YOUR O.A.T. ADVENTURE TRAVEL PLANNING GUIDE®

Imperial China, Tibet & the Yangtze River 2022

Small Groups: 8-16 travelers—guaranteed! (average of 13)

Overseas Adventure Travel ® The Leader in Personalized Small Group Adventures on the Road Less Traveled 1 Dear Traveler,

At last, the world is opening up again for curious travel lovers like you and me. And the O.A.T. Imperial China, Tibet & the Yangtze River itinerary you’ve expressed interest in will be a wonderful way to resume the discoveries that bring us so much joy. You might soon be enjoying standout moments like these:

From temple-topped mountains to bustling megacities, the past, present, and future are all flourishing and inextricably mixed in China. Its modern face is breathtaking, but the extensive development has made some parts of the country unrecognizable from their traditional beginnings. You’ll see firsthand how modernity has changed a community whose history spans as far back as 400 years during your A Day in the Life experience in the countryside village of Donghan. After strolling through the village, you’ll enter the homes of local families to learn the traditional way of making dumplings with the family’s matriarch. Then, you’ll sit down with your hosts for a Home-Hosted Lunch and discuss local culture and politics. While modernity is affecting their more traditional way of life, you’ll come away with a deeper understanding of how this community is keeping their time-honored customs and culture alive.

You’ll also sit down for another Home-Hosted Lunch with a local family in Beijing. After enjoying local delicacies made from farm-fresh ingredients, you’ll discuss China’s controversial one-child policy and discover multi-generational perspectives on this complex issue.

The way we see it, you’ve come a long way to experience the true culture—not some fairytale version of it. So we keep our groups small, with only 8-16 travelers (average 13) to ensure that your encounters with local people are as intimate and authentic as possible. It’s also why your O.A.T. Trip Experience Leader will be a resident “insider” who can show you the culture as only a local can.

To ensure that your adventure is truly unique, put your own personal stamp on it. You can arrive early and stay later, add a pre- or post-trip extension, spend time in a Stopover city, or combine two or more trips. Plus, your itinerary offers ample free time so you can pursue your own interests.

So until the day comes when you are off to enjoy your Imperial China, Tibet & the Yangtze River adventure, I hope you will relish the fun and anticipation that this O.A.T. Adventure Travel Planning Guide® will inspire. Should you have further questions, feel free to call our Regional Adventure Counselors at 1-800-955-1925.

Love and peace,

Harriet R. Lewis Vice Chairman, Overseas Adventure Travel

P.S. For further peace of mind, please know that we are EXTENDING our Risk-Free Booking Policy through 12/31/21. Learn more at www.oattravel.com/risk-free-booking.

USA Today “Best Tours” 10Best Readers’ Presented by Choice Awards Solo Traveler

2 CONTENTS

A Letter from Harriet Lewis ...... 2 The O.A.T. Difference...... 4 The Freedom to Personalize Your Experience ...... 6 Grand Circle Foundation...... 8 The Leader in Solo Travel ...... 9

IMPERIAL CHINA, TIBET & ABOUT YOUR DESTINATIONS: THE YANGTZE RIVER CULTURE, ETIQUETTE & MORE Your Adventure at a Glance: Chinese Culture ...... 80 Where You’re Going, What it Costs, Shopping: What to Buy, Customs, and What’s Included ...... 10 Shipping & More ...... 89 Your Detailed Day-To-Day Itinerary ...... 12 Optional Tours ...... 32 DEMOGRAPHICS & HISTORY Pre-Trip Extensions ...... 34 China...... 92 Post-Trip Extension ...... 45 Facts, Figures & National Holidays ...... 92 93 Dates & Prices ...... 51 China: A Brief History ...... Tibet ...... 94 ESSENTIAL TRAVEL INFORMATION Facts, Figures & National Holidays ...... 94 Tibet: A Brief History ...... 95 Travel Documents & Entry Requirements. . . 52 Hong Kong...... 96 Visas Required ...... 52 Facts, Figures & National Holidays ...... 96 Rigors, Vaccines & General Health ...... 55 Hong Kong: A Brief History ...... 97 Vaccines Required ...... 56 Mongolia ...... 99 Money Matters: Local Currency & Tipping Facts, Figures & National Holidays ...... Guidelines ...... 60 99 Mongolia: A Brief History ...... 100 Tipping Guidelines...... 63 Cambodia ...... 102 Air, Optional Tours & Staying in Touch ..... 65 Facts, Figures & National Holidays ...... 102 Optional Tours ...... 65 Cambodia: A Brief History ...... 102 Optional Tours: Reserve Before You Go .... 66 Thailand...... 103 Communicating with Home from Abroad . . 67 Facts, Figures & National Holidays ...... 103 Packing: What to Bring & Luggage Limits . . . 69 Thailand: A Brief History ...... 104 Suggested Packing Lists ...... 71 Electricity Abroad ...... 73 RESOURCES Climate & Average Temperatures ...... 76 Suggested Reading ...... 106 Suggested Film & Video ...... 111

O.A.T. Health & Safety Measures...... 116 Notes...... 117 Map ...... 119

3 EXPERIENCE THE O.A.T. DIFFERENCE in China

This adventure not only showcases iconic sights, but takes you beyond them to experience the culture through unique activities, engagement with the natural world, and authentic encounters with local people. Since our founding in 1978, O.A.T. has become America’s leader in personalized small group journeys on the road less traveled. SMALL GROUPS: 8-16 TRAVELERS LOCAL MODES OF TRANSPORTATION (AVERAGE OF 13)—GUARANTEED To see the world like the locals, you should The world feels more intimate and engaging travel like one. Our small group size allows when your experience of it is also personal us to take the roads and waterways that are and genuine. That’s why our groups never less traveled, and we often follow them using exceed 16 travelers. This gives you access to the same unique modes of transportation people and places larger groups simply can’t that the locals use—be it a canoe, a camel or a reach. More authentic interactions. Deeper vintage cab. bonds with your travel mates. Personal service from your Trip Experience Leader. Smoother UNIQUE LODGINGS transitions. And a far more satisfying Our lodgings reflect the local character, experience than any traditional tour offers. from smaller family-run hotels and historic manors to comfy inns. Occasionally, larger THE BEST TRIP EXPERIENCE LEADERS hotels closer to city centers are used. Wherever Your English-speaking, O.A.T. Trip Experience you stay, you’re assured fine comfort and Leader is a resident of the region you are hospitality. visiting, so you will get a true insider’s perspective that brings each place alive—the OUR WORLDWIDE OFFICES stories, food, customs, hidden treasures With 36 regional offices around the world, and more. we are perfectly poised to leverage our local relationships to deliver an excellent experience AUTHENTIC CULTURAL CONNECTIONS and value. During this trip, you’ll be supported Engage with local people through visits to by our team in Beijing. farms, factories, markets, and artisans’ studios; school visits; Home-Hosted meals; and more.

Explore along the Great Wall in Beijing. Join a local family in Xi'an for a Home-Hosted meal.

4 THE PILLARS OF DISCOVERY En riching. Inspiring. Unforgettable. These features form the foundation of your Imperial China, Tibet & the Yangtze River adventure.

GRAND CIRCLE FOUNDATION (GCF) exclusive, immersive experience that places VISIT you in the heart of a community where you’ll meet various people where they live, work, GCF was established in 1992 to help change and play; visit the neighborhood school; lend a people’s lives in the world where we live, hand with daily chores; and break bread with work, and travel. To date, we have pledged or our hosts. donated $200 million worldwide. This adventure includes A Day in the Life You’ll see GCF’s work in action when we visit experience in the countryside village of the community-founded Xia He Primary Donghan. Our small group will stroll through School (when in session), which is part of the village to see how recent changes are the World Classroom initiative. Here, we’ll affecting their more traditional way of life. interact with students and sit down with the Then, we’ll enjoy a Home-Hosted Lunch principal to learn more about GCF’s impact on with a local family, where the matriarch the school and the local education system. of the family will show us how to make CONTROVERSIAL TOPICS dumplings. At the end of our discoveries, we’ll Every culture has its joys and achievements, come away with a deeper understanding and we celebrate them all. But every place of daily life for farmers in the Chinese also has its challenges, and to gloss over them countryside. would not do justice to those whose stories HOME-HOSTED EXPERIENCES need to be told—nor to you, as a traveler who Stories shared. Differences solved. Taste buds deserves more than a sugar-coated version of engaged. Good will extended. It’s amazing the things. So our Trip Experience Leaders will things that can happen across a kitchen table, lead frank discussions on controversial issues, so we’ll break into groups of 4-5 to join a local and introduce you to people whose stories will family in their home for a snack or a meal. expand your understanding. This is a rare opportunity to witness family For example, we’ll discuss China’s life, learn local customs, and taste some controversial one-child policy with a local home-cooked fare. family in Beijing. You’ll hear from multiple On this adventure, we’ll learn more about the generations of this family and come rich culture of China when we enjoy a Home- away with a deeper understanding of this Hosted Lunch with a local family in Beijing. complex topic. We’ll enjoy dishes made from farm-fresh, A DAY IN THE LIFE organic vegetables and fruits before the family Do you ever wonder, “What would it be like shows us around their farm. to live here?” when you visit new lands? Let’s find out during your O.A.T. A Day in the Life, an

5 You're in control with THE FREEDOM TO PERSONALIZE YOUR EXPERIENCE Exclusively with O.A.T. Your Choice. Your Adventure. Your Way.

It’s your adventure, so why not make it exactly what you want it to be? We offer an exclusive variety of options that let you tailor your adventure so it’s completely your own. In fact, O.A.T. is the only travel company to offer this level of flexibility and choice for a truly personalized experience.

PRE- OR POST-TRIP EXTENSIONS 2. Great value: All extensions include Every O.A.T. adventure offers at least one accommodations, daily breakfast, and optional pre-trip and one post-trip extension. airport transfers. Here’s why more than 55% of O.A.T. travelers 3. Continuity and camaraderie: You’ll usually choose to take a pre- or post-trip extension: travel with the same Trip Experience Leader 1. You’ll maximize your discoveries—often who leads your main trip, enjoying more of in an even smaller group than your main his or her insider expertise—and more time adventure (on average, 6 travelers with a to bond with the group. dedicated Trip Experience Leader)—and take advantage of your included airfare.

Optional Extensions offered with your China adventure

NEW! Shanghai: China's Historic Gateway Cambodia: Angkor Wat & the Legacy of to the West the Ancient Khmer Empire 4 nights pre-trip from $995 5 nights post-trip from $1295

Yu Garden Teahouse, Shanghai, China

Mongolia: Ulaanbaatar, the Gobi Desert & Kharkhorin Angkor Wat, Siem Reap, Cambodia 7 nights pre-trip from $2795

Gandan Monastery, Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia

6 ARRIVE EARLY, STAY LATER COMBINE ADVENTURES Extending your time abroad—with us or You’re already overseas. Why not see more and on your own—is the best way to broaden maximize your value by avoiding the cost and your experience. It’s also a practical way to length of another international flight? Here’s maximize the value of the international airfare why 2,250 O.A.T. travelers combined two or covered in your main itinerary. more adventures in 2019:

Expand Your Discoveries Before • Save a total of $600-$3000 per person when or After Your Adventure you combine two adventures compared to the cost of taking each trip separately. Arrive early in the first destination on your pre-trip extension or main adventure, or stay • Apply the 5% or 6% Frequent Traveler Credit later in the last city on your main adventure or you earn on your first trip to your second trip. post-trip extension. By coming early, you can • Sir Edmund Hillary Club members save an rest after your flight and adjust—with time to extra $250-$350 per person when booking explore. By staying later, you have extra time multiple trips in a calendar year. to relax, pack, or continue exploring. • Our Regional Adventure Counselors make all Perhaps you’ll choose to spend more time the arrangements for a seamless experience. in Beijing before your main trip, or stay later Combine this trip with our Japan’s Cultural in Hong Kong after your main trip. Whatever Treasures adventure—for a total cost of $8390- you choose, our Regional Adventure Counselors 11,490 per person—and save $1300-$1600 per are here to help you tailor your O.A.T. airfare to person versus taking each trip separately. personalize your experience. AIR PREFERENCES Stopover in any major international city 54% of our travelers customize their air Travelers with O.A.T. airfare have the itineraries: opportunity to stopover in popular cities en • Choose your departure city and airline route to your main adventure. Speak with one of our Regional Adventure Counselors to learn • Depart from one city and return to another more about your options and to arrange your • Upgrade to Premium Economy or international airfare. Business Class

You are free to choose however you’d like to FREEDOM OF CHOICE DURING YOUR spend this additional time exploring, including ADVENTURE the tours you take, activities you plan, and Our itineraries provide a balance of included restaurants you visit. If you’d like ideas about activities and free time so you always have how to spend this time and what to see and do, the flexibility to participate in included our Regional Adventure Counselors can provide activities, go off on your own entirely, or do a recommendations when helping you plan mix of both. this option.

7 GRAND CIRCLE FOUNDATION Changing people’s lives, one village, one school, one person at a time

ON THIS ADVENTURE … Dear Traveler, Since our inception in 1992, the Grand Circle In 1992 we established Grand Circle Foundation has pledged or donated more Foundation, an entity of the Lewis Family than $200 million to projects around the Foundation, as a means to give back to world. Here are just a few of the ways we have the world that had already given us so partnered with the communities on this trip. much. We’ve pledged or donated more than $200 million worldwide to support Xia He Primary School the education of young people and the Total Donations: $16,356 preservation of international treasures Located in the Xi'an countryside, the Xia He and UNESCO World Heritage Sites, and Primary School became a partner of GCF is 2018. the conservation of natural resources for GCF donated a new gate for the entrance of the future generations. school, as well as laptops to be used by teachers to create a more dynamic and interactive learning Of course, none of this would be possible environment. without your help. A portion of the proceeds of every adventure is donated to Shao Ping Dian School Grand Circle Foundation—so just as your Total Donations: $105,597 life will be enriched by the discoveries GCF funded educational materials and upgrades you’ll make on your journey, you’ll also to the building’s infrastructure. Recent contribu- help to enrich the lives of the people tions include new computers, an LCD announce- you’ll meet along the way. Thank you ment board, cameras, desks, chairs, playground equipment, musical instruments, and art supplies, for traveling with us, and for helping to along with renovations to classrooms and roads. change people’s lives. GCF has also helped to cover the school’s heat- Love and peace, ing bills in the winter, supplemented teachers’ salaries, and provided tuition assistance for low- income students. Harriet R. Lewis Chair, Grand Circle Foundation

SCAN ME See how Grand Circle Foundation is giving back in this video Open the camera feature on your mobile device, and hover the lens over this code to scan it. A pop-up notification will take you directly to the video.

www.grandcirclefoundation.org

8 THE LEADER IN SOLO TRAVEL in China—and Around the World

ON THIS ADVENTURE … FREE Single Supplements: We don’t charge The leader in solo-friendly a single supplement on this adventure and travel for Americans—by optional trip extensions—a savings of $900- the numbers $1395 per person compared to other travel companies. But single spaces fill quickly, so early reservations are advised. More than 50% of all O.A.T. travelers are women who travel solo One of our most popular trips for solo travelers. More than 850 solo travelers joined us on this adventure in 2018 and In 2022, we’re offering 30,000 2019—either independently or sharing singles spaces across all O.A.T. a room with a mother, daughter, sister, adventures. That’s 86% more than or friend. offered in 2019

High ratings: More than 91% of these solo travelers rated their adventure excellent. 92% of our 30,000 single spaces have FREE Single Supplements. The On average, half of your group will also remaining 8% have the lowest single be traveling independently, so it’s easy supplements in the industry. to forge special bonds as you experience unforgettable moments together. In 2022, we’re offering 25 exclusive You’ll be in good hands, thanks to your women’s departures on some of our dedicated local Trip Experience Leader (a most popular itineraries resident of China), and the expertise of our regional office team in Beijing.

SCAN ME Increased Single Space: In 2022, we have NEW! 101+ 25% more single spaces than in 2019, Tips for Solo with up to 8 single spaces per departure. Women Travelers See available FREE single space at This complimentary, 96-page www.oattravel.com/ya42022. booklet is a comprehensive collection of savvy tips specifically for seasoned women travelers going solo. Learn about safety for solos, packing like a pro, the best travel apps, self-care on the road, and more. Scan this code to view an online copy or to request one by mail.

9 Spend three nights exploring the Yangtze aboard a river ship Imperial China, Tibet & the Yangtze River Small Group Adventure ChinăāĢıĢłė̇ÇĢÖł̇!ĞāłėùŽ̇˒̟łĢėĞŶÈÖłėŶơā˜ĢƑāũ!ũŽĢŭā̇ÈĢóĞÖłė̇Nŋłėbŋłė̳Ά̳Tibet: Lhasa

Countries: 1 Ά!ĢŶĢāŭ̆6Ά3 Nights Aboard a Chartered Yangtze River Ship

Small groups: 8-16 travelers—guaranteed! It’s Included (average of 13)

Explore in a small group of 8-16 46 meals—20 breakfasts, 13 lunches, FROM PER DAY DAYS • • travelers (average group size of 13) and 13 dinners (including 2 Home- $ $ Hosted meals) 4695 214 22 • International airfare, airport transfers, government taxes, fees, and airline fuel • 17 small group activities Including international airfare surcharges unless you choose to make Services of a local O.A.T. Trip your own air arrangements • FREE Single Supplement Experience Leader All land transportation and 4 • Gratuities for local guides, drivers, internal flights • ship-crew, and luggage porters Maximize Your Accommodations for 20 nights • • 5% Frequent Traveler Credit toward Discoveries & Value your next adventure—an average of $340

Optional extension s : SCAN ME New! Shanghai: China’s Historic Watch our #1 most popular video Gateway to the West for this adventure 4 nights pre-trip from $995 Travel from only $249 per night Open the camera feature on your mobile device, and hover the lens over this code to scan it. A pop-up notification will Mongolia: Ulaanbaatar, the Gobi take you directly to the video. Desert & Kharkhorin 7 nights pre-trip from $2795 Travel from only $400 per night Cambodia: Angkor Wat & the Legacy of the Ancient Khmer Empire 5 nights post-trip from $1295 Travel from only $259 per night

Lesser Three Gorges, Yangtze River, China

Impe rial China, Tibet & the Yangtze River

10 Itinerary Summary To Beijing PRE-TRIP EXTENSIONS E RUSSIA a ngtze s a t Great Wall Y Ulaanbaatar Pre-trip extensions: New! 4 nights C Kharkhorin h CHINA i MONGOLIA in Shanghai: China’s Historic Gateway n Beijing

a NORTH Suzhou Shanghai to the West OR 7 nights in Mongolia: S KOREA (Optional Tour) Gobi

e

a Ulaanbaatar, the Gobi Desert & Kharkhorin CHINA Beijing

Lhasa Xian DAYS DESTINATION TIBET Terra Cotta Army B HU 1 Fly to Beijing, China TA Yan N gtze G org es Dam Chengdu es ee Gorg East INDIA Thr 2-5 Beijing Yichang China Chongqing Sea POST-TRIP EXTENSION tze 6-8 Fly to Xian Yang THAILAND C CHINA 9 Donghan Village Bangkok A Angkor Wat M B To/From U.S. O Siem Reap D Internal flight 10-11 Train to Chengdu I Tonle Sap A Land route Rail route Gulf of Hong Kong via Cruise route 12-14 Fly to Lhasa, Tibet Thailand Ho Chi Minh City VIETNAM 0200Miles Hong Kong 15 Fly to Chongqing 16-17 Yangtze Cruise What to Expect 18 Yichang 19-21 Fly to Shanghai • Explore Shanghai 22 Return to U.S. Pacing: 7 locations in 21 days, including 3 nights aboard a ship Post-trip extension: 5 nights in Physical requirements: You must be able to walk 3 miles unassisted and participate Cambodia: Angkor Wat & the Legacy of the in 3-5 hours of physical activities each day. Walk on city streets, rugged paths, Ancient Khmer Empire unpaved roads, and steep, uneven stairs at some sites. Flight time: Travel time will be 12-22 hours and will most likely have one connection

View all physical requirements at www.oattravel.com/ya42022 F reedom to Personalize Your Experience China : The O.A.T. Difference Join the more than 85% of travelers who are choosing to personalize their adventure by arriving early, staying later, and discov- Unbeatable Value: Travel at the lowest price and per diems in the industry. ering more. People-to-People Experiences: Meet the students of community-founded Xia • Add a pre- or post-trip extension to He Primary School—supported in part by Grand Circle Foundation—and discuss maximize your discoveries and value China’s controversial one-child policy over a Home-Hosted Lunch with a family • Arrive early or stay later in a favorite city in Beijing. • Upgrade your seat and choose your preferred airline carrier O.A.T. Exclusives: Experience A Day in the Life of Donghan, a rural Chinese village. We’ll meet local families, enjoy a cooking lesson, and share a Call us at 1-800-955-1925 and learn more at www.oattravel.com/ traditional Home-Hosted Lunch. personalize-ya42022

More than 94% of travelers rated this trip excellent

Information & Reservations 1-800-955-1925 www.oatt ravel.com/ya42022

11 Imperial China, Tibet & the Yangtze River

YOUR DETAILED ITINERARY

BEGIN YOUR ADVENTURE WITH AN OPTIONAL PRE-TRIP EXTENSION 4 nights in Shanghai: China’s Historic Gateway to the West

Day 1 Depart U.S. • Fly to Shanghai, China Day 4 Visit Fuxing Park • Explore the French Concession • Visit Pudong Day 2 Arrive in Shanghai Day 5 Explore Shanghai • Optional Day 3 Explore Shanghai • Visit Yu Garden • Suzhou tour Discover the Bund Day 6 Visit the Shanghai Museum • Fly to Beijing & begin main adventure

OR 7 nights in Mongolia: Ulaanbaatar, the Gobi Desert & Kharkhorin

Day 1 Depart U.S. Day 6 Fly to Ulaanbaatar • Overland to Khogno Khan • Visit Day 2 Arrive Beijing, China horse-breeding family Day 3 Fly to Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia Day 7 Kharkhorin • Erdene Zuu Monastery Day 4 Fly to Gobi Desert • Optional Yolyn Day 8 Overland to Ulaanbaatar • Am canyon hike Gandan Monastery Day 5 Explore Gobi Desert • Visit Day 9 Ulaanbaatar • Fly to Beijing • camel-breeding family • Visit Begin main trip Flaming Cliffs

Day 1 Depart from the U.S. Day 2 Arrive Beijing, China

You depart this evening for an overnight flight • Destination: Beijing to Beijing. • Accommodations: Holiday Inn Express Beijing Dongzhimen or similar

Afternoon/Evening: You fly across the International Date Line and arrive in Beijing in the late afternoon or late evening.

Itinerary Subject to Change. For Information or reservations, call 1-800-955-1925

12 An O.A.T. representative will meet you at the You can take a walk through the park, before airport and assist with a transfer of about one grabbing food at one of the authentic restau- hour to your hotel, where you’ll join travelers rants located nearby. who have taken the pre-trip extensions • How to get there: A 20- to 25-minute bus to Mongolia: Ulaanbaatar, the Gobi Desert & ride, about $1 USD one way. Kharkhorin or New! Shanghai: China’s Historic • Hours: 6:30am-9pm, daily. Gateway to the West. Depending on which hotel • Cost: About $2 USD. we stay at, amenities may include a restaurant, • Visit a hutong: Get an intimate glimpse of bar, and fitness center. Typically, the hotel’s daily life as you explore one of these old res- air-conditioned rooms feature wireless Internet idential neighborhoods that consist of acres and a TV. of low, flat-roofed buildings crisscrossed by Dinner: On your own—you may choose to narrow lanes. venture out to find a local restaurant that serves • How to get there: A 15- to 20-minute walk. authentic cuisine like Zha jiang noodles, wheat • Hours: 24 hours, 7 days a week. noodles typically topped with cucumbers, bean • Cost: Free. sprouts, radish, and bean sauce. Or, you may choose to stay at the hotel where you can dine Day 3 Explore Beijing • Tiananmen Square in the hotel’s restaurant. • Summer Palace Freedom To Explore: During your three full • Destination: Beijing days in Beijing, you have the freedom to explore • Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch this iconic city on your own during your free • Accommodations: Holiday Inn Express time. Below are a few recommended options for Beijing Dongzhimen or similar independent explorations: Breakfast: Served buffet-style at the hotel • Discover the Temple of Heaven: Behold beginning at 6am, with hot and cold options this impressive building whose interlocked available. structure was built without the use of Morning: Around 9am, we’ll gather for a nails. Explore the temple to learn about its Welcome Briefing held at the hotel. During imperial past, which can be traced back to the this briefing, we will introduce ourselves and 14th century. review our itinerary in more detail (including • How to get there: A 30- to 35-minute any changes that may need to occur). Our Trip subway ride, about $1 USD one way. Experience Leader will also discuss logistics, • Hours: 6am-8pm, daily. safety and emergency procedures, and answer • Cost: About $5 USD. any questions we may have. • Stroll through Beihai Park: Located in central Then around 10:30am, we’ll depart the hotel via Beijing, this park’s history dates back over private motorcoach to begin our China travel one thousand years, and it is considered one experience in Beijing—the modern political and of the country’s oldest imperial gardens. administrative center of China, and the greatest single repository of monuments and treasures from the imperial era. We’ll arrive around 11am and set off on a walking tour of Tiananmen Square. At 100 acres, it is the largest public

Itinerary Subject to Change. For Information or reservations, call 1-800-955-1925

13 square in the world, capable of holding more Golden Hill Palace was built on the present site than a million people. Each of the cobblestones of the Summer Palace. Through the centuries, is numbered so that parade units can line up portions of the grounds and buildings were in their assigned spots. But as you explore, destroyed during warfare, then restored or you may remember a more somber event: the redesigned. The Summer Palace of today is tragic massacre that took place here on June 4 more or less the same as the palace rebuilt in and 5, 1989 when pro-democracy protesters 1903. After the last Qing emperor, Puyi, was were attacked by 250,000 troops sent by the thrown out of the Summer Palace in 1924, the Chinese government to quell what they felt to garden was turned into a park. Surrounded by be a dangerous political movement. By the end Kunming Lake and classic Chinese gardens, the of May of 1989, more than a million protesters palace halls and pavilions are filled with ornate had gathered in Tiananmen Square, catching furnishings and fine artwork. the attention of the western world. Soon after, Today, this is a popular space for locals who tanks rolled through the square—images that come to exercise, walk their dogs, or simply remain indelibly linked with the massacre to stroll. Perhaps we’ll have a chance to get to this day—killing an estimated hundreds to know some residents as they go about their thousands of protesters. daily lives. Before lunch, we’ll enjoy a brief Lined with official buildings, Tiananmen is 10- to 15-minute boat ride on Kunming presided over by the giant portrait of Chairman Lake—weather permitting. Mao, which hangs above the Gate of Heavenly At about 3:15pm we’ll depart for our hotel, Peace and seems to stare down at the leader’s returning around 4pm, and the remainder of own Memorial Hall. Mao is entombed in the the afternoon is yours to explore on your own. Hall in a crystal sarcophagus, his body draped After, you may choose to visit the Temple in the red flag of the People’s Republic that of Heaven on your own. This temple, built he founded in 1949. Here you’ll see legendary between 1406 and 1420 by the same Yongle landmarks, including the Great Hall of the emperor who was responsible for building People and the towering Monument to the the Forbidden City, is a UNESCO World People’s Heroes, a 125-foot granite obelisk Heritage Site and regarded as a masterpiece of honoring those who died in the communist architectural and landscape design. Interested revolution. We’ll wrap our discoveries here travelers may join an orientation walk around around noon. the area, led by our Trip Experience Leader Lunch: At a local restaurant about a 25-minute around 6pm. drive away, around 12:30pm, featuring Dinner: On your own this evening. You might traditional Chinese options. want to try a local restaurant that specializes Afternoon: We’ll depart the restaurant via in hot pot, where customers cook a variety motorcoach around 1:30pm for a 15-minute of food items in specialty broths. Your Trip drive to our next destination. Upon arrival Experience Leader will be happy to provide around 1:45pm, we’ll take a walking tour of recommendations. one of Beijing’s most notable treasures—the Evening: You may choose to spend time with Summer Palace, which has the largest and your fellow travelers in the hotel’s common best-preserved royal garden in China. Early area. Or, perhaps you’ll retire to your room to in the Jin Dynasty, an imperial palace named get some rest before our discoveries tomorrow.

Itinerary Subject to Change. For Information or reservations, call 1-800-955-1925

14 Day 4 Beijing • Discover the Forbidden halls, the Hall of Central Harmony, or Zhonghe City • Conversation with a local who Dian, and Hall of Preserving Harmony, known witnessed the Tiananmen Square incident locally as Baohe Dian. • Destination: Beijing We’ll conclude our discoveries around • Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner 11:30am, and drive for about 20 minutes to our • Accommodations: Holiday Inn Express lunch spot. Beijing Dongzhimen or similar Lunch: Around 12pm at a local restaurant, Activity note: Today’s activities include more featuring traditional Chinese dishes. than 400 stairs and a walk of about four miles. Afternoon: Around 1:30pm, we’ll drive for Breakfast: Served buffet-style at the hotel about 30 minutes back to the hotel. You have beginning at 6am, with hot and cold options some free time this afternoon to make your available. own discoveries. You may visit a Beijing hutong. These old residential neighborhoods consist of Morning: Around 9am, we’ll leave the hotel acres of low, flat-roofed buildings crisscrossed to begin the day’s explorations. Like the old by narrow lanes. Here, you’ll find daily life Chinese puzzles of “boxes within boxes,” proceeding unconcerned with the great events Beijing was originally laid out in a series of of nations. Children playing ... the sounds and concentric circles. We focus on the innermost smells of food being prepared ... merchants two today: the Forbidden City and the setting up shop … all will help you appreciate surrounding Imperial City. We begin about China’s humanity, which is all too often a 15-minute drive away at the Forbidden overshadowed by the grandiose monuments City, or Gugong, a 9,000-room maze of that dominate the experiences of most tourists. courtyards, palaces, and ceremonial halls, where 24 emperors (“the Sons of Heaven”) Around 5pm, we depart to a nearby restaurant and two dynasties ruled the Middle Kingdom. where we’ll gather in a private room. Here, Protected by 30-foot-high walls and a we’ll meet with a Beijing citizen and discover 160-foot-wide moat, the Forbidden City was what it was like for him and his family living indeed a forbidden place; commoners were through several important events in China’s kept out for nearly 500 years. The greatest recent past, including his experiences during achievement of the visionary Yongle Emperor, the Cultural Revolution and while witnessing this architectural triumph was completed in a the Tiananmen incident. Travelers can also ask mere 14 years by 200,000 workers. Behind its him any questions about life in Beijing during Gate of Supreme Harmony, which is flanked by these turbulent times. bronze lions, you’ll find classic buildings with Dinner: Around 6:30pm our group will enjoy interiors featuring marble floors and ceilings a Chinese-style Welcome Dinner at a local with grand murals. We view the exterior of restaurant. the Hall of Supreme Harmony, the tallest and largest of the six main palace buildings, and Evening: We return to the hotel around 8pm stroll through an open-air exhibition detailing and you have the rest of the evening on your the history and preservation of this famous own. You may retire to your room to rest before structure. We will also view two other main our discoveries tomorrow, or continue spending time with your fellow travelers.

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15 Day 5 Explore the Great Wall • Lunch: Around 12:45pm, we’ll enjoy a Home-Hosted Lunch Home-Hosted Lunch with a local family. We’ll enjoy dishes made from farm-fresh, organic • Destination: Beijing vegetables and fruits such as pears and peaches. • Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch • Accommodations: Holiday Inn Express Afternoon: We’ll discuss China’s controversial Beijing Dongzhimen or similar one-child policy with our hosts and discover the different generations’ perspectives on this Activity note: This day includes a 1.5-hour system, before they show us around their farm. climb with about 800 steep stairs. Travelers Then around 2:30pm, we’ll drive back to the may choose to do part of the climb, or may hotel, arriving around 4pm. You have the rest of choose not to participate in this climb if they the day to make your own discoveries. feel it may be too difficult. Dinner: On your own—your Trip Experience Breakfast: Served buffet-style at the hotel Leader can provide you with recommendations beginning at 6am, with hot and cold options on the best places to find authentic cuisine. available. Perhaps you’ll seek out a restaurant that serves Morning: Around 9am, we’ll drive 1.5 hours traditional Peking duck, a dish that has been to the Wild Great Wall, the most authentic enjoyed in China for hundreds of years. sections of the Great Wall, which haven’t Evening: You may choose to retire to your room been rebuilt for tourism. China’s Great Wall to pack for tomorrow’s flight. Or, perhaps you’ll easily qualifies as the world’s greatest civil venture out into the city to find a bar where you engineering feat. The massive ramparts were and your fellow travelers can grab drinks. begun in separate strategic sections between 403-221 BC. During the reign of China’s first Qin emperor, Qin Shi Huangdi, some Day 6 Fly to Xian 300,000 men were put to work connecting the • Destination: Xian segments into one huge, snaking fortification. • Included Meals: Breakfast Archaeologists estimate that the wall once ran • Accommodations: Ramada Xian Bell Tower for 6,200 miles through an expanse that now Hotel or similar covers 16 provinces. Breakfast: Served buffet-style at the hotel Today, the wall is still impressive at 3,750 beginning at 6am, with hot and cold options miles in length, stretching from the Bohai Sea available. to the Gobi Desert. Contrary to common belief, Morning: Around 8am, we’ll check out of the Great Wall was more than just a barrier. It our hotel and drive about an hour to the also served as an elevated highway linking the airport. Just after 11am, we’ll catch a 2.5-hour defensive forces along China’s rugged northern flight to Xian. frontier. The roadway atop the wall provided a means of rapid communication and deployment Lunch: On your own—you may grab something of troops, arms, and food. at the airport to enjoy before or during your flight. Perhaps you’ll seek out a popular We’ll explore the Great Wall until about noon fast food like jianbing, a pancake dish that when we drive for about 30 minutes to a nearby consists of eggs, mung bean batter, scallions, village where a local family will invite us into and dough. their home.

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16 Afternoon: Upon arrival, we’ll drive for 1 hour located in Xian’s Muslim neighborhood. As to our centrally-located hotel, arriving around you explore, trace the mosque’s history back 3pm. Depending on which hotel we stay at, to the period of the Ming Dynasty. amenities may include a restaurant, bar, and • How to get there: A 15- to 20-minute walk recreation rooms that can be used for fitness, from the hotel. chess, and massages. Typically, the hotel’s • Hours: 8am-7pm, daily. rooms include TV, wireless Internet access, a • Cost: About $4 USD. mini fridge, and a private bathroom. • Visit Xian’s City Wall: Constructed during You’ll have some time to get settled in, or the Ming Dynasty, the City Wall is one of the you may choose to start exploring on your largest ancient military defensive systems in own. Perhaps you’ll visit the Great Mosque, the world. You have the choice to either walk where you can trace Xian’s history back to the or bike around the fortification. eighth century. • How to get there: A 10- to 15-minute bus Dinner: On your own this evening. Perhaps ride, about $1 USD one way. you’ll seek out a local noodle house. Your • Hours: 8am-9pm, daily. Trip Experience Leader is available to provide • Cost: About $9 USD. suggestions. Day 7 Discover Small Wild Goose Evening: The rest of the night is free for your Pagoda • Tai chi demonstration • Tang own discoveries. You may choose to retire to Dynasty show your room to get some sleep, or perhaps you’ll • Destination: Xian spend time with your fellow travelers in the • Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner hotel’s common area. • Accommodations: Ramada Xian Bell Tower Freedom To Explore: During your four days Hotel or similar in Xian, you have the freedom to explore this Breakfast: Served buffet-style at the hotel historically-rich city on your own during beginning at 6am, with hot and cold options your free time. Below are a few recommended available. options for independent explorations: Morning: Around 9:30am, our group will take • Discover Xian’s Bell and Drum Towers: about a 20-minute drive to visit the Small Explore two of Xian’s historical trea- Wild Goose Pagoda, a notable example of sures—14th-century Bell and Drum Towers. Tang Dynasty Buddhist architecture located The bell was originally used to warn the city in a park peppered with trees. Built in the of attacks, while the drum’s purpose was to seventh century to house Buddhist scriptures, signal the time of the day. the pagoda also contains statues of Buddhist • How to get there: A 15- to 20-minute walk figures in Chinese history and notable Tang from the hotel. Dynasty artworks. We’ll also experience tai • Hours: 8am-6pm, daily in April-October. chi in the park during a 20-30-minute lesson, • Cost: About $5 USD. where our Trip Experience Leader can give us • Behold the Great Mosque: Considered to insight into this popular daily activity. be the largest mosque in China, the Great Lunch: At a local restaurant around 12:30pm, Mosque is an active worship site that is featuring authentic Chinese dishes.

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17 Afternoon: We’ll drive back to the hotel, entrance to the tomb of Qin Shi Huangdi, the arriving around 2pm. Our total transfer time is first Qin emperor, a major architect of the Great roughly 20 minutes. You’ll have the next few Wall and unifier of China. hours to yourself to make your own discoveries Lunch: At about noon in a restaurant located in in Xian. Perhaps you’ll set off to visit Xian’s the museum, featuring traditional cuisine. City Wall, one of the largest ancient military defensive systems in the world. Or, you can Afternoon: Around 1pm, we’ll continue our choose to join your Trip Experience Leader on discoveries at this remarkable archaeological an elective excursion to a jade factory where site. Throughout our explorations, our Trip you can purchase an item made from Xian’s Experience Leader and a local guide will provide famous green mineral. invaluable insight into the history of this man-made wonder. The soldiers are ranked in Dinner: Around 6:30pm at a local restaurant, military order, hold actual spears and swords featuring dumplings and other regional cuisine. and, incredibly, have unique facial expressions. Evening: At about 8pm, we’ll enjoy a 1-hour There is also an exhibit of a remarkable Tang Dynasty cultural show at a local theater, miniature model of a Qin Dynasty bronze where we can admire traditional garments chariot, complete with horses and coachmen. during a vibrant music and dance performance. Around 2pm, we’ll board our bus and Then, we return to the hotel, where you’ll have drive approximately 30 minutes to the the rest of the evening on your own. community-founded Xia He Primary School Grand (when in session), which is supported in part by Day 8 Discover Terra Cotta Army • donations from Grand Circle Foundation—part Circle Foundation School visit • Optional of the World Classroom initiative. Upon arrival, Xian by Night dinner students will greet us and show us to one of • Destination: Xian their classrooms where we’ll meet with the • Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch principal. We’ll learn about some of the ways • Accommodations: Ramada Xian Bell Tower in which projects funded by Grand Circle Hotel or similar Foundation have helped the school before we have some time to ask the principal any Breakfast: Served buffet-style at the hotel questions we have. Afterward, we’ll have about beginning at 6am, with hot and cold options 1 hour to interact with some students here. available. We’ll have the opportunity to teach the kids Morning: Around 9am, we’ll leave our hotel English words and phrases, as well as play and drive for 1 hour to our first stop of the outdoor games with them. We’ll conclude our day—Xian’s Terra Cotta Army. Today, we’ll discoveries around 3:45pm and drive back to visit three of the site’s pits, where we’ll the hotel, arriving around 4:30pm. You have the marvel at the great ranks of life-sized soldiers, rest of the day on your own. generals, charioteers, and horses. Considered Dinner: On your own—you may choose to have one of the foremost archaeological discoveries dinner at the hotel’s restaurant, which serves of the 20th century, the 2,000-year-old Terra Asian and Western cuisine. Or, you can ask your Cotta Army was discovered by accident in 1974 Trip Experience Leader where they recommend by local farmers digging a well. The 6,000-plus going for local dishes like tangbao, soup life-sized figures are arranged in vaults at the dumplings that are filled with lamb or beef.

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18 Or, you may choose to join our optional Xian this hands-on people-to-people experience, by Night dinner. We’ll depart the hotel around we’ll discover the traditional way to prepare 6pm, arriving at a local restaurant around dough and make the filling. 6:30pm. Here, we’ll enjoy dinner accompanied Lunch: Around noon in the home of the local by a water fountain music show. After our meal, families. We’ll remain in our smaller groups we’ll join locals who will teach us the Yangge, during this traditional Home-Hosted Lunch. a traditional harvest dance that was meant We’ll enjoy the dumplings we prepared, as to celebrate a good harvest in ancient times. well as other traditional Chinese dishes, while Afterwards, we’ll drive back to our hotel at discussing what everyday life is like in the 8:45pm, arriving around 9pm. countryside with our hosts. Evening: You may choose to retire to your Afternoon: Just before 1:30pm, we’ll all gather room to get some rest before our explorations together at one of the family’s homes and delve tomorrow, or perhaps you’ll venture to Xian’s further into local life, culture, and politics. At Drum and Bell Tower to view these historical the end of our conversation, we’ll come away treasures lit up at night. with a deeper understanding of everyday life for farmers in the Chinese countryside. Day 9 A Day in the Life of the Donghan community • Home-Hosted Lunch After our A Day in the Life experience ends at about 2:30pm, we’ll drive one hour back to • Destination: Xian the hotel. Enjoy a few hours to relax, or make • Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner your own independent discoveries in the city. • Accommodations: Ramada Xian Bell Tower You may stroll through the Xingqing Gong Hotel or similar Park where you may choose to strike up a Breakfast: Served buffet-style at the hotel conversation with locals to learn more about beginning at 6am, with hot and cold options their culture. available. Around 6:30pm, we’ll walk 20 minutes to a Morning: Around 8:30am, we’ll drive into local restaurant for dinner. the countryside to share A Day in the Life of Dinner: Just before 7pm at a local restaurant, Donghan, traditional village whose history featuring regional cuisine. spans around 400 years. We’ll pause around 9:30am at a local market where we’ll have the Evening: On your own—you may choose to chance to shop for local ingredients that we’ll retire to your room to pack before we leave Xian use later this morning. Then, our small group tomorrow morning, or spend time with your will stroll through the village and see firsthand fellow travelers in the hotel’s common area. how life has changed in recent times for the people who live here.

Then around 11am, we’ll break up into smaller groups and step into the homes of local families, where the family’s matriarch will teach us how to make dumplings using the ingredients that we gathered earlier. During

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19 Day 10 Xian • High-speed train to Evening: We return to the hotel on foot around Chengdu • Optional Face-changing 7:45pm and you have the rest of the evening Performance tour on your own, or you may choose to join our Optional Tour: Face-changing Performance. • Destination: Chengdu Face changing, or bian lian in Chinese, is an • Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner ancient Chinese dramatic art that is part of the • Accommodations: Tianfu Sunshine Hotel traditional Sichuan style of opera. Performers or similar wear brightly colored costumes and move to Breakfast: Served buffet-style at the hotel quick music. But what is most impressive is beginning at 6am, with hot and cold options their ability to change from one vividly colored available. mask to another in quick succession. The performance begins at 8pm and will last about Morning: Around 9:30am, we’ll leave our one hour. After, we’ll return to the hotel. hotel in Xian and drive by bus about 45 minutes to the train station where we’ll board Freedom To Explore: During your two nights a high-speed train for our 4-hour journey to in Chengdu, you have the freedom to explore Chengdu just after 11am. The train is equipped on your own during your free time. Below are with air-conditioning and comfortable seating some recommended options for independent with a picture-window—ideal for viewing the explorations: landscape. • Participate in local activities at the People’s Lunch: A boxed lunch will be served on the Park: The park is brimming with activities train around noon. that locals enjoy daily. You can join them as they sing outdoor karaoke or perform tra- Afternoon: We arrive in Chengdu around ditional dances; listen to them play Chinese 3:30pm and transfer via bus to our hotel to instruments; and watch as they practice check in around 4:30pm. Our hotel’s amenities writing calligraphy on the pavement. may include a café, tea house, two restaurants, • How to get there: A 20- to 30-minute bus a bar, fitness center, pool, and sauna. Typically, ride, about $1 USD one way. the hotel’s rooms feature a TV, wireless • Hours: 6:30am-10pm, daily. Internet access, coffee- and tea-making • Cost: Free. facilities, and a private bathroom. • Visit Wenshu Yuan Monastery: Trace the You’ll have a couple of hours to settle in and history of this Buddhist temple back to the relax. Or, you may choose to venture out to period of the Tang Dynasty. Wenshu Yuan experience a slice of life in the People’s Park Monastery is considered to be the most or Chengdu’s old city. Around 6:15pm, we’ll well-preserved temple of its kind in Chengdu, gather at the hotel and walk about 10 minutes so admire its authentic Chinese architectural to a local restaurant. style as you explore.

Dinner: Around 6:30pm at a nearby restaurant, • How to get there: A 20- to 30-minute walk featuring traditional Chinese dishes. Perhaps from the hotel. you’ll try a spicy dish, which the Sichuan • Hours: 8am-5pm, daily. province is known for. • Cost: Free.

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20 Day 11 Chengdu • Visit Giant natural environment. You may be touched both Panda Sanctuary by the plight of these lovable creatures and the hope for their recovery. • Destination: Chengdu • Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner Lunch: Around 12:30pm at a local restaurant • Accommodations: Tianfu Sunshine Hotel about a 20-minute drive away, featuring or similar authentic regional cuisine.

Breakfast: Served buffet-style at the hotel Afternoon: After a drive of approximately 15 beginning at 6am, with hot and cold options minutes, we return to the hotel around 2pm. available. You’ll have some time on your own to make independent discoveries. Morning: Around 8:30am, we’ll leave the hotel and drive 30 minutes to visit the Giant Panda Dinner: At about 6pm in the hotel’s restaurant, Sanctuary, located just outside of Chengdu. featuring regional dishes. Because of its location in Sichuan Province, Evening: On your own starting at 7pm—your native habitat of the giant panda, this facility Trip Experience Leader can provide you with has live pandas on display, the largest number suggestions of how to occupy your free time you can see anywhere in the world. During our this evening. Or, you may retire to your room to three hours here, you’ll see these large animals prepare for our flight tomorrow morning. freely roaming and munching on bamboo in a natural environment. There are only 1,000 pandas still living in the wild in all of China, Day 12 Fly to Lhasa, Tibet mostly in northern Sichuan and in Gansu and • Destination: Lhasa Shaanxi provinces, in elevations between 4,000 • Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner and 10,000 feet. • Accommodations: Minshan Hotel or similar

First appearing in the fossil record some three Activity note: Because of the controversial and million years ago, the giant panda is under sensitive nature of Chinese control over Tibet, siege in this century—from habitat eradication, the Chinese government will occasionally cyclical starvation, and poachers who get as close the border to Tibet without prior notice. much as $10,000 for a giant panda hide in Hong Should this occur during your trip, O.A.T. will Kong and Japan. China’s ambitious ten-year make alternative arrangements for your group conservation plan aims to preserve existing to travel to the historic cities of Kunming and habitats, expand existing reserves, and create Lijiang, China instead of Tibet. The Chinese new reserves in an international effort to stave government may also impose limits on what off extinction. can and cannot be accessed within Tibet, so there may be need for last-minute changes to Given the scale of the battle being fought for the the planned activities during your trip. In these panda’s survival, places like the Giant Panda cases we ask that you bring an open mind and a Sanctuary just outside Chengdu are essential. sense of humor. Lhasa also sits at an elevation The sanctuary is not a zoo but a simulated of 12,000 feet. We recommend drinking plenty habitat, with acres of space for its inhabitants of water to combat potential symptoms of to roam and thrive as nature intended. We’ll altitude sickness. take a guided tour through the sanctuary and have the rare chance to see the giant panda in a

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21 Breakfast: Served buffet-style at the hotel shamanism. The autonomy of the Lamas beginning at 6am, with hot and cold options waxed and waned during various Chinese available. dynasties. In 1951, through military action and pressured negotiation, China re-established its Morning: Around 9am, we’ll check out of the sovereignty. After years of steadily increasing hotel with our luggage and drive for about one oppression, a revolt broke out in 1959, and hour to the airport, where our flight to Lhasa the Dalai Lama was forced to flee to India. departs just before noon. Instability and persecution have followed for Lunch: Included this afternoon on our flight. the Tibetan people. In spite of these hardships, Tibetan culture has continued to thrive under Afternoon: Upon arrival after 2pm, we’ll the stewardship of the exiled Dalai Lama, who drive to our centrally-located hotel where received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1989. He, we’ll check in around 4pm. Depending on the along with a growing coterie of international location of our hotel, amenities may include celebrities and activists, continues in the multiple restaurants, a bar, and a fitness struggle to safeguard Tibetan human rights. center. Typically, the hotel’s rooms feature TV, wireless Internet access, a telephone, minibar, Freedom To Explore: During your three nights coffee- and tea-making facilities, and a private in Lhasa, you have the freedom to explore this bathroom. Tibetan city on your own during your free time. Below are a few recommended options for You have some free time to get settled in and independent explorations: relax. As the city is at an elevation of 12,000 feet, you may feel the effects of its high • Explore one of the largest grottoes, the altitude. We strongly recommend that you plan Thousand Buddha Cliff: Marvel at thousands on a minimum of two hours of bed rest upon of intricately hand-carved sculptures and arrival to help you acclimatize, and be sure to shrines dating back millennia. drink plenty of water during your time in Tibet. • How to get there: A 10- to 15-minute taxi ride, about $2 USD one way. Around 5:30pm, you can join your Trip • Hours: 8am-8pm, daily. Experience Leader for a short walk in the • Cost: About $3 USD. vicinity of the hotel to get oriented. • Discover the Ani Tsankhung Nunnery: Dinner: Included at the hotel around 6pm, Traverse the Old Quarter’s alleyways to find featuring traditional Tibetan cuisine. the Ani Tsankhung Nunnery. Here, you may strike up a conversation with one of the nuns Evening: Just before 7:30pm, a lecturer will to learn about the history of the site, which arrive at the hotel to enlighten our group dates back to the seventh century, or you may about Tibetan history and folk customs use your time here to meditate. during a conversation that will last about an hour. For 350 years, Lhasa, the “City • How to get there: A 10- to 15-minute taxi of the Sun,” has been at the political and ride, about $2 USD one way. economic center of Tibet. The country itself • Hours: 8am-8pm, daily. has existed since the seventh century as a • Cost: About $6 USD. remote mountain theocracy based on the mystical tenets of Lamaism, a form of Tantric Indian Buddhism coupled with Tibetan

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22 • Stroll through Longwang Tan Park: Located sect. At its peak, the monastery was the home at the foot of Potala Palace, this park is an to more than 7,000 monks. While the numbers ideal location to relax and watch scenes of have diminished with the passage of time, the daily life, including seeing locals practicing monastery and its grounds have only increased traditional Tibetan dances. in cultural significance and emotional power. • How to get there: A 5- to 10-minute walk While exploring the monastery’s grounds, from the hotel. you may catch a debate between monks about • Hours: Open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. philosophy, culture, and religion, and listen in • Cost: Free. as many locals do. Built in 1419—the year that the sect’s founder, Je Tsongkhapa, died—Sera Day 13 Explore Barkhor Bazaar & Jokhang Monastery features the largest tsokchen (main Temple • Optional Sera Monastery & assembly hall) in the town, four stories high Norbulingka Palace tour and with nearly 11,000 square feet of floor space. The monastery was built to house • Destination: Lhasa precious gifts from the emperor to one of Je • Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner Tsongkhapa’s disciples. • Accommodations: Minshan Hotel or similar Je Tsongkhapa was an extraordinary student Breakfast: Served buffet-style at the hotel and teacher and had remarkable powers beginning at 7am, with hot and cold options of memorization, debate, and meditation. available. Ordained at the age of three, he traveled widely Morning: At about 9am, we drive for about to study with his era’s greatest teachers and to 30 minutes by motorcoach to the Barkhor train thousands of monks. He also undertook Bazaar, a section of the oldest part of Lhasa that extraordinarily rigorous meditation retreats, bustles with marketplace activity and religious one of which lasted four years. devotion. We’ll enter the 1,300-year-old Sera also has three monastic colleges, which Jokhang Temple located in the bazaar, where served in past centuries as magnets for we are likely to see Buddhist pilgrims making thousands of monks who traveled from all clockwise circuits on their hands and knees in over Tibet to study, train, and meditate. The reverence to one of Tibet’s most sacred sites. chanting halls, chapels, statues, and murals Thousands of yak-butter candles flicker inside have been carefully tended to. The tapestries, beneath the enlightened gaze of the golden scroll paintings, and scriptures written in gold Jowo Sakyamuni, the seventh-century Buddha powder still glow, as you’ll see. statue that the temple was built to house. Around 4pm, our optional tour continues as we Lunch: Around noon at a local restaurant drive in a golf cart around Norbulingka Palace, walking distance from Jokhang Temple, taking time to explore on foot intermittently. featuring traditional Tibetan dishes. This architectural treasure was built in the 18th Afternoon: Just after 1pm, we’ll drive back century, served as the summer residence of to the hotel, arriving around 1:30pm, and the former Dalai Lamas, and is now a UNESCO you have the rest of the afternoon to yourself World Heritage Site. Our tour ends just after to make your own discoveries. Or, you may 5pm and we’ll drive 30 minutes back to the choose to join us on an optional visit to Sera hotel where you’ll have some time to freshen Monastery, one of the largest of the Gelugpa up before dinner.

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23 Dinner: At a local restaurant around 7pm, the rich gold and jewel-encrusted tombs of featuring regional cuisine. eight Dalai Lamas. Perched on Red Mountain, the Palace offers sweeping views of the city Evening: On your own starting at 8pm. You may and the surrounding immense peaks that many choose to venture to Longwang Tan Park where people say are as extraordinary as its interior. you can walk around or sit and reflect on your discoveries thus far. Lunch: Around 12:30pm at a local restaurant about a 10-minute drive away, featuring Day 14 Explore Potala Palace • Visit with traditional Tibetan cuisine. Tibetan family Afternoon: Around 2pm, we’ll drive around • Destination: Lhasa 15 minutes to enjoy a people-to-people • Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner experience with a Tibetan family in their home. • Accommodations: Minshan Hotel or similar Upon arrival, our hosts will greet us and teach us how to make traditional zanban, a typical Activity note: Today’s itinerary features a Tibetan cake. We’ll enjoy the fruits of our 2.5-hour walk with 300 steps at an altitude of labor together afterwards, along with some 12,000 feet. Travelers do not have to participate traditional tea. During this time, our hosts will if they feel it may be too difficult. The order also talk to us about religion in Tibet, the Dalai of today’s activities is subject to change Lama, and how their lives have changed since depending on the palace’s opening hours. China has taken over Tibet. Then, we’ll have Breakfast: Served buffet-style at the hotel some time to ask our hosts any questions we beginning at 7am, with hot and cold options have before we visit their Buddha chapel. We’ll available. cap off our visit around 3:30pm and drive back to our hotel where you’ll have some free time. Morning: Around 9:30am, we’ll leave the hotel We’ll regroup around 6pm and drive 15 minutes and depart on a drive of roughly 20 minutes to to a local restaurant. Potala Palace. Built in the 17th century (atop the original seventh-century site), it boasts Dinner: Just before 6:30pm at a local more than 1,000 rooms, including the Red restaurant, featuring local dishes. Palace (where the Dalai Lama once lived), Evening: We return to the hotel at about 10,000 chapels, and a labyrinth of mysterious 7:30pm and you have the rest of the evening to dungeons. It took 7,000 workers and 1,500 yourself. You may choose to retire to your room artists and craftsmen more than 50 years to to relax, or you might venture out to explore build the adjoining White and Red palaces. Lhasa’s nightlife. This Eastern architectural triumph was the world’s tallest building before the creation of Day 15 Fly to Chongqing • Board Yangtze 20th-century skyscrapers. River cruise ship During our time here, we’ll encounter pilgrims • Destination: Yangtze River who journey to this sacred Buddhist shrine • Included Meals: Breakfast, Dinner from throughout Tibet. Behold an array of • Accommodations: Yangtze river ship treasures: A grand ceremonial hall is filled with hanging brocades, painted religious scrolls, Breakfast: Served buffet-style at the hotel vivid murals, statues of Buddha, and a mandala beginning at 7am, with hot and cold options made of 20,000 pearls. Of particular note are available.

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24 Morning: Around 8:30am, we’ll check out of Breakfast: Served buffet-style onboard our our hotel and drive one hour to the airport. Our ship from 7am-8am, with traditional Chinese flight departs Lhasa just after 11:30am and will and Western-style options available. take approximately 2.5 hours. Morning: We’ll dock and disembark our ship Lunch: On your own—you may choose to grab around 8:30am before walking 10 minutes to food at the airport to enjoy during your flight. the home of a local Chinese family relocated Perhaps you’ll search for a traditional dish such due to the Three Gorges Dam project—an as roasted tsampa, barley flour that is typically O.A.T.-exclusive feature. Our small group size consumed with butter tea, cheese, and sugar. will allow us to have an intimate conversation with our hosts about the impacts that this Afternoon: We arrive shortly after 2pm, massive engineering project had on their lives, boarding our bus by about 3pm. Then, we which forced over a million people to move out drive for one hour to our Yangtze River of the reservoir’s path. Two decades after the cruise ship’s dock, arriving by around 4pm relocation began, the struggles surrounding or 4:30pm. We’ll embark our ship, receive the project continue, as landslides forced our cabin assignments, and have some time many families to relocate a second time. to get settled in. Our air-conditioned river After, we’ll have some time to ask our hosts ship includes a bar, reading room, fitness questions. Then, we’ll get a taste of daily life center, and wireless Internet access. Each of when we venture out to join our hosts and their the ship’s outside-facing cabins features a community as they enjoy an outdoor activity private balcony, and a bathroom with a bathtub together, like square dancing. We’ll cap off our and shower. discoveries and walk back to our ship, arriving Dinner: Around 6pm onboard our ship, around 10:15am. featuring traditional Chinese dishes. Then, around 11am we’ll gather to enjoy a Evening: Our river ship will set sail around 8pm lecture with our ship’s resident river guide tonight and you have the evening to yourself. about the communities that have settled along You may choose to spend time with your fellow the shores of the Yangtze River and what their travelers in the hotel’s common area, get lost cultures are like. in a book, or you might choose to retire to your Lunch: At about noon onboard our river room to rest before our discoveries tomorrow. ship, featuring traditional Chinese and Western-style cuisine. Day 16 Yangtze River Cruise • Meet relocated family in Shi Bao Zhai or Fengdu Afternoon: Around 2pm, you have the opportunity to participate in a discussion about • Destination: Yangtze River traditional Chinese medicine, led by our ship’s • Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner resident doctor. Then, enjoy the rest of the • Accommodations: Yangtze river ship afternoon to relax onboard. Activity note: Depending on the water level of Dinner: Just after 6pm onboard our river the Yangtze, today’s shore excursion will either ship, featuring traditional Chinese and be in Shi Bao Zhai or Fengdu. Western-style cuisine.

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25 Evening: Around 8pm, we’ll enjoy an Afternoon: We continue to cruise and enter the hour-long performance put on by the ship’s Wu Gorge, renowned for the quiet beauty of crew and showcasing traditional Chinese its forested mountains. The Twelve Peaks are clothing throughout different historic ranked alongside the gorge. The great Chinese dynasties. poet Qu Yuan leapt into the river to his death here in 288 BC, an event marked each spring Day 17 Wu and Qutang gorges • Explore with dragon boat races. Lesser Three Gorges Then around 2pm, we board smaller river • Destination: Yangtze River crafts—which we’ll share with other tour • Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner groups—for an excursion up the Goddess • Accommodations: Yangtze river ship Stream—a narrow waterway that was kept relatively secret until the beginning stages Activity note: When the water level of the of the Three Gorges Dam. As we cruise, we’ll Goddess Stream is low, we make part of this soak up views of towering cliffs blanketed with excursion by bus. mossy vegetation. We’ll explore the waters and Breakfast: Served buffet-style onboard our ship the shores of the stream for approximately two from 7am-8:15am, with traditional Chinese and hours before returning to our river ship where Western-style options available. you’ll have some time to relax.

Morning: Enjoy some time to relax this Dinner: Onboard around 6:30pm, featuring morning as we cruise down the Yangtze River. traditional and Western-style cuisine. Around 11:30am, our cruise takes us through Evening: Starting around 8:30pm, we enjoy an Qutang Gorge, the farthest upstream of the hour-long cultural performance put on by our Three Gorges. Although the shortest of the ship’s crew. Crowd participation is encouraged, three, the Qutang is quite dramatic, with but not mandatory. sheer cliffs and remarkable features as the Meng Liang staircase, painstakingly carved Day 18 Explore Three Gorges Dam • by a loyal bodyguard attempting to recover his master’s body from the cliff face. On the Disembark at Yichang south bank as we enter the Qutang, we pass • Destination: Yichang Daxi Village, the site of western China’s • Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner earliest-known civilization. The 74 tombs • Accommodations: Holiday Inn Express here contain archaeological finds up to 6,000 Yichang Changjiang or similar years old. Overlooking the west end of the Breakfast: Served buffet-style onboard our ship gorge is Baidicheng, or White Emperor City. beginning at 6:30am, with traditional Chinese Baidicheng dates to AD 25 and has long been a and Western-style options available. refuge for would-be kings and poets—thanks to its proximity to the towering walls of Morning: Around 9am, we will disembark Qutang Gorge. and board our bus to drive about 40 minutes to the Three Gorges Dam, the world’s largest Lunch: Onboard around noon, featuring dam, measuring 606 feet high and 6,500 feet traditional and Western-style cuisine. long. We’ll get our first view of this massive project from above when our bus stops on the side of a mountain. Then, we’ll continue on to

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26 a modeling house where we’ll trace the history a great opportunity to appreciate the sheer size of this engineering marvel, as well as see the and engineering feat of this man-made site. technical blueprints and models that were We’ll depart around 11:30am for the 45-minute created before the construction of the dam drive to a scenic area known as the Tribe of the could begin. Three Gorges, where we’ll stop for lunch.

Although a dam was proposed as long ago as Lunch: Around 12:15pm at a local restaurant, 1919 by Sun Yat-Sen, first president of the featuring regional cuisine. Republic of China, the present site was selected Afternoon: We’ll depart the restaurant around by an American team of engineers in the early 1:15pm for about a 15-minute drive to our 1940s. The project gained momentum in the Yichang hotel. Upon arrival, we’ll check in 1980s and began in earnest in 1990. In 1997, and receive our room assignments. Depending the cofferdam was completed and the main on where we stay, amenities may include a structure begun. The dam has two five-stage 24-hour self-service snack and drink facility, locks to raise and lower ships to the different as well as a communal great room for the river levels. Each lock in the five stages is 65 enjoyment of all guests. Typically, the hotel’s feet high and 910 feet long. air-conditioned rooms feature wireless This massive project has pitted China’s Internet and a private en suite bathroom. You’ll economic interests against the concerns of have a few free hours this afternoon to explore historic preservationists and environmentalists Yichang independently. worldwide. In addition to flooding some of the Then around 5:45pm we’ll reconvene at the world’s most scenic areas and rich ecosystems hotel and drive 15 minutes to dinner. to a depth of 325 feet, the waters submerged some 35 notable historic sites (some of which Dinner: Around 6pm at a local restaurant, were relocated). The 632 square miles of terrain featuring regional cuisine. that were inundated as the reservoir filled included 13 cities, 140 towns, 1,352 villages, 657 Evening: The remainder of the evening is on factories, and 66,000 acres of cultivated land. your own—perhaps you’ll spend time with your Approximately 1.3 million people were relocated fellow travelers in the hotel’s common area, or to new towns above the high-water mark. retire to your room to get some sleep before our explorations tomorrow. The Chinese government points to the benefits of the Three Gorges Dam, including its ability Day 19 Fly to Shenzhen • Transfer to control the area’s severe flooding, the huge to Hong Kong and much-needed hydroelectric potential, the opening of the upper Yangtze to 10,000-ton • Destination: Hong Kong ships, and the irrigation value of the water. • Included Meals: Breakfast • Accommodations: The Cityview Hotel At about 10am, we’ll first visit Three Gorges or similar modelling hall to learn more about about the mechanical and technical aspects of this Breakfast: Served buffet-style at the hotel massive undertaking. Then around 10:30am beginning at 6am, with hot and cold options we’ll take an elevator just outside of the available. modeling house to a viewing platform, where we’ll enjoy a bird’s eye view of the dam. This is

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27 Morning: We’ll check out of the hotel around • Shop like a local at Stanley Market: Find silk 7:45am and drive 30 minutes to the airport. Our garments, sportswear, art, Chinese costume flight to Shenzhen leaves around 9:45am and jewelry, and a host of other souvenirs … not arrives at the Shenzhen airport around 11:40am. to mention some fantastic bargains at this sprawling market. And after you’ve finished Lunch: On your own—you can grab food at the shopping, you can relax at one of the area’s Shenzhen airport upon arrival. tranquil beaches set in sheltered, sandy Afternoon: After passing through customs coves, some of which are popular spots for at the Shenzhen airport, we’ll depart around Hong Kong’s windsurfers. Nearby Stanley 1:30pm for a 2-hour private motorcoach Village also offers a variety of restaurants and drive to our hotel in Hong Kong. Upon arrival snack bars. around 3:30pm, we’ll check in and receive our • How to get there: A 30-minute public bus room assignments. Depending on where we ride, about $10 USD one way. stay, amenities may include a fitness center • Hours: 10am-6pm, daily. and on-site restaurants. Each of the hotel’s • Cost: Free. rooms usually features coffee- and tea-making • Experience the serenity of Lamma Island: In facilities, a TV, wireless Internet access, and a contrast to Hong Kong Island and Kowloon, private bathroom. Lamma Island is a peaceful and tranquil Then, enjoy the rest of your day on your retreat. Nature takes more of a leading role own to settle in or start exploring. Your Trip here, as buildings higher than 3 stories are Experience Leader can recommend activities prohibited, as are cars. The only vehicles al- and sights to take advantage of during your stay lowed on the island are diminutive fire trucks in Hong Kong—long the center of trade in Asia and ambulances—residents of the island get and the world’s busiest port. Perhaps you’ll around on foot or by bicycle. Lamma Island venture into one of the nearby parks, where provides visitors a quiet reprieve from the you can take advantage of viewpoints that hustle and bustle of the city and is also a overlook the skyline, or you can take the metro haven for artists and musicians. to Kowloon and explore this famous arts and • How to get there: Take the bus or subway shopping district. to Central Ferry Pier; ferries to the island depart approximately every 30 minutes. Dinner: On your own—your Trip Experience The 25-minute boat ride is about $3 USD Leader can guide you to their favorite local one way. restaurants. • Hours: Daily. Evening: Enjoy free time to make your own • Cost: Free. discoveries. • Discover Hong Kong’s broad and dynamic past at the Hong Kong Museum of History: Freedom To Explore: During your three nights Get a fuller picture of the region as you peruse in Hong Kong, you have the freedom to explore an impressive collection of cultural objects this bustling city on your own during your free related to the archaeology, ethnography, time. Below are a few recommended options for and natural history of Hong Kong and independent explorations: South China. Since its opening in 2001, the

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28 permanent exhibition showcases 6,000 years Aberdeen like the locals do aboard a 1.5-hour of Hong Kong’s history. Thematic exhibitions sampan ride. We’ll depart the village around are also held here from time to time. 12pm, stopping along the way to visit a local • How to get there: 10-minute walk from the jewelry factory. We’ll return to the hotel around hotel. 12:30pm; the balance of the day will be on • Hours: 10am-6pm, Monday-Saturday your own. (closed Tuesdays); 10am-7pm, Sunday & Lunch: On your own—as your Trip Experience public holidays. Leader for recommendations. • Cost: Free. Afternoon: The remainder of the day is free for Day 20 Explore Hong Kong • Visit your own discoveries. Aberdeen floating village • Optional Hong Dinner: On your own this evening. Perhaps Kong by Night & Asian Cuisine tour you’ll try dim-sum, a traditional Chinese • Destination: Hong Kong meal made up of many small plates of • Included Meals: Breakfast dumplings and other bite-sized dishes, usually • Accommodations: The Cityview Hotel accompanied by tea. or similar Or you can join us for an optional Hong Kong Breakfast: Served buffet-style at the hotel by Night & Asian Cuisine tour, departing the starting at 6am, with hot and cold options hotel around 5:30pm and arriving at a local available. restaurant around 20 minutes later. After dinner, around 7pm, we’ll take the Star Ferry Morning: Around 9am, we’ll depart by private across the harbor to Central Pier, where we’ll motorcoach to begin a morning tour that be driven up Victoria Peak to gaze at the night introduces you to the major sites of this vibrant view. After returning to Happy Valley, we’ll city. Our guided explorations of Hong Kong enjoy a streetcar ride through Wan Chai, the will begin around 9:15am and feature some famous red-light district. It’s an exciting look of this densely populated city’s most famous at Hong Kong at night. attractions. We’ll explore the city’s traditional Chinatown district, including bustling Ladder Evening: The rest of the evening is free for you Street. From there, we’ll take the Mid Levels to discover Hong Kong on your own. Your Trip Escalator, the world’s longest covered outdoor Experience Leader is a wealth of information, escalator, which takes about 20 minutes to so be sure to check with him or her if you’d travel from end to end. like ideas.

Then around 10:30am, we’ll see where Hong If you’ve chosen our optional tour, you will Kong plays and prays as we explore Man Mo return to the hotel around 10:30pm. Temple and visit the beach of shrine-dotted Repulse Bay. You’ll also see Deep Water Bay and visit the floating village of Aberdeen, which may soon become only a memory as the houseboats are moved to other harbors. Thousands of people spend their lives and make their livings on junks and sampans in the harbor. We’ll have an opportunity to traverse

Itinerary Subject to Change. For Information or reservations, call 1-800-955-1925

29 Day 21 Explore Hong Kong • Day 22 Return to U.S. Farewell Dinner • Included Meals: Breakfast

• Destination: Hong Kong Breakfast: Served buffet-style at the hotel, • Included Meals: Breakfast, Dinner with hot and cold options available. • Accommodations: The Cityview Hotel or similar Morning/Afternoon: Depending on the U.S. city you are returning to, your homeward flight Breakfast: Served buffet-style at the hotel leaves in the morning, afternoon, or early starting at 6am, with hot and cold options evening. Flying back across the International available. Date Line, you’ll arrive in the U.S. on the same Morning: After breakfast, you have the day calendar day. Or, if you are taking the Cambodia: free to discover more of Hong Kong on your Angkor Wat & the Legacy of the Ancient Khmer own. You might take in some of the city’s fine Empire post-trip extension, you will fly to museums, such as the Hong Kong Museum of Cambodia today. History or the Museum of Arts. Hollywood Road and “Cat Street” are famous for their many antique and curio shops selling silk carpets and Chinese furniture.

Lunch: On your own—your Trip Experience Leader can suggest where to go for authentic dishes. With dishes from all over China and beyond, Hong Kong is considered a food lover’s paradise. You can feast on specialties found everywhere from roadside stalls to Michelin-starred restaurants.

Afternoon: You’ll have the freedom to plan your afternoon as you wish.

Around 6pm, our group will reconvene to depart for a 20-minute drive to a local restaurant.

Dinner: Around 6:30pm we’ll enjoy a Farewell Dinner at a local restaurant, featuring traditional cuisine.

Evening: Your last night in Hong Kong is free for you to explore on your own. Perhaps you and your group will find a bar where you can grab a drink and toast to your experiences in China.

Itinerary Subject to Change. For Information or reservations, call 1-800-955-1925

30 END YOUR ADVENTURE WITH AN OPTIONAL POST-TRIP EXTENSION 5 nights in Cambodia: Angkor Wat & the Legacy of the Ancient Khmer Empire

Day 1 Fly to Siem Reap, Cambodia via Ho Day 4 Visit Tonle Sap village & Royal Chi Minh City, Vietnam Garden • Ox-cart ride Day 2 Killing Fields • Angkor National Day 5 Fly to Bangkok, Thailand Museum • Optional Banteay Srei tour Day 6 Bangkok • Return to U.S. Day 3 Siem Reap • Explore Angkor • Home-Hosted Lunch • Visit Bayon and Ta Prohm temples

Itinerary Subject to Change. For Information or reservations, call 1-800-955-1925

31 OPTIONAL TOURS

During your trip you will be able to book optional tours directly with your Trip Experience Leader. He or she will ask you to confirm the payment for these tours by filling out a payment form. Optional tours can only be purchased with a credit or debit card. We accept Visa, MasterCard, and Discover credit cards. We also accept Visa and MasterCard debit cards, but it must be a debit card that allows you to sign for purchases.

In order to correctly process these charges, there can be a delay of 2-3 months from the date of your return for the charges to be posted to your account. Therefore we ask that you use a card that will not expire in the 2-3 months following your return.

Please note: Optional tour prices are listed in U.S. dollar estimates determined at the time of publication and are subject to change. Optional tours may vary.

Xian by Night Dinner Sera Monastery & Norbulingka Palace (Day 8 $45 per person) (Day 13 $65 per person)

Join our optional Xian by Night dinner at a Join this afternoon tour to experience more local restaurant. Here, we’ll enjoy dinner of Tibet’s Buddhist culture, beginning with accompanied by a water fountain music show. a visit to the Sera Monastery, one of the After our meal, we’ll join locals who will teach region’s largest. Built in 1419, this monastery us the Yangge, a traditional harvest dance features a tsokchen (main assembly hall) four that was meant to celebrate a good harvest in stories high, with nearly 11,000 square feet of ancient times. floor space. The monastery’s chanting halls, chapels, statues, and murals are carefully cared for. The tapestries, scroll paintings, and Face-changing Performance scriptures written in gold powder still glow, (Day 10 $60 per person) as we’ll see. Our Optional Tour continues as we drive around the spectacular Norbulingka On this Optional Tour, we’ll experience a Palace. This architectural treasure was built face-changing performance. Face changing in the 18th century, served as the summer (bian lian) is an ancient Chinese dramatic art. residence of the former Dalai Lamas, and is now Performers wear brightly colored costumes a UNESCO World Heritage Site. and move to quick, dramatic music. But what is most impressive is their ability to change from one vividly colored mask to another in quick Hong Kong by Night & Asian Cuisine succession. (Day 20 $95 per person)

After dinner at a local restaurant, we’ll take the Star Ferry across the harbor to Central Pier, where we’ll be driven up Victoria Peak to gaze at the amazing night view. From there,

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32 we’ll be transported down to Happy Valley and enjoy a streetcar ride by Wan Chai, the famous red-light district.

Space is limited on this optional tour, and you must reserve at least 45 days prior to departure. For details, call your Adventure Specialist.

Itinerary Subject to Change. For Information or reservations, call 1-800-955-1925

33 PRE-TRIP Shanghai: China’s Historic Gateway to the West

INCLUDED IN YOUR PRICE

» Airfare from Shanghai to Beijing » 4 small group activities » Accommodations: 4 nights in Shanghai » Services of a local O.A.T. Trip at Fairfield by Marriott Shanghai Jingan Experience Leader or similar » Gratuities for guides, drivers, and » 9 meals—4 breakfasts, 3 lunches, luggage porters and 2 dinners » All transfers

PRE-TRIP EXTENSION ITINERARY

Day 1 Depart U.S. • Fly to Shanghai, China Day 3 Explore Shanghai • Visit Yu Garden • Discover the Bund Afternoon/Evening: You’ll depart the U.S. today on an overnight flight bound for • Destination: Shanghai Shanghai, China. • Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner • Accommodations: Fairfield by Marriott Day 2 Arrive in Shanghai Shanghai Jingan or similar • Destination: Shanghai Breakfast: At the hotel.

• Accommodations: Fairfield by Marriott Morning: Today we begin our discoveries in Shanghai Jingan or similar Shanghai. China’s largest city and a global Morning/Afternoon: Depending on your financial hub, Shanghai is home to more specific flight arrangements, you’ll touch 26 million people. The city is dense, with a down in Shanghai sometime today. Upon frenetic energy that is offset by views of the arrival, you’ll be greeted at the airport by an Yellow Sea. Glittering skyscrapers dominate O.A.T. representative who will then assist you the skyline, visually cementing Shanghai’s with your transfer to your centrally-located forward-thinking attitude for all who visit. hotel. Your hotel will likely feature an on-site But this morning, we’ll ease into our restaurant and gym, and typical rooms discoveries in Shanghai with a visit to Yu include wireless Internet, in-room safe, air Gardens. This sprawling, classical Chinese conditioning, and en suite bathroom. garden dates back to the 16th-century Ming After you check in, the remainder of your day Dynasty, when it reportedly took 18 years to be is free unpack and relax after your overnight seeded and nurtured into existence. Today, the flight, or to begin getting acquainted with garden contains decadent pavilions overlooking Shanghai on your own. fish-filled ponds, quiet shady alcoves and

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34 oases of green spaces—all steps away from the Day 4 Visit Fuxing Park • Explore the hustle and bustle of the city. We’ll spend some French Concession • Visit Pudong time exploring the garden on foot, stopping to • Destination: Shanghai admire the carefully cultivated flora and the elegance of the spaces. Then, we’ll make a short • Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch drive to a nearby restaurant for lunch. • Accommodations: Fairfield by Marriott Shanghai Jingan or similar Lunch: At a local restaurant, featuring typical Breakfast: At the hotel. Shanghai cuisine. Morning: We’ll begin our day at Fuxing Park. Afternoon: Next, we’ll depart the restaurant This area was once a private garden during the and drive to the Bund. The Bund is perhaps Ming Dynasty until the French took it over in the most recognizable area of Shanghai; its 1909. Today, it’s a gathering spot for locals, and Art Deco buildings hug the Huangpu River and we may get to meet some of them during our stand as a tribute to the city’s wealthy past. visit by joining them in various activities and Developers are breathing life into this area morning exercises. and restoring it to its former glory. As you stroll the waterfront boulevard, notice how the Then, we’ll walk to the nearby European influence on Shanghai is apparent French Concession area. This historic everywhere—from the historic Bank of China to neighborhood—once the domain of French the clock tower of the British Customs House. colonists—still retains an elegant European feel, as evidenced by the wide, leafy boulevards We’ll return to our hotel in the mid-afternoon and boutique wine bars. We’ll take a walking and you’ll have a few hours of free time. tour of the area, stopping to admire the Perhaps you’ll choose to visit the nearby Jade shikumen houses. These 2- or 3-story Buddha Temple. The temple was originally townhouses (whose Chinese name literally built in 1882 to hold two valuable jade Buddha translates to “stone warehouse gate”) are statues from Burma. Years later during the typically made of brick or stone and combine Chinese Revolution of 1911, the temple was Western and Chinese architectural influences. destroyed, but the Buddha statues were preserved. Today, you can observe the famous Our walk will take us to Tianzifang, a shopping statues in a newly built temple. district within the upscale French Concession area. Here, narrow alleyways are lined with Dinner: At a local restaurant, featuring small shops selling artisanal crafts and traditional Shanghai cuisine. souvenirs. You’ll have some free time to explore Evening: Free. Maybe you’ll venture out into the maze-like network of pathways on your the city to experience the lively nightlife. You own. This is a great opportunity to buy a small might choose to visit a rooftop bar to take in token to remember your time in Shanghai by. views of the city from above, or you may browse Then we’ll take a short drive to our spot the stalls at a night market where you can pick for lunch. up souvenirs like clothing, tech gadgets, and other little trinkets. Lunch: At a nearby restaurant featuring standard Chinese options.

Itinerary Subject to Change. For Information or reservations, call 1-800-955-1925

35 Afternoon: From Shanghai’s colonial Morning: You have a full free day to pursue past, we’ll venture to the city’s glittering your own interests in Shanghai. You might like forward-facing future when we drive to to visit the Old City Center Bazaar. There, you Pudong. Thirty years ago, this seaside district can mingle with locals and perhaps haggle for was swampy marshland; from those humble an assortment of wares, such as souvenirs, beginnings has emerged a global financial snacks, tech gadgets, and more. center gleaming with skyscrapers, new wealth, Or, join us on an optional full-day tour to and the latest in technological advances. If 500-year-old Suzhou in China’s fabled Silk you’d like, during our time here you may Region. This is the city of silk, gardens, and choose to visit the Shanghai Tower. Looming canals that inspired Marco Polo. Travel by over the city at more than 1,900 feet, the train (a journey of just more than 40 minutes), Shanghai Tower is China’s tallest building arriving in mid-morning. (and the second tallest in the world). Ride the elevator to the Observation Deck—located on Suzhou means “Plentiful Water,” and its Grand the 118th floor—to take in sweeping views of Canal is crowded with strings of barges laden the city. with fruits, vegetables, construction materials, and coal. The Grand Canal, second only to the We’ll return to our hotel in the mid-afternoon, Great Wall as a Chinese engineering feat, was and the rest of the day is yours to do as begun 2,400 years ago. Graceful bridges cross you’d like. over the water, and tile-roofed whitewashed Dinner: On your own—your Trip Experience houses sit close to shore. On arrival, you’ll Leader can suggest where to go for authentic disembark the train and take a short ride to the dishes. With dishes from all over China waterfront. From here, you’ll cruise the canal and beyond, Shanghai is considered a food to the Water Gate, which connects Suzhou to lover’s paradise. You can feast on specialties the southern end of the canal and was used as a found everywhere from roadside stalls to “toll gate” for the canal’s commercial traffic. Michelin-starred restaurants. Then, we’ll visit a factory to see how silk is Evening: The rest of the evening is free for you made from mulberry-munching silkworms to to continue exploring Shanghai on your own. thread to fine cloth. Marco Polo reported that Your Trip Experience Leader is a wealth of so much silk was produced in Suzhou that every information, so be sure to check with him or her citizen was clothed in it. At one time, Suzhou if you’d like ideas. guarded the secrets of silk-making so closely that smuggling silkworms out of the city was Day 5 Explore Shanghai • Optional punishable by death. Suzhou tour Lunch: Travelers who remain in Shanghai • Destination: Shanghai will have lunch on their own, whenever they • Included Meals: Breakfast, Dinner like. Looking for inspiration on what to eat? • Accommodations: Fairfield by Marriott Shanghai is well-known for soup dumplings, Shanghai Jingan or similar which are typically filled with either pork, vegetable, or shrimp, as well as a mouthful of Breakfast: At the hotel. piping-hot broth.

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36 Travelers on the optional tour will enjoy a lunch Morning: We’ll check out of our hotel and take of typical Chinese cuisine at a local restaurant a short drive to our last Shanghai discovery: the in Suzhou. Shanghai Museum. Built in 1994, this well-designed facility reflects a new approach Afternoon: Travelers not on the optional tour to viewing ancient artifacts. The galleries are can continue to explore Shanghai at their vast and airy and the exterior of the museum own pace. is just as impressive as the collections housed Those in Suzhou will next pay a visit to the within. As you pass through the Bronze city’s ancient Confucian temple, whose original Gallery to the sculpture collections and on to structure dates back to the eleventh century. the Chinese Calligraphy exhibit, the museum We’ll have a true sensory experience as we also guides you through the pages of China’s watch—and smell—locals burning incense. history. Other displays include ornate furniture Then, we visit the Ou Garden, a beautifully from the Ming and Qing dynasties, rare coins, landscaped enclave begun in the sixth exquisite Chinese paintings, and ceramics. century. We return by train to Shanghai before We’ll then take a short drive to a nearby dinnertime. restaurant. Dinner: We’ll come together as a small group Lunch: At a local restaurant featuring the for dinner at a local restaurant in Shanghai. Shanghai classics we have come to know. Evening: Your last night in Shanghai is free for Afternoon: We’ll head to the airport. where you to explore on your own. Perhaps you and you’ll check in and catch your flight to Beijing. your group will find a bar where you can grab a There, meet up with fellow travelers to drink and toast to your experiences. begin your Imperial China, Tibet & the Yangtze River adventure. Day 6 Visit the Shanghai Museum • Fly to Beijing & begin main adventure • Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

Breakfast: At the hotel.

OPTIONAL TOUR

Suzhou Water Gate, which connects Suzhou to the (Day 5 $90 per person) southern end of the canal and was used as a Join us today on an optional full-day tour toll gate for the canal’s commercial traffic. to 500-year-old Suzhou in China’s fabled Then visit the Wangshi (Master of the Fishing Silk Region. This is the city of silk, gardens, Net) Garden, built in 1140 and boasting a and canals that inspired Marco Polo. Travel peony courtyard that has been reproduced by train (just over 40 minutes), arriving in at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New mid-morning. On arrival, you’ll disembark the York City. After an included lunch at a local train and take a short ride to the waterfront. restaurant, visit a silk factory to see how silk From here, you’ll cruise the canal to the is made from mulberry-munching silkworms

Itinerary Subject to Change. For Information or reservations, call 1-800-955-1925

37 to thread to fine cloth. Return to Shanghai by motorcoach (approximately a two-hour drive) by dinnertime. The cost of this optional tour includes lunch. This optional tour must be pre-booked at least 10 days prior to departure to guarantee space. On-site reservations are subject to limited availability.

Itinerary Subject to Change. For Information or reservations, call 1-800-955-1925

38 PRE-TRIP Mongolia: Ulaanbaatar, the Gobi Desert & Kharkhorin

INCLUDED IN YOUR PRICE

» 1 internal roundtrip flight between » 11 small group activities Ulaanbaatar and the Gobi Desert » Services of a local O.A.T. Trip » Accommodations in a centrally located Experience Leader hotel for 1 night in Beijing, 2 nights in » Gratuities for guides, drivers, and Ulaanbaatar, 2 nights in a Gobi Desert luggage porters camp, and 2 nights in a mountain camp » All transfers » 19 meals—7 breakfasts, 6 lunches, and 6 dinners

PRE-TRIP EXTENSION ITINERARY

Discover Mongolia from the Gobi Desert, where nomadic herders still practice an ancient way of life … to the plains of Kharkhorin, where Genghis Khan once rode … and the capital city of Ulaanbaatar, where modern buildings stand near Buddhist monasteries and traditional ger tents.

Day 1 Depart U.S. Dinner: On your own—you may choose to enjoy an authentic Chinese experience at a hot pot You depart this evening for an overnight flight restaurant. Here, you can cook a selection of to Beijing. meats and vegetables yourself in pots of soup. Or, perhaps you’ll stay at the hotel where you Day 2 Arrive Beijing, China can dine at the on-site restaurant. • Destination: Beijing Evening: The rest of the group will arrive in • Accommodations: Holiday Inn Express Beijing this evening. An O.A.T. representative Beijing Dongzhimen or similar will meet you at the airport and transfer you to Afternoon: Depending on your departure our hotel. city, you may arrive in Beijing this afternoon. An O.A.T. representative will meet you at the Day 3 Fly to Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia airport and assist with your 1-hour transfer by • Destination: Ulaanbaatar bus to our centrally-located hotel. Depending • Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner on which hotel we stay at, amenities may • Accommodations: Best Western Premier include a restaurant and fitness center. Each Tuushin Hotel or similar of the hotel’s rooms typically feature wireless Internet access, TV, and a private bath. Activity note: We depart the hotel very early this morning around 5:30am.

Itinerary Subject to Change. For Information or reservations, call 1-800-955-1925

39 Breakfast: A boxed breakfast will be provided you’ll venture to Sukhbaatar Square. Here, for you to take to the airport. you’ll see the outside of the Government House (state parliament building) and Stock Morning: We’ll have an early start today and Exchange building, which attest to the square’s check out of our hotel around 5:30am. We’ll importance as the political and financial drive one hour to the airport where we’ll catch center of the city. A famous statue of Damdin a 2.5-hour flight to Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia Sukhbaatar, the “hero of the revolution,” just before 8:30am. Located on the banks presides over the square. It was on this of the mighty Tuul River, high in the Bogd spot that Sukhbaatar declared Mongolia’s Mountain range, Ulaanbaatar was founded in independence from China in 1921. Less than 1639 as a nomadic encampment and was not 70 years later, in 1989, Sukhbaatar Square was permanently settled until 1778. also the site of the first protests against Soviet Today, it is a bustling metropolis of close to one oppression, and rallies and ceremonies are still million people and the country’s sole air and held here today. railway link to the outside world. Upon arrival Dinner: Around 6pm at the hotel, featuring a just before noon, our Trip Experience Leader variety of hot and cold international dishes. for this extension will meet us at the airport. From the airport, we’ll board our bus and drive Evening: On your own—you may choose to 30 minutes to our lunch location. Along the head to the bar for a nightcap, or you can retire way, we’ll have a Welcome Briefing. During to your room to rest before our early start our briefing, we will introduce ourselves and tomorrow morning. review our itinerary in more detail (including Freedom To Explore: During your two full days any changes that may need to occur). Our Trip in Ulaanbaatar, you have the freedom to explore Experience Leader will also discuss logistics, this capital city on your own during your free safety and emergency procedures, and answer time. Below are a few recommended options for any questions we may have. independent explorations: Lunch: Around 12:30pm at a local restaurant • Browse the Naran Tuul Market: More com- where we’ll have our first taste of monly referred to as the “Black Market,” this Mongolian cuisine. is Mongolia’s largest open-air market. Here, Afternoon: Just after 1:30pm, we’ll drive about you can find everything from traditional 30 minutes to our hotel where we’ll check in. clothing to carpets and horse-riding gear. Depending on the hotel we stay at, amenities • How to get there: A 30- to 40-minute may include restaurants, a bar, fitness center, walk. beauty salon, and boutique. Typically, each of • Hours: 10am-8pm, Wednesday-Monday. the hotel’s rooms features wireless Internet • Cost: Free. access, coffee- and tea-making facilities, TV, • Enjoy ballroom dancing: Ballroom dancing and a private bathroom. has become a popular pastime in Ulaanbaatar. Enjoy the rest of the afternoon on your own You can join in and learn a dance for yourself, to explore as you please. You may visit the or watch as the locals spin around the National History Museum where we’ll become acquainted with Mongolian history from the Stone Age to modern times. Or perhaps

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40 ballroom. This is also a great time to interact Lunch: Around noon at our camp, featuring with the city’s residents to get a better sense authentic Mongolian dishes. of what the local culture is like. Afternoon: You have the option to spend the • How to get there: A 10- to 15-minute walk. afternoon on your own, or you can join our • Hours: 6pm-9pm, daily. Optional Tour to the spectacular Yolyn Am • Cost: About $1 USD. canyon (“Vulture’s Mouth”). If you choose to • Experience interactive exhibits at the join this optional excursion, we’ll depart our International Intellectual and Puzzle camp around 1:30pm and journey by bus for 1 Museum: The museum was created by a local hour to the canyon. Here, we’ll follow several man who was born into a nomadic family but hiking trails that will reveal views of rugged always had a fascination with puzzles. Here, mountains and a deep ravine. We’ll conclude you can test your abilities by playing with our explorations around 4:30pm and make our thousands of interactive displays that include way back to our camp. puzzles, magic tricks, dolls, and more. Dinner: Served at the camp around 6:30pm, • How to get there: A 5- to 10-minute walk. featuring traditional cuisine. • Hours: 10am-6pm, Monday-Saturday. • Cost: About $4 USD. Evening: On your own—perhaps you’ll ask your Trip Experience Leader if they can guide you on Day 4 Fly to Gobi Desert • Optional Yolyn a night walk around the area surrounding our Am canyon hike camp, or you might choose to call it a night and retire to your room to get some rest. • Destination: Gobi Desert • Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner Day 5 Explore Gobi Desert • Visit • Accommodations: Dream Gobi Lodge or similar camel-breeding family • Visit Flaming Cliffs Activity note: We depart the hotel very early this morning around 4:30am. During our • Destination: Gobi Desert hikes on today’s Optional Tour, you’ll need to • Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner cross over a small stream, so you may get your • Accommodations: Dream Gobi Lodge shoes wet. or similar Breakfast: Served at the camp from 8am-10am, Breakfast: A boxed breakfast will be provided with hot and cold options available. for you to take to the airport. Morning: We’ll enjoy free time until shortly Morning: We check out of our hotel just after before 9am when we drive 1-hour to visit a local 4:30am and head to the airport where we’ll camel-breeding family in their home. Then, catch a 1.5-hour flight to the Gobi Desert, we’ll have the special opportunity to ride a arriving around 8:30am. We’ll board a minivan camel among the sand dunes. After, we’ll board and journey about one hour to our camp where a minivan and drive for 1 hour to our lunch we’ll check in and have some free time. Our location. camp features an on-site restaurant, and each of the traditional ger tents includes a private Lunch: At a local restaurant around 12:15pm, bathroom. featuring traditional Mongolian cuisine.

Itinerary Subject to Change. For Information or reservations, call 1-800-955-1925

41 Afternoon: Just before 1:30pm, we’ll travel Morning: We’ll rise early and leave our camp for approximately 30 minutes to Bayanzag, a around 6am, driving one hour to the airport. natural basin that was once an ancient inland Just after 8:30am, we’ll catch our 1.5-hour sea and today is the setting for the Gobi’s vast flight to Ulaanbaatar. Upon arrival, we’ll begin sand dunes. In 1922, a team from the American our overland journey to Khogno Khan, a drive of Museum of Natural History, headed by Dr. about five hours. Roy Chapman Andrews, defied the prevailing Lunch: Around 1pm, we’ll pause to enjoy a conventional wisdom of the time and began boxed lunch. searching for fossils here. Amid the shifting sands, they uncovered a breakthrough in Afternoon: We’ll continue on just after 2pm, paleontology: the first nest of dinosaur eggs arriving at our camp around 4pm. We’ll stay for ever found. Dinosaur bones and prehistoric two nights at our camp, located near Khogno artifacts have also been unearthed here. While Khan Mountain. Each of the camp’s ger tents we’re here, we can admire the Flaming Cliffs, includes Western-style bathrooms. A natural nicknamed for their glowing orange hue. reserve covering 16,000 acres, this splendid sanctuary is a habitat for ibex, wolves, and Around 3pm, we’ll drive for about one hour many varieties of hawk, and is also renowned back to our camp where you have a couple for its many monasteries. hours to relax. Around 4:30pm, we’ll journey about 30 minutes Dinner: At our camp around 6pm, featuring for an immersive people-to-people experience traditional Mongolian cuisine. when we visit a nomadic family that breeds Evening: On your own—you may gather with horses. We’ll spend about one hour with our your fellow travelers at the camp’s outdoor hosts before we return to our camp. seating area to get to know them better. Or, Dinner: Around 7pm at our camp, featuring the you may retire to your room to get some sleep Mongolian cuisine we have come to know. before our early start tomorrow morning. Evening: On your own—you may choose to Day 6 Fly to Ulaanbaatar • Overland to walk around the area surrounding our camp. Khogno Khan • Visit horse-breeding family Gaze out over vistas of mountain peaks, sandy hills, and a willow grove, set near the • Destination: Khogno Khan Mountain region Shiluustei River. • Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner • Accommodations: Khogno Khan Mountain Day 7 Kharkhorin • Erdene Zuu Monastery Camp or similar • Destination: Khogno Khan Mountain region Activity note: We’ll have an early wake-up call • Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner this morning for breakfast starting at 4am. We’ll drive for approximately five hours to • Accommodations: Khogno Khan Mountain Khogno Khan. Camp or similar Breakfast: Served at the camp from 6am-8am, Breakfast: Served at the camp from 4am-6am, with hot and cold options available. with hot and cold options available.

Itinerary Subject to Change. For Information or reservations, call 1-800-955-1925

42 Morning: We depart our camp around 8am our visit, we’ll have the opportunity to speak and board our bus to set off to explore one with the owner of the farm before we head back of the most historically and archaeologically to the hotel. important sites in Central Asia: Erdene Zuu We board our bus and return to our camp monastery. Built in 1586 from the ruins of around 5:30pm, and we’ll have some to relax Kharkhorin—the capital city built by Genghis before dinner. Khan in 1220—this fascinating religious complex is a testament to Mongol architecture. Dinner: At our camp around 7pm, featuring At its peak, the complex boasted some 100 local Mongolian dishes. temples. Though most were destroyed during the Stalinist purges of 1937, three remain Evening: On your own—you may choose to get for our inspection. In 1962, the complex was together with your fellow travelers to discuss allowed to reopen as a museum; it regained your discoveries thus far and the adventure to its true calling as a place of worship after the come. Or, perhaps you’ll retire to your tent to collapse of the communist regime. We travel rest before our early start tomorrow morning. here along the scenic Orkhon River, one of the largest rivers in the country. Day 8 Overland to Ulaanbaatar • Gandan Monastery Upon arrival at the monastery around 10am, we’ll find gates, walls, stupas, and temples • Destination: Ulaanbaatar constructed of wood, brick, blue brick, and • Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner ceramics. In the three temples, we’ll trace the • Accommodations: Best Western Premier course of the Buddha’s life—dedicated to his Tuushin Hotel or similar childhood, adolescence, and adulthood—and Activity note: Rise early this morning for view excellent collections of 16th-18th century breakfast starting at 5am. We’ll drive for thangkas (traditional Buddhist paintings), approximately five hours to Ulaanbaatar over masks, wooden and bronze statues, and some bumpy and uneven roads. appliqué and papier-mâché images of various gods. We’ll also see how the Orkhon River was Breakfast: Served at the camp from 5am-7am, diverted to form the monastery lake. with hot and cold options available.

Around 12:30pm, we’ll conclude our Morning: Around 7am, we’ll drive five hours discoveries, board our bus, and drive for about back to Ulaanbaatar. 30 minutes to a local restaurant. Lunch: Around noon at a local restaurant in Lunch: At a local restaurant in Kharkhorin Ulaanbaatar, featuring traditional cuisine. around 1pm, featuring authentic Afternoon: We’ll explore the city starting regional cuisine. at around 1:30pm, beginning with the Afternoon: Around 2pm, we’ll board our Gandan Monastery (also known as the bus and head to a sea buckthorn tree farm. Gandantegchinlen Monastery), which loosely The sea buckthorn tree’s berries have many translates to “Great Place of Complete Joy.” uses—including medicinal benefits—and they Founded in 1835, this Tibetan-style monastery are rumored to have been a popular food that is one of the few in Mongolia to have escaped Genghis Khan and his army consumed. During destruction under Stalin’s regime. Today, the monastery has undergone a revival and is

Itinerary Subject to Change. For Information or reservations, call 1-800-955-1925

43 revered as a source of national pride. It also Evening: On your own—you can take advantage serves as the country’s center of Buddhist of your last night in Mongolia by finding a local learning. At this cultural icon, you may hear pub with your fellow travelers. There is an the blowing of the horns that call the monks abundance of Irish pubs in the city that serve to prayer … catch the sounds of chanting as imported brews as well as local drinks like the devout spin prayer wheels … and watch airag, or fermented mare’s milk. as the more than 400 monks who reside here go about their daily rituals. A highlight of the Day 9 Ulaanbaatar • Fly to Beijing • monastery complex is its huge, gilded statue of Begin main trip the Buddha, and we’ll also view the Buddhist • Destination: Beijing University and its surrounding temples and colleges. • Included Meals: Breakfast Breakfast: Served buffet-style at the hotel Around 3pm, we’ll board our bus and drive beginning at 6:30am, with hot and cold options for 30 minutes to our hotel where we’ll check available. in. We’ll have some time to settle in before boarding our motorcoach around 5:30pm Morning: We check out of our hotel around and driving for 30 minutes to see a folk music 9am, and drive one hour to the airport, where performance. The show lasts about 1.5 hours, our flight to Beijing leaves just before noon. after which we’ll walk for 10 minutes to our dinner location. Lunch: On your own today—you may choose to grab food at the airport that you can enjoy Dinner: Around 7:30pm, we’ll say goodbye during your flight. to Mongolia over a Farewell Dinner at a local restaurant. This is our chance to toast to the Afternoon: We arrive in Beijing around 2pm discoveries we’ve made. and transfer by bus for 1.5 hours to our hotel. We join our fellow travelers on Day 2 of our Imperial China, Tibet & the Yangtze River adventure.

OPTIONAL TOUR

Yolyn Am canyons. We’ll have a chance to discover the (Day 4 $55 per person) natural beauty of Yolyn Am for ourselves during Join us in exploring Yolyn Am, or “Vulture’s several hikes before returning to our camp. Mouth”—a canyon in Mongolia’s Gurvan Saikhan National Park. While Yolyn Am was originally established to conserve the park’s impressive array of birds (including Mongolian trumpeter finches and grey-necked buntings), it is now famous for its rugged cliffs and narrow

Itinerary Subject to Change. For Information or reservations, call 1-800-955-1925

44 POST-TRIP Cambodia: Angkor Wat & the Legacy of the Ancient Khmer Empire

INCLUDED IN YOUR PRICE

» Accommodations in centrally located hotels » Services of a local O.A.T. Trip for 4 nights in Siem Reap at Treasure Oasis Experience Leader Hotel or similar, and 1 night in Bangkok » Gratuities for local guides, drivers, and at Evergreen Laurel Hotel or similar luggage porters » 10 meals—5 breakfasts, 3 lunches, » All transfers and 2 dinners

» 10 small group activities

POST-TRIP EXTENSION ITINERARY

Set in tropical forests near Siem Reap, Cambodia, is Angkor Wat—the largest temple complex in the world. We’ll discover this UNESCO World Heritage Site and also meet the friendly people of Cambodia as we visit a lakeside village, share a Home-Hosted meal, and much more.

Day 1 Fly to Siem Reap, Cambodia via Ho bar. Typically, each of the hotel’s rooms feature Chi Minh City, Vietnam wireless Internet access, TV, a telephone, minibar, safe, and a private bathroom. • Destination: Siem Reap • Accommodations: Treasure Oasis Hotel Dinner/Evening: On your own. You may or similar choose to dine at the hotel and then retire Afternoon: We’ll drive from Hong Kong to to your room to rest before our explorations remork the airport and begin our journey to Siem tomorrow. Or, hop on a —a local Reap, Cambodia. Just before 3pm, we’ll catch a mode of transportation—and ride to a local 4-hour flight to Ho Chi Minh City. We’ll have a night market where you can sample typical few hours in Vietnam’s airport to relax before street food. the next leg of our journey when we fly one Freedom To Explore: During your three days hour to Siem Reap, landing around 8:45pm. in Siem Reap, you have the freedom to explore Upon arrival, we’ll transfer to our this historic city on your own during your free centrally-located hotel. Depending on which time. Below are a few recommended options for hotel we stay at, amenities may include a independent explorations: swimming pool, fitness center, restaurant, and • Visit the Angkor Silk Farm: Take a guided tour around the nearly 20-acre property where local women weave handmade silk

Itinerary Subject to Change. For Information or reservations, call 1-800-955-1925

45 products. Trace the process from breeding to imagine the nature of true evil here in this silk worms to dying the fabric and weaving gentle land, but the Buddhist memorial at the silk before you have the opportunity to try Choeung Ek commemorates the 1.7 million weaving silk yourself. victims of the 1975-79 Pol Pot genocide. This • How to get there: A 25- to 30-minute execution site is one of many throughout remork ride, about $15 USD one way. Cambodia. • Hours: 8am-5pm, daily. After spending about an hour here, we’ll travel • Cost: Free. for 10 minutes to the Angkor National Museum. • Catch a Khmer circus performance: The During our 1.5-hour visit, we’ll view exhibits Brightness of the Arts is a non-profit school and interactive media that explain the golden that provides a creative outlet for disadvan- age of Khmer culture and when the temples of taged children. Enjoy a circus performance Angkor were built. We conclude our discoveries by the children that aims to preserve Khmer around 11:30am and drive for 10 minutes to a traditions. Prices vary based on seat location. local restaurant.

• How to get there: A 10- to 15-minute taxi Lunch: Around 11:45am at a local restaurant, ride, about $5 USD one way. featuring traditional Cambodian cuisine. • Hours: 7:30pm-8:30pm, daily. • Cost: About $18-$38 USD. Afternoon: We return to our hotel around 1pm and you have the rest of the day free to make Day 2 Killing Fields • Angkor National explore Siem Reap at your own pace. Or you can Museum • Optional Banteay Srei tour join us for an optional visit to Banteay Srei, one of the oldest and well-preserved temple sites in • Destination: Siem Reap Cambodia. • Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch • Accommodations: Treasure Oasis Hotel If you choose to join this optional excursion, or similar we’ll depart the hotel around 2:30pm and travel by motorcoach to Banteay Srei, arriving about Activity note: Today’s visit to the Killing Fields an hour later. Built in AD 967, Banteay Srei covers particularly difficult subject matter. means “Citadel of Women,” and it is recognized While it may be hard to hear the specifics of as a tribute to the beauty of women. The this dark moment in Cambodia’s history, it is structures here have been carved in painstaking important to learn about to better understand detail out of sandstone and are set like a gem in the country’s current political landscape. You’ll a seemingly enchanted forest, about 20 miles also walk around for approximately 45 minutes from Angkor. We’ll spend a little over one hour to one hour on some unpaved pathways. exploring the temple’s grounds with our Trip Breakfast: Served buffet-style at the hotel Experience Leader before we have some time to from 7am-8:30am, with hot and cold options walk around on our own. available. Then around 4:45pm, we’ll board our Morning: We leave the hotel at about 8:30am motorcoach and drive for 15 minutes to a and drive about 10 minutes by bus to the Killing factory that produces palm sugar, an ingredient Fields of Choeung Ek—a grim reminder of used widely in Southeast Asian cooking. We’ll Cambodia’s bloody past under Pol Pot and meet the farmers who harvest this natural the Khmer Rouge. It is almost inconceivable sweetener and have the chance to participate in

Itinerary Subject to Change. For Information or reservations, call 1-800-955-1925

46 part of the process of making it. We’ll conclude temples and monuments here between AD our discoveries here just before 5:30pm and 800-1200 were motivated by their Hindu and continue on to Pre Rup Temple where we’ll Buddhist beliefs. watch the sunset. About one hour later, we’ll We’ll begin our discoveries around 9am at travel for 30 minutes to our dinner location via Angkor Wat (whose name means simply a motorcoach. “Angkor’s main temple”). Angkor Wat is a Dinner: Travelers who choose to explore large pyramid temple, built between 1113 and independently today will have dinner on 1150, surrounded by a great moat 570 feet wide. their own. Dinner will be included at a local Note the bas-relief carving throughout the restaurant in Siem Reap around 7pm for those temple. Who knows what you might feel as you who join our Optional Tour. stand in the courtyard of this temple whose towers represent Mount Meru, the center of Evening: If you chose to spend the day making the universe and the residence of Hindu gods. your own discoveries, you’ll have the evening After exploring Angkor Wat for about two free to continue exploring on your own. hours, we’ll drive about 15 minutes to the home Travelers who joined our Optional Tour will of a local family where we’ll get an authentic return to the hotel just after 8pm. glimpse of daily life.

Day 3 Siem Reap • Explore Angkor • Lunch: Upon arrival at the local home around Home-Hosted Lunch • Visit Bayon and Ta 11:30am. During our Home-Hosted Lunch Prohm temples today, we’ll enjoy traditional dishes while discussing Angkor’s culture with our hosts. • Destination: Siem Reap This people-to-people experience will also give • Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner us an intimate glimpse of daily life here as our • Accommodations: Treasure Oasis Hotel hosts go about their daily routines. Feel free to or similar ask our hosts any questions you may have to Activity note: There will be a 2.5-hour walk learn about typical customs and traditions. through three miles of Angkor Wat. During Afternoon: Around 12:30pm, we’ll travel for our explorations of all of Angkor’s temples, 30 minutes back to our hotel in Siem Reap, and we’ll walk over uneven surfaces and up steep, you’ll have approximately two hours to rest and uneven steps. freshen up before we head back to Angkor.

Breakfast: Served buffet-style at the hotel We arrive at the South Gate of Angkor Thom, from 7am-8:30am, with hot and cold options the capital city of Khmer rulers, around 3:30pm. available. Here, we’ll see the 12th-century Bayon temple Morning: We depart our hotel around 8:30am where we’ll be greeted by over 200 smiling and drive around 30 minutes into the heart of faces. Hidden in plain sight of the structure’s 54 ancient Angkor. Our local guide will lead us stone towers are massive grinning heads that through this holy city that took centuries to symbolize the spirit of one of Cambodia’s most build and whose scale is still massive today—it beloved kings, Jayavarman VII. Then, we’ll sprawls across an area of roughly six by sixteen make brief stops at Baphoun and the Elephants miles. The Khmer aristocrats who built the Terrace, where bas-reliefs depict the huge beasts almost life-size. At the nearby Terrace of

Itinerary Subject to Change. For Information or reservations, call 1-800-955-1925

47 the Leper King, equally intricate wall carvings take a 30-minute ride on an oxen-drawn depict rank after rank of court attendants to cart. During this ride, we may see locals going mystical rulers. about their daily routines and traditional-style homes. After our oxen-cart ride, we’ll board We conclude our explorations of Angkor’s our motocoach and drive to a nearby pier where most notable features around 5:30pm with a we’ll board a traditional boat. We’ll ride for tour of Ta Prohm Temple. Unlike Angkor Wat, about 30 minutes to a floating village on Tonle Ta Prohm has been left the way it was found, Sap Lake. This gives us a chance to glimpse a bit covered by a dense jungle of trees and roots, of the life of Cambodia’s river people. allowing you to discover this archaeological treasure just as it was found by the French in Floating fishing villages sprawl across the the mid-1800s. The site is most famous for lakefront and everything is gliding by on its strangler fig trees whose roots seemingly the water—thatched-roof houses on hollow drip down over Ta Prohm’s temple, and bamboo poles, small markets, jewelry shops, for its appearance in the Lara Croft: Tomb even a beauty parlor. Businesses are even Raider movie. run on the lake—women selling fruits and vegetables from a sampan, a traditional We’ll return to our hotel around 6:30pm. flat-bottomed wooden boat; a skiff full of Dinner: Just after 6:30pm at the hotel’s firewood; and fishermen selling their catch. restaurant, featuring local dishes. The people who live on the water have tied their lives to the lake’s cycles, and are constantly Evening: On your own—you may choose to on the move as the water level rises or recedes catch a Khmer circus performance, or perhaps throughout the year. you’ll retire to your room to get some sleep before our discoveries tomorrow. Tonle Sap means “Great Lake,” and indeed this is one of the world’s geographical wonders as Day 4 Visit Tonle Sap village & Royal well as the largest freshwater lake in Southeast Asia. When the rains begin here in June and Garden • Ox-cart ride July, the Mekong River begins to rise, but • Destination: Siem Reap instead of flooding its own banks it begins to • Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner push the waters of the Tonle Sap at Phnom • Accommodations: Treasure Oasis Hotel Penh northward, reversing the river’s flow. The or similar waters of the Tonle Sap River then flood the lake, increasing its size tenfold and flooding the Activity note: Balance and agility are required surrounding forests and fields, leaving behind for boarding the boat on Tonle Sap Lake. fertile silt for rice cultivation. In October, after Breakfast: Served buffet-style at the hotel the monsoon season has passed, the lake drains from 6am-7:30am, with hot and cold options and the river returns to its southern flow. If you available. are a birder, this is a world-renowned habitat for shorebirds. Morning: We’ll leave the hotel around 8am and venture out into the Cambodian countryside We’ll conclude our discoveries around 11am and to experience the country’s everyday life and ride back to the pier. Upon arrival, we’ll board recent history. We’ll drive for about 30 minutes our motorcoach and set off for 45 minutes to before arriving at a local village where we’ll our lunch location.

Itinerary Subject to Change. For Information or reservations, call 1-800-955-1925

48 Lunch: At a local restaurant around noon, Lunch: On your own—you may choose to featuring traditional Cambodian cuisine. grab something at the airport or upon arrival in Bangkok. Afternoon: We return to the hotel around 1pm, and you have a few hours to explore Siem Afternoon: You’ll arrive in Bangkok around Reap on your own. Perhaps you’ll visit the 11am and transfer to your hotel, where you’ll War Museum where you can trace the wartime enjoy the remainder of the day free. Depending history of Cambodia during World War II and on where we stay, your hotel may feature a the Vietnam War. fitness center and outdoor swimming pool. Room amenities may include wireless Internet, Around 5pm, our group will gather and we’ll cable TV, and a safe. travel by remok, a covered carriage that is typically pulled by a motorcycle, for 15 minutes Dinner: On your own—you may wish to to the Royal Garden, which includes the shrines seek out pad thai, a famous Thai noodle dish of Preach Ang Cheak and Preach Ang Chorm. featuring peanuts and sprouts. We’ll stroll through the garden’s serene Evening: The rest of the evening is free for your landscape for about 30 minutes before setting own discoveries. You may choose to get some off for 15 minutes to our dinner location. sleep before your flight home tomorrow. Or, Dinner: Around 6pm at a local restaurant, you and your fellow travelers can grab cocktails featuring regional dishes. at the hotel’s bar to reminisce about your explorations. Evening: We return to the hotel around 7pm and the rest of the evening is free. You may choose to take a remork to Pub Street where Day 6 Bangkok • Return to U.S. you’ll find a dizzying array of lively bars, street • Destination: U.S. vendors, and souvenir shops. Or, perhaps • Included Meals: Breakfast you’ll retire to your room to pack before your Breakfast: Served buffet-style at the hotel, flight tomorrow. with hot and cold options available.

Day 5 Fly to Bangkok, Thailand Morning/Afternoon/Evening: Depending on the U.S. city you are returning to, your • Destination: Bangkok homeward flight leaves in the morning, • Included Meals: Breakfast afternoon, or early evening. • Accommodations: Evergreen Laurel Hotel or similar Flying back across the International Date Line, you’ll arrive in the U.S. on the same Breakfast: Served buffet-style at the hotel calendar day. beginning at 7am, with hot and cold options available.

Morning: Around 7:30am, we’ll depart for the short ride to the airport, where we’ll catch our 10am flight to Bangkok, Thailand.

Itinerary Subject to Change. For Information or reservations, call 1-800-955-1925

49 OPTIONAL TOUR

Banteay Srei (Day 2 $70 per person) Built in AD 967, Banteay Srei means “Citadel of Women”—the structures were carved in out of sandstone. The detail is as intricate as a woven tapestry, a testament to the craftsmanship of the artisans and to the devoted conservation of generations of Cambodians to this site. About 20 miles from Angkor, it’s famous for the delicate carvings and its wonderful state of preservation.

Itinerary Subject to Change. For Information or reservations, call 1-800-955-1925

50 Imperial China, Tibet & OUR SMALL GROUP ADVENTURE COVID-19 VACCINATION POLICY To ensure the safety of all of our travelers, we are requiring that all travelers the Yangtze River joining us on one of our Small Group Adventures must be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 at least 14 days prior to departure of their adventure— and provide proof of their vaccination on-site. 2022 Dates & Prices For more details, please visit www.oattravel.com/covid-update.

M A R C H ; JUNE; JUL 3, JUL 18, 26; SEPTEMBER; DEPART FROM N O V E M B E R A P R I L M A Y 13; OCT 16-31 AUGUST OCT 2-14

Los Angeles, San Francisco $ 4695 $5845 $5945 $5595 $5395 $5995

Atlanta, Baltimore, Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Denver, Detroit, Houston, Miami, Minneapolis, New York, $ 4795 $5945 $6045 $5695 $5495 $6095 Newark, Orlando, Philadelphia, Phoenix, Portland, San Diego, Seattle, Tampa, Washington, DC

Additional departure cities are available. Upgrade to Business Class may be available for the international portion of your flight. Call for details.

M A R C H ; APRIL; JUNE; JUL 18, 26; S E P T E M B E R ; NOVEMBER MAY 8-30 MAY 1-5 JUL 3, 13 AUG 1-14 AUG 16-28 OCT 2-14 OCT 16-31 Without international airfare $ 3395 $ 4545 $ 4645 $ 4195 $ 3995 $ 4095 $ 4695 $ 4295

DECK UPGRADE Executive Suite (Asiya) $ 600 $ 600 $600 $600 $ 600 $600 $ 600 $ 600 Executive Deck $ 200 $ 200 $ 200 $ 200 $ 200 $ 200 $ 200 $ 200 Promenade Deck $ 100 $ 100 $100 $100 $ 100 $100 $ 100 $ 100 Main Deck C $ 0 $ 0 $ 0 $ 0 $ 0 $ 0 $ 0 $ 0 See www.oattravel.com for complete ship details YA42022

RISK-FREE BOOKING POLICY: RESERVE WITH CONFIDENCE—NOW THROUGH 12/31/21 We will waive any change fees if you transfer to another departure date for any reason—up until 24 hours prior to departure. See details at www.oattravel.com/riskfree-booking.

Prices are per person. Airfare prices include government taxes, fees, and airline fuel surcharges. All prices and availability are effective as of the date of this publication, and are subject to change without notice. Standard Terms & Conditions apply, please visit our website: www.oattravel.com/tc. Every effort has been made to produce this information accurately. We reserve the right to correct errors.

For specific departure dates, current availability, and detailed pricing, visit www.oattravel.com/ya42022 pricing

SAVE UP TO 10% WITH FREE SINGLE SUPPLEMENTS SHARE YOUR LOVE OF TRAVEL OUR GOOD BUY PLAN We offer FREE Single Supplements on all New travelers you refer will instantly save The earlier you reserve your departure of our adventures and pre- and post-trip $100, and you’ll earn increasing rewards— and pay in full, the more you’ll save—up extensions. up to a FREE trip! to 10%—plus, you’ll lock in your price. Each departure has limited solo space For details, visit www.oattravel.com/va For details, visit www.oattravel.com/gbd available—call today to reserve.

Publication Date 5/14/20

Information & Reservations 1-800-955-1925 www.oatt ravel.com/ya42022

51 TRAVEL DOCUMENTS & ENTRY REQUIREMENTS

Your Passport • Must be in good condition

• Must be valid for at least 6 months after your scheduled return to the U.S.

• Must have the required number of blank pages (details below)

• The blank pages must be labeled “Visas” at the top. Pages labeled “Amendments and Endorsements” are not acceptable

Need to Renew Your Passport? Contact the National Passport Information Center (NPIC) at 1-877-487-2778, or visit their website at www.travel.state.gov for information on obtaining a new passport or renewing your existing passport. You may also contact our recommended visa service company, PVS International, at 1-800-556-9990 for help with your passport

Recommended Blank Pages Please confirm that your passport has enough blank pages for this adventure.

• Main trip only: You will need 4 blank passport pages.

• Pre-trip extension to Mongolia: You will need an additional passport page, for a total of 5.

• Pre-trip extension to Shanghai: No additional passport pages are needed.

• Post-trip to Cambodia & Thailand: You will need 2 additional pages, for a total of 6 blank passport pages.

• Both the Mongolia pre- and the post-trip extension: You will need a total of 7 blank passport pages.

• Both the Shanghai pre- and the post-trip extension: You will need a total of 6 blank passport pages.

Visas Required We’ll be sending you a detailed Visa Packet with instructions, application forms, and fees about 100 days prior to your departure. In the meantime, we’re providing the information below as a guideline on what to expect. This info is for U.S. citizens only. All visas and fees are subject to change.

• China: Visa required. Can only be obtained in advance. You must obtain this visa before you depart. Because of the sensitive nature of the Chinese control over Tibet, your Chinese visa application should not mention that you plan to visit Tibet.

52 • Tibet: Tibet does not require a visa for entry, but you will need a permit. O.A.T. will help obtain this permit for you onsite.

• Mongolia (pre-trip extension): No visa required, but a photocopy or scan of your passport will be needed before departure. U.S. citizens do not need a visa for a stay of up to 90 days. Travelers on this extension will need a multiple-entry visa for China. Also, due to airline regulations, all travelers on this extension will need to send a clear photocopy of their passport informational pages (the photo page and the facing page) to O.A.T. no later than 60 days before their departure. You will receive detailed instructions and a return envelope in your Visa Packet.

• Cambodia (post-trip extension): Visa required. We recommend you obtain this in advance. Although this visa may be obtained upon your arrival, we recommend you obtain it in advance. Entry requirements can change at any time; obtaining your visa in advance decreases the likelihood that you will encounter problems at the border and may protect you if entry requirements subsequently change.

• Thailand (post-trip extension): No visa required. U.S. citizens do not need a visa for stays of up to 30 days.

Traveling Without a U.S. Passport? If you are not a U.S. citizen, or if your passport is from any country other than the U.S., it is your responsibility to check with your local consulate, embassy, or a visa services company about visa requirements. We recommend the services of PVS International, a national visa service located in Washington D.C.; they can be reached at 1-800-556-9990 or www.pvsinternational.org.

Traveling With a Minor? Some governments may require certain documentation for minors to enter and depart the country or to obtain a visa (if applicable). For further detail on the required documentation, please contact your local embassy or consulate.

Emergency Photocopies of Key Documents We recommend you carry color photocopies of key documents including the photo page of your passport plus any applicable visas, air itinerary, credit cards (front and back), and an alternative form of ID. Add emergency phone numbers like your credit card company and the number for your travel protection plan. Store copies separate from the originals.

If you plan to email this information to yourself, please keep in mind that email is not always secure; consider using password protection or encryption. Also email is not always available worldwide. As an alternative, you could load these documents onto a flash drive instead, which can do double-duty as a place to backup photos during your trip.

53 Overseas Taxes & Fees This tour may have taxes and fees that cannot be included in your airline ticket price because you are required to pay them in person onsite. All taxes are subject to change without notice and can be paid in cash (either U.S. or local currency). If applicable, you will receive a list of these fees with your Final Documents.

54 RIGORS, VACCINES & GENERAL HEALTH

Is This Adventure Right for You? Please review the information below prior to departing on this adventure. We reserve the right for our Trip Experience Leaders to modify participation, or in some circumstances send travelers home, if their condition would adversely affect the health, safety, or enjoyment of themselves or of other travelers.

PACING • 7 locations in 21 days, including 3 nights aboard a ship

• One 4- to 6-hour long bus ride, one 4-hour train ride, and 4 internal flights of 1-2 hours each

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS • Not appropriate for travelers using wheelchairs, walkers, or other mobility aids

• You must be able to walk 3 miles unassisted and participate in 3-5 hours of physical activities each day

• Our activities include 400 stairs in the Forbidden City on Day 4, a 1.5-hour climb at the Great Wall with about 800 steep steps on Day 5; and about 2.5 hours of walking with 300 steps at an altitude of 12,000 feet at Potala Palace on Day 14

• We reserve the right for Trip Experience Leaders to restrict participation, or in some circumstances send travelers home, if their limitations impact the group’s experience

ALTITUDE • Altitudes of 12,000 feet in Tibet, which may cause altitude sickness

CLIMATE • The hottest months are June to August (mid-day temperatures can reach 100°F); the coolest months are November to March (mid-day temperatures from 40-50°F)

• Temperatures in Tibet can vary greatly, from cold mornings to warm afternoons

TERRAIN & TRANSPORTATION • Walk on city streets, rugged paths, unpaved roads, and steep, uneven stairs at some sites

• Travel by 16-passenger air-conditioned minibus, 218- to 378-passenger river ship, smaller boats, and high-speed train

• A 4- to 6-hour long drive, a 4-hour rail journey, and four internal flights of 1-2 hours

55 ACCOMMODATIONS & FACILITIES • Hotel rooms are smaller than in the U.S. and offer simple amenities

• All accommodations feature private baths

• Outside of our accommodations, some public restrooms will be limited to Asian-style squat toilets

STAIRS • Our travelers frequently comment on how many stairs there are in China. Even a restaurant or hotel lobby might be one or two flights up without an elevator—be prepared to climb at least 30 steps three or four times a day.

• See PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS (previous page) for a list of which days will be especially challenging, with lots of stairs.

Steps to Take Before Your Trip Before you leave on this adventure, we recommend the following:

• Check with the CDC for their recommendations for the countries you’ll be visiting. You can contact them online at http://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel or by phone at 1-800-232-4636.

• Have a medical checkup with your doctor at least 6 weeks before your trip.

• Pick up any necessary medications, both prescription and over-the-counter.

• Have a dental and/or eye checkup. (Recommended, but less urgent)

Vaccines Required

COVID-19 Overseas Adventure Travel requires that all travelers are fully vaccinated against COVID-19 and are able provide proof of their vaccination upon arrival at their destination. A full vaccination is defined as having been inoculated at least 14 days prior to departure by an approved vaccine. This requirement is not contingent on the countries the tour visits, but a strict company policy due to the nature of the pandemic.

Medication Suggestions • An antibiotic medication for gastrointestinal illness

• A pain medication. You might need this in the unlikely event of an injury in a location where medical attention would be delayed.

• Motion sickness medicine, if you are susceptible (for long bus rides and the ship).

56 • Altitude sickness medication. This adventure includes a stay in Tibet at an altitude of 12,000 feet. At this altitude, almost everyone feels some of the symptoms of Acute Mountain Sickness (AMS). These symptoms include headache, nausea, loss of appetite, trouble with sleep, and lack of energy.

• Anti-malaria medication: At time of writing, the CDC did recommend discussing anti- malaria medication with your doctor for travel along the Yangtze River and Cambodia.

Traveling with Medications • Pack medications in your carry-on bag to avoid loss and to have them handy.

• Keep medicines in their original, labeled containers for a quicker security screen at the airport and a better experience if you get stopped by customs while overseas.

• Bring copies of your prescriptions, written using the generic drug name rather than a brand name to be prepared for any unforeseen loss of your medications.

We recommend checking with the State Department for medication restrictions by country: https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/international-travel/International-Travel- Country-Information-Pages.html. (Pick the country and then follow the links to “Local Laws & Special Circumstances”; if you don’t see any medications specifically mentioned, then you can presume major U.S. brands should be OK).

Staying Healthy on Your Trip Jet Lag Tips

• Start your trip well-rested.

• Begin a gradual transition to your new time zone before you leave or switch to your destination time zone when you get on the plane.

• Attempt to sleep and eat according to the new schedule.

• Avoid heavy eating and drinking caffeine or alcoholic beverages right before–and during– your flight.

• Drink plenty of water and/or fruit juice while flying

• Stretch your legs, neck, and back periodically while seated on the plane.

• After arrival, avoid the temptation to nap.

• Don’t push yourself to see a lot on your first day.

• Try to stay awake your first day until after dinner.

Allergies

57 If you have any serious allergies or dietary restrictions, we advise you to notify us at least 30 days prior to your departure. Please call our Traveler Support team at 1-800-221-0814, and we will communicate them to our regional office. Every effort will be made to accommodate you.

Special Meal Requests If you have a dietary preference (i.e. Atkins diet, low-salt, etc.) or religious diet, please let us know at least 30 days prior to your departure. Keep in mind that these types of special meal requests are not guaranteed; especially in China where most restaurants do not offer them due to cultural differences. But since most meals in China are served family-style, with a variety of meat and vegetarian options, most travelers will find something they can enjoy.

Water • Tap water is not safe to drink. Bottled water is readily available.

• Inspect each bottle before you buy it to make sure the cap is sealed properly.

• Carry a bottle in your daypack at all times.

• Bottled drinks and hot drinks that have been boiled are safe to drink.

• Avoid drinks with ice in them.

• Carry a handkerchief to dry the tops of bottled drinks before and after opening.

Food • We’ve carefully chosen the restaurants for your group meals, and fresh fruits and salads at these establishments are generally as safe as they are in restaurants in the U.S. Your Trip Experience Leader can suggest restaurants for the meal you take on your own.

• Carry a handkerchief to dry any wet utensils or plates.

• Be very careful with food sold from vendors on the street, and with uncooked fruit and other foods. Fruit that you peel yourself is usually safe—avoid lettuce and other unpeeled produce.

Electricity Supply You may bring sleep apnea (CPAP) devices on the main trip, but please be aware that adapter and/or converter may be needed. Sleep apnea machines are not recommended for the extensions in Mongolia or Cambodia because a constant electricity supply cannot be guaranteed during overnight stays. At the camps in Mongolia electricity is only available in the evening, from approximately 8:30pm to 11pm. We strongly recommend bringing a flashlight with you if you are taking this extension.

58 Altitude Illness In Tibet, you will be staying overnight at about 12,000 feet above sea level. You will probably feel some effects of this altitude when you first arrive. Even if you’ve been to high elevations previously, you could have a different reaction this time. For most people, the symptoms are mild, and will pass in a day or so.

You should take it easy, avoid smoking and alcohol, and drink plenty of fluids. Some people take an altitude sickness medication, starting when they arrive or one day before. Don’t take sleeping medications, as they suppress respiration. The most common symptoms are lightheadedness, shortness of breath, headache, nausea, sleeplessness, and loss of appetite. If these are bothersome, you should start to take medication. Even though you may experience a decreased appetite, force yourself to eat soups and some foods.

If these ‘normal’ altitude symptoms become unmanageable, it is critical that you inform your Trip Experience Leader. Please let the leader know if you experience any of the following: serious difficulty breathing, mental confusion, a severe and unremitting headache, continued difficulty breathing after a period of rest, or poor physical coordination (ataxia).

TIP: Even if your risk is medium to low, it may be worthwhile to bring a medication with you so that you have it on hand for immediate use if needed. No one wants to buy medication they don’t need, but on the other hand, no one wants to interrupt their trip for a doctor’s visit.

Altitude sickness can also occasionally occur during the optional extension to Mongolia, where we spend some time at 4,300 feet above sea level in Ulaanbaatar.

59 MONEY MATTERS: LOCAL CURRENCY & TIPPING GUIDELINES

Top Three Tips • Carry a mix of different types of payments, such as local currency, an ATM card, and a credit card

• Traveler’s checks are not recommended. They can be difficult to exchange and the commission fee for cashing them is quite high. It’s more practical to view them as a last resort in the event of a special situation.

• You will not be able to pay with U.S. dollars on the main trip; you will need local currency instead. U.S. dollars may be accepted on the extensions to Mongolia and Cambodia.

Local Currency For current exchange rates, please refer to an online converter tool like www.xe.com/ currencyconverter, your bank, or the financial section of your newspaper.

China The official currency in China is called the renminbi (“people’s money”) and is abbreviated RMB. The main unit of currency is the yuan, which is divided into 10 jiao (pronounced as mao).

• Bills come in denominations of 1, 5, 10, 20, 50, and 100 yuan, as well as 1, 2, and 5 jiao, and 1, 2, and 5 fen.

• Coins come in denominations of 1 yuan, as well as 1 and 5 jiao.

In China you usually pay with local currency at shops and restaurants and tip in local currency too. But U.S. dollars may be accepted by some street vendors or the government’s Friendship Stores. Each time you change money, you will receive a receipt. Keep these exchange slips. You can exchange any leftover Chinese yuan bills at the airport before you depart from mainland China.

Tibet The official currency in Tibet is the Chinese Yuan, called the renminbi (“people’s money”) and is abbreviated RMB. The main unit of currency is the yuan, which is divided into 10 jiao (pronounced as mao).

• Bills come in denominations of 1, 5, 10, 20, 50, and 100 yuan, as well as 1, 2, and 5 jiao, and 1, 2, and 5 fen.

• Coins come in denominations of 1 yuan, as well as 1 and 5 jiao.

60 Hong Kong & Macau SARs Although Hong Kong and Macau are now part of China, the cities have their own currencies—the Hong Kong dollar (HKD) and Macanese pataca (MOP)—as a holdover from when they weren’t Chinese territories. In Hong Kong, U.S. dollars are usually not accepted for payment, so you’ll need Hong Kong dollars. Some larger shops will accept Chinese yuan, but usually at a poor exchange rate. Hong Kong dollars are also widely accepted in Macau, but Macanese pataca aren’t accepted in Hong Kong.

Mongolia Legal tender in Mongolia is the tugrik (or togrog). Coins are not used.

• Bills come in denominations of 1, 5, 10, 20, 50, 100, 500, 1,000, 5,000, 10,000 and 20,000 tugriks

Local currency is preferred. U.S. dollars might be accepted in some souvenir shops, but that’s about it. You can obtain Mongolian currency at a bank or at an exchange office. Remember, ATMs are scarce—even rare—in rural areas and banks may be far and few in between, so it would be wise to stock up on local currency in Ulaanbaatar before you depart for the countryside.

Cambodia The official currency of Cambodia is the riel (KHR), but U.S. dollars are widely accepted. Some businesses will also take Thai baht. Riel banknote denominations are as follows:

• Banknotes: 100, 500, 1,000, 2,000, 5,000, 10,000, 20,000 and higher

• Coins are no longer in general circulation

Previous travelers have suggested that since U.S. dollars are widely accepted in Cambodia, and prices are low, a mix of smaller bills—such as ones, fives, and tens—is more useful than a few large bills. A small amount of local currency is useful for some situations, such as to pay/tip the attendant at a public restroom. If you pay in U.S. dollars, it is fairly common to get your small change back in riels.

Thailand The basic unit of currency in Thailand is the baht (THB), easily distinguished by color and marked with both Thai and Arabic numerals. The baht is divided into 100 satang. Banknote and coin denominations are as follows:

• Banknotes: 20 baht (green), 50 baht (blue), 100 baht (red), and 500 baht (purple), 1000 baht (reddish brown)

• Coins: 25 satang, 50 satang, 1 baht, 2 baht, 5 baht, and 10 baht

Baht are generally preferred. When changing U.S. dollars to baht, you will find that you get a slightly better exchange rate on larger bills.

61 How to Exchange Money You can change money when you arrive at banks, most hotels, and money exchange offices. Please note torn, dirty, or taped U.S. bills may not be accepted for exchange. In some countries you do not even need to exchange money at all—you can use U.S. dollars. For more information on what type of currency can be used on this trip, see the “Currency” section.

You can also exchange money at a local ATM on an international network. An ATM will allow you to withdraw money from your U.S. account in local currency; your bank at home will calculate the conversion rate and charge you in U.S. dollars.

ATMs When using the ATM, keep in mind that it may only accept cards from local banks, and may not allow cash advances on credit cards; you might need to try more than one ATM or more than one card.

Many banks charge a fee of $1-$10 each time you use a foreign ATM. Others may charge you a percentage of the amount you withdraw. We recommend that you check with your bank before you depart.

Lastly, don’t forget to memorize the actual digits of your card’s PIN number (many keypads at foreign ATMs do not include letters on their keys—they only display numbers.)

China: ATMs are very common in cities and towns, but may not be available in rural villages.

Tibet: ATMs may be difficult to find or may be out of service, especially in smaller towns and rural villages.

Hong Kong (China SAR): As a major financial hub, ATMs are extremely common in Hong Kong.

Mongolia: ATMs are really only available in large cities like Ulaanbaatar. But even in Ulaanbaatar, the ATMs that are available may not accept your card; you may need to try more than one before you can withdraw money. For these reasons, you should NOT expect to rely on ATMs the way you might in the U.S. or in Europe. It is probably more practical to bring a reserve of cash for daily expenses and view the ATM as a backup. Another option is to bring enough cash to get part way through the trip, and then plan on making one large withdrawal in Ulaanbaatar to cover the rest of the trip.

Cambodia: ATMs are only somewhat available in Cambodia. You’ll find them in large cities, but not out in rural areas or at archeological sites. Because U.S. dollars are in widespread use in Cambodia, most ATMs will give you dollars and not local currency.

Thailand: ATMs are fairly common.

Credit & Debit Cards Even if you don’t plan on using a credit card during your trip, we still suggest that you bring one or two as a backup, especially if you are planning a large purchase (artwork, jewelry). We also suggest that you bring more than one brand of card (i.e. Visa, MasterCard, American Express) if

62 possible, because not every shop will take every card. For example, although the Discover card is accepted in some countries outside the U.S., it is not widely adopted, so other brands will work at a much larger range of stores, restaurants, etc.

China: Credit card use is common at hotels and shops, although many restaurants are still “cash only”. Credit card use is less common in rural villages or remote areas, like Tibet or Inner Mongolia.

Tibet: Credit card use is less common in Tibet and many places are “cash only.”

Hong Kong (China SAR): Credit cards are widely accepted.

Mongolia: Credit card use is becoming more common in Mongolia, especially in Ulaanbaatar, but not in the countryside. Many businesses, shops, and restaurants are still “cash only”. Therefore a credit card will be useful in some situations, but not all, which is why bringing a cash reserve for daily expenses is recommended. Businesses that do take credit cards will often charge a fee to do so; ask before making your purchase.

Cambodia: Credit cards are somewhat accepted—you’ll be able to use them in nicer hotels, shops, and restaurants but not at small businesses.

Thailand: Credit cards are commonly accepted as payment.

Notify Card Providers of Upcoming Travel Many credit card companies and banks have fraud alert departments that will freeze your card if they see suspicious charges—such as charges or withdrawals from another country. To avoid an accidental security block, it is a good idea to notify your credit card company and/or bank you will be using your cards abroad. You can do this by calling their customer service number a week or two before your departure. Some banks or credit card companies will also let you do this online.

You should also double-check what phone number you could call if you have a problem with a card while you are abroad. Don’t assume you can use the 1-800 number printed on the back of your card—most 1 800 numbers don’t work outside of the U.S.!

Tipping Guidelines Of course, whether you tip, and how much, is always at your own discretion. But for those of you who have asked for tipping suggestions, we offer these guidelines.

• O.A.T. Trip Experience Leader: It is customary to express a personal “thank you” to your Trip Experience Leader at the end of your trip. As a guideline, many travelers give $7-$10 USD (or equivalent in local currency) per person for each day their Trip Experience Leader is with them. Please note that these tips can only be in cash. If you are taking any of the optional extensions, your Trip Experience Leader during the extension(s) may not be the same as the one on your main trip.

63 • Waiters: Tipping at restaurants is not a part of Chinese culture or tradition, and several establishments in mainland China actually have a strict no tipping policy. Restaurants that cater to tourists may add a service charge (typically 10%).

• Taxi drivers: If you are taking a taxi by yourself, keep in mind that tipping is not common practice, but many people simply let the driver keep the change by rounding up the fare to the next whole number.

Please Note: Your tour price includes gratuities on the main trip and optional extensions for local guides, drivers, ship crew, and luggage porters that may assist you during the scheduled activities on your adventure. All tips are quoted in U.S. dollars; tips can be converted and paid in local currency or in U.S. dollars. Please do not use personal or traveler’s checks for tips.

64 AIR, OPTIONAL TOURS & STAYING IN TOUCH

Land Only Travelers & Personalized Air Quick Definitions

• Land Only: You will be booking your own international flights. Airport transfers are not included.

• Air-Inclusive: You booked international air with us. Airport transfers are included as long as you didn’t customize your trip’s dates (see next bullet).

• Personalized Air: You booked international air with us, and have customized it in some way. If you have customized your trip’s dates to arrive early, stay longer, or stop on your own in a connecting city, airport transfers will NOT be included. You must also arrange your own accommodations for any additional nights. For your convenience, a preliminary list of your included hotels is available on your My Account at www.oattravel.com/myaccount under “My Reservations”.

Airport Transfers Can Be Purchased For eligible flights, airport transfers may be purchased separately as an optional add-on, subject to availability. To be eligible, your flight(s) must meet the following requirements:

• You must fly into or fly home from the same airport as O.A.T. travelers who purchased included airfare.

• Your flight(s) must arrive/depart on the same day that the group arrives or departs.

Airport transfers can be purchased up to 45 days prior to your departure; they are not available for purchase onsite. To learn more, or purchase airport transfers, please call our Traveler Support team at 1-800-221-0814.

If you don’t meet the requirements above, you’ll need to make your own transfer arrangements. We suggest the Rome to Rio website as a handy resource: www.rome2rio.com.

Optional Tours Optional tours are additional add-on tours that allow you to personalize your adventure by tailoring it to your tastes and needs. And if you decide not to join an optional tour? Then you’ll have free time to relax or explore on your own—it’s about options, not obligations.

What You Need to Know • All optional tours are subject to change and availability.

65 • Optional tours that are reserved with your Trip Experience Leader can be paid for using credit/debit cards only. We accept MasterCard, Visa, and Discover credit cards; we can also take MasterCard or Visa debit cards as long as the card allows you to sign for purchases. (You won’t be able to enter a PIN.)

• To ensure that you are charged in U.S. dollars, your payment will be processed by our U.S. headquarters in Boston. This process can take up to three months, so we ask that you only use a card that will still be valid three months after your trip is over. The charge may appear on your credit card statement as being from Boston, MA or may be labeled as “OPT Boston”.

• Your Trip Experience Leader will give you details on the optional tours while you’re on the trip. But if you’d like to look over descriptions of them earlier, you can do so at any time by referring to your Day-to-Day Itinerary (available online by signing into My Account at www.oattravel.com/myaccount).

Optional Tours: Reserve Before You Go We strongly recommend that you reserve the following optional tours in advance. Unless otherwise noted, the deadline to do so is 45 days prior to your departure. Occasionally, space will be available for booking onsite, but this not guaranteed. Optional tours with O.A.T. can only be purchased with a credit card (Visa or MasterCard) or a debit card with credit card functionality. Because our headquarters are in Boston, charges may appear to be from Boston or might be labeled as “OPT Boston” (depending on your credit card company).

Hong Kong by Night & Asian Cuisine

After dinner at a local restaurant, we’ll take the Star Ferry across the harbor to Central Pier, where we’ll be driven up Victoria Peak to gaze at the amazing night view. From there, we’ll be transported down to Happy Valley and enjoy a streetcar ride by Wan Chai, the famous red-light district.

This optional tour is offered during the main trip. The cost is $95 per person.

Please note: Space is limited on this optional tour, and you must reserve at least 45 days prior to departure. For details, call your Adventure Specialist.

66 Suzhou

Set off on a 40-minute train ride to Suzhou. This 2,500-year-old city is known for its traditional Chinese handcrafts, in forms from woodblock prints to silk embroidery, and for its gardens. When we arrive, we enjoy a short cruise by the city’s Water Gate, which links this city of waterways to China’s Grand Canal. We then visit a local silk factory where we see how this classically Chinese fabric is woven. We enjoy lunch at a Suzhou restaurant before continuing to Dinghui Temple, said to be built at the end of the Han Dynasty around AD 220. Next, we visit the Ou Garden, a landscaped enclave begun in the sixth century.

This optional tour is offered during the Shanghai: China’s Historic Gateway to the West trip extension. The cost is $90 per person.

Please note: Due to train ticket availability, you must reserve this optional tour at least 10 days prior to departure. For details, call your Adventure Specialist.

Communicating with Home from Abroad To ensure you are available during your trip to friends and relatives at home, you will receive two copies of your hotel list, including phone numbers, with your Final Documents. One copy is for you to bring, and one to leave behind with friends or relatives in case they need to contact you during the trip.

Cell Phones If you want to use your cell phone on the trip, check with your phone provider to see if your phone and service will work outside of the U.S. It may turn out to be cheaper to rent an international phone or buy a SIM card onsite. If you want to use a local SIM, just make certain your phone can accept one.

Calling Apps Another option is to use a smartphone app like Skype, FaceTime, or WhatsApp. These services are usually less expensive than making a traditional call, but you’ll need a Wi-Fi connection and the calls may count towards your phone plan’s data allowance. Many smartphones—and some tablets or laptops—come with one of these apps pre-installed or you can download them for free from the appropriate apps store.

Calling Cards and 1-800 Numbers When calling the U.S. from a foreign country, a prepaid calling card can be useful because it circumvents unexpected charges from the hotel. Calling cards purchased locally are typically the best (less expensive, more likely to work with the local phones, etc.).

One reminder: Do not call U.S. 1-800 numbers outside the continental United States. This can result in costly long distance fees, since 1-800 numbers do not work outside the country.

67 Internet Internet access on this adventure will be a mix of WiFi—either in the rooms or just in the public area like the lobby—and computers in the hotel lobby or business center. Some hotels will charge for the use of WiFi; others will not.

Limited Web & Social Media in China The Chinese government restricts access to certain websites and social media platforms. The exact list is always changing, but a few big names—Google, Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, and Instagram—are usually off limits. This can be frustrating if your email is linked to Google as a gmail account or if you were hoping to post regularly to Facebook. If you are dependent on having email or social media access while in China, it may be worthwhile to research alternatives about a month before your trip. Some travelers have had success using email accounts other than Google, like Yahoo or Outlook. Others recommend a VPN service (Virtual Private Network) which tricks the “Great Firewall”into thinking your computer isn’t in China. The situation is always in flux, so even if you have a plan in place, it may be worthwhile to reconfirm that your alternative isn’t itself blocked.

How to Call Overseas When calling overseas from the U.S., dial 011 for international exchange, then the country code (indicated by a plus sign: +), and then the number. Note that foreign phone numbers may not have the same number of digits as U.S. numbers; even within a country the number of digits can vary depending on the city and if the phone is a land line or cell phone.

China: +86 Mongolia: +976

Tibet: +86 Cambodia: +855

Hong Kong (China SAR): +852 Thailand: +66

68 PACKING: WHAT TO BRING & LUGGAGE LIMITS

Luggage Limits

MAIN TRIP LIMITS

Pieces per person One checked bag and one carry-on per person.

Weight restrictions Checked bag is limited to 44 lbs total. Carry-on is limited to 11 lbs total.

Size Restrictions Standard airline size: Checked luggage should not exceed 62 linear inches (length+ width + depth) and carry-on should not exceed 45 linear inches

Luggage Type Duffel bag or suitcase.

TRIP EXTENSION(S) LIMITS

Shanghai extension: Same as the main trip.

Cambodia extension: Same as the main trip.

Mongolia extension: Combined weight limit for checked bag and carry-on is 33 lbs TOTAL. The carry-on should be a small bag (think “purse” or “backpack”, not “duffel bag”).

REMARKS/SUGGESTIONS

Luggage rules: Luggage rules and limits are set by governmental and airline policy. Enforcement of the rules may include spot checks or may be inconsistent. However one thing is the same across the board: If you are found to have oversized or overweight luggage, you will be subject to additional fees, to be assessed by—and paid to—the airline in question.

Our regional office would like to stress that this itinerary allows one carry-on bag per person. (An additional personal item, like a purse or a camera bag is OK, but not a second piece of luggage.) The Chinese aviation authorities have stated there is a “one carry-on per person rule” for all flights inside China. How strictly this rule will be enforced remains to be seen.

Luggage storage on extension to Mongolia: Only the flights between Ulaanbaatar and the Gobi Desert limit you to 33 lbs total. If you would like to bring more luggage for the main trip, you can store excess luggage at the Ulaanbaatar hotel. If you would like to take advantage of this service, please bring an extra bag with a lock for the hotel to store while you are in the Gobi.

69 Don’t Forget: • These luggage limits may change. If the airline(s) notify us of any changes, we will include an update in your Final Documents booklet.

• It’s a good idea to reconfirm baggage restrictions and fees directly with the airline a week or so prior to departure. For your convenience, we maintain a list of the toll-free numbers for the most common airlines on our website in the FAQ section.

• Baggage fees are not included in your trip price; they are payable directly to the airlines.

• The luggage limits above are based on your regional flights, which may be less than your international flights. Even if your international airline offers a larger weight limit, you will need to pack according to the lower restrictions.

Your Luggage • Checked Luggage: One duffel bag or suitcase. Look for one with heavy nylon fabric, wrap-around handles, and a heavy duty lockable zipper. Please do not bring a rigid (plastic shell) suitcase.

• Carry-on Bag: You are allowed one carry-on bag per person. We suggest a tote or small backpack that can be used as both a carry-on bag for your flight and to carry your daily necessities—water bottle, camera, etc—during your daily activities. If you decide to bring a wheeled carry-on bag, be sure to include the wheels when you measure its dimensions or factor the space the wheels take up when selecting a carry-on as Chinese overhead compartments may be smaller, particularly on our motor coaches and smaller aircraft.

• Locks: For flights that originate in the U.S., you can either use a TSA-approved lock or leave your luggage unlocked. Outside of the U.S. we strongly recommend locking your luggage as a theft-prevention measure.

Please Note: Even if you usually do not lock your luggage, you should bring a small padlock or luggage lock because some Chinese airports require that all luggage be locked.

Clothing Suggestions: Functional Tips As you will experience a wide range of temperatures and weather conditions, we suggest several layers of clothing. You may visit hotels that offer laundry service. However, it is recommended that you pack clothing that can dry out overnight just in case your only option is to hand wash. You can buy clothing designed especially for travel, with features like wrinkle-resistant fabric or built-in sun protection.

• Footwear: You’ll be on your feet a lot during the trip, and walking over some rough and slippery surfaces. We recommend you wear sturdy walking shoes, light hiking boots, or similar supportive sports shoes that offer good traction.

70 Style Hints • Dress on our trip is functional and casual, consisting of basic pants or everyday skirts, shirts, and sportswear.

• Your dress should be somewhat conservative, to be respectful of the local, traditional culture.

• Women might want to bring one dress, or a “smart casual” outfit, for the Captain’s Farewell Dinner, but it is totally up to you.

Suggested Packing Lists We have included suggestions from Trip Experience Leaders and former travelers to help you pack. These lists are only jumping-off points—they offer recommendations based on experience, but not requirements. You may also want to consult the “Climate” chapter of this handbook.

And don’t forget a reusable water bottle—you’ll need it to take advantage of any refills we offer as we are working to eliminate single-use plastic bottles on all of our trips.

Recommended Clothing ‰Shirts: A mixture of short and long-sleeved shirts in a breathable fabric, like cotton or cotton-blend. Polo shirts are more versatile than T-shirts.

‰Trousers and/or jeans: Comfortable and loose fitting is best. Avoid tight-fitting jeans for comfort and ease of movement.

‰Walking shorts: Cut long for modesty ‰For women–1 or 2 travel skirts: Our female Trip Experience Leaders suggest that a skirt is especially convenient when using Asian-style squat toilets.

‰Shoes and socks: Shoes should be comfortable walking or running shoes ‰Wide-brim sun hat or visor for sun protection ‰Light rain jacket/windbreaker with hood ‰Light cotton or wool sweater ‰Fleece jacket or heavy sweater for Tibet ‰Underwear and sleepwear ‰Optional: swimsuit, in case a hotel has a whirlpool or pool

71 Seasonal Clothing Recommendations For March, April, and November departures, add these items to your list: ‰Light insulated parka or warm coat, warm hat, and warm gloves

Essential Items ‰Daily essentials: toothbrush, toothpaste, floss, hairbrush or comb, shaving items, deodorant, etc. Our hotels/ship will provide the basics like soap and shampoo, but if you are sensitive to fragrances or new products, you may wish to bring your preferred brands. Most hotels do not provide a washcloth, so you may wish to pack one.

‰Spare eyeglasses/contact lenses, sunglasses ‰Sunscreen, SPF 15 or stronger ‰Insect repellent with DEET (30%-35% strength) ‰Light folding umbrella ‰Moisturizer and sun-blocking lip balm ‰Pocket-size tissues ‰Moist towelettes (not individual packets) and/or anti-bacterial “water-free” hand cleanser

‰Flashlight, extra batteries/bulb –especially useful in the Mongolian camp ‰Electrical transformer & plug adapters ‰Small gifts for Home-Hosted visits. This is not required—it is up to you to decide if you wish to bring a gift or not. However, please note that this trip features more than one home visit. Check your itinerary for details.

Medicines ‰Your own prescription medicines ‰Travel first aid kit: Band-Aids, headache and pain relief, laxatives and anti-diarrhea tablets, something for upset stomach. Maybe a cold remedy, moleskin foot pads, antibiotic cream, or allergy medication.

‰Optional: A strong prescription pain medication for rare emergency purposes

72 ‰Optional: Motion sickness medicine if you are susceptible (for the ship and long bus rides, if you are prone to motion sickness)

‰Optional: Altitude sickness medication ‰Optional: Anti-malarial medication—discuss with your doctor first

Optional Gear ‰Travel alarm or travel watch with alarm ‰Lightweight binoculars ‰Hanging toiletry bag (with hook to hang on doorknob and pockets to organize items) ‰Basic sewing kit ‰Cold-water hand-wash laundry soap such as Woolite and plastic hang-up clothespins ‰Hair dryer ‰Reading materials ‰Travel journal/note pad and pens ‰Home address book ‰Phrase book ‰Folding walking staff (or ski pole), sold in most camping stores. Useful when exploring hilly sites.

‰Pocket-size calculator for exchange rates ‰Inflatable seat cushion for bumpy roads

Electricity Abroad When traveling overseas, the voltage is usually different and the plugs might not be the same shape.

Voltage Electricity in China (including Tibet and Hong Kong), Mongolia, and Cambodia is 220 volts. In the U.S. it is 110 volts. Most of the things a traveler will want to plug in—battery chargers, MP3 players, tablets or computers—can run off both 110 and 220-240. But you should check the item

73 or the owner’s guide first to confirm this before you plug it in. If you have something that needs 110 volts—like a shaver or a hairdryer—you can bring a transformer to change the current. (But transformers tend to burn out, so it might be better to leave whatever it is at home.)

Plugs The shape of plugs will vary from country to country, and sometimes even within a country depending on when that building was built. To plug something from the U.S. into a local socket you’ll need an adapter that fits between the plug and the socket. Because there are many different types of plugs in this region, it may be easier to purchase an all-in-one, universal adapter/converter combo. Versatile and lightweight, these can usually be found at your local electronics goods or hardware stores. Sometimes you can buy them at large retailers too, like Target or Walmart. If you forget to bring an adapter, you might also find them for sale at the airport when you arrive at your destination.

Different plug shapes are named by letters of the alphabet. Standard U.S. plugs are Type A and Type B. Here is the list of plugs for the countries on this trip:

China: A (same as the U.S.)

Tibet: A (same as the U.S.)

Hong Kong: G and D

Mongolia: C or E (Note: C plugs will fit in E sockets)

Cambodia: A (same as the U.S.), C, or G

74 Thailand: A and B (same as the U.S.) or C

Type A Type C Type D Type G

Availability Electricity availability is better in China than Mongolia or Cambodia. You may bring sleep apnea (CPAP) devices on the main trip, but please be aware that an adapter and/or converter may be needed. Sleep apnea machines are not recommended for the extensions to Mongolia or Cambodia because a constant electricity supply cannot be guaranteed during overnight stays.

At the camps in Mongolia electricity is only available in the evening, from approximately 8:30pm to 11pm. We strongly recommend bringing a flashlight with you if you are taking this extension.

75 CLIMATE & AVERAGE TEMPERATURES

Beijing, China: Beijing is considered to be in the North-Central region, where spring and autumn are pleasantly warm, and summer hot and humid. Rain falls year-round. Winters occasionally bring snow. Temperature-wise this region can be compared to the Northeast of the U.S., similar to New York City or Boston.

Hong Kong: Hong Kong’s climate is subtropical, with hot temperatures and high humidity much of the year. Damp spells can occur year-round. The winter months are slightly cooler than those of the spring and fall, when the weather is typically comfortably warm and sunny.

Mongolia: Mongolia’s climate can be summed up in a few words: cold, dry, and windy (winter) or hot, dry, and windy (summer). Of course there are seasons when the temperatures vary, rain falls, and the wind stops, but since the country is completely landlocked, there is no nearby ocean to moderate the seasons. The result is a dramatic climate largely influenced by Mongolia’s two main topographical features—its mountains and its deserts.

Mongolia is a four-season country. Spring is usually mid- or late-March through May. Summer runs until August. Fall is brief—September and October—with winter sometimes starting at the end of October, and sometimes holding out until November. Winter’s arrival depends on your location; just like in the U.S., it arrives earlier in the north and in the mountains.

Spring can be a tough season to predict because the weather is so changeable (freak snowstorms have been known to occur as late as May). Summer is the warmest time of year, with average highs in the 70s, but the Gobi Desert can hit 100°F and Ulaanbaatar can sometimes get up to the low 90s. Despite these high daytime temperatures, keep in mind that even in July and August, the nighttime lows can be a chilly 40°, especially in the mountains. Summer is also usually the rainiest season, bringing color and life to the steppes. Many parts of the country experience long daylight hours in the summer—in Ulaanbaatar sunset can be as late as 9 or 10 pm. Fall brings moderate temperatures and, in the north, changing colors on the trees. Winter is very cold, with frost and snow almost everywhere—even in the Gobi Desert.

Tibet: Due to its unique geographical characteristics, Tibet is cold in winter, cool in summer, and generally dry, receiving only 18 inches of rain or snow a year. Sunlight is extremely intense. The thin air neither blocks nor holds heat, so sunshine feels warm, shadows are chilly, and temperatures can vary greatly within a day, exceeding 84 F in summer, and plunging below 40 F the same night. Lhasa’s nighttime lows in winter are around 16 F. The higher you go the colder it gets, and the winds in winter are ferocious. If you are traveling to Tibet in the months of November, December, January, February or March it is important to bring a warm winter jacket.

Shanghai, China: Shanghai is a coastal city with long, warm, humid summers. Autumn is typically cooler with some rain; heavier showers fall in spring.

76 Cambodia: Cambodia’s climate can generally be described as tropical with seasonal monsoons. There are two distinct seasons, the rainy and dry. Temperatures during the rainy season, between June and October, average 80-95°F. The dry season is characterized by cool months, November to February, with temperatures averaging 80-95°F and hot months, from March till May, which sees temperature range between 84-100°F.

Thailand: Thailand’s climate is tropical, high both in temperature and humidity, and dominated by monsoons. April and May are the hottest months of the year, when even the locals are moved to complain about the heat. June sees the beginning of the South West Monsoon, and brings with it the rainy season, which continues intermittently until the end of October. During this season, the air is warm and humid and the sky is typically overcast. From November to April, the air is much drier, with only a few days of rainfall per month. During the rainy season, and particularly from June to September, sunshine is limited to about five or six hours per day.

The north and northeast are generally cooler than Bangkok in winter, and hotter in summer. It will be warm during most of the trip. It gets hot in the sun at midday; in the north, it will cool down in the evening. Most of the country has abundant rainfall from May to October.

Climate Averages & Online Forecast The following charts reflect the average climate as opposed to exact weather conditions. This means they serve only as general indicators of what can reasonably be expected. An extreme heat wave or cold snap could fall outside these ranges. As your departure approaches, we encourage you to go online to www.oattravel.com/myaccount for your 10-day forecast.

77 Average Daily High/Low Temperatures (°F), Humidity & Monthly Rainfall

MONTH BEIJING, CHINA LHASA (TIBET)

Temp. High-Low % Relative Monthly Rainfall Temp. High-Low % Relative Monthly Rainfall Humidity (am-pm) (inches) Humidity (am) (inches) JAN 34 to 17 52 to 33 0.2 44 to 13 26 0.1 FEB 39 to 22 53 to 32 0.2 48 to 19 26 0.5 MAR 52 to 33 60 to 32 0.3 51 to 25 31 0.3 APR 67 to 47 63 to 33 0.7 61 to 34 34 0.2 MAY 78 to 57 71 to 40 1.3 66 to 40 43 1.0 JUN 85 to 66 79 to 47 3.1 72 to 48 54 2.5 JUL 86 to 72 89 to 62 8.8 71 to 50 68 4.8 AUG 85 to 69 90 to 63 6.7 69 to 49 72 3.5 SEP 78 to 59 84 to 51 2.3 67 to 45 65 2.6 OCT 66 to 47 76 to 47 0.7 62 to 34 49 0.5 NOV 49 to 32 66 to 47 0.4 53 to 21 37 0.1 DEC 37 to 22 57 to 42 0.1 46 to 15 36 0.0

MONTH HONG KONG, CHINA SHANGHAI, CHINA

Temp. High-Low % Relative Monthly Rainfall Temp. High-Low % Relative Monthly Rainfall Humidity (am-pm) (inches) Humidity (am-pm) (inches) JAN 67 to 58 75 to 64 1.1 45 to 34 84 to 65 1.8 FEB 67 to 59 81 to 71 1.7 47 to 36 84 to 64 2.4 MAR 71 to 63 85 to 76 2.9 53 to 42 87 to 68 3.3 APR 77 to 69 86 to 76 5.5 65 to 52 88 to 67 3.7 MAY 83 to 75 87 to 76 11.2 74 to 61 90 to 67 4.1 JUN 86 to 79 85 to 75 15.7 81 to 69 92 to 73 6.8 JUL 89 to 81 84 to 71 14.3 88 to 77 92 to 74 5.7 AUG 89 to 81 85 to 73 14.8 87 to 77 92 to 73 5.4 SEP 87 to 79 81 to 70 11.7 72 to 59 88 to 66 2.7 OCT 83 to 75 74 to 65 4.7 61 to 48 86 to 64 2.1 NOV 76 to 67 71 to 61 1.5 61 to 48 86 to 64 2.1 DEC 70 to 60 71 to 60 1.0 51 to 37 84 to 61 1.5

78 MONTH ULAANBAATAR, MONGOLIA SIEM REAP, CAMBODIA

Temp. High-Low % Relative Monthly Rainfall Temp. High-Low % Relative Monthly Rainfall Humidity (am-pm) (inches) Humidity (avg) (inches) JAN 3 to -13 83 to 71 0.1 88 to 67 71 0.1 FEB 12 to -8 81 to 65 0.2 90 to 70 70 0.5 MAR 27 to 6 74 to 50 0.2 93 to 74 69 1.0 APR 44 to 23 66 to 40 0.5 94 to 76 68 2.5 MAY 59 to 37 64 to 37 0.9 93 to 76 75 5.9 JUN 68 to 48 73 to 43 2.5 91 to 76 79 7.0 JUL 71 to 53 78 to 50 3.1 89 to 75 81 7.9 AUG 68 to 50 80 to 49 3.3 89 to 75 82 7.9 SEP 58 to 38 76 to 446 1.6 87 to 75 84 10.6 OCT 43 to 23 75 to 48 0.5 87 to 73 84 9.3 NOV 21 to 3 79 to 60 0.3 87 to 71 80 3.4 DEC 7 to -8 83 to 72 0.1 86 to 67 75 0.6

MONTH BANGKOK, THAILAND

Temp. High-Low % Relative Monthly Rainfall Humidity (am-pm) (inches) JAN 89 to 71 88 to 49 0.4 FEB 90 to 75 89 to 53 1.1 MAR 92 to 78 88 to 55 1.2 APR 94 to 80 86 to 56 2.8 MAY 92 to 80 87 to 62 7.5 JUN 91 to 80 85 to 64 6.0 JUL 90 to 78 86 to 64 6.2 AUG 90 to 78 87 to 66 7.4 SEP 89 to 77 91 to 68 12.6 OCT 89 to 77 92 to 67 9.1 NOV 88 to 74 87 to 58 2.3 DEC 87 to 70 84 to 49 0.4

79 ABOUT YOUR DESTINATIONS: CULTURE, ETIQUETTE & MORE

O.A.T. Trip Experience Leaders: A World of Difference During your adventure you’ll be accompanied by one of our local, expert Trip Experience Leaders. All are fluent in English and possess the skills, certification, and experience necessary to ensure an enriching adventure. As locals of the regions you’ll explore with them, our Trip Experience Leaders provide the kind of firsthand knowledge and insight that make local history, culture, and wildlife come alive. Coupled with their unbridled enthusiasm, caring personalities, and ability to bring diverse groups of travelers together, our Trip Experience Leaders ensure that your experience with O.A.T. is one you’ll remember for a lifetime.

Chinese Culture Chinese culture is steeped in traditions and rituals that developed gradually over more than five thousand years. It’s a culture rooted in the ancient Chinese empire (arguably the most advanced civilizations in the world for two millennia), whose legacy features unmatched achievements not just in the arts, agriculture, and architecture; but in technological innovations ranging from gunpowder, paper, and printing to the compass, crossbows, and kites.

Many in the West perceive the Chinese as a homogenous people, but the truth is a bit more complex. While about 90% of China’s population identifies as ethnically Han, the Chinese government recognizes 55 additional ethnic groups living within its borders, each with distinctive dialects, customs, and traditions. So, while China is quite diverse culturally (which makes sense when you consider that it’s the world’s most populous country and second largest in land mass), the dominant cultural customs, traditions, and language derive from the Han.

Speaking of language, China’s linguistic diversity is mind-boggling. Of the several language families represented within its borders, Han is the most widely spoken—yet the Han speak many different dialects, each unintelligible to Han speakers in other regions of China. The most common Han dialect is Mandarin (from a word meaning “ordinary language”), but even Mandarin has three different variations. The most widespread version of Mandarin, called ‘Beijing Hua’ (the Beijing dialect), was chosen as China’s national language and is taught in schools throughout the country. Therefore, nearly all Chinese can speak, read, and write Mandarin. Many Chinese are also fluent in English.

Historically, there have been three main shapers of Chinese culture—Taoism, Confucianism, and Buddhism. These intertwined philosophical and religious systems are often referred to as the “three teachings.” The two homegrown traditions, Taoism and Confucianism, originated about the same time (6th–5th century B.C.) in different area of the country and have permeated Chinese culture for some 2,500 years. Buddhism was brought to China by Buddhist monks from India around 150 AD and then took another century or so become assimilated into Chinese culture. Teachings from all three traditions influenced every aspect of Chinese culture.

80 But of the three traditions, the teachings that left the biggest mark on Chinese culture would have to be those of Confucius. His moral code based on respect, honesty, education, kindness, and strong family bonds soon became the basis for religious and moral life throughout ancient China—and continues to resonate with the modern-day Chinese.

While contemporary Chinese society is certainly undergoing rapid changes (becoming more “Westernized”), there are many aspects of Chinese culture rooted in Confucian teachings seemingly at odds with our own. Western culture is all about the individual, of course, stressing individual accomplishments. But Chinese culture revolves around the group. Confucius, who was all about harmony, thought that in order for Chinese society to operate smoothly, one’s own desires must be put aside for the greater good of the group. And for millennia, the Chinese have been culturally conditioned to think in terms of collective responsibility—to their families, the community, and the nation at large.

Family is everything in Chinese culture. Confucius said that “caring for the old and nurturing the young” are fundamental family virtues, and filial piety (respect for one’s elders) is deeply ingrained in Chinese society. Other Confucian holdovers include cultural values like modesty and humility. Overt displays of individualism like bragging are extremely repellent to the Chinese (only among themselves, they expect it from foreigners). Another expression of Chinese modesty is how they will not accept a compliment yet will effusively dole them out. If you wonder why Chinese (and other Asian) students seem to spend a lot more hours studying than we do, blame Confucius—he’s the one who pointed out how important education and scholarship were in Chinese society.

Giving gifts is a big part of Chinese culture, but travelers shouldn’t be surprised if their gift is refused. In China, it is customary to refuse a gift when it’s offered, even the second or third time. But don’t worry, refusal is just their way of being polite. Acceptance will eventually get there. It’s the same with compliments—accepting one too readily is seen as a sign of vanity. Just keep in mind that “face” is everything in China, just like other regions of Asia. Chinese culture is inward-facing, rooted in the past, with traits like respect, reputation, and dignity of the utmost importance.

Early in the 20th century, Confucius fell seriously out of favor in China. Confucian values were blamed for the country’s inability to defend itself against foreign powers. Later, Mao also vilified Confucius, saying how his teachings kept China trapped in the feudal past. While Confucian values are indeed losing popularity in today’s China, Confucian concepts such as modesty, obedience, loyalty, and respect for the elderly remain deeply embedded in Chinese society.

But he’s back in favor now. In fact, Confucianism has also reemerged as a source of great pride in China’s ancient culture and the brilliance of its ancient philosophers. During the opening ceremony of the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games, thousands of Chinese people in the audience shouted out a phrase in unison, which translated to: “Is it not delightful to receive friends coming from afar?” The words were from Confucius.

81 Dining Aboard Your Victoria Cruise Ship A selection of wine, beer, and other beverages will be available for purchase onboard your ship. Wine prices will start at approximately $15-20 per bottle but could cost more depending on the vintage. No outside alcohol is allowed onboard Victoria ships.

Accommodations in Mongolia During the optional pre-trip extension to Mongolia, we stay in two different camps, one in the Gobi Desert and one in the Khogno Khaan Mountains. Our accommodations at these camps are simple. Toilet and shower facilities are located in a main tent or lodge and are shared; hot water is limited. Electricity is typically available in the evenings only. Since a constant supply of electricity cannot be guaranteed, travelers dependent on an electricity supply (as in the case of those with sleep apnea) should consider a different extension. Air-conditioning is not available in the camps or in the hotels in Mongolia.

Home-Hosted Visits Please note that this trip features more than one home or family visit (check your itinerary for details). Therefore if you enjoy giving a small host/hostess gift at these events, you may wish to bring more than one. Generally we recommend you pick something edible or practical that your hosts can use. Or you can wait until you arrive and purchase something locally with the help of your Trip Experience Leader. He or she can give you details on what the family may need or like.

Language Barrier You can have some great “conversations” with local people who do not speak English, even if you don’t speak a word of the local language. Indeed, this non-verbal communication can be a highly rewarding part of travel. To break the ice, bring along some family photographs, or a few postcards of your hometown. If you want to meet kids, bring a puppet or other interactive toy. Your Trip Experience Leader can help get the ball rolling. Keep in mind, however, that it is always good form to know at least a few words in the local language.

Your attire is a key part of your non-verbal presentation. Your clothing should show a respect for local tradition. This means you should dress in a relatively modest style. Avoid revealing or tight- fitting outfits and excessive jewelry.

Taking Photographs The etiquette of photographing most people in the countries on your itinerary is about the same as it would be on the streets of your hometown. You need permission to take a close-up, but not for a crowd scene. Be especially polite if you want to photograph an older woman. If you want to shoot a great portrait, show interest in your subject, try to have a bit of social interaction first. Then use sign language to inquire if a picture is OK. Your Trip Experience Leader can help.

82 Safety & Security As you travel, exercise the same caution and awareness that you would in a large American city. Don’t be overly nervous or suspicious, but keep your eyes open. If you are venturing out after dark, go with one or two other people.

Carry a one-day supply of cash in your pocket. Carry most of your money, and your passport, in a travel pouch or money belt under your shirt. Replenish your pocket supply when you are in a safe and quiet place, or in our vehicle. Don’t leave valuables unattended in your hotel room. Most hotels will offer use of a hotel safe at the front desk or an electronic in-room safe (for which you can set your own personal number). Please utilize them.

Pickpockets may create a sudden distraction. In any sort of puzzling street situation, try to keep one hand on your money belt. If an encounter with a local turns out to be long and complicated and involves money or your valuables, be very careful. Con artists sometimes target travelers.

A Word About Travel in Tibet For many Americans, Tibet is an independent country under Chinese occupation. Your Trip Experience Leader and many other Chinese that you will meet may not agree on this opinion. They may feel that Tibet has greatly benefited from its association with China. We encourage you to discuss it with them, but please be aware that in China this is a controversial topic. Because of the controversial and sensitive nature of Chinese control over Tibet, the Chinese government will occasionally close the border to Tibet without prior notice. Should this occur during your trip, O.A.T. will make alternative arrangements, such as diverting your group to Kunming, China. (In the past, 81% of travelers on the diverted itinerary still continued to rate the trip excellent.) The Chinese government may also impose limits on what can and cannot be accessed within Tibet, so there may be need for last-minute changes to the planned activities during your trip. In these cases we ask that you bring an open mind and a sense of humor.

Although China controls Tibet’s external affairs, the spiritual leader of the Tibetans is His Holiness the Dalai Lama. His Holiness encourages international travel to Tibet as a way for the outside world to learn of current conditions there. Your trip includes admission fees to the monasteries, but these usually go to a ‘management committee’ controlled by Chinese authorities rather than directly to the monastery. Most monasteries are genuine religious institutions, with a certain degree of monastic training in progress. If you would like to make a donation directly to individual monks you may do so. You can support local businesses by seeking out Tibetan merchants, but please keep in mind that there are now such a large number of Chinese immigrants doing business in Tibet that they are not entirely unavoidable. Don’t buy antiques or products made from endangered animal species. If you wish to show your appreciation of Tibetan culture, the best thing you can do is observe simple cultural practices. Always walk clockwise within monastery halls and around religious monuments. When visiting monasteries and temples, dress properly, take hats off, and do not smoke.

83 Naadam Festival in Mongolia The Naadam Festival is a public holiday that takes place annually from July 11-15. Known as “the three manly games,” this festival features wrestling, archery, and horse racing. While the most of the main events (such as the opening and closing ceremonies) are typically held in or around Ulaanbaatar on July 11-13, there are many smaller events held during the 5 day festival throughout the country. For more details and information, visit http://naadamfestival.com/.

Images of the King of Thailand In Thailand the king is held in high regard, to the point where even images of him are treated respectfully. The King’s image is featured on the currency, so it is even important to avoid stepping on any coins that may have fallen.

Chinese Cuisine There’s a Chinese proverb that perfectly captures how the Chinese people think about their cuisine: To the ruler, the people are heaven; to the people, food is heaven. And part of the joy of visiting here is the opportunity to experience the regional diversity of China’s heavenly cuisine.

It’s impossible to categorize “Chinese” cuisine since the country covers such a large land mass of varied geography and climates. But as a general guide, noodles and dumplings are more prominent in China’s wheat-growing north; and steamed rice is favored in the warmer south. And some say the flavors of China’s cuisine can be divided in four regions: sweet south, salt north, sour east, and spicy west. Generalizations aside, the cuisine of each region reflects the local culture, history, climate, terrain, and local ingredients. But wherever you are, the variety of culinary delights is sure to satisfy the fussiest of palates.

Travelers in northern China will find vegetable- and meat-based dishes flavored with ingredients like garlic, scallions, leeks, and chilies. The most common meats are mutton and pork, although always offer chicken dishes. Rice is always available but takes a back seat to wheat-based items like pancakes, steamed buns, noodles, and things like jiaozi, meat or vegetable filled dumplings dipped in a black vinegar sauce. Popular breakfast items include mantou or baozi, steamed buns eaten with zhou, a rice porridge. All the flavors of China are available in Beijing, including the classic Peking duck, its most famous dish. Usually served in three courses, it begins with crispy duck skin wrapped in thin pancakes with scallions and dipped in a black bean sauce. The duck meat is stir-fried in the second course, and soup made from the bones make up the third course.

Sugars, wines, and vinegars impart a sourness and sweetness to the dishes of China’s eastern provinces, including cities like Shanghai and Hangzhou. Dishes use pork and poultry, but seafood is far more common with the abundant fish and shellfish from the Yangtze and its tributaries. A colonial influence can be found in Shanghai, where French-style cakes and pastries are available in many sidewalk cafés.

You’ll spice up your life in China’s western provinces like Sichuan, Hunan, and Yunnan. Alternatives are available, of course, but it’s a highly spiced cuisine featuring an abundance of local fruits and vegetable, along with pork, beef, poultry, and tofu. Some of the more common Sichuanese spices include cassia bark, cumin, cinnamon, assorted peppercorns, star anise, and

84 dried tangerine peel. Popular dishes include fresh fish stews, spicy Chongqing chicken, beef noodle soup, and mapo doufu, which is made from soft tofu cubes and bright red chili sauce. The cuisine is known for imparting an unusual ‘numbing’ flavor, called ma la in Chinese, which is from the Sichuan red peppercorn. The Chinese believe ma la dishes—the ones that make your mouth and tongue all numb and tingly—are very healthy.

Many consider the country’s best cuisine is from China’s southern regions (Guangdong province and its capital Guangzhou, Hong Kong, and more). It’s where chefs take pride in working their magic on ingredients from all over China along with the region’s own abundance of produce, seafood, and meats. In fact, a local culinary proverb states that “anything that walks, swims, crawls, or flies with its back to Heaven is edible.” Absolute freshness is paramount and steaming and stir frying are the most common cooking methods in order to draw out the natural flavors of the ingredients. The most popular dishes often feature steamed fish and shellfish, pork and duck glazed with sugar, wine, and soy and roasted to a golden red. As a subtropical rice-growing region, almost every dish includes freshly cooked rice.

Tibetan Cuisine Situated at the top of the world, Tibet has a climate and topography that is, to say the least, challenging to agriculture. The rugged terrain is only suitable for cultivating hardy vegetables like cabbage, mustard greens, grains such as barley and wheat, and root vegetables like carrots, potatoes and turnips. (Rice only grows in southern Tibet, and is reserved for special occasions.)

Even though Buddhism encourages vegetarianism, this is just not practicable here since vegetables are scarce. So the diet relies heavily on dairy products like yak butter, and meat— mainly livestock like yak, goat, beef, or mutton. Though Tibet has many rivers, fish is not widely consumed for reasons of sustainability: a common Buddhist maxim says that “it is better to eat large animals [like yaks or goats] than fish or small animals, since fewer lives need to be sacrificed to feed the same amount of people.”

The typical Tibetan menu will offer a variety of soups, stews, noodle dishes, braises and dumplings. This brings us to the most famous national dish: momo. These juicy dumplings have taken the culinary world by storm, from Lhasa to London to Los Angeles. You will find them filled with beef or yak meat, or even just veggies and cheese; and seasoned with garlic, onion, ginger, cilantro, soy sauce and erma, a Sichuan peppercorn. When filled with chicken, they are called cha sha momo. Momo may be steamed or fried and formed in various shapes, such as crescents or the round, pleated purse shape. Momo are traditionally served on Losar, the Tibetan New Year, when they are formed in a crescent shape.

Tsampa is eaten by Tibetans across the country, and as such is has become more than a source of nutrition, it’s a symbol of unity and identity. In the 1950s, Tibetan resistance leaders called upon their fellow “tsampa eaters” to throw off the yoke of Chinese authority. They were obviously not able to do that, but they do still adore this chewy dough made from roasted barley flour and salty butter tea. It is eaten as is, or cooked in a porridge, and washed down with po cha, a strong tea with yak butter, milk and salt. Tibetans sip it every day. They also occasionally drink black tea brewed with milk and sugar.

85 Tibetans also love their noodles, which often come swimming in fragrant soups like thenthuk. The name of this dish means “pull noodles,” since small pieces of pasta dough are torn and tossed into the cooking pot. The broth is based on meat and typically flavored with ginger, garlic, and onion with a dash of black vinegar. Thukpa bhatuk is another beef soup, with egg-shaped bhatsa noodles accompanied by garlic, onion, daikon radish, cilantro, spinach, tomato, and scallion. If you like Chinese lo mein, you’ll also like the Tibetan version, thukpa gyathuk.

When Tibetans want a burst of energy, they may chew on churpi, which are smoky cubes of yak yogurt-based cheese that have been dried till rock hard. Otherwise you might prefer your yogurt with brown sugar and steamed rice in a comforting dish called shom-dae. If you like cheesecake, try the Tibetan version, barfi. Khapse is a plain, crunchy fried biscuit, but the shape is anything but plain: look for elaborate braids, spirals, lotus flowers, and diamonds of dough.

In a land where food is often hard won, neighbors rely on each other in times of scarcity, and people are honored to invite you into their homes to share a meal. So be ready to raise a glass of chang (barley wine) to your generous hosts.

Hong Konger Cuisine As an international port of commerce and transit, Hong Kong is considered the World’s Food Fair, with cuisines from all over the world setting up shop. The local Hong Konger cuisine is heavily influenced by the nearby Cantonese and non-Cantonese Chinese, as well as Britain and other European countries due to its time as a colony. As a port city, seafood is an obvious staple of the cuisine, along with rice and roasted meat. Dishes to try include:

• Egg tarts: This treat is base off European influence, similar to the English custard tart and Portuguese pastel de nata. It is a outer pastry shell filled with egg custard and commonly sold at dim-sum restaurants and cafes.

• Pineapple bun: A popular sweet bread named for the pineapple-like texture of the bun, made with sugar, eggs, flour, and lard.

• Hong Kong French Toast: Also known as Western Toast, Hong Kong French toast consists of two, or more, slices of bread, stuffed with peanut mutter or fruit jam, then dipped in egg and deep fried. It is served with butter and syrup or honey and can also be filled with meat floss (fluffy dried meat product), kaya jam (made from coconut milk, eggs, and sugar), ham, or savory beef satay

• Cheung fun: A Cantonese rice noodle dish of thin rice noodle rolls filled with shrimp, beef, or vegetables

• Roast goose: Considered a national dish of Hong Kong, the roast goose has tender meat, crispy skin, roasted over hot charcoal, then served with white rice and plum sauce

• Poon Choi: Traditionally a layered dish served for celebrations with seafood, abalone, sea cucumber, pork, mushrooms, turnips, and fatty pork all piled on top of each other. At the bottom, the juices are pool and some people throw in noodles at the end to soak it all up.

86 • Clay pot rice: The signature rice dish of Hong Kong, the rice is cooked in a clay pot for an earthly aroma and mixed with preserved sausage, meat, green onions, soy sauce, fish sauce, sugar, and white pepper

• Bird’s nest soup: An expensive and rare soup made with edible swiftlet nests, which are made from solidified bird saliva. The soup is considered high in nutrients.

Hong Kong is also famous for its dim sum, a large range of small dishes traditionally served in restaurants for breakfast or lunch. The dishes are small, generally consisting of dumplings, steamed buns, rice noodle rolls, and other snacks, and served with tea. Dim sum is eaten family- style and could be compared to Spanish tapas.

Mongolian Cuisine Only a very small percentage of Mongolian land is arable, which means that few crops grow there. Most agriculture is based in livestock—cattle, sheep, goats, horses, and camels. The result is a cuisine that leans heavily on meats and dairy but is light on vegetables. Mutton, barley, yogurt, cheese, a few vegetables, and either noodles or rice are common ingredients that Mongolian cooks use to their advantage.

Some typical dishes include a trio of hearty dumplings called buuz, which are steamed; bansh, which are boiled, and khuushuur, which are fried. The dumplings are often filled with either mutton, goat, or beef seasoned with onion, garlic, and/or fennel seed. Arvain guril is a dish made with fried and malted barley eaten as a porridge made with milk fat and sugar. A Mongolian noodle soup called guriltai shu is made with onions, meat, and fried noodles. A popular stew called tsuivan is made with cabbage, root vegetables, noodles, and mutton—although regional meat substitutes may be beef, camel, or horse.

On special occasions, meat is cooked over hot stones to create dishes like khorkhog, which is mutton cooked in a container or a can, and boodog, which is meat (usually goat) cooked from the inside out. Yes, you read that correctly—the hot stones are inserted inside the animal’s stomach cavity, and then left to cook the meat from the inside. Only an experienced cook should try to prepare boodog, because if left too long, the steam from the hot rocks can buildup pressure and cause a goat explosion.

Dairy products are also a mainstay of Mongolian cuisine and butter and cheese is made from many types of milk—cow, sheep, goat, yak, and even camels. Cheese may be in a form familiar to the West, or may be aaruul, dried curds. Butter, or urum, which is similar to clotted cream, is often served in tea, or it may be caramelized into khailmag. Milk even takes on an alcoholic edge with airag, which is fermented mare’s milk, and arkhi, which is a milk-based liquor. (With about 2% alcohol by volume, airag is closer to slightly spiked yogurt. Arkhi is stronger, usually about 10% ABV.)

87 Cambodian Cuisine Cambodian or Khmer cuisine features a lot of pickled and tangy flavors. Rice is served with most meals, as with many other Asian countries. However, it is less spicy than the cuisines of nearby Asian countries like Thailand. The typical Cambodian meal often features several small dishes alongside the main dish, served with rice and soup. Hot chili is usually served on the side, so the added spiciness is at the discretion of the diner.

One of the top Cambodian dishes to experience is fish amok, which is fresh fish cooked in a rich, creamy curry-like sauce that mixes lemongrass, turmeric and coconut milk. It’s often served wrapped in a banana leaf. Another classic Cambodian dish is banana blossom salad, a light refreshing meal made with stir-fried banana blossom with garlic, fried shallots, nuts, and herbs. Adventurous palates might try red tree ants with beef, which is just as it sounds—actual ants mixed with beef and served on a bowl of white rice topped with chili.

Nom banh chok is a popular street food often eaten at breakfast consisting of thin rice noodles bathed in a green fish gravy, mixed with various fresh vegetables. Other street foods include bai sach chrouk, which is grilled pork marinated in coconut milk and garlic; and num kachay, a snack made with rice flour and chopped chives and served with a sweet and spicy fish sauce.

Thai Cuisine The variety of Thai food is truly amazing. It is a cuisine based on combining five main flavors: salty, sweet, sour, bitter, and spicy. Look forward to sampling meat, seafood, poultry, vegetable, noodle dishes (a Thai specialty), and often soup. Although certain regions of Thailand are known for their extremely fiery cuisine, not all of it is spicy—in fact, much of it is very sweet or quite subtly flavored. Meals in Thailand are often served family-style, with five or more main courses, so vegetarians are easily accommodated. However, please note that any and all special accommodations for dietary restrictions (like vegetarian) cannot be guaranteed. As in other Southeast Asian countries, rice is a key component of Thai cuisine and great care is taken in preparing it properly. Typical dishes include:

• Guay Teow: Translated to “noodle soup,” guay teow describes any type of noodle soup and can be made with chicken, pork, or beef using either rice or egg noodles. Wontons or meatballs may also be added to the broth along with condiments such as dried chili peppers, lime juice, and fish sauce.

• Som Tam: Spicy green papaya salad is a very popular Thai dish made from shredded green papaya, tomatoes, carrots, peanuts, dried shrimp, chilies, lime juice, and other ingredients mixed with a mortar and pestle to amplify the flavors.

• Pad Thai: One of Thailand’s national dishes, many Westerners are already familiar with this fried noodle favorite which can be made with shrimp, chicken, or tofu.

• Pad Krapow: Fire up your taste buds for this popular dish made with either minced port or chicken (or tofu) and stir fried with Thai basil and lots of chilies.

88 • Panang: This Thai curry dish is a bit on the mild side (Gaeng Keow Wan, or green curry, is on the other end of the heat scale) and is typically served with shrimp or vegetables.

Shopping: What to Buy, Customs, Shipping & More There may be scheduled visits to local shops during your adventure. There is no requirement to make a purchase during these stops, and any purchase made is a direct transaction with the shop in question, subject to the vendor’s terms of purchase. O.A.T. is not responsible for purchases you make on your trip or for the shipment of your purchases.

Returns If you discover an issue with an item, you should contact the vendor directly and expect that any resolution will take longer than it would in the U.S. We recommend that you keep a copy of all your receipts, invoices, or contracts, along with the shop’s contact information. Keep in mind, local practice may vary from U.S. standards, so don’t assume that you have a certain number of days after the purchase to speak up or that you are guaranteed a refund.

Crafts & Souvenirs

China Throughout China, you’ll discover wonderful buys on a variety of gifts like chopsticks, signature seals (which are known as “chops”), cloisonné, Mao hats, and silk scarves. These goods—and much, much more—are available at local stores. You can pay with local currency or credit cards. Occasionally shops will take U.S. currency or traveler’s checks, but this is becoming more and more rare.

One thing to note about shopping in China is that bargaining is allowed (even expected) at open- air booths/street vendors, but at these types of businesses you must pay with cash only. Beware of counterfeit RMB given by street vendors as change—pay in exact change whenever possible, and you’ll avoid being cheated.

Tibet Tibet offers an array of exquisitely-made handicrafts like Tibetan prayer wheels, turquoise bracelets, Buddhist prayer beads, and aromatic incense along with hand-made burners. Art collectors will admire the masterfully-crafted Tibetan thangka paintings; and colorful handmade rugs and carpets. Tibetan jewelry is also prized, including colorful dzi (agate) beads, and turquoise. Bear in mind that when jewelers say something is “Tibetan silver” it will usually be an alloy of about 30% silver and 70% brass. Pulu is Tibetan wool that is used to make blankets, hats, shoes, and clothing.

Please do not purchase items made from wild animals, such as tiger horns, yak bone items, antelope adornments, or furs. Many of them will not be allowed in the States, aside from the humane and environmental concerns of encouraging this trade. Tibetan knives are also popular souvenirs, but they must be shipped home as they will not be allowed on the plane. Be careful

89 also when purchasing Tibetan medicines. They are often hawked at bazaars but to ensure the best quality, you are better off buying them from traditional hospitals or reliable medicine companies. Bargaining is expected in all the markets. Your Trip Experience Leader can advise you on all the above.

Mongolia Mongolia offers many fine craft items at good prices—cashmere, leather goods, traditional clothing, hats, musical instruments—these are just some of the items to be on the look out for while shopping in Mongolia. Generally you can pay with local currency only, although some businesses will take credit cards and occasionally you can use U.S. dollars (see the previous “Credit Cards” and “Currency” sections for details).

You can find lovely and unique antiques in Mongolia for reasonable prices, but be aware that there are export laws in place, so some items cannot leave the country. Make sure the shop understands that you’ll be taking the item out of the country and that they provide the correct documentation to do so. Also note that most stores do not allow returns (it is just not a part of the culture).

Cambodia In popular tourist locations (like Siem Reap and Phnom Penh), and particular towns with handicraft specialties, handmade crafts such as silk clothing, stone or wood carvings, and silver jewelry are considered to be high-quality, traditional souvenirs. Many shops in Siem Reap and Phnom Penh are connected with organizations invested in reviving traditional Cambodian crafts and supporting disadvantaged or disabled locals. Other notable traditional souvenirs include hand-woven cotton, batik fabrics, woven mats, Mekong quilts, rice-paper prints, and betel nut boxes. For the food-lovers, Kampot pepper, pepper grown in Kampot and used by top chefs around the world, is a must have, available near everywhere in Cambodia. With the risk of fake Kampot pepper high due to its popularity, we recommend buying this souvenir straight from the source, at one of the many local farms.

Thailand Thailand offers a variety of fine craft items at good prices. Traditional souvenirs include hill tribe handicrafts, including elaborate jewelry, colorful textiles, bronzeware cutlery, celadon pottery, and Thai lacquerware. Bangkok is famous the world over for its street markets—Pratunam, Chatuchak Park, Khlong Toey, Sampheng (Chinatown), Banglamphu, and many more. Local products include hand-woven cottons, decorative items made of silver, teakwood carvings, and gems. The best bargains in gems are jade, rubies, and sapphires, but buy from reputable dealers only. Thai silk, renowned for its lush colors and pleasantly rough texture, is considered some of the best in the world and can be purchased in the fabric shops of Chiang Mai.

Note that larger department stores in Bangkok have fixed prices. Almost everywhere else bargaining is expected, especially at outdoor stalls.

90 U.S. Customs Regulations & Shipping Charges For all things related to U.S. Customs, the ultimate authority is the U.S. Bureau of Customs & Border Protection. Their website, www.cbp.gov has the answers to the most frequently asked questions. Or you can call them at 1-877-227-5511.

The top three points to know are:

• At time of writing, your personal duty-free allowance is $800 for items brought with you. Items totaling more than $800 are subject to duty fees.

• Items shipped home are always subject to duty when received in the U.S. Even when the shop has offered to include shipping and duties in the price, this typically means shipping to the nearest customs facility and payment of the export duties—not door-to-door shipping or payment of the import duties. All additional duties or shipping charges would be your responsibility. Unless an item is small enough to send by parcel service (like FedEx), chances are you will need to arrange shipping or pick-up once the item is in the U.S. and will need to pay customs duties.

• It is illegal to import products made from endangered animal species. U.S. Customs & Border Protection will seize these items, as well as most furs, coral, tortoise shell, reptile skins, feathers, plants, and items made from animal skins.

91 DEMOGRAPHICS & HISTORY

China

Facts, Figures & National Holidays • Area: 3,705,407 square miles

• Capital: Beijing

• Languages: Standard Chinese (Mandarin) is the official language; Yue (Cantonese), Wu (Shanghaiese), Minbei (Fuzhou), Minnan (Hokkien-Taiwanese) are also spoken, along with various Chinese dialects

• Ethnicity: Han Chinese 91.6%, Zhuang 1.3%, other (includes Hui, Manchu, Uighur, Miao, Yi, Tujia, Tibetan, Mongol, Dong, Buyei, Yao, Bai, Korean, Hani, Li, Kazakh, Dai and other nationalities) 7.1%

• Location: China is bordered by Afghanistan, Bhutan, Burma, India, Kazakhstan, North Korea, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Mongolia, Nepal, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan, and Vietnam.

• Geography: The geography of China must be viewed in terms of its grand proportions. China’s vast area of nearly 4 million square miles ranks third behind Russia and Canada. The Himalayas on China’s border with India are the world’s tallest mountains. More than two- thirds of China’s land area is mountainous or desert.

• Population: 1,367,485,388 (estimate)

• Religions: Buddhist 18.2%, Christian 5.1%, Muslim 1.8%, folk religion 21.9%, Hindu < .1%, Jewish < .1%, other 0.7% (includes Daoist), unaffiliated 52.2%

• Time Zone: Officially all of China is on Beijing time, which is 12 hours ahead of EST. When it is 6am in Washington D.C., it is 6pm in China (add an hour for daylight saving time). Unofficially, residents in distant provinces may use a local time zone for everyday use and Beijing time for official purposes. Hong Kong is also on Beijing time.

92 National Holidays: China

In addition to the holidays listed below, China Late Jan/Early Feb Spring Festival (moves celebrates a number of national holidays that each year) follow a lunar calendar, such as the Chinese April Qingming Festival (tomb-sweeping day; New Year, Spring Festival, Mid-Autumn moves each year) Festival, and more. To find out if you will be traveling during these holidays, please visit 05/01 Labor Day www.timeanddate.com/holidays. June Dragon Boat Festival (moves each year) 01/01 New Year’s Day 10/01-10/07 Golden Week

China: A Brief History Archaeological records of a highly developed civilization in the area now known as China date back to around 4000 B.C., suggesting that the Chinese people have shared a common culture longer than any other people on earth. China’s first dynasty, the Shang, is believed to have been established around 1800 B.C. Over the next several centuries, while primarily an agricultural society split into many feudal states, China had already made great advancements in the areas of science and mathematics and were producing fine art, including jade and ceramic products and bronze castings.

It would take a lifetime to fully understand Chinese history, but if there is one common thread that runs through its entire sweep, it is China’s Dynasties, the series of Emperors and Empresses from the same bloodline who ruled over the lands in one form or another for the next two thousand years. And the glue that held together China’s Dynasties from about 200 B.C. until 1911 A.D. was Confucius. His teachings were the bedrock that kept the Chinese people unified and allowed for the relative stability of China’s dynastic system of government for almost 40 centuries.

Down through the centuries, China remained largely an agricultural society. Confucianism, along with Taoism and Buddhism, were the prevailing philosophical and ethical guides and with minimal foreign influences, Chinese culture flourished. Then, late 14th century, trade with the west was introduced, including something that would prove disastrous to Chinese culture for the next 300 years: opium. By the late 19th century, opium addiction had severely damaged Chinese society, draining vast amounts of wealth overseas. Eventually, it led to a war with Britain, a chief source of the deadly drug. The Chinese, who had failed to keep pace with western arms technology, were soundly defeated and forced into a series of uneven treaties.

By the dawn of the 20th century, China was wracked with internal rebellion and economic stagnation. A Western-influenced political leader named Sun Yet-sen convinced the Chinese to adopt a republican form of government in 1911, touching off a prolonged period of civil war. Then, in 1949, bolstered by the success of Russia following World War II, Communists rose to power and took control of the government, establishing the People’s Republic of China.

93 The first 30 years of rule by the Communist Party were marked by cycles of failed economic policies, disunity, and political purges. The 1960s and early 1970s saw a period of economic, political, and social change known as the Cultural Revolution, described by Mao Zedong (the Chairman of the Communist Party) as a movement to counteract “liberal bourgeoisie” elements that wanted to return to capitalism. Through speeches and other propaganda, the Party leadership affiliated certain Chinese traditions with Western decadence; both were to be condemned and purged.

Although the Cultural Revolution officially ended in 1969, most historians agree it continued until Mao’s death in 1976. After Mao’s passing, backlash lead to the arrest of four influential Party leaders, called the Gang of Four (one of whom was Mao’s widow). The public began to turn away from the hardline communism that had dominated China, and in the mid-1980s, the government adopted far-reaching economic reforms with market-oriented incentives. Throughout the 1980s and 1990s reforms were slowly introduced, and in 2003, the Party even changed its membership rules to include a new type of member, known as “red capitalists”. Nonetheless, modern China is still far from being an openly democratic or capitalist society; today they name their new political system “socialism with Chinese characteristics.”

Tibet

Facts, Figures & National Holidays • Title: The Tibet Autonomous Region (or Xizang Autonomous Region) is a province-level autonomous region of the People’s Republic of China

• Area: 474,288 square miles

• Capital: Lhasa

• Languages: Standard Chinese (Mandarin) is the official language

• Ethnicity: 90% Tibetan, 8% Han, 0.3% Monpa, 0.3% Hui, 0.2% others

• Location: Tibet is bordered by China, Nepal, Bhutan, Burma, India, by the disputed Kashmir region to the west; and by the Uygur Autonomous Region of Xinjiang to the northwest.

• Geography: Mountains and plateaux; the Himalayas on Tibet’s border with Nepal and India are the world’s tallest mountains.

• Population: 3,180,000 (estimate)

• Religions: Buddhist 78%; others include Bon, Chinese folk religions, Islam, and Christianity

• Time Zone: Officially Tibet is on Beijing time, which is 12 hours ahead of EST. When it is 6am in Washington D.C., it is 6pm in Lhasa (add an hour for daylight saving time). Unofficially, residents in distant provinces may use a local time zone for everyday use and Beijing time for official purposes. Tibet is 2 hours behind Beijing time.

94 National Holidays: Tibet

In addition to the holidays listed below, Tibet Late Jan/Early Feb Spring Festival (moves celebrates a number of national holidays that each year) follow a lunar calendar, such as the Tibetan April Qingming Festival (tomb-sweeping day; New Year, Spring Festival, Mid-Autumn moves each year) Festival, and more. To find out if you will be traveling during these holidays, please visit 05/01 Labor Day www.timeanddate.com/holidays. 05/26 Saga Dawa Duchen (Buddha’s Birthday) 01/01 New Year’s Day

Tibet: A Brief History The earliest humans likely inhabited Tibet nearly 20,000 years ago. But by 3,000 BC, they had intermingled with Neolithic immigrants from northern China. Turkic people and people from the Yellow River basin also contributed to the Tibetan mix, as did Dardics and Indians in the south.

Between the 7th and 9th centuries AD, Tibet was a unified state that dominated much of Central Asia. Its military captured the Chinese Tang Dynasty capital, Changan (Xian), in 763 AD. Early Tibetans practiced a shamanistic religion called Bon. But there was a seed change in the 8th century: the introduction of Buddhism. The first Buddhist monastery was built at Samye in 779.

In the 9th century, Tibet split into warring states and the empire disintegrated. There was a Buddhist renaissance in the 10th century and with it, the flourishing of several schools of Buddhist thought. But Tibet remained a collection of squabbling warlords. In 1240, the Mongols invaded and in 1247, the grandson of Genghis Khan, Köten, made the Tibetan lama of the Sakya monastery his personal priest and viceroy—the first in a centuries-long series of priest-rulers.

In the 16th century, the Ge-lugs-pa or “yellow hat” sect of Buddhism became prominent, boosted by their revival of the Tibetan-Mongol alliance. Sonam Gyatso was given the title Dalai Lama, however he was called the third Dalai Lama, and the two previous lamas were posthumously named. The third Dalai Lama was regarded as their reincarnation—and the embodiment of the bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara, an enlightened being who is the mythic progenitor of the Tibetans. The Lamaist succession has since been maintained by the discovery of a child, into whom the spirit of the deceased lama is believed to have entered.

In 1642, the Mongols eliminated any serious threat to the Ge-lugs-pa Dalai Lamas, including the upstart Red Hat sect. The Ge-lugs-pa ruled Tibet for the next few centuries. In 1707, when a Mongol tribe called the Dzungars invaded Tibet, the wary Chinese sent a representative called an Amban to Tibet, stationed troops there, and saw themselves as the overlords of Tibet.

Tibet remained isolated and forgotten until the mid-19th century, when it aroused the interest of Britain—at first as a trade route to China, and then as a bulwark against Russian interference in India. Britain entered Tibet and forced it to sign a treaty allowing trade with the British Empire and excluding foreign (Russian) influence. Fearing Britain’s imperial designs, China invaded

95 Tibet in 1909. By 1914, the British and Chinese signed the Shimla Convention, which divided Tibet into Inner and Outer Tibet. The Dalai Lama ruled Outer Tibet, and China was given partial control over Inner Tibet. Two world wars stalled any real attempts to modernize the region.

Tibet remained an isolated, feudal society. Most of the land was owned by monasteries or aristocrats, and the majority of people were serfs. In 1950, China began the annexation of Tibet. In 1951, Tibetan representatives were called to Beijing where under duress, they signed a Seventeen Point Agreement that declared China’s sovereignty. The Chinese at first allowed the manorial lords to continue to run their estates, and accorded the Dalai Lama’s government nominal powers. But there were sporadic guerilla uprisings, and China responded with a program that many have likened to cultural genocide, forcing relocations of local people, outlawing the Tibetan language, importing Han Chinese settlers, and destroying monasteries.

The Dalai Lama’s appeal to the United Nations was denied, and he received no international support. A rebellion was crushed in 1959, and the Dalai Lama fled to India, where he has resided ever since, heading a government-in-exile and leading a community of 80,000 Tibetan refugees.

Under Chinese rule serfdom was abolished and in 1965, and Tibet was made an autonomous region. The Dalai Lama was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1989. In 1992 his government-in- exile published guidelines for a free democratic constitution. In an unprecedented move in 2011, the Dalai Lama stepped down as head of state to focus on spiritual duties. Though China considers him dangerous, His Holiness is committed to a middle-way approach where an autonomous Tibet would remain within the People’s Republic. As for the future, he suggests that there may not be another Dalai Lama unless Tibetan people want one. At the present time, the Tibetan economy is growing rapidly, and the region is rich in minerals.

Hong Kong

Facts, Figures & National Holidays Although part of China, Hong Kong is considered a Special Administrative Region (or SAR) and thus has some differences.

• Area: 427 square miles

• Main City: Hong Kong

• Languages: Mandarin Chinese and English

• Ethnicities: Chinese 92%, Filipino 2.5%, Indonesian 2.1%, other 3.4%

• Location: Just off the Southeast coast of mainland China, close to the cities of Shenzhen and Guangzhou

• Geography: Hong Kong is made up of three districts: Hong Kong Island, Kowloon Peninsula, and the New Territories

• Population: 7, 500,700 (estimate)

96 • Religions: Buddhist and Taoist 82.8%, Protestant 6.5%, Catholic 5.1%, Muslim 4.1%, Hindu 1.3%, other 0.2%

• Time Zone: Unlike the rest of China (which is officially on Beijing time) Hong Kong is on HK Standard Time, which is either 12 or 13 hours ahead of U.S. Eastern Time, depending on the time of year. (The hour difference is because Hong Kong does not observe daylight saving time.) When it is 6am in Washington D.C., it is either 6 or 7pm in Hong Kong.

National Holidays: Hong Kong

While sharing many holidays with China, due 5/1 Labour Day to it’s history as a colony of Britain, Hong 8th day of the 4th lunar month Kong has holidays that differ from the typical Buddha’s Birthday Asian calendar. In addition to the holidays listed below, Hong Kong celebrates a number 5th Day of the 5th lunar month Dragon of national holidays that follow a lunar Boat Festival calendar, such as Easter. To find out if you will be traveling during these holidays, please 7/1 Hong Kong Special Administrative Region visit www. timeanddate.com/holidays. Establishment Day

1/1 New Year’s Day 10/1 National Day

th th 1st day of the 1st lunar month Lunar New Year 9 day of the 9 lunar month Chung Yeung festival 4/5 Ching Ming Festival 12/25 Christmas Day

Hong Kong: A Brief History Before Hong Kong joined the Chinese empire during the Qin Dynasty, 2,230 years ago, archeological sites on Hong Kong Island and Lantau Island show the area has been inhabited for at least 6,000 years, with some evidence showing there might have been people as far back as 20,000 years ago.

For all that Hong Kong has been inhabited for millennia, it isn’t until 221BC we see the are in history, when the Qin Chinese Dynasty conquered the indigenous tribe, the Yue, who lived in Southern China and Northern Vietnam. The Qin Empire collapsed soon after and was replaced by the Nanyue Kingdom, which lasted about a century before it was conquered by the Han Empire, the second dynasty of Imperial China.

For the next two millennia, control of Hong Kong and much of Southern China moved with the rise and fall of different dynasties. It wasn’t until the Song Dynasty, in the 13th century, that the region was fully utizlied, as the Song Dynasty court relocated to Lantau Island as they fled the Mongols before their defeat in 1279. The following Yuan dynasty, established by the Mongols, saw many northern Chinese refugees fleeing to Hong Kong with some, like the Five Great Clans (Tang, Hau, Pang, Liu, and Man), setting up walled cities with moats and gatehouses as protection from

97 the nearby pirates. Local tribes, such as the Tanka, the Hoklos, and the Hakka joined the clans in settling the region. By the time the Qing dynasty ruled the area, present-day Hong Kong was inhabited by thousands of fishermen and farmers.

With the increase of population came an increase of production and international interest. In an effort to regulate international trade, the Qing empire limited ships to the port of Canton, present-day Guangzhou, a trading hub city across the Pearl River estuary from Hong Kong.

While the Qing Empire’s interested in international goods beyond precious metals was minimal, this was not true the other way around. European countries, and especially Britain, had a high demand for Chinese tea, silk, and porcelain. With tea as Britain’s new national drink and China the only place it was grown, the uneven expectations led to the British illegally selling Indian opium to China, through the British East India Company.

The opium spread through China quickly, leading to the First Opium War in 1839 when the Qing dynasty banned the drug and destroyed the British stockpiles hidden in Canton. Britain retaliated with a three-year war, which they won. In the resulting Treaty of Nanking, the Qing Empire was forced to open new trading port, pay off the cost of the destroyed opium, and give Hong Kong to Britain as a colony.

The second Opium War, from 1856 to 1858, was waged by Britain and France against China in a bid to legalize their opium trade and establish a stronger power base in the country. The U.S. also attacked China during the war. The second Opium War concluded with the Treaties of Tianjin, signed by Britain, France, Russia, and the U.S., giving the countries the right to establish embassies in Beijing, the right for all foreign vessels to utilize the Yangtze River, the right for foreigners to enter inner China, forced China to open ten more trading ports, and forced China to pay off Britain and France.

The second phase of the second Opium War waged over the Taku Forts and the burning of the Summer Palaces in Beijing, leading to the Convention of Peking in 1860. This forced China to sign the previous Treaty of Tianjin, open Tianjin as a trading port, give present-day Kowloon to Britain, establish freedom of religion in China, allow British ships to ferry indentured Chinese citizens to America, pay more money to Britain and France, and, the goal of the whole war, legalized opium trade.

These treaties gave Britain control of Hong Kong, including Kowloon Peninsula, Stonecutters Island, Lantau Island, and Victoria Harbor, for ninety-nine years. As a colony of Britain, the University of Hong Kong, the colony’s first college, was established, as well as Kai Tak Airport. During World War II, the colony was occupied by Japan for nearly four years before Britain regained control.

Life was not easy for the native citizens of Hong Kong. Soon after becoming a colony, British families set in, their eyes on the booming silk, tea, spice, and opium market. They set themselves up at Victoria Peak, where the weather was cooler and their mansions less likely to be wrecked by the colony’s typhoons. The Chinese, however, were forbidden from living on Victoria Peak or any other European-only neighborhood, shuffled off to the slums in the Western district.

98 The population of Hong Kong only grew, first with merchants and trader, then with the Chinese Civil War and the rise of Communism until there were 2.5 million inhabitants in 1956.

In 1984, after over eighty year as a colony of Britain, Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher signed the Sino-British Joint Declaration of 1984, agreeing to transfer the colony of Hong Kong back to Chinese rule on June 30th, 1997, per the original agreement. China decided to instate Hong Kong as a Special Administrivia Region, allowing it to maintain its capitalist economy and social system for another fifty years as it transitioned in, self-governing and maintaining pre-established rights (such as freedom of speech and right to property).

On June 30th 1997, the British governor of Hong Kong sailed out of Hong Kong and was replaced by 4,000 Chinese troops and the new chief executive of the Special Administrative Region, Tung Chee-hwa, appointed by the Chinese government. The next day, they removed the elected Legislative Council and replaced it with the Provisional Legislature. A year later, Hong Kong was allowed to elect twenty of the sixty members of their new Legislative Council, the only forty hand-picked.

Following other attempts by the Chinese government to restrict the freedoms of Hong Kong citizens, through Article 23 of the Basic Law (prohibiting treason or sedition against the Chinese government or Hong Kong establishing connections with foreign political bodies) and the 31 August Decision (to pre-screen the Hong Kong Chief Executive as a patriot to China and Hong Kong before the Central People’s Government will appoint), the Umbrella Movement was born.

The Umbrella Revolution in 2014 lasted four months and saw more than 100,000 protests in the streets at any given time. The protests ended without achieving their goals of protecting their democracy and political independence from China.

In 2019, the protests started again, following the proposal of the Fugitive Offenders and Mutual Legal Assistance in Criminal Maters Legislation Bill, which would allow Hong Kong to arrest citizens for a suspected crime and send them to China. Worries immediately surfaced of China interfering in Hong Kong’s autonomy and the risk of the arrest of China-critical citizens.

The protests, which were the largest in Hong Kong history and saw more than one million Hong Kong citizens in attendance, called for the Chinese government-appointed Chief Executive Carrie Lam to step down and the withdrawal of the proposed bill.

Even after the bill was formally withdrawn on October 29th, 2019, the increasingly violent protests continued amidst police brutality and arrests.

There is no formal date to associate with the end of the protests, but in May of 2020, the Chinese parliament approved imposing national security legislation on Hong Kong. With the end of the protests, two people were killed, over 2,600 injured, and 10,242 arrested.

Mongolia

Facts, Figures & National Holidays • Area: 603,909 square miles

99 • Capital: Ulaanbaatar

• Languages: Khalkha Mongol 90%, Turkic, and Russian are spoken.

• Ethnicity: Khalkh 81.9%, Kazak 3.8%, Dorvod 2.7%, Bayad 2.1%, Buryat-Bouriates 1.7%, Zakhchin 1.2%, Dariganga 1%, Uriankhai 1%, other 4.6%

• Location: Mongolia is bordered by Russia and China.

• Geography: Mongolia encompasses a wide range of terrain, with mountains, grassy steppes, and vast flat desert. Most of the north and west of the country is mountainous or hilly grasslands; the Gobi Desert takes up most of the south and the east. The country is land- locked, and although there are lakes and streams in certain areas, the combination of the terrain and low water supply means that a very small percent of the land is arable.

• Population: 3,103,428

• Religion: Buddhist 53%, Muslim 3%, Christian 2.2%, Shamanist 2.9%, other 0.4%, none 38.6%

• Time Zone: Mongolia observes Ulaanbaatar Time, twelve hours ahead of U.S. EST. When it is 6am in Washington D.C., it is 6pm in Ulaanbaatar.

National Holidays: Mongolia

In addition to the holidays listed below, 03/08 International Women’s Day Mongolia celebrates a number of national 07/11 Naadam Holiday (Day 1) holidays that follow a lunar calendar, such as Easter . To find out if you will be traveling 07/12 Naadam Holiday (Day 2) during these holidays, please visit www. timeanddate.com/holidays. 07/13 Naadam Holiday (Day 3)

01/01 New Year’s Day 07/14 Naadam Holiday (Day 4)

February Tsagaan Sur Lunar New Year (moves 07/15 Naadam Holiday (Day 5) each year; see note above) 12/29 Independence Day

Mongolia: A Brief History Human habitation in Mongolia stretches back a surprisingly long time. The earliest traces date from 800,000 years ago, when Homo erectus lived in caves in the southwest. Modern man (Homo sapiens) arrived much later—only 40,000 years ago. By about 1000 BC, it appears that many local tribes turned away from farming and took up a nomadic existence instead. Horseback riding and nomadic way of life were to become hallmarks of Mongolian culture for thousands of years.

It wasn’t until 209 B.C. that an official confederation of tribes emerged under a single head—King Modu Chanyu of the Xiongnu tribe. His military force soon emerged as the greatest threat to the Chinese kingdom, prompting the Chinese emperor to build a very large defensive wall—now known as the Great Wall of China. From 209 B.C. to 93 A.D., the Xionhnu Dynasty ran an empire

100 that was larger than modern-day Mongolia. Subsequent dynasties, such as the Xianbei (93-234 A.D.), the Rouran (330-555), and the Gokturks (555-745) continued to enlarge the empire’s holdings.

It was most likely the Rouran who were the first to use the words “Khan” as a title meaning “king” and “Khagan” meaning “emperor.” The use of two titles reflects the feudal nature of the society at the time—as no one man (or woman, there were “Khatun”)—could hold such a large territory, each region or tribe tended to have its own leader, equivalent in rank to a king. The Khagan, or emperor, was typically the strongest of these kings, and the one who would lead the others in military campaigns. When more than one strong king rose to power, the title of emperor was up for grabs. Such a situation occurred in 745, when the Uyghur, Karluk, and Basmyl tribes all rebelled against the ruling Gokturks. In the resulting power vacuum, the Uyghurs dominated the other tribes, and formed their own empire. Although ultimately defeated by the Kyrgyz (the ancestors of modern-day Kyrgyzstan), the Uyghurs left a strong cultural legacy—it was their script that was adopted as the official writing of Mongolia by Genghis Khan in the 13th century.

With the decline of the Uyghurs, a period of uncertainty followed until the rise of a chieftain named Temujin. In 1206 Temujin took the title Genghis Khan (King Genghis), united the Mongol tribes, and began a remarkable series of military campaigns across Asia and Europe. The result was the largest continuous land empire that has ever existed in human history. At its height, the Mongol Empire covered roughly 22% of the world’s landmass. Yet when the Great Khan died in 1227, he was buried in an unmarked grave, in accordance with the customs of his tribe. After his death, the Mongol Empire gained lands and fame under Genghis’ immediate descendants. The most notable of these successors was his grandson Kublai Khan, who founded the Yuan Dynasty in China. It wasn’t until the fall of the Yuan in 1368 that the Mongol Empire collapsed back into smaller states.

For the next 200-300 years, the tribes of Mongolia would follow a pattern of fighting amongst themselves, uniting briefly under a strong leader, and then returning to disunion. The constant shifts in power only ended with the conquest of Mongolia by the Chinese Qing Dynasty in the 17th century. But in many ways, the Qing simply added new layers to the existing Mongol hierarchy. The Mongol nobles still attended on the Mongol emperor, who in turn was a vassal of the Qing emperor. The biggest change was at the bottom level of society—the Chinese assigned different levels of serfdom to the Mongol peasants.

The Chinese also divided Mongolia into different areas of administrative control; this is where the terms “Inner Mongolia” and “Outer Mongolia” come from. When the Qing Dynasty collapsed in 1911, Mongolia turned to Imperial Russia for protection and recognition as an independent state. Following the Russian Revolution of 1917, China reasserted its claim; ultimately Outer Mongolia won its independence in 1921 with Soviet backing. A communist regime was installed in 1924 and remained in power until a peaceful democratic revolution in 1990. (Inner Mongolia remained a part of China. Today Inner Mongolia is still considered an official part of China, but not quite Chinese—like Tibet or Hong Kong.)

101 Cambodia

Facts, Figures & National Holidays • Area: 69,898 square miles

• Capital: Phnom Penh

• Languages: Khmer is the official language; English and French are also spoken.

• Location: Cambodia is bordered by Laos, Thailand, and Vietnam.

• Geography: The ancient Khmer kingdom we now call Cambodia is a nation of 16.2 million people in a country about the size of Missouri. This is a country of geographical contrasts— the borders of Cambodia are mountainous and rugged, but a rich, alluvial plain dominates the center of the country. Here the Mekong River, the Tonle Sap River, and the Tonle Sap Lake create a prosperous farming and fishing region full of rice fields and fishing villages.

• Population: 16,915,269 (estimate)

• Religion: Buddhist 96.9%, Muslim 1.9%, other 0.4%, unspecified 0.8%

• Time Zone: Cambodia is on Indochina Time, twelve hours ahead of U.S. EST. When it is 6am in Washington D.C., it is 6pm in Phnom Penh.

National Holidays: Cambodia

In addition to the holidays listed below, 04/14-04/16 Khmer New Year Cambodia celebrates a number of national 05/01 Labor Day holidays that follow a lunar calendar. To find out if you will be traveling during these 5/20 Day of Remembrance holidays, please visit www.timeanddate.com/ holidays. 09/24 Constitutional Day

01/01 New Year’s Day 10/15 Commemoration Day of King’s Father

01/07 Victory over Genocide Day 10/29 King’s Coronation Day

February (moves each year; see note above) November Water Festival (moves each year) Meak Bochea 11/09 Independence Day 03/08 International Women Day 12/10 International Human Rights Day

Cambodia: A Brief History Cambodia’s historic roots were established between the 1st to the 6th centuries, when an India-influenced state called Funan ruled the landscapes. With the rise of King Jayavarman at the beginning of the 9th century, Funan gave way to the Angkor Empire, whose kings would dominate much of present-day Southeast Asia for the next 600 years.

102 Jayavarman and a succession of Khmer kings were responsible for building the Angkor temple complex, the most extensive concentration of religious temples in the world. Through the centuries, the almost constant state of war with Thailand and Vietnam would see the mighty Khmer empire slip into a steady decline. And by the mid-1800s, Cambodia, like most of Southeast Asia, came under the thumb of European colonial powers.

In 1863, Cambodia’s King Norodom signed a Protectorate Treaty with France, who would go on to rule Cambodia until 1941 when the Japanese army expelled the French and instilled their own brand of terror to the populace. With the defeat of Japan and the end of World War II, the French returned to Cambodia. But by 1953 a strong local leader, King Sihanouk, had risen to power with the Khmer and sought independence for his country. King Sihanouk, who also established the People’s Socialist Party, became the country’s first prime minister. Sihanouk kept Cambodia neutral in the Vietnam War until 1965, when he broke with the U.S. and allowed North Vietnam and the Vietcong to use Cambodian territory.

In 1970, Sihanouk was deposed by one of his generals, Lon Noiesta, who established a government in exile in China that supported the Cambodian revolutionary movement known as the Khmer Rouge—just as U.S. and South Vietnamese forces entered Cambodia to flush out Vietcong forces hiding there. For the next five years, as savage fighting spread throughout Cambodia, the Khmer Rouge gained land and power. In 1975 the capital at Phnom Penh fell to the Khmer Rouge, and their leader, Pol Pot, became the leader of Cambodia.

Three years of horror ensued as Pol Pot and his followers began a campaign of systematic genocide against the Cambodian people, with the aim of returning the country to the agrarian society of centuries before. In 1979, the Khmer Rouge were overthrown, and the Vietnamese- backed People’s Republic of Kampuchea was established. The Vietnamese withdrew the last of their troops by 1989. Entering the 1990s U.N. peacekeeping efforts helped stabilize Cambodia, and in 1993 a constitution was adopted, general elections were held, and King Norodom Sihanouk returned to the throne. In 2004, ill health forced him to abdicate in favor of his son, Norodom Sihamoni, who currently reigns as a constitutional monarch not very different from the parliamentary system of Great Britain.

Thailand

Facts, Figures & National Holidays • Area: 198,115 square miles

• Capital: Bangkok

• Languages: Thai, English (secondary language of the elite), and ethnic and regional dialects are spoken.

• Ethnicities: Thai 95.9%, Burmese 2%, other 2.2%

• Location: Thailand is bordered by Burma, Laos, Cambodia, and Malaysia

103 • Geography: Thailand is roughly the size of France or the state of Texas. The country has been described as a huge rice paddy interrupted by the sprawling metropolis of Bangkok. However, that assessment isn’t entirely fair. In fact, the country’s geography is actually quite varied, with a rich central plain, heavily forested mountains in the north, and a tropical rain forest along the southern peninsula.

• Population: 69,522,740 (estimate)

• Religions: Buddhist 93.6%, Muslim 4.9%, Christian 1.2%, other 0.2%, none 0.1% (2014 estimate)

• Time zone: Thailand is twelve hours ahead of U.S. EST. So when it is 6am in Washington D.C., it is 6pm in Bangkok.

National Holidays: Thailand

In addition to the holidays listed below, 05/05 Coronation Day Thailand celebrates a number of national May Visakha Puja (moves each year) holidays that follow a lunar calendar. To find out if you will be traveling during these 7/30 King’s Birthday holidays, please visit www.timeanddate.com/ holidays. 08/12 The Queen’s Birthday/ Mother’s Day

01/01 New Year’s Day 10/13 Passing of King Bhumibol

February Magapuja Day (moves each year; see 10/23 Chulalongkorn Day note above) 12/05 Father’s Day 04/06 Chakri Day 12/10 Constitution Day 04/13-4/17 Songkran 12/31 New Year’s Eve 05/01 Labor Day

Thailand: A Brief History Little is known about its earliest inhabitants, but a succession of tribal groups including the Mon and Khmer established powerful kingdoms in the region we now know as Thailand. In 1238 a Tai chieftain broke from the Khmer and established a kingdom at Sukhothai in the heart of modern- day Thailand. The Sukhothai was succeeded by the kingdom of Ayutthaya in the 14th century. Over the centuries, conflicts with Burma and other invaders eventually led to the reunification of Thailand under Chakri, who established his new capital in Bangkok in 1782.

In the 19th and early 20th centuries, rather than its traditional enemies like the Khmers, Burma, and Vietnam, it was the European powers that threatened Thailand —especially the French and British, who were vying for colonies in Southeast Asia. But Thailand was rather fortunate, in that it ended up being the only country in the region to escape colonial rule entirely. This was due to an agreement between the French and British to keep it as a neutral territory between them. The Siamese Revolution in 1932 spelled the end of the absolute monarchy of the Ayutthaya

104 Kingdom and established a constitutional monarchy largely overseen by the military—and a period of instability lasting some sixty years. At the time of World War II, military leaders chose to ally Thailand with Japan to avoid the fate of their Southeast Asian neighbors. And after the war, Thailand was able to maintain close ties with the United States by avoiding the communistic influences embraced by other neighbors.

With some 14 new constitutions written between 1932 and 1987, Thailand’s progress in establishing a stable, democratic government in recent times has been erratic at best—with power shifting back and forth between civilian politicians and military governments. Crown Prince Maha Vajiralongkorn was elevated to the throne after the death of his father, King Bhumibol Adulyadej, the 9th King of the Chakri Dynasty, to become Thailand’s newest monarch in 2016.

105 RESOURCES

Suggested Reading

China Riding the Iron Rooster by Paul Theroux (Travel Narrative) Acclaimed travel writer Paul Theroux’s vivid account of his journey through China by rail.

The Rape of Nanking: The Forgotten Holocaust of World War II by Iris Chang (2012, Non-Fiction) An account of events that unfolded in December 1937, when the Japanese army swept into China’s then-capital, the ancient city of Nanking, and more than 300,000 Chinese civilians were raped, tortured, and murdered. Chang’s heart-wrenching work is told through three perspectives—the Japanese soldiers, the Chinese, and the small group of Americans and Europeans (including a Nazi Party member) who created a safety zone that saved thousands of Chinese.

The Good Earth by Pearl Buck (Literature) A modern classic that won the Pulitzer Prize in 1931. Drawing heavily on her personal experience as a young newlywed in rural China, it is the plainly told story of a poor farmer and his stalwart wife. The book captures the daily life of China’s poorest people.

The Great Wall, China Against the World, 1000 BC-2000 AD by Julia Lovell (History) Everything you ever wanted to know about the Great Wall. And if you are interested in images of the Wall, consider The Great Wall, From Beginning to End by Michael Yamashita and William Lindesay (History/Photography) Lindesay’s informative text accompanies 160 photographs by Yamashita, who spent a year photographing along the 4,000-mile expanse for National Geographic.

The River at the Center of the World by Simon Winchester (Travel Narrative) In this wide-ranging overview of the Yangtze veteran journalist Simon Winchester travels upstream into China’s heartland. An excellent introduction to the great river that is at the symbolic and literal heart of China.

Before the Deluge, The Vanishing World of the Yangtze’s Three Gorges by Deirdre Chetham (Culture) Chetham offers a detailed glimpse into the daily life along the river, its spectacular natural beauty and checkered history. She also considers the efforts to tame the river, culminating with the massive Three Gorges dam. Although the book was written before the dam was completed, it is still considered one of the better books on the subject.

China Road by Rob Gifford (Travel Narrative) On the road from Shanghai west to the Gobi and China’s distant border with Kazakhstan, Gifford writes with warmth and affection of his many encounters along fabled Route 312 with fellow travelers, truckers, and ordinary folk.

Daughter of China: A True Story of Love and Betrayal by Meihong Xu and Larry Engelmann (Biography). The true account of a Chinese woman trained as an elite member of the PLA,denounced as a spy by the Communist government for her love of an American professor.

106 Death of a Red Heroine by Qui Xiaolong (Mystery) Marvelously evocative of Shanghai and China’s transition towards a market economy in the 1990’s, this award-winning debut of Inspector Chen of the Shanghai police is also a real page-turner.

Empress Orchid by Anchee Min (Fiction) A novel of the glorious, decadent last days of 19thCentury Imperial China. Min combines her tale of a young girl from the provinces who marries an emperor with a lovingly re-created portrait of life in the Forbidden City. Pearl Buck told a much more romanticized tale of the same remarkable woman in Imperial Woman.

Mao Zedong by Jonathan Spence (Biography) A masterful short biography in the “Penguin Lives” series, this text by Chinese historian Jonathan Spence tracks the life of the enigmatic Chinese ruler from his provincial upbringing to his powerful reign.

The Haunted Monastery by Robert Van Gulik (Mystery) One of a series of historical mysteries, featuring a Tang-era Chinese magistrate that are taken from the tradition of Chinese suspense novels. Apart from the pleasure of the elaborate plots, the books are rich in details of court and daily life in ancient China.

Wild Swans, Three Daughters of China by Jung Chang (Biography) A riveting tale of three generations spanning the end of Old China, Mao’s regime and the Japanese occupation. Chang chronicles the enormous changes in China since 1929 through her family’s story, which includes arrest during the Cultural Revolution, exile to the Sichuan wilderness and coming to terms with the bewildering state of China today.

China in Ten Words by Yu Hua (Culture) Ten essays on wide-ranging aspects of Chinese culture, such as economics, history, and politics, each summed up by one word or phrase like “leader” or “revolution”.

Postcards from Tomorrow Square: Reports from China by James Fallows (Culture) Originally a series of articles for Atlantic Monthly, each chapter can be read as a stand-alone piece or as part of a whole. The same author has also written China Airborne, which focuses on China’s aviation industry as a way of understanding the modernization of China.

Midnight in Peking by Paul French (True Crime) When a pretty Englishwoman is murdered on the eve of war in 1937, will the detectives on the case be able to solve the crime before the Japanese invade? It sounds like a mystery novel, but in fact is a historical case.

Leaving Mother Lake by Yang Erche Namu and Christine Mathieu (Biography/Memoir) In this international bestseller Namu recounts her childhood among the Mosuo people, a matriarchal tribe that lives in southwestern China. Recognized early for her singing ability, Namu left the tribe for the big city and a possible musical career, but not without experiencing homesickness and culture shock—in her own country. An interesting insider’s look at a little-known ethnic minority in China.

How Was China? by Dodie Johnston (Travel Narrative) Looking for a new adventure in retirement, Dodie sets off to China to teach English in a women’s college. In this book, she humorously captures the local culture and tells her story of navigating life in China, as well as the stories of people she’s met along the way.

107 Tibet The Dragon in the Land of Snows: The History of Modern Tibet since 1947 by Tsering Shakya (1999, History) A nuanced look at how and why the Chinese annexed Tibet, and how the rest of the world let it happen.

My Journey to Lhasa: The Classic Story of the Only Western Woman Who Succeeded in Entering the Forbidden City by Alexandra David-Néel (1927, Travel Memoir) The remarkable true story of a genteel Frenchwoman who disguised herself as a beggar, endured the most dangerous and primitive travel conditions, and used her command of Tibetan dialects to penetrate the Forbidden City of Lhasa. David-Néel was the first western woman to be received by any Dalai Lama. She went on to become a premier scholar of Asia.

The Hotel on the Roof of the World by Alec le Sueur (2001, Travel Memoir) It wasn’t easy managing a Holiday Inn in Lhasa when Tibet first re-opened to the world during the 1980s and ‘90s. But it was awfully funny.

Freedom in Exile: The Autobiography of the Dalai Lama by the Dalai Lama XIV (1991, Autobiography) In this frank and gripping story, His Holiness explores his own growth as he mastered the mysteries of Tibetan Buddhism, while balancing the practical needs of his people against the realities of Chinese Communism.

Hong Kong The World of Suzie Wong by Richard Mason (1957, Romance). Set before Hong Kong was returned to Chinese control, follow the love story of Robert Lomax, a British artist who moved to Hong Kong for artistic inspiration and his muse, Suzie, a Chinese prostitute.

A History of Hong Kong by Frank Welsh (1993, History). Frank Welsh’s book breakdowns the history of Hong Kong and its time as a colony of Britain, the politics surrounding its existence and how the small barren port became a hub of technology, finance, and trade.

Hong Kong: Culture and the Politics of Disappearance by Ackbar Abbas (1997, Cultural Nonfiction). Abbas’s book views Hong Kong through the lens of their past as a colony of Britain and their future as a part of the Republic of China, analyzing their identity as both a colonial city and global city of migrants as they prepare for the handoff they never asked for.

Fragrant Harbour by John Lanchester (2002, Historical Fiction). Tom Stewart, seeking adventure, lands himself in the city of Hong Kong in 1935, where he meets his life-long friend, a Chinese nun named Sister Maria. Together, they struggle through the Japanese occupation of Hong Kong in World War II, the rise of capitalism in the post-war boom, the expansion of the dark criminal underground, and the city’s transition into Chinese power at the end of the century. Along the way, their lives become intertwined with Dawn Stone, an English journalist, and Matthew Ho, a Chinese businessman.

Umbrellas in Bloom: Hong Kong’s Occupy Movement Uncovered by Jason Ng (2016, Nonfiction). Jason Ng outlines the struggles of the people of Hong Kong following the city’s transition into power. Having been present at the main protest sites, Ng covers the complex political system in

108 Hong Kong, the economic discrepancies, the effects of the “one country, two systems” policy enforced by Beijing. The author is not an objective narrator, but rather a personal and political synopsis of the struggles Hong Kong is facing that forced them out into the streets to protest.

Gweilo by Martin Booth (2004, Autobiography). Raised in Hong Kong since the early 1950s, Martin Booth guides readers through his childhood in the British colony as he reminisces about his experiences as a gweilo, a racial Cantonese term for white Westerners, used today as a neutral reference.

Mongolia On the Trail of Genghis Khan by Tim Cope (Travel Narrative) Recommended by our regional office for the epic sweep of its author’s endeavor: To travel from the ancient Mongolian capital of Karakorum to Hungary by horseback—the same journey taken by Genghis Khan.

The Dinosaur Artist: Obsession, Betrayal, and the Quest for Earth’s Ultimate Trophy by Paige Williams (Non-Fiction) A red flag was raised when “a superb Tyrannosaurus skeleton” appeared on the cover of New York auction catalog in 2012. The problem was that the nearly complete fossil (which sold for more than $1 million) was of T. bataar, close cousin of T rex, and had been unearthed more than 6,000 miles away in Mongolia’s Gobi Desert. Politics, science, and greed collide in this fascinating book that looks at the murky world of fossil collecting and asks who owns natural history—especially in places like the remote Flaming Cliffs of Mongolia, home to one of the richest fossil beds in the world.

Wolf Totem by Jiang Rong (Literature) This novel tells the story of a Chinese student who is sent to Inner Mongolia during the Cultural Revolution, where he develops a special connection with the Mongolian wolf. Although set in Inner Mongolia (not Mongolia proper), the novel is based on the author’s real-life experiences during the 1970s, and gives a strong sense of Mongolian culture and the nomadic life.

Hearing Birds Fly by Louisa Waugh (Travel Narrative) A charming look back at her year teaching English in a Mongolian village. Winner of the 2004 Ondaatje Prize, which is awarded by the Royal Society of Literature for a work that evokes “spirit of place”.

Khubilai Khan’s Lost Fleet: In Search of a Legendary Armada by James P. Delgado (History) How could a fleet of 700 ships, owned by the most powerful empire on earth, be lost in only 15 years? Archeologist Delgado joins with a Japanese dive team to try to answer that very question. But first they must locate the lost fleet, which most historians consider nothing more than a legend.

The Secret History of the Mongol Queens by Jack Weatherford (History) An inventive look at the female descendants of the Great Khan by a professor of anthropology at Macalester College. A good source for the full story of Queen Mandukhai the Wise.

Genghis Khan and the Making of the Modern World by Jack Weatherford (History) An in-depth look on how this iconic and legendary figure helped shape the modern world in such a short span of time. (Weatherford has been awarded the Order of the Polar Star, which is Mongolia’s highest national award.)

109 Mongolia, Travels in the Untamed Land by Jasper Becker (Travel Narrative) Originally published in 1992, this new edition continues to inspire with its wide-ranging descriptions of Becker’s journey into Mongolia after the fall of the Soviet Union. (As a British journalist based in Beijing, Becker was one of the first Westerners allowed into the country after the collapse of communism.)

Modern Mongolia, From Khans to Commissars to Capitalists by Morris Rossabi (Economics/ History) A detailed, critical, and scholarly look at Mongolia’s dramatic shift from communism to capitalism after the collapse of the Soviet Union. The author is a professor of history at the City University of New York, and has also written a book on Kublai Khan.

Women of Mongolia by Martha Avery (Culture) An interesting mix of written word and photography, this book pairs Avery’s interviews of Mongolian women with lovely black-and- white photos of the women themselves. The book was originally published in the 1990s, so it may not be in stock at the local bookstore but should be available online or by special order.

Cambodia First They Killed My Father: A Daughter of Cambodia Remembers by Loung Ung (2000, Memoir) A personal account of Ung’s experiences throughout the Khmer Rouge years as a survivor of the Pol Pot regime. At times an uncomfortable read, but very worthwhile and her story will stay with you for a long time. Ung’s award-winning memoir was followed up by two more: Lucky Child: A Daughter of Cambodia Reunites with the Sister She Left Behind and Lulu in the Sky: A Daughter of Cambodia Finds Love, Healing, and Double Happiness.

A History of Cambodia by David Chandler (2018 4th Ed.,History) A bit dry perhaps, but this acclaimed work is considered one of the best accounts of Cambodia’s modern history, beginning in 1953 to the rise and fall of the Khmer Rouge, the death of the noxious Pol Pot in the late 1990s, and the return of peace to this lovely land.

Golden Bones, An Extraordinary Journey from Hell in Cambodia to a New Life in America by Sichan Siv (2009, Memoir) Deputy Ambassador to the UN during the Bush administration, Siv looks back on a remarkable life, from his privileged childhood in Pochentong to the murderous reign of Pol Pot, his escape from a work camp to freedom and, eventually, life in America.

Angkor, Cambodia’s Wondrous Khmer Temples by Dawn Rooney (first published 1994 by Odyssey Books & Guides) This beautifully illustrated volume is considered by many as the indispensable guide to Khmer culture and history.

Thailand Fieldwork by Micha Berlinski (2008, Fiction) Haunting and suspenseful, this is a tale about a modern American ex-pat attempting to unravel an old mystery about an anthropologist who had been working with a Thai Hill Tribe before being charged with murder.

The Beach by Alex Garland (1998, Fiction) The bestselling novel taps into a common legend of young backpackers who come to Southeast Asia for the first time—discovering that unspoiled hidden beach paradise. But they soon find out that even in Thailand, Utopia is hard to find.

110 The King Never Smiles: A Biography of Thailand’s Bhumibol Adulyadej (2006, Biography). Banned in Thailand (and cannot be brought into the country), this extensively researched biography of the Thai king who ascended the throne in 1946 and was the world’s longest serving monarch until his death in 2016 reveals the king’s decisions during the entirely of his reign. While any critique of someone seen by his people as a living Buddha is bound to be controversial, the book is considered by many to be essential to an understanding of the political climate in present-day Thailand.

Anna and the King of Siam by Margaret Landon (1944 Biographical Novel) Some say the tale is more fanciful than true, but it certainly has endured. This is the classic account of a governess in mid-19th century Siam that inspired both the play and the film, The King and I.

Bangkok 8 by John Burdett (2003, Detective Novel) Reminiscent of a film noir—gritty, suspenseful, and sometimes darkly funny—this book explores the underside of Thailand’s capital through a series of mysterious deaths by snakebite. The detective, Sonchai Jitpleecheep, who is a member of the Royal Thai police, also stars in sequels like: Bangkok Tattoo and Bangkok Haunts.

Bangkok, A Cultural History by Maryvelma O’Neil (2008, History) Art historian O’Neil’s scholarly yet thoroughly engaging book details the city’s art, history, royal ceremony, and tradition in such depth that it is sometimes used as a college textbook, despite coming in at less than 300 pages.

Travelers’ Tales Thailand edited by Larry Habegger and James O’Reilly (2009, Culture) An award- winning collection of memorable true tales that show a spectrum of experiences to be had (or to be avoided) in Thailand. The authors come from many walks of life: some are teachers, writers, scientists—all of them have tales to tell that will help to deepen and enrich your experience in Thailand.

Patpong Sisters: An American Woman’s View of the Bangkok Sex World by Cleo Odzer (2014, Sociology) An American anthropologist spent three years observing and getting to know the pimps, prostitutes, bar girls and bar boys—and their customers—of the Thailand’s thriving $4 billion sex industry.

Suggested Film & Video

China Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000, Action) A worldwide sensation, this movie pays tribute to the Kung Fu genre but also updates it for a new audience. The central question of what it means to be faithful is wrapped up in an exciting plot about the theft of a famed sword.

Eat, Drink, Man, Woman (1994, Comedy) A gentle comedy about finding romance and purpose. The plot centers on a famous chief, now retired and widowed, who expresses his love for his three daughters through the elaborate meals that he creates.

Farewell My Concubine (1993, Drama). Two stars of the Peking Opera deal with complex issues ranging from personal to political.

Mulan (1998, Family) Have kids or grandkids who are curious about where you’re going? This Disney animated movie is a great way to introduce them to a classic Chinese legend.&

111 Raise the Red Lantern (1992, Drama) A beautifully shot period piece that follows the tragic intrigues between the four wives of a wealthy businessman in 1920s China, as told from the point of view of his youngest wife.

The Last Emperor (1987, Biography) A biopic about the romantic yet sad life of China’s last emperor who was finally dethroned in 1917. Beautiful camera work, gorgeous colors, and full of pageantry.

The Painted Veil (2006, Romance) Love, betrayal, and possible redemption between two missionaries in rural China during the 1930s. Was filmed on location in the area surrounding Guilin.

Tibet Seven Years in Tibet (1997, Drama) Based on the true story of Austrian mountaineer Heinrich Harrer (Brad Pitt), who escaped a British POW camp in the Himalayas during World War II, and ended up in Tibet, where he becomes a tutor and friend to the young Dalai Lama.

Kundun (1997, Biopic) Director Martin Scorsese looks at the early life and education of Tenzin Gyatso, the 14th Dalai Lama. The film begins in 1937, when lamas discovered the young Tenzin and administered unusual tests determine if he was indeed the reincarnation of the previous Dalai Lama. It concludes in 1959, with his exile to India. Notable among other things for its stunning cinematography.

The Cup (2000, Comedy/Drama) This delightful film drops Hollywood’s worshipful attitude about Tibet to show a more realistic and affectionate portrait. We follow some young Tibetan monks living in an Indian monastery as they get joyously caught up the World Cup soccer finals, orchestrate a scheme to rent a television set, play jokes on each other, and sneak out to ogle Victoria’s Secret catalogs. Meanwhile, the head of their monastery ponders how to teach dharma in a rapidly changing world.

Hong Kong Love in a Fallen City (1984, Romance/Drama) Bai Liu-Su, a recent divorcee, meets Fan Liu-Yuan, a businessman who lives in Hong Kong. Feeling their connection and wanting to leave her disappointed family behind, Bai Liu-Su visits Hong Kong, looking to start a relationship with the charming Fan Liu-Yuan, only for the couple to be trapped in Hong Kong during the four year occupation by Japan.

Made in Hong Kong (1997, Drama/Crime). Autumn Moon, a high school drop-out with a deadbeat dad and no expectations in life, ends up embroiled in the criminal underground as a debt collector for a Triad member. While working, he meets and falls in love with Ping, a young girl with a fatal disease. Desperate to earn the money needed to save her life, Autumn Moon entangles himself deeper in the Triads and accepts an assassination contract.

A Simple Life (2011, Drama). Roger Leung, a middle-aged film producer, helps take care of his family’s maidservant, Chung Chun-to, who had been with the family for decades, after she suffers from a stroke.

112 Still Human (2018, Drama/Comedy). A paralyzed Hong Kong man and his Filipino domestic worker learn how to face life and happiness as they live through each day under the same roof.

Mongolia Mongol: The Rise of Genghis Khan (2008, Biopic/Foreign) A sweeping historical epic that focuses on the early life of Genghis Khan. The director used Mongolian actors and filmed on location. If you’d prefer a non-fiction approach, look for Genghis Khan: Terror and Conquest from A&E’s Biography series.

The Way Back (2010, Drama) A group of escaped gulag prisoners make their way out of Siberia across Mongolia, facing possible recapture, harsh conditions, and moral dilemmas (such as when is it right to leave someone behind) along the way.

The Horse Boy (2009, Documentary) In this heartfelt documentary, a family travels from Texas to Mongolia to try a combination of shamanic healing and horseback riding therapy for their autistic son.

Dinosaur Hunters: Secrets of the Gobi Desert (2002,Natural History) Part of the wide-ranging National Geographic series, this documentary follows a join expedition by members of the Mongolian Academy of Sciences and the American Museum of Natural History.

The Story of the Weeping Camel (2003, Documentary) A film that focuses on a Mongolian family’s attempts to save a rare white camel that has been rejected by its mother. Nominated for a “Best Documentary” Oscar in 2004.

The Cave of the Yellow Dog (2005, Drama) A gentle fable about a nomadic girl who takes in a stray dog. The film won several awards, including “Best Children’s Film” at the Deutscher Filmpreis (Germany’s Oscars). By the same director as The Story of the Weeping Camel.

Babies (2010, Documentary) An usual film that follows fours babies—one in Mongolia, one in Japan, one in Namibia, and one in the U.S. There is almost no narration, just a camera following the kids as they go from newborns to their first birthday.

Wolf Totem (2015, Action) The film adaptation of the book by the same name. A Chinese student adopts a wolf club during his exile in Mongolia under the Cultural Revolution.

The Eagle Huntress (2016, Documentary) A teenaged girl hunts with an eagle high in the mountains.

Cambodia The Killing Fields (1984, Drama) Based on the work of New York Times reporter Sydney Schanberg (played by Sam Waterston) and his translator Dith Pran (played by Haing Ngor), this war drama explores the tragic rise of the Khmer Rouge in Cambodia. Ngor, who won Best Supporting Actor for his performance (the first and only Asian man thus far) and managed to survive three terms in Cambodian prison camps, was fatally shot in Los Angeles in 1996.

113 Lara Croft: Tomb Raider (2001, Action/Adventure) This fanciful romp was filmed at several locations around the temple complex of Siem Reap, including Angkor Wat. Angelina Jolie was good in the role, but the real star of the film was the jungle temple of Ta Prohm, which tuk-tuk drivers and guidebooks alike just call it “Tomb Raider temple.” Significant parts of Lord Jim, the 1995 film starring Peter O’Toole, were also shot at Angkor Wat.

Thailand The Beach (2000, Drama) Leonardo DiCaprio stars in this seductive thriller from director Danny Boyle. Based on the book of the same name, it’s the story of an American backpacker in Thailand searching for an idyllic secret beach community described by a fellow traveler. But if and when he finds it, will it be a paradise or a purgatory?

The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957, Classic) The dramatic story of the dangerous construction of a railway bridge by British POWs under the control of the Japanese army during WWII.

The Impossible (2012, Drama) A family expecting to find a tropical paradise while vacationing in Thailand instead are in the fight for their lives when a huge wall of black water sweeps across the grounds of their hotel. Based on a true story of a family caught up in the devastating tsunami of December 26, 2004, the film stars Naomi Watts (who received a nomination for Best Actress) and Ewan McGregor.

The King and I (1956, Musical) A colorful and fun production of the Rodgers and Hammerstein musical that is loosely based on the life of Anna Leonowens, the British governess to the King of Siam (modern-day Thailand). The same story also inspired two other (non-musical) movies: Anna and the King of Siam starring Irene Dunne and Rex Harrison (1946) and Anna and the King starring Jodie Foster and Chow Yun-Fat (1999).

114 Useful Websites

Overseas Adventure Travel World Weather www.oattravel.com www.intellicast.com www.weather.com Overseas Adventure Travel Store www.wunderground.com www.oatshop.com Basic Travel Phrases (80 languages) Overseas Adventure Travel Frequently www.travlang.com/languages Asked Questions www.oattravel.com/faq Packing Tips www.travelite.org International Health Information/CDC (Centers for Disease Control) U.S. Customs & Border Protection http://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel www.cbp.gov/travel

Electricity & Plugs Transportation Security www.worldstandards.eu/electricity/ Administration (TSA) plugs-and-sockets www.tsa.gov

Foreign Exchange Rates National Passport Information Center www.xe.com/currencyconverter www.travel.state.gov www.oanda.com/converter/classic Holidays Worldwide ATM Locators www.timeanddate.com/holidays www.mastercard.com/atm www.visa.com/atmlocator

115 VACCINATIONS NOW REQUIRED FOR ALL TRAVELERS, SHIP CREW, TRIP EXPERIENCE LEADERS, AND COACH DRIVERS Plus, updated Health & Safety Protocols for our Land Tours

The health and safety of our travelers is always our #1 priority, and we understand travelers are concerned about exploring the world in light of the unprecedented crisis we are currently facing. To ensure your safety and give you peace of mind, we have worked with our regional team and listened to government guidance and feedback from our travelers to create these health and safety protocols for our trips. As we continue to make changes, we will keep our website updated with the latest information.

VACCINATION REQUIREMENTS • All travelers, ship crew, and Trip Experience AND UPDATED HEALTH & SAFETY Leaders will have their temperature checked PROTOCOLS FOR SMALL SHIP every time they return to the ship using a non- ADVENTURES contact infrared temperature scanner. • All travelers must be fully vaccinated against • All meals are served by the dining staff— COVID-19 at least 14 days prior to departure buffets are no longer available. and provide proof of vaccination upon VACCINATION REQUIREMENTS AND boarding the ship. If you are unable to UPDATED HEALTH & SAFETY PROTOCOLS provide proof of vaccination upon arrival at FOR SMALL GROUP ADVENTURES ON LAND your destination, you will have to return • All travelers must be fully vaccinated against home at your own expense. COVID-19 at least 14 days prior to departure. If To meet this requirement, please bring your you are unable to provide proof of vaccination original COVID-19 Vaccination Record Card upon arrival at your destination, you will with you on your trip. The white card must have to return home at your own expense. display your name, type of vaccine, and the To meet this requirement, please bring your date(s) the vaccine was administered. We also original COVID-19 Vaccination Record Card with suggest taking a picture of this card to keep for you on your trip. The white card must display your records as a backup. your name, type of vaccine, and the date(s) • All local Trip Experience Leaders, the vaccine was administered. We also suggest fully ship staff, and crew will be taking a picture of this card to keep for your vaccinated against COVID-19. records as a backup. fully • All coach drivers will be • All local Trip Experience Leaders will be fully vaccinated against COVID-19. vaccinated against COVID-19. • All public areas will be sanitized nightly and • All coach drivers will be fully vaccinated all ships are equipped with High Efficiency against COVID-19. Particulate Air (HEPA) filters.

Help us ensure travelers’ safety and health while on our trips. Please follow best health and hygiene practices to prevent the spread of illness—wash your hands regularly and cover your mouth when coughing or sneezing. Together, we can create a safer travel experience for everyone.

Learn more at www.oattravel.com/covid-update

116 Notes

117 Notes

118 KOREA NORTH Sea East Miles China To/From U.S. Internal flight Land route Rail route Cruise route 0200

Beijing

m

a

D

s

e

e

g

z r

t

o

Great Wall g

Hong Kong

G n

a

e

e Y

r h Yichang

Terra Cotta Army T

s e g r o

Xian G

e z t Beijing g

n

a Chongqing

Y RUSSIA Ulaanbaatar Chengdu CHINA Gobi CHINA Kharkhorin VIETNAM MONGOLIA

IA a S e a D C h i n O a s t B E M A C Shanghai PRE-TRIP EXTENSIONS Hong Kong via Hong Kong Ho Chi Minh City Tonle Sap Siem Reap Angkor Wat TIBET To Beijing To

e

Suzhou z

Lhasa t

INDIA

g n N POST-TRIP EXTENSION POST-TRIP EXTENSION

Gulf of Gulf a A Bangkok

THAILAND (Optional Tour)

Thailand CHINA Y T U H B

119 YOUR TRIP EXPERIENCE LEADER

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