bayerisch

We leave for Imperial Jewels in early October out of Beijing and have yet to find any info on cc about the extension trip to Hong Kong. Has anyone done it or can anyone point me to some post that I might have missed. I'm also starting top think about clothes (I know it's early) but with the rainy weather and being October I'd really appreciate some ideas!!

http://gochina.about.com/od/weather/p/Oct_in_China.htm

Attached is a google site about weather in China in October. It will give you the information you need.

Just click on the link.

bayerisch - I am glad that you got to visit Tibet, as this really was one of the highlights of my Viking tour and I hope to return there in the future. It is a shame that you required medical attention, but understandable as the altitude did seriously affect a few members of my group as I have mentioned before

 

Sean :)

Sean, where you there after the St. Regis opened? I was so tickled when I had ordered room service for a banana to calm my stomach and the butler delivered it, wearing white gloves with silver service and linen. That hotel is awesome and the staff incredible. I have never been in a place like this. I noticed the penthouse on the roof where Brad Pit stays when he visits. The view is unforgettable and so are the rooms.

You are correct that Tibet is the highlight and I am glad I got to see it. Would I return? I don't know. Perhaps the fact that I was so sick may scare me a bit, I was the sickest in my group. Also the fact that I waited too long to ask for help and the fact that I traveled alone may be a factor.

Most everywhere I was I had wished for more time to spend, alas, you can't see everything in a limited amount of time.

What time of the year did you see Tibet?

The China based crew is amazing in the best of circumstances so it does not surprise me that they surpassed themselves when the chips were down. I am sure that they worked very hard to make alternative housing, touring and flight arrangements for the three hundred passengers plus guides while also having to make arrangements to have the ship restocked in Wuhan when it should have been in Chongqin--all on short notice and in peak season.

 

Here's how to handle the complainers. Smile, take a good look at who you are talking to and then WALK AWAY without saying a word. Then, avoid them for the rest of the trip because they are dead set on ruining your trip, too.

I second that, it is exactly what I did too. I would also mention that all the extra accommodations and flights are costing Viking a lot of money that wasn't build into the cruise price. So they must be operating at a loss in these circumstances. Viking absolutely deserves credit for making this happen and still ensured that people had a good trip. The alternative could have been that they would send us back home instead.

I was a first time Viking travelor and they earned my respect.

Hannah --

 

There is not a lot of information on CC regarding the Tibet portion. Could you talk more about it and perhaps give some tips for those who are planning to do the 'Rooftop' itinerary? Especially can you talk about any problems that people encountered with the altitude and strategies that people used to cope with the very high altitudes? Anything that you can tell us about the Tibet portion will help people who are trying to decide whether they should go or not--especially from a health standpoint.

 

Thanks.

Yes of course. A previous travelor posted that everyone in her group was affected and I concurr. I had gone to a travel clinic and asked for the altitude medication as Viking and the CDC recommend. However, the good doctor did not give me a prescription, saying that I wasn't climbing Mount Everest so I did not need it. Well he was wrong. Almost everyone in my group, including the tourguide had symptoms. You can wait until you arrive, then if you start feeling the symptoms start taking the medication. It will help getting over it faster.

The symptoms are as follows: Dull headache, weakness, chills and hot flashes and dizziness. It can expand to vomiting and following that dehydration. Some had mild symptoms and after they took the medication, were fine. Others had severe symptoms and required a physician, which I did as well. The hotel, St. Regis, is a new hotel and is truly breathtakingly gorgeous. They employ a physician on site and he was in my room within 5 minutes of calling. He administered an IV and ordered bedrest and oxygen for me for 24 hours. Others received the IV and felt better right away.

The doctor does not speak English so either a hotel employee or your guide will have to translate. The bill will also have to be paid upon check out, but it was very reasonable by US standards and can be reimbursed if you have the travel insurance or your own health insurance.

One thing to note, which I didn't find out until after we left is that the room mini bar contains a small oxygen cylinder; so if you experience symptoms you can just purchase it right away and maybe it will keep the symptoms to a minimum.

Also a point to note is that the food in Tibet is different than the Chinese food and some were speculating that the vomiting some experienced may have had a food bourne cause. But we'll never know for sure because altitude sickness can also cause vomiting.

As far as physical exertion is concerned, on the last day in Tibet the Potala Palace visit is scheduled and it is a long and steep climb. The group is encouraged to go slowly and rest frequently. Viking also made arrangements for folks that wanted to stop and not go any further about half way up. These visitors were picked up by another guide and taken on an alternate route back down so that we would meet up again after the palace tour.

I am going to be direct and say that the palace tour is something you may want to skip if you are not able to physically exert yourself for at least an hour or more. The steps are steep and uneven and there are at least 700 of them up and down. I enjoyed the climb and was glad I got to see the palace, but some of the older folks that cannot walk well will not be able to do it because there are no handicapped accommodations, as well as in general in China.

Once in the palace the officials clocked us in we only had an hour to tour the portion that is open to visitors. The throngs of thousands of visitors and pilgrims pushing through made it a little difficult and some in the group complained that the incense and the burning of yak butter candles made it difficult to breathe. Potala palace is a working site where monks still live and practice and pilgrims come to pay their respect.

Overall Viking took the altitude into consideration and did not overwhelm us with activities, especially on the day of arrival so that that we had time to rest and adjust. It is diffcult to determine if or when someone may experience symptoms. We had an 80+ year old in our group who never felt anything, but she did not attempt to climb to the palace. Gao the guide said it affected him differently every time he went, where sometimes he had no symptoms. On this trip he had the headache and wasn't feeling well until he started taking the medication. He also said that he doesn't really eat when in Tibet.

Another issue to consider when looking at Tibet is that because of the political unrest there may be times when Viking tours cannot come into the area because it might be closed off to foreigners. This could happen on short notice and cannot be predicted, so Viking would deal with that by taking the group to Xi an instead. Xi an is a lovely city that we really enjoyed so spending extra time there is not bad. Two travelors in our group were not allowed to enter Tibet because they had forgotten to send Viking their Chinese visa for entry into Tibet. I understand that Tibet only approves these entry visa about a week prior to entry, so Viking handles that after you send them a copy of the China visa.

I hope this helps in trying to make a decision.

Thanks for the report--saoling in 2 months and getting excited!!!!pat

You picked a good time to go. The Chinese tourists will be gone and the weather will be cooler. Please post your experiences.

Thank you, Bayerish, for your comments. It sounds like Viking in China is a lot more with it than Viking in the US. I'll go prepared to enjoy whatever comes.

I understand that Viking is based in Switzerland; I would think that they only have a sales and marketing office in the US. And yes, you will be completely taken care of. Our guide gave us a name tag with his cell phone number written on the back that he asked we wear while being out and about. If we were to become seperated from the group or lost we could show someone the number and they would call him. He shuttled us through 7 flights, security checks, and countless excursions. Often standing in the street stopping traffic to let us pass or giving orders in Chinese when people were not cooperative in expediting our progress. At one point he had a customs agent yell at the officer to speed up our entrance into the airport. Initially I thought his Viking flag flying while we were exploring was corny, but there were times when I was glad to see that flag to find him in the throngs of the masses after becoming seperated. When we asked Gao how some of the things were arranged he smiled and said "I have a cousin". Of course we know that cousins don't exist in China, that was his way of letting us know that Viking has connections.

I think you will find that you are well taken care of and I think you may really enjoy the trip. I would do it again, and may in the future.

Bayerisch: welcome back and thanks for posting your review! I am glad that you were able to make lemonade out of lemons. (And not surprised that you share our thoughts about the wonderful Jin!)

I agree that Jin would make a fine stand up comedian. But I also want to mention that our tourguide Gao was fantastic. He was a little older than most of the guides and had been one for 30 years. He shared so much of the country's history and his own experiences during the cultural revolution and of the Chinese culture. We couldn't get enough. Gao had been a teacher prior to that and it showed. He was hard working and made it seem effortless that everything came together as if it was supposed to be that way, when in fact major changes had taken place. In addition, I was on the Roof trip and it was clear that in Tibet a major military occupation was in effect and tensions were high. The locals were afraid to talk and soldiers were everywhere. We were not allowed to take pictures of them. The tourists that ignored that, which of course some did had their pictures deleted by the soldiers. When leaving the hotel we had to take our passports along and one night a whole cadre of the soldiers came into the hotel looking for something or someone. We saw them everywhere, marching in three's, carrying batons, fire extinquishers and who knows what else. Gao was overjoyed when we left Tibet and it wasn't until then that I realized under what pressure he must have been there.

So, if you get Mr. Gao Qi as your guide, you are indeed in good hands. Thank you Mr. Gao.

First, and most important, my deepest sympathies to the Chinese and any others who have lost friends and loved ones in the flooding, and also to those who livelihoods are being affected....

 

For those on the Viking China trip now.. I am sorry too that the flooding is adversely affecting your trip.. I do hope you can make the most of the alternative itinerary...

 

As for Jin... great news for him -- I assume this is a promotion. He was our tour escort and he was phenomenal. Among his many extraordinary qualities is that he is incredibly funny; everyone in our group thought he could make a living as a standup comic in the U.S. .. We wanted to get him an agent. His personality is well-suited to be a cruise director, and I hope folks enjoy him.

I second everything :) except that we did get the optional programs. I had signed up for both the Tang dynasty show and the Chinese opera and enjoyed them. Viking was amazing and the alternate itinierary was fine. There is so much to see that the tour barely scratches the surface. I would love to have more time there to really explore. My only regret is that there is so much on the schedule that we could just cruise through and not have enough time to really explore everything. I supposed it would take years to do that. Although they try to accommodate everyone, not everyone might enjoy a museum. So when we toured a world famous museum, we only had 1.5 hours, when in fact it might take a week to see everything.

Overall, it was a wonderful trip and as Jin says: Viking isn't responsible for the flooding, the heat or typhoons for that matter. So keep that in mind and have a great time. I did.

Viking has not been helpful and honest regarding the flooding, flight and excursion cancellations. We are due to leave for Shanghai on Aug. 14 for a 17 day (10 day river cruise). they have denied that there is any problems whatsoever and that everything is going smoothly when in reality its been absolutely chaotic. In fact the most beautiful part of the trip through the Three Gorges Dam to Chongqing has presently been sitting in Wuong for the past few days. I am not so upset at the flooding and cancellations as I am at Viking for not informing us of the truth. I feel that to them its all about money and not about being honest and truthful about what is going on including on. We have had to spend hours on the computer to find out on our own. If we were able to find out, they certainly can. They just don't want people to cancel. I feel that this could also be a safely issue. We would like to hear from anyone else that is having the same experience and concerns. We did not buy the trip insurance and don't know where to turn. I don't even know if that would have helped. I think we will be sitting in our hotel watching typhoons go by. HELP

Hello Everyone! Yes, I have returned and here is my update. The trip was fantasitic and Viking could not have been more accommodating. I would like to express my sadness for all the lives lost and victims of the flooding.

Secondly, I would highly recommend purchasing the insurance if you still can. Viking recommends it. I needed medical attention in Tibet and although the bill was extremely inexpensive by US standards, I plan on submitting the expense. Also the insurance allows you to cancel your trip with full reimbursement.

My trip was from July 20th to August 5th and although there was flooding and rain, we did not have a single day of rain on our journey. The flooding did occurr in Beijing on the July 20th when the airport was closed over night. Viking sent someone to pick up the passengers and put them up in a hotel, but some went to sleep in the VIP lounge and the Viking person could not find them because no one knew where they had gone. They complained the whole trip and were nasty to our guide, who was in Shanghai with us, which is 2.5 hour flight away.

We saw the flooding on the river and when we arrived at the dam, were told that the gates had been closed due to dangerously high waters. Again people complained unmercifully about "how could they do this, we could get through". Never mind that there were 700+ huge freighters who were also in the same position. The ship returned to Wuhan and the ship's activities proceeded as planned. There were extra tours everywhere and we got to see places that we would not have seen otherwise. Viking then flew us to Chonquin and put is up in a brand new Marriot Hotel and had sightseeing excursions lined up for us when we arrived. We had a chance to get to know Chonquin better, which was a real surprise because it turns out that Chonquin is the largest city in the world with 32 million people. It is modern and a high tech city where all the Ipads, Iphones and apple computers are made. High rises and skyscrapers as far as the eye can see. Modern highways and the fast train, subways, but also preservation of the ancient sites. The population as a whole is well educated and many speak English.

The next day we flew to Lhasa and resumed our regular schedule. It was evident that had a difficult time to accommodate that many people for flights and hotels on such a short notice, especially since it is Summer vacation time for the Chinese and everything is already booked out due to the Chinese tourists. But yet, somehow they managed to find flights where the whole group could stay together. I never felt that we were missing out on anything because of the different things that were being offered instead and also the quality of the accommodations and food was equal to what we had before. It was difficult on the staff and our guide, who never lost his composure no matter what.

I never felt that there was any danger to the Viking tourists. The Chinese government is extremely safety conscious and if danger exists will take action, as was evidenced by the dam being closed and the tourists complaining about it the whole time. I would assume that Viking doesn't really know what to tell people when you call because the situation can change on short notice. I can tell you that they will not leave you stranded or in danger. I can also tell you that they will do everything to ensure a good trip for their customers and if changes need to be made during the trip, they will deal with it then and make them. As Jin our Program Director said: Confusius say: A flexible travelor is a happy travelor and so I was.

As far as the typhoon is concerned, I don't know what to tell you, but I would guess that airports won't remain open if it is in close proximity.

As far as my trip was concerned, it was the trip of a lifetime. I have a new understanding of China and its impact on the world.

Please prepare for hot and humid conditions, much more so than in the Southern US. Many people dressed fashionably, but I would opt for comfortable. Good walking sandals, cotton and linen clothing instead of polyester or some of the new fabrics that are made for traveling that you can rinse out at night and are dry in the morning. Jeans are way too hot. Also a purse or bag that you can wear on your chest or front with a strap because in crowded tourist places there may be pick pockets. Our guide would tell us when we needed to do this and he would carry his backpack on the front in those places.

Overall I would say that the staff at Viking in the US may not know what to tell you, but it is Viking in China that will take care of you. So, bon voyage and please post your experiences after the return.

I am going on the Aug. 19 Roof of the World trip. I would greatly appreciate hearing your review of the trip when you return. Have a wonderful time.

Thank you! I will post upon my return. I am sure it will be lovely. Although I wasn't planning on packing cool weather clothing, it looks like now I will need to pack some for Tibet! Thanks Viking River Cruises for the update.

Will need to start packing this week, really just 4 more days, but there have been some family distractions of the grandkids type. Good by sleepovers and bon voyage celebrations from loved ones are the good kind of distrations. After the final sleepover, there are no more excuses!:D

My friend and I are booked for the Sept 17 Roof of the World trip also. It is good to finally find someone else on the same trip. We will be flying out of L.A. On the 14th in order to acclimate from the jetlag and do some Beijing site seeing before the tour. We are starting to get excited...mixed with a tad of dread facing us with all the stairs! Hope we can connect here and share information. Barbara

I am going on the Roof trip on July 20th. Will let you know if Tibet is open to foreigners again. It took 3 weeks for my visa/passport to be returned to me, so don't wait to the last to get it done. I believe you need to send a copy of the visa to Viking also, I think 45 days ahead of the trip.

Oh my!! That does not sound very business like. I like to know in advance because of the seating. I have a little bit of a problem and if I'm not sitting on an isle on a certain side of the plane I'm miserable. Still it doesn't matter why someone would need the information. If they are asking for it that should be reason enough. And even more still, you are now less than 33 days out. That is well after the 75 days. I would call again. Hopefully you will get someone who is a little more curteous.

I sent an e-mail yesterday because I was getting really antsy and received a reply this morning with my airline reservations. They just booked it this morning, but I understand that the situation with Tibet is tenuous right now. The reservations are ok, nothing great. I think next time I will make my own flight reservations, although I am not sure I can do better. I am starting out on July 20th at 8:30 am and I don't arrive in Shanghai until July 21st at 6:40 pm. That means that I won't have any free time to cruise the Bund to go shopping, even though my hotel is right on the Bund. I am sure I'll be exhausted from the trip by the time I get there. I called Viking to inquire on how they are going to handle the Tibet situation and I was told that the June 9th trip was blocked from Tibet, but that for July everything was scheduled as planned and if there were any changes they would let me know.

At least I have some idea of what to expect and will move forward with my preparations. By the way, this Viking rep I spoke to this time was very helpful and pleasant.

Looking forward to the trip.

That's crazy. Why not pick up the phone and call them? They've surely had your flights booked for some time.

I called at about 80 days out and was told that I should wait, that they didn't start making reservations until 75 days out and why did I need the information in advance anyway? I booked the trip in November directly from Viking with their air travel arrangements.

Can't help as I had booked with Viking and not with a TA.

I've got the "Viking River blues". Saw some folks posting that they had their flight schedule from Viking 8 months in advanve of their trip. I am down to 33 days and haven't heard a word, although I am waiting impatiently for the mail every day. Someone else posted that they send out the info 3 weeks in advance, so any day now, I hope.

May affect Viking trips to Tibet

 

http://travel.usatoday.com/destinations/dispatches/post/2012/06/china-bans-foreign-tourists-from-tibet/711877/1

Thanks for the update. I so hope that it will not affect my trip starting on July 20th. I've been watching several dicey situations in the last 6 months, where I was wondering if it would affect me. At any rate, I hope I get to go, the Tibet part of the trip is what enticed me to take this trip.

I will follow more closely, but really if they don't allow foreigners to enter, than I will still have the China portion of the trip.

:mad:Thanks for the sentiment. Was awake all night, but nothing much happened. Lots of rain/water, trees and limbs down and some power outages. Will spend next week cleaning up. You never know, the difference of 10 mph might cause havock.

Hanna

Amazing! I am back to taking every opportunity to see everything that is being offered. I hope my energy level holds out LOL. Interestingly, my sister who is German and lives in Germany has a Germany friend who took a trip similar to what Viking is doing or maybe it was Viking. I will need to find out what Company he used, but he said it was the trip of a livetime and he would do it again in a minute.

So, I am confused again. Where was this photo taken? I thought it was the opera, but now I am not sure. Do you know what that is this is sticking out of her dress below the waist? Just curious.

I was deeply disappointed but equally surprised to hear my fellow tourists talking about how much they enjoyed it. So, if you are a "show" person you will probably love it!

I am very grateful for this honest and extensive review. I am really appreciate the culture of a different society, after all that's what I want to experience when travelling. So your review helped me solidify my plans of going to the opera and skipping the acrobatic show. Thank you.

Peregrina

This is a gorgous photo and I am sure not easy to take!

Thank you so much for the information. Have a wonderful trip home.

 

Rita

Hi Rita

It appears that we both live in the area. For curiosity sake, how far in advance of your trip did you receive the flight tickets and what connecting airport in the US did Viking chose? I am leaving in July.

Thanks

Hanna

One lens, no wide angle and not even normal--that would drive me crazy.

Sorry, I also have a EFS 18-55mm lens.

Actually, I have three batteries for my DSLR. (But I've never had to go to the third...) :)

I actually thought of getting a third battery because I've had one go bad on me before. I have a DSLR, canon EOS Rebel Xt with a 70-300mm ultrasonic image stabilizer lens. If that doesn't do it, oh well. I am not a professional photographer...I might take it up when I retire which may be in the near future.

Some of you experienced China travelors have posted such great quality pictures, it is inspiring.

Thanks Kohola and Peregrina

Thanks everyone. So binoculars it is. I wouldn't have thought to bring theater binoculars but it makes sense. I'll need a backpack for all the tech stuff I am bringing: a small computer, an Iphone, 2 cameras, one good one and a little P&S for back up, theater and regular binoculars, chargers for all above except the binoculars, extra memory cards, cords to connect and download stuff and extra batteries. Did I forget anything? I am sorry if I am driving you all crazy, but I am so excited.

J-9

Did you take binoculars along or do you think one would need them?