China is a country located in Asia with name that begins with letter C. The People’s Republic of China is one of the largest countries in the world. It extends in an east-west direction over 4,200 km from the Yellow Sea to Central Asia and extends from north to south over 4,500 km from Siberia to the South China Sea and the Himalayas. China borders a total of 16 other states; it shares its longest borders with Mongolia, Russia and India.
With a land area of over 9.5 million km², the national territory of China is almost as large as Europe. With 1.3 billion residents, the PR China is the most populous country on earth. More than 90% of the population lives in the alluvial plains of the east, which were raised by the major rivers such as the Yangtze, Huang He and Xi Jiang. To the west of this, the country is characterized by low mountain ranges and plateaus, such as the Mongolian plateau and the Sichuan basin. Mighty high mountains dominate the southwest and west: the Himalayas with Mount Everest (8,848 m) on the border with Nepal, as well as the Tian Shan and Pamir mountain ranges, whose highest peaks reach over 7,000 m, and the highlands of Tibet. The country’s national animal is the giant panda, which is unique to China.
Over 90% of China’s population belongs to the Han ethnic group. The largest cities are the coastal city of Shanghai with over 17 million residents, followed by the capital Beijing (12.3 million residents) and Hong Kong (9.1 million residents).
Entry and visa
A visa is required to stay in the PRC and can be applied for at the embassy of the PRC. The passport must be valid for at least 6 months. You will receive further information with your travel documents.
Climate
Due to the large extent of the country, the climatic conditions also vary greatly from region to region. No fewer than 18 different climate zones – from tropical to high alpine to desert – are counted in China. While the north of the country is continental – with very hot summers and very cold winters – the climate to the south is subtropical to tropical, with floods and storms frequently occurring between June and September. Most of the country is in the temperate zone.
Food and drink
The range of dishes in China is extremely diverse and the Chinese cuisine is known around the world thanks to 40 million Chinese overseas: Rice, noodles, meat, fish, seafood, vegetables, soups, fruits – everything comes in large quantities in a typical Chinese meal (round) dining table and is consumed to your heart’s content. Light comes before heavy, sweet after salty – and soups are usually eaten after solid dishes. European guests can count on indulgence at the table when it comes to handling chopsticks. To demonstrate that the host is not stingy, more is served than can be eaten. By the way: burping at the table is allowed; Blowing your nose is considered disgusting.
Drinking plays a minor role at the table. After the meal, tea is often served – preferably jasmine tea, green tea or oolong.
Medical advice
Health care in larger cities is of a very good standard. Outside the metropolitan areas, it is advisable to take a personal first-aid kit with you – if only because of the possible communication difficulties in the event of illness. The greatest health risks in China come from environmental and air pollution. The latter mainly affects the residents of the Chinese metropolises. In the mountain regions, an adequate height adjustment is to be ensured.
General security
China is considered a very safe travel destination. To protect against pickpockets, which can occur in heavily frequented locations, the usual precautionary measures are sufficient to keep money and valuables out of sight.
Special criminal law provisions
- Travelers must have their passport with the valid Chinese visa with them at all times and be able to show it at an inspection.
- It is forbidden to take photographs of military installations.
- The Tibetan flag and pictures of HH the Dalai Lama are banned in China and in annexed Tibet. Possession and showing of the flag are punishable by severe penalties.
SPECIAL NOTES ON THE TRIP “THROUGH WESTERN NEPAL TO KAILASH” (CXG02)
The entry requirements for Tibet can be changed by the Chinese government at short notice. Such changes can result in a change, impairment or change in the itinerary. Unfortunately, we have no influence on this policy.
Tours in Tibet are not for people who expect a completely smooth travel program and a certain luxury!
The trip you have booked has the character of an expedition! It is not a “package tour with a guaranteed itinerary”.
The trip involves very complex logistics and is carried out under difficult climate, road and authority conditions.
Accommodation in Tibet is very basic and some places only offer dormitory accommodation. We try to organize a pleasant trip for you, but have to work with the Chinese authorities in Tibet and are therefore dependent on local government guides. These leaders are often very poor in English and are selected based on their political orientation rather than qualifications.
In addition, you will always be accompanied by one of our guides from Nepal.
Road conditions can be extremely bad and the distances are very long. Again and again there are traffic obstructions and transport problems (road blockades, vehicle damage, official road blocks, etc.). This can lead to changes in the program.
Tibet is a relatively expensive travel destination due to Chinese regulations! The high travel price does not mean a higher quality than in Nepal or India.
Due to the seasonal conditions in Tibet, it is necessary to start the trip in Nepal in the monsoon season (approx. Beginning of June to beginning of September). In the cold season (around the beginning of November to the end of March) it is too cold in the Kailash area for this trip and possible snowfalls make the passes impassable.
Due to the difficult local conditions (e.g. weather, authorities, roads), delays / obstructions in the travel process can occur at any point on the route, both in Nepal and in Tibet. In extreme cases, this can mean that it is not possible to reach the Kailash. Reaching Kailash is therefore expressly not part of the travel contract.
We and our team on site naturally always try to find solutions and alternatives. Of course we will do our best to carry out the planned program points and to offer you the most pleasant trip possible.
The flights from Kathmandu to Nepalgunj and further to Simikot (= visual flight) can – especially during the monsoon season (Jun.-Sep.) – be canceled for several days due to bad weather.
A few extra nights in Kathmandu and Nepalgunj may be necessary here. In the event of longer flight cancellations, there is sometimes the possibility of charter a helicopter on site, which will bring the group to the desired destination even on wet slopes.
The costs for this and also for the additional nights at the place of departure are not included in the travel price and must be paid directly by the travel participants on site.
1 hotel night costs around EUR 30 to 40 per person.
The costs for the helicopter flight vary widely and amount to around EUR 400 to EUR 600 per person and route.
Please bring enough cash with you. Payment by credit card is possible. Here, however, there are another 5% expenses.
If none of this puts you off and you can react flexibly, you will experience a wonderful country!
