ACIS (US, www.acis.com) – educational trips for students.
Beijing Xinhua International Tours (China, www.tour-beijing.com/disability_travel/) – Beijing and China tours for disabled travelers.
Birdfinders (UK, www.birdfinders.co.uk) – operates a few birdwatching trips a year.
Birding Worldwide (Australia, www.birdingworldwide.com.au) – searches out rare bird species.
i-to-i (www.i-to-i.com) – two- to 12-week trips and volunteer placements, principally around Xi'an.
Kumuka Worldwide (UK, www.kumuka.com) – overland truck journeys.
Naturetrek (UK, www.naturetrek.co.uk) – wildlife-focused trips throughout China.
Oasis (UK, www.oasisoverland.co.uk) – overland truck journeys.
Saga (UK, www.saga.co.uk) – tours for over-50s.
Visas
Every foreign visitor to China needs a visa to enter the country and these must be obtained in advance (with the exception of arrivals to Hong Kong, Macau and Hainan Island), not at the point of entry as is the case with some other Asian countries. Visas can be obtained by either applying in person at the nearest Chinese embassy, through an agency or by mail (although this is no longer possible in the UK). Complete visa applications will need to include all required fees, a passport photo, a passport with at least one blank page, six months validity and possibly proof of onward travel. For all visa types you must enter within three months of the issue date. Standard tourist visas (L-type) are the most common and are usually granted for 30 days to a maximum of six months. If you're coming here to work, you can apply for an F or Z visa and you'll need a letter of invitation from the company you'll be working with in China. To study in China you can apply for an X visa and will need a letter from the college where you'll be studying. Note that citizens of most Western countries do not need a visa to visit Hong Kong or Macau for periods of under a month. In Hong Kong you can easily arrange a China visa from a local travel agent or the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs – see Hong Kong for more.Wherever you get your visa, it will cost between US$30 for a single entry to over US$150 for a two- to five-year multiple-entry visa – check websites for the latest prices.
Chinese EmbassiesOverseas
Australia: 39 Dunblane Street, Camperdown, Sydney, NSW (tel.02-8595-8000, www.au.china-embassy.org/eng/). Consulates, Melbourne, Perth and Brisbane.
Canada: 515 Patrick Street, Ottawa, Ontario K1N 5H3 (tel.613-7893-434, www.chineseembassycanada.org). Consulates, Calgary, Toronto and Vancouver.
Ireland: 40 Ailesbury Road, Dublin 4 (tel.053-1269-1707, www.chinaembassy.ie)
New Zealand: 2-6 Glenmore Street, Wellington (tel.04-4721-382, www.chinaembassy.org.nz). Consulate in Auckland (tel.09-5251-589, www.chinaconsulate.org.nz).
Thailand: 57 Rachadapisake Road, Huay Kwang, Bangkok 10310 (tel.02-2247-7554, www.chinaembassy.or.th/eng/). Consulate in Chiang Mai.
UK: 49-51 Portland Place, London W1B 1QD (tel.0207-7631-1430, www.chinese-embassy.org.uk; visa applications Mon-Fri 9 am-noon). Consulates, Manchester and Edinburgh.
USA: 2300 Connecticut Avenue NW, Washington DC 20008 (tel.202-3282-500, www.china-embassy.org/en). Consulates, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, New York and San Francisco.
Vietnam: 46 Hoang Dieu Road, Hanoi (tel.0845-3736, www.vn.china-embassy.org)
Extending your Visa
If you need to extend your visa while in China, this can be done by visiting the local Public Security Bureau (PSB – see Emergency Services and the Public Security Bureau). Visa extension applications will need to be supported by justification, more passport photos and payment. Costs, duration of processing and length of extension all vary from city to city – visa extensions are by no means a right and are sometimes refused; some travelers search out small town PSBs as they are thought to be more generous with extra time granted. If the PSB won't extend your visa, the only options left are to try in another town, or head to Hong Kong to apply for a new visa, which can be issued within a day or two (outside of weekends). PSBs are generally open Mondays to Fridays from 9-11:30 am and 2-4:30 pm. If you do overstay your visa for any reason you will usually be fined $500 for each extra day you have spent in the country, although long overstays can incur harsher penalties.
Insurance
As a rule travelers should certainly have medical insurance and, ideally, possessions insurance for any trip. China is no exception and while no-one will ask to see your documentation unless you are seriously sick or injured, the peace of mind afforded is worthwhile, regardless of any actual reimbursement. Before booking any insurance, check the coverage your existing homeowners or medical policy offers. You can often buy medical insurance only, but in order to get possessions coverage you'll usually have to purchase medical. Make sure your policy includes all activities that you'll be involved in during your trip – if you are going to be climbing, jet skiing, whitewater rafting or even just hiking, check that it's covered. If you're on a guided tour, the travel company may have their own insurance which should be sufficient for all activities undertaken on that trip, although you may not be insured if the company goes bankrupt – ask before buying.
While possessions insurance can be seen as less of a necessity, it is still recommended. As people take ever more technical tiny gadgets away with them, and move from place to place in unfamiliar, exciting new surroundings, there is always the risk of leaving something behind and that is before you consider the fact that petty crime is on the rise in China.
Insurance policies come in many different forms and can cover just a few days or a whole year. If you're going to be traveling a lot in a year, it's worth considering a yearly package, which normally covers you for as many journeys as you'd like, as long as no single trip is over 31 days. When you're buying your insurance, check the comparative amounts on offer in case of serious emergency (hospitalization, repatriation, etc.), along with catches such as "single item limits” on your possessions (if your camera's worth US$1,000 and the limit is US$500 per piece, it's no good for you, even if it is cheap!) Once you have your insurance policy, photocopy it, leave one copy with relatives at home and put another somewhere separate from the original in your baggage.
Below are some recommended insurance agents – the letters before the commas indicate where the company is based.
Access America (US, www.accessamerica.com)
Association of British Insurers (UK, www.abi.org.uk)
Columbus (UK, www.columbusdirect.com)
Insurance Council of Australia (Australia, www.ica.com.au)
Insurance Council of New Zealand (NZ, www.icnz.org.nz)
Insureandgo (UK, www.insureandgo.com)
Royal Bank of Canada Insurance (Canada, www.rbcinsurance.com)