Pre-Trip Extension Itinerary
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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 Enriching. 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