Saturday, October 06, 2007
More on the China trip
The Hayward Chamber of Commerce is sponsoring a nine-day trip to China next spring. Since the Chamber doesn't seem to have information about the trip on its website, I'm posting some details here.
Dates: There are two departure dates. One flight leaves March 24 and returns April 1; the second departs and returns a day later.
Cost: $1599 per person, double occupancy. $2049 single occupancy. $2049 double occupancy if you include a trip to Xi'an to see the terra cotta warriors (more on that later).
Includes: Round-trip airfare on Air China; all hotels (4- and 5-star); all meals; bus transportation in China; bus to and from the airport.
Other costs: The Chinese visa is $100 if you do it yourself, or $115 if you have the Chamber and the tour operator get it for you. You also need $25 for gratuities, plus shopping money. Shopping seems to be a big part of this outing (he said with a sigh).
Itinerary: Day 1, travel SFO to Beijing. Day 2: Arrival in Beijing (you lose a day crossing the International Dateline). Day 3: Tian An Men Square, Forbidden City, Summer Palace. Day 4: Bus trip to Great Wall, Ming Tombs. Day 5: Fly to Shanghai, then bus to Suzhou. Day 6: Sightseeing in Suzhou, then visit to Hangzhou Economic Development Zone. Day 7: Boat cruise on West Lake, then bus to Shanghai. Day 8: Sightseeing in Shanghai, visit to Pudong economic development zone. Day 9: travel Shanghai to SFO.
Alternate itinerary: Replace days 5-7 with this: Day 5: Fly from Beijing to Xi'an, afternoon sightseeing. Day 6: Bus trip to Terra Cotta Warriors, Huaquing Hot Springs, and Banpo prehistoric site. Day 7: Fly from Xi'an to Shanghai.
My plan is to go on the main trip (that is, not take the trip to Xi'an), departing on March 24. I'm looking for a roommate. I know this will be a very fast, highly controlled tour with little free time or flexibility, but since it will be my first travel in Asia it seems like an okay introduction. And the price is pretty amazing. (One story I heard from an unofficial source is that China is trying to build and exercise its tourism industry, particularly before the Summer Olympics, so group visits like this are subsidized.)
Sad related news: I just got a call from Chabot College that the Basic Mandarin class I had signed up for in Community Education was canceled due to low signups.
Dates: There are two departure dates. One flight leaves March 24 and returns April 1; the second departs and returns a day later.
Cost: $1599 per person, double occupancy. $2049 single occupancy. $2049 double occupancy if you include a trip to Xi'an to see the terra cotta warriors (more on that later).
Includes: Round-trip airfare on Air China; all hotels (4- and 5-star); all meals; bus transportation in China; bus to and from the airport.
Other costs: The Chinese visa is $100 if you do it yourself, or $115 if you have the Chamber and the tour operator get it for you. You also need $25 for gratuities, plus shopping money. Shopping seems to be a big part of this outing (he said with a sigh).
Itinerary: Day 1, travel SFO to Beijing. Day 2: Arrival in Beijing (you lose a day crossing the International Dateline). Day 3: Tian An Men Square, Forbidden City, Summer Palace. Day 4: Bus trip to Great Wall, Ming Tombs. Day 5: Fly to Shanghai, then bus to Suzhou. Day 6: Sightseeing in Suzhou, then visit to Hangzhou Economic Development Zone. Day 7: Boat cruise on West Lake, then bus to Shanghai. Day 8: Sightseeing in Shanghai, visit to Pudong economic development zone. Day 9: travel Shanghai to SFO.
Alternate itinerary: Replace days 5-7 with this: Day 5: Fly from Beijing to Xi'an, afternoon sightseeing. Day 6: Bus trip to Terra Cotta Warriors, Huaquing Hot Springs, and Banpo prehistoric site. Day 7: Fly from Xi'an to Shanghai.
My plan is to go on the main trip (that is, not take the trip to Xi'an), departing on March 24. I'm looking for a roommate. I know this will be a very fast, highly controlled tour with little free time or flexibility, but since it will be my first travel in Asia it seems like an okay introduction. And the price is pretty amazing. (One story I heard from an unofficial source is that China is trying to build and exercise its tourism industry, particularly before the Summer Olympics, so group visits like this are subsidized.)
Sad related news: I just got a call from Chabot College that the Basic Mandarin class I had signed up for in Community Education was canceled due to low signups.
