Chamber East Chamber of Commerce is planning a 9 day trip to China in March of 2009. We picked spring because it’s the prettiest time of year in China and usually a more expensive time to travel to China. However, this trip will cost *$1799 including round trip air fare – 4 & 5 star hotels, food and everything inclusive. www.ChamberEast.com/ChamberEast/ChinaTrip2009.htm  We invite anyone from our communities to join us for this amazing trip – you do not need to be a member of Chamber East to enjoy this fabulous exotic trip. Remember to include family and friends when you plan on joining us in China next March 2009.
All for just *$1,799 per person! *For Chamber East members who pay in full by 12/15/08 - $1899 for Non-Chamber members who pay in full by 12/15/08 - $1999 for anyone who pays after 12/15/08. Monday, December 29, 2008 – last chance to reserve and pay for the trip to China.

FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)

Link to Travel Registration Application

Documents

Travel Arrangements

FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)

Q: How will I get to LAX?
A: We have provided a list of different forms of transportation. It is the individuals responsibility to get to and from LAX on our trip.

Q: How long will the flight to China be?
A: From LAX, the flight is approximately 12 hours long. You will have two meals served on the plane.

Q: How do I know what seat I will have on the airplane?
A: The seats are not pre-assigned. You will get your seat assignment at the airport before the flight departs. Try to get there early enough so that you can be assigned seats with your travel party.
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Q: How many people will there be on each tour bus?
A: The tour busses to which we are referring are those on which our passengers will travel inside of China. There will be 25-30 people per tour bus. Once you are assigned a tour bus, you will remain with the same group throughout your trip. If you are traveling with a large group of people, please provide us with a full list of names and we will do our best to accommodate your request. We cannot guarantee you will be seated on the same bus as your friends and family members as seating is limited. Before we depart, we will issue a nametag to you. Your name, bus number and passenger number will be on your name badge.

Q: Do I need to get a power adaptor?
A: If you have things you will need to plug in (curling iron, camera battery, etc), you will need to get a 220 to 110 power adaptor. You can get them at Radio Shack, Wal-Mart, Circuit City, etc.
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Q: Can I drink the tap water in China?
A: You can bathe and brush your teeth with the tap water in China, but we don’t recommend you drink the tap water there. You can buy bottled water at many places there, including from your tour guide and your hotel. Stick with brands you are familiar with like Evian, Dasani, etc.

Q: What kind of food will we eat in China?
A: You will be served an American style breakfast every morning with eggs, bacon, sausage, cereal, yogurt, etc. We will be on tours all day long so lunch and dinner will be Chinese-style at sit-down restaurants.

Q: How early will we be leaving the hotel every morning?
A: Everyone will get a wake-up call at 6am every morning. Breakfast will be served at 7a.m. and we will leave the hotel by 8a.m. unless otherwise stated by your tour guide.
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Q: What kind of clothes should I bring?
A: Bring casual clothes and good walking shoes. It will be chilly in some areas, so it is recommended that you bring clothes that you can layer. You won’t need any formal clothes unless you plan on having a business meeting in China. In that case, you will need formal/business clothes. Please consider bringing a heavy coat and hat as the weather can be unpredictable.

Q: What vaccinations are required in order to enter China?
A: There are no vaccinations that are required, but we recommend you see your personal physician before you leave to make sure you are healthy and well. If you choose to get some vaccinations, you can see your local health department and they can assist you.
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Q: What is the current exchange rate?
A: As of July 16, 2008, the exchange rate was 6.8 Yen to $1 US. The value of the dollar may continue to drop or stabilize, so we recommend you check the Internet for significant fluctuations prior to departure.

Q: Can I use US dollars in China or should I exchange money?
A: Many places in China will accept US dollars, and many places will accept major credit cards (Visa, Mastercard and American Express). Discover Cards are not accepted in China. If you plan to use your credit card in China, we recommend you call your credit card company and tell them you will be out of the country.
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Q: Where can I exchange US dollars to Chinese Yen?
A: You can exchange US dollars for Chinese Yen at hotels in China. Some banks in the US will also exchange the money, but usually at a higher exchange rate and therefore less value to you.

Q: When do I sign up for the Optional Tours?
A: If you want to take the $450 optional tour to Xi’an, please notify us on your original application and include payment by January 1st. All other optional tours will be paid for in China in cash to your tour guide if and when you decide to take optional tours offered to you.
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Q: Do I need to tip anyone in China?
A: You will be asked to pay a one-time top of $25 to Citslinc. Through a company-to-company arrangement, Citslinc will take care of all gratuities on the tours, for meal service and at your hotel. Your tip will be collected in US cash on the day you travel to the Great Wall. There is no need to tip anymore that this, but additional tips are acceptable.

Q: I’ve heard the air quality is poor in some cities in China. Is this true?
A: Yes, this is true. If you have asthma problems, make sure you have your inhalers and medication. You may also want to bring a mask if you are exceptionally sensitive.
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Q: How can I get Internet access in China?
A: If you are a business traveler or tourist, you will be pleasantly surprised that almost all hotels, down to 3 star hotels, even in more remote cities offer broadband internet access in their hotel rooms. Most rooms will have an Ethernet port for you to hook up to the hotel’s broadband. Access is mostly automatically DHCP with dynamic IPs but in certain hotels, you may need to call the reception to allow access from your room.”
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Q: What if my family needs to reach me in an emergency?
A: Please refer to your final itinerary. When you receive it you will notice the telephone number of each hotel is located at the top of each paragraph that references that hotel. You will also find emergency phone numbers for Citslinc representatives in the China packet we will send to you.

Q: How can I make a phone call from China to the US?
A: Please reference the following website for explicit instructions on how to make a call from China to the US: http://www.ehow.com/how_13398_call-china-united.html which is the source of the following information.

Step 1: Determine what time it is in China before you call. It will be 13 hours ahead of Eastern Standard Time in the US.
Step 2: Dial the international access code, 011.
Step 3: Dial the country code for China, 86.
Step 4: Dial the city code for the city you wish to call. Codes for some major cities in China include 1 for Beijing and 21 for Shanghai.
Step 5: Dial the rest of the telephone number.
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Q: Are there modern restrooms in China?
A: Most of the popular tourist sites you visit will have modern western-style restrooms. However, tissue can be hard to come by so we recommend you take some tissue with you in a convenient and discrete sanitary package.

Q: What is the weight limit for my luggage?
A: Most airlines will only allow either 1 bag at 50lbs or 2 bags totaling 70lbs. This is per person.

Things You Will Need:
Foreign Language Phrase Books
Travel Guides
Telephones
Clocks
Telephone Calling Cards
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Documents:

Online Travel Registration & Application: http://www.ChamberEast.com/ChamberEast/TravelApplication.htm

China Trip 2009 Flyer in PDF format:  http://www.ChamberEast.com/ChamberEast/PDF/China2009-2.pdf  

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Optional trips in PDF format: www.ChamberEast.com/ChamberEast/PDF/OptionalToursChina.pdf

Shopping trip options in PDF format:

www.ChamberEast.com/ChamberEast/PDF/ShoppingChina2009.pdf

China Trip 2009 Application form in PDF format: http://www.ChamberEast.com/ChamberEast/PDF/ChinaTripMarch2009ApplForm.pdf

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Chinese Visa Application form in PDF format: www.ChamberEast.com/ChamberEast/PDF/cccbr2008visaform.pdf

Visa Application: we can process the Visa Application for you. We need the following items in order to process your Chinese Visa:
a) Passport - (it will be returned ASAP)
b) Visa Application Form (fill in 6 items: first name, last name, date of birth, home address, occupation, phone number, then with signature)
c) Two more passport photos
d) Visa application fee $145.00 each person. You can mail us a check along with your paper work to:

Chamber East Chamber of Commerce

3335 South 900 East Suite #220

Salt Lake City, UT 84106

We prefer that you hand deliver your passports to us at the office (we have a secure drop box at the office) or at the Chamber East Networking Breakfast on Friday, January 9, 2009 at Paradise Bakery and Cafe in Cottonwood Heights. Time: 8:15 - 9:30 a.m. - meeting starts promptly at 8:30 a.m. address: 1400 East Fort Union Blvd (801) 676-5280 www.Paradisebakery.com

***Please call if you are from out of town and you can't do either of these options. We will make other arrangements to get your passports. (801) 561-3880. Please if you can bring the Visa check, paperwork and passports to the breakfast it will make this process much easier.

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Business contact inquiry form in PDF format: www.ChamberEast.com/ChamberEast/PDF/BusInquiryForm.pdf 

*Download Adobe Reader to view our PDF documents:
http://www.adobe.com/products/acrobat/readstep2.html 
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Deadlines:
Friday, October 3, 2008 - Submit passport application - this is a critical date to remember to insure passport will be processed in time for the trip
*Passports must be good for 6 months beyond your departure date
- link to Passport application and instructions http://www.usps.com/passport/welcome.htm
Saturday, November 15, 2008 - Deposits are due ($200.00 each person)  
Monday, December 15, 2008 - Full payment for trip is due
Monday, December 29, 2008 – last chance to reserve and pay for the trip to China
Friday, January 9, 2009 - Send Passports to get Chinese Visa's
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__________________________________________________
Orientation Meetings:
May 2008
August 2008
October 2008
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Tuesday, May 6, 2008
China Trip - Orientation
Time: 5:30-7:30 p.m.
Location: Mountain America Credit Union (Cottonwood Heights area)
Address: 6440 South 3000 East Cottonwood Heights, UT 84121 (801) 733-7100
Cost: FREE
Contact: Marie@ChamberEast.com or call (801) 561-3880
Link: for more info www.Citslinc.com 
Chamber East Chamber of Commerce is planning a 9 day trip to China in March of 2009 (March 17-25, 2009). We picked spring because it’s the prettiest time of year in China and usually a more expensive time to travel to China. However, this trip will cost less then $2,000.00 including round trip air fare – 5 star hotels, food and everything inclusive. www.ChamberEast.com/ChamberEast/ChinaTrip2009.htm We invite anyone from our communities to join us for this amazing trip – you do not need to be a member of Chamber East to enjoy this fabulous exotic trip. Remember to include family and friends when you plan on joining us in China next March. Please come to the orientation prepared with any questions you may have and remember to invite your family and friends. We’ve scheduled the meeting for 2 hours so that all questions can be answered thoroughly.
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Wednesday, August 20, 2008
China Trip 2009 Orientation Meeting
Time: 5:30 - 6:30 p.m.
Location: The Wellington Salt Lake - www.TheWellingtonSaltLake.com 
Address: 4522 South 1300 East Salt Lake City, UT 84117 (801) 281-3477
Parking: extra parking is available at the America First Credit Union across the street and East of the Wellington on 1300 East and 4500 South.
Please RSVP: Marie@ChamberEast.com or (801) 561-3880 The Wellington will serve light refreshments and they need a head count.
We will answer all of your questions and take deposits for the trip.
For more info and a color flyer use this link. www.ChamberEast.com/ChamberEast/ChinaTrip2009.htm 
www.ChamberEast.com 
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Thursday, October 16, 2008
China Trip 2009 Orientation Meeting
Time: 5:30 - 6:30 p.m.
Location: The Wellington Salt Lake - www.TheWellingtonSaltLake.com 
Address: 4522 South 1300 East Salt Lake City, UT 84117 (801) 281-3477
Parking: extra parking is available at the America First Credit Union across the street and East of the Wellington on 1300 East and 4500 South.
Please RSVP: Marie@ChamberEast.com or (801) 561-3880 The Wellington will serve light refreshments and they need a head count.
We will answer all of your questions and take deposits for the trip.
For more info and a color flyer use this link. www.ChamberEast.com/ChamberEast/ChinaTrip2009.htm 
www.ChamberEast.com 
Link to Travel Registration Application: http://www.ChamberEast.com/ChamberEast/TravelApplication.htm 
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Travel Arrangements:

Travel arrangements - Citslinc International, Inc (Travel to China)
Leo Liu President
108 N. Ynez Ave., Ste 205
Monterey Park, CA 91754
(626) 571-0616
www.Citslinc.com 
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