfasts are included in our package, except during the train journey, where you may have to pay on your own. Your guide will help you find good restaurants with reasonable price. Expect to spend around 15-20 US$ per day for meals.
Communication
All the hotels we use in Beijing & Lhasa have international IDD phone and fax services. Internet cafes are also available. Check with your guide for the best cyber cafes .
Best Time to take this trip
Beijing has four definite seasons. Summer and winter are the two longest seasons with fall and spring being the shortest. The climate varies according to the season with autumn being the most pleasant time to visit. Autumn is usually clear with cool temperatures, while winter is dry and, at times, bitterly cold with temperatures dropping below 5 degrees F (-15 C). Spring is usually dry but very windy (protect eyes to keep out blowing debris), while the summer is rainy and hot with temperatures soaring above 100 degrees F (38 C).
In Lhasa, the climate remains pleasant, especially from March to November, the best time for traveling. The rainy season starts from May to September. Usually it rains at night in Lhasa. The best time of year to take the Beijing-Lhasa tour is from March to November. During these months the average temperature ranges from 15C to 25C, with blue skies and clear weather. Though from July to August there can be odd shower during the day. The nights, however, can be very cold and temperatures can drop below 0 degree Celsius.
CLOTHING & EQUIPMENT
During the day a light shirt or jumper and lightweight pants will be suitable, but a warm fleece or down jacket is recommended for the evenings.
Personal Expenses
Besides Chinese Yuan, only US dollars can be accepted in Tibet and Beijing. Also shops that accept American currency are very limited and you might not be able to get a good deal for an exchange rate. Credit cards can only be used at some hotels. The Bank of China and Nepal also accepts credit cards. ATM facilities are available in Beijing and Kathmandu. But in Tibet it's not widely available. Exchanging your money to Chinese currency and Nepali currency will be the best option for you, which can be done at the Bank of China and Bank of Nepal. While changing money at the local money exchange centers, please make sure that you are accompanied by your guide and do consult him as you may easily be duped with counterfeit notes.
Tips are appreciated by your support team, after completion of the trip. The amount you give depends on your budget and appreciation of their work. For this you can allocate around 5% of your total tour cost.
Health
Vaccination requirements change frequently, so we suggest you consult your doctor at least 2 months prior to your trip. The main health consideration in high altitude Tibet is Acute Mountain Sickness (AMS). You may experience some mild symptoms initially, such as headache, lethargy, nausea and difficulty sleeping, but these should lessen within a few days. To avoid Acute Mountain Sickness (AMS), people take pills called ‘Diamox’. You can also use these pills after consulting with your doctor. Our itinerary will allow your body to acclimatize properly and to handle the low oxygen rate.
Rescue and Evacuation
In case of a serious sickness or a casualty, which we hope will not happen, you shall be transferred to the nearest hospital. Since you are entirely liable for all the expenses incurred in evacuation please make sure that it is covered by your insurance before assigning for it or be prepared to pay on your own.
Insurance
Before joining a tour, we recommend you to take a travel insurance which should cover cancellation, medical expenses and emergency repatriation.
Itinerary Changes
One should keep in mind that this is an adventure trip that takes you into one of the remotest corner of the Tibetan plateau, where many unforeseen events may contribute to the need for a change in the itinerary. Depending on the prevailing situation, the itinerary can be modified to some extent after consulting with your guide. However, the date of tour completion should always coincide with the original itinerary.
Sometimes during peak season it gets difficult even to get a train ticket. In such cases we arrange a flight ticket for you, from Beijing to Lhasa. There may be a difference in the price of train and flight tickets. If it costs more, you may have to pay the additional charge.
TRIP EXTENSIONS
In addition to this tour, we can organize trip extensions in China [Chengdu (Panda Farm and Teshan Buddha Statue), Xian (City wall, Terracota Warriors) and Xining], Tibet(Gyantse, Shigatse, Namtso Lake, Everest Base Camp etc.),Nepal and other neighboring countries. In Nepal you may want to try white water rafting or go on a jungle safari in the deep jungles of Chitwan or take a cultural tour. You may as well take a trip to India or Bhutan, whichever appeals more to you. Please contact us for details or check our website www.explore-himalaya.com.
BOOKING CONDITIONS
1) It is fundamental you acknowledge that this is an adventure tour. This requires some flexibility. The day to day itinerary can be taken only as a guideline. We cannot take the responsibility for any delays caused by international or domestic flights, strikes, Government regulations, weather or natural calamities etc. In such cases, Explore Himalaya shall provide suitable alternatives which could be decided upon mutual agreement. If an agreement cannot be made, Explore Himalaya shall only be responsible for refunds after deducting the expenses already incurred.
2) Your booking will be confirmed by email once we receive your deposit of US$300 and the signed copy of booking form and contract.
The balance is due no later than two months prior to departure. If you book a tour less than 2 months prior to departure, you must send the full payment within 7 days of confirmation to us.
Those joining the tour in Kathmandu can pay the balance on arrival.
3) If you cancel, the following scale of charges will apply:
DATE OF CANCELLATION (Charge incurred)
> 2 months before departure - loss of deposit (US$ 300)
> 29 days to 2 months before departure - 30% of total trip cost
> 10 to 28 days before departure - 60% of total trip cost
> Less than 10 days before departure - 100% of total trip cost
BOOKING PROCEDURE
If you still have any questions regarding this trip, please feel free to contact us. We answer all enquiries within 24 hours (Sunday to Friday). If you want to book a trip, you can e-mail us at office@explore-himalaya.com or contact us directly by phone: 977-1-4418-100 or skype explore.himalaya. |
