Trip tip

Tip--Safety & Security

The following are some tips for traveling safely:

• Get as much information as possible from us about the places you are to travel.
• Make several copies of your passport, traveler's checks, credit cards, itinerary, airline tickets and other travel documents. Take one copy with you and leave one copy with a relative or friend back home.
• Be sure the photographs on your passport, driver’s license and other ID is accurate, and be sure your passport, driver’s license and other ID is valid and not expiring before you return from your trip.
• When you don’t need to transfer from one city to another and don’t need to bring your passport, driver’s license and other ID with you, it’s better to leave them in the safety box in the hotel either in the room or at the reception (some five-star hotels may have safety box in the rooms, while all the hotels above 3 star have safety boxes at the reception). If you need to carry your passport, driver’s license and other ID with you, be sure you put them in a safe place that the others can not reach them, like you can put them in the money belt under your clothes. The same with all your tickets, credit cards and important documents and valuable things.
• Be sure the door of your hotel room and window is closed and locked at all times, especially when you are not in the room.
• Do not answer the hotel room door before you verify who it is. Never let a stranger come into your room.
• The water from the tap in the most hotels is not drinkable, so always drink the boiled water or bottled water.
• Take most of your money in traveler's checks and record the serial numbers, denominations and date and location of the issuing agency, don’t sign your name on the traveler’s checks before you use them. Remove all unnecessary credit cards from your wallet. Be sure to carry your credit card company's telephone number in case your card is lost or stolen. Always report losses immediately.
• Always exchange money at the Bank of China or in the hotel counters, don’t try to exchange money in the black market, because it is illegal and sometimes you might be ripped off.
• Always prepare some small changes, which you can use to buy things from the street vendors, especially those at scenic spots, and when you get changes back, check carefully in case they are counterfeit money.
• Dress down, leave expensive jewelry and watches at home and don’t show large amounts of cash or traveler’s check in public.
• During your tour, when you have free time, you may want to go somewhere on your own by taxi, it’s better have your hotel arrange taxi service for you, take a hotel card with you or ask your tour guide / receptionist to write down the names of the hotels and places you want to go in both English and Chinese before getting in the car. Remember the number of the taxi in case you leave anything in it.
• Prepare a matchbook with some useful words and phrases both in Chinese and English. You can show the matchbook to a policeman or a local people if you need to find out and say like: “Where is the restrooms?” or “Where is KFC?” etc.>
• Respect the customs of local people, especially when you go to visit the areas of different minorities, ask your tour guides about the proper etiquettes, behaviors, manners and taboos to avoid offending people.
• Most people in China are friendly, and some of them are eager to practice English, it is delightful to talk with them, but never go to anywhere with a stranger.
• If you are to take the train during your tour in China, be sure you take your train at the right railway station because some of the big cities in China may have two or more railway stations, and when you get to the railway station, be careful with all your properties since the railway stations in China are always crowded, and never entrust your luggage to someone not in uniform. While you are on the train, be sure your passport, your credit cards and all valuable things are put in a safe place

Safety & Security - Getting Around On Your Own

If you have free time, and want to explore cities on your own, get a map of the city or area and the card of the hotel and the mobile phone of your guide in case you get lost and need the help.

In most cities in China, there are quite a lot taxis available, which are cars painted either in red or yellow or green. Taxi fares may vary from city to city but they are supposed to be marked on the taxi window, and the taxi drivers are supposed to use taximeter when you get on the taxi.

Most taxi drivers do not understand English, it is better for you to have your destinations written down in Chinese so that you can show the address to the taxi driver, and don’t forget to ask for a receipt or remember the number of the taxi in case you leave something in the taxi

 Safety & Security - Phone Cards & Long-Distance Calling

Apart from calling IDD from your hotel room, there are various phone cards available in post offices inside hotels or at most newsstands on the street in China. Among them IC card and IP card are the most popular ones.

Most public telephones you see in booths are IC telephones, which allow you to call home directly. IC card is issued by China Telecom; international calls with IC telephone cards are relatively expensive, usually over 10 RMB/M. When you buy an IC card and want to call back home, simply just find a telephone booth either in hotel, restaurant, airport or some other places, insert the card into the phone, follow the vocal instructions to dial the number you want.

IP cards are issued by different issuers such as China Telecom, China Unicom, China Netcom and China Jitong, thus the Rates for international calls are different. China Unicom's rate for calls to Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan usually is 1.5 RMB/M, 2.6 RMB/M to America and Canada while 3.6 RMB/M to other countries. The others’ rates for international calls are either a little bit higher or lower than that of China Unicom. Currently, the IP phone service has covered the whole country, providing international service between China and over 200 countries and regions. There will be instruction on each IP card to tell you how to make a call, you can use the hotel phone to call with IP card and the hotel usually will charge some fare as that of city call.

Please note: some of the IC cards or IP cards can be used only in certain provinces or regions, so please check it and also the expired date before you purchase them.

P.S.
The following is how to dial international call from China:
00+country code + region code + phone number

The country code for USA and Canada is 1, 44 for UK, 61 for Australia, 43 for Austria, 41 for Switzerland, 852 for Hong Kong, 39 for Italy, 31 for Holland, 64 for New Zealand, etc. For the other countries, please check the instruction book in the hotel room.

Safety & Security - Mobile Phones

In China, GSM networks operated by China Mobile provide coverage in every major city, while CDMA network run by China Unicom is improving its coverage, so if you have a dual band or tri band mobile phone or use COSMOTE card, then you can use your mobile phone in China in most big cities, though any calls you make will be considered long-distance.

A cheaper option is to buy GSM SIM card, which is a telephone number. There are mainly two kinds you can choose: Shenzhouxing issued by China Mobile, Ruyitong issued by China Unicom. Usually when you buy SIM card, no document is required but prepaid charge and you need to finish using that amount of prepaid charge before indicated date. You can buy charging card in amount of 50 RMB and 100 RMB to recharge in post offices, stores and newsstands easily.

Safety & Security - Internet Access

You can use the Internet service in the business center of the hotels; some rooms of certain hotels have the internet access, in which you can use your own computer.

And internet cafes are a booming business in China and you should have no difficulty in finding one in cities, big or small, the charges in those internet cafes may be cheaper, but please don’t go and stay there for too late for the sake of safety.

Safety & Security - Public Facilities

In China, most public toilets are squatting ones which can be found in commercial areas and are usually well-marked. If you need to answer the nature’s call, look for a “WC” sign. A useful word to know is cesuo, which is Chinese for toilet. Some public toilets require a small fee, others are free. Most public toilets don’t supply toilet paper, so it is advisable to always carry some tissue paper with you at all times. If you can’t seem to find a washroom, try to find a McDonalds or KFC, where there is a clean washroom available.

Safety & Security - Medical care in China

Hotels usually have access to a doctor if you need one. If your condition is serious, you will be taken to hospital. In emergency, our guides or staff at the hotels will help you call the ambulance or at 120 in each city.

Excellent medical care is readily available in China at hospitals and clinics in major cities. Doctors generally do not have private offices outside the hospitals. Our tour guides are well trained to handle emergencies and will make all necessary arrangements. Medical care in China is not that expensive as in western countries.

Safety & Security - Photography

You may photograph in most locations, except in most museums and archeological sites (notably the main pit of the Terra-cotta Warriors), while some institutions allow you to take photos if you pay a fee in advance.

Do ask for permission first if you try to take photos of people closely.

Color print film, memory stick for digital camera is widely available, especially in the medium-sized and big cities, black and white or slide film much less so. Video film can be found but not always readily. All security X-ray machines on mainland China and at Hong Kong airport are film-safe.

It is advisable to have filters with you as sometimes it might be hazy in the city/area you are to visit.