Why You Should Visit the Great Wall for a Tour - Compelling reasons

Why You Should Visit the Great Wall for a Tour - Compelling reasons

   December 19, 2017       Emmanuel Obarhua

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Recognized as one of the most impressive architectural feats in history, the Great Wall of China is a prominent global as well as historic tourist attraction. Indeed, records show that over 300 VIPs have visited it in recent years, notably for the purpose of a tour. It is, indubitably, a remarkable relic every tourist, student, writer, scholar, adventurous person, as well as one seeking the expansion of their horizon, and one seeking indulgent laughter in suffused insouciance with their loved one(s) must visit. Without wasting time, let's see why you should (and not neglect to) visit Chancheng, the Great Wall.

Credit: Telegraph.co.uk

To start with, the reason for which you may have intended to visit the Great Wall is important. Nothing said here can convince you to go to china except, of course, you have a reason to visit (and the aim of this writing is not to convince anyone, 'not at all'). It could be for the simple reason of visiting the place just for the hell of it -- just for the sake of touring. It's a tour, a trip for pleasure, put differently, 'a jaunt'. So, visiting the historic Great Wall, built in over 2,300 years, and by over 1,000,000 people needs no rigorous purpose. The reason for which visiting it has come to your mind is reason enough. Let's see more reasons.

Being the world's longest wall, construction of the Great Wall started about 770BC through until 1644AD. This is to say that building the Great Wall took well over 2,300 years, making it an insurmountable engineering feat. Building it was a daunting task as scores of people, the builders, died in the process. It is important to note that while workers died, barriers were met, emperors, dynasties and ages past, the building of the Great Wall wasn't hampered. This makes it a marvel and added to that is something of great importance -- significance. The resilience of the building of the Wall has much significance. It shows the unity of China as the wall was built in different regions by different dynasties in different ages. Furthermore, it was built primarily for defence and this implies the doggedness of the Chinese against external aggression. And, while people died in their numbers building it, work continued. Here, we see courage and relentlessness as well as resoluteness. It must be said at this juncture that the Great Wall is a perfect invaluable antique for reflection, 'a jaunt', hiking (it's well long, although some parts of it have been lost), sightseeing as well as photography, (the scenery you meet at different points is simply magnificent)...?

It has been said that 'He who does not reach the Great Wall is not a true man'. While this may not be entirely true, it gives a hint to why it has been said. The Great Wall was designated a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1987. Let's see what people who have visited it say as Telegraph reports:

'It has a timeless feeling that few other places in China have,' says Sally Peck.

'It's such an extraordinary construction,' adds Adrian Bridge. 'My breath was taken away - it's like nothing else'

For what it is, the Great Wall quickly became a main attraction for tourists when the borders of China were opened to foreign merchants and visitors at its defeat in the First and Second Opium Wars. In November of 2009, President Barack Obama visited the Great Wall. He famously said the imposing structure puts life in perspective: “Our time here on Earth is not that long, and we better make the best of it.” Queen Elizabeth II spent time there in the 80s, and recently, in 2010 precisely, David Cameron visited the Great Wall. In a nutshell, many celebrities, including personalities and other dignitaries, visit the Great Wall. Since notable dignitaries visit it, it implies, even as it is, that thousands of people from all over the world visit it for purposes of touring. Many accounts hold that even the natives love and frequently tour the Great Wall. Visiting the Great Wall, thus, can be a great opportunity to meet different people, famous or not. Indeed, it has been reported that Badaling section, the busiest of them all, gets about 70,000 visitors per day in peak periods.

Conclusion

In conclusion, it has been said here that many dignitaries visit the Great Wall and, in fact, there is a reservation for them. Besides dignitaries are the numerous people who visit it; of them are equally important people, even though they may not be famous in your locality, or globally. It has also been said that the great wall is a marvel, an insurmountable engineering feat, one of the most impressive architectural endeavour in history. Hence, the Great Wall is a veritable tourist attraction, one worthy to be visited for its own sake, or to spend your leisure time. Indeed, there are many interesting activities you can partake in at the Great Wall being a well established tourist attraction. It is visited for educational purposes, recreational purposes, and whatnot, to reiterate, by people from all over the world.

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Length, Builder & Other Specifics of the Great Wall of China

Length, Builder & Other Specifics of the Great Wall of China

   December 19, 2017       Emmanuel Obarhua

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What is the length of the Great Wall of China (Chancheng) and who built it? This will form the aim of this piece of writing - including such questions as what is the initial purpose, the height, the width, the map, and the location of the great wall of China. Built in over 2,300 years, starting from 770BC, and for its entire status and worth, the Great Wall has become one of the world's most visited tourist attractions. So, such questions as these that will be here addressed constitute no surprise, not in the least. In fact, they are FAQs. The foregoing said, we answer the questions quickly.

Credit: History.com

What is the length of the Great Wall of China?

Stretching from Dandong in the east to Lop Lake in the west, along an arc that roughly delineates the southern edge of Inner Mongolia, the entire Great Wall with all of its branches, according to Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, cited in Wikipedia, is 21,196 km (13,171 mi). This result was got from a trusted archaeological survey. While this is a fact, it is pertinent to make it known here that the Great Wall is not one unit. That is, it's not one wall which from its beginning stretches until its end without interruptions - missing or ruined parts. It is a relic, an antique of ancient times and by implication, as one would expect, much of it has fallen into ruin. China Highlights holds that over 30 percent of it is no more. This ruins are caused by both humans and natural, especially natural, forces - erosion, theft of elements of the Wall etcetera. Have an idea of what the length mentioned above is? And are you in essence wondering how they contrived to build it? It's easy. The Great Wall was built by different dynasties, in different areas, and in different ages - in over 2,300 years. So you see it's not a day's job and, besides that, it's a collective work by different people and governments. Even though the work was done over great years, it wasn't an easy but a daunting one as hundreds of people, the workers, died in the process.

Who built the Great Wall of China?

It is commonly said that the first emperor of the Qin dynasty, King Zheng, built the Great Wall but this is very far from the truth. Logically, a feat such as the Great Wall built in over 2,300 years cannot have been built by one man, no matter how long he lived. And in fact, sections of the Wall were built for varying reasons which came with specific periods, although all these reasons are governmental. Added to that is the fact that King Zheng was not also the first to build the Great Wall, a thing which would have given credence to the claim that he built the wall. That is, if he had initiated the building of the Wall, then one could benignly attribute the building of it to him. An important question to ask at this juncture is: why has it been said that he built the Wall? Speculatively, this could have resulted from first found records but, with more comprehensive records, the actual fact came to be known. But this should be the reason more likely: having conquered his opponents, King Zheng unified China as the First Emperor of the Qin dynasty ("Qin Shi Huang") in 221 BC. After which, he ordered the destruction of the sections of the walls that divided his empire among the former states with the intent of imposing centralized rule as well as preventing the resurgence of feudal lords. And more remarkably, he ordered the building of new walls to connect the remaining dalong the empire's northern frontier in order to position the empire against a people called the Xiongnu people from the north.

The Great Wall is a collective work built by different dynasties in different periods over the years. Contributors and their actual contributions are: (1) the Zhou Dynasty (The (Pre-) Warring States Period (770–221 BC)), state overlords in this period built state border walls; (2) the Qin Dynasty (221–207 BC), the First Emperor of Qin joined the Great Wall sections on China's northern border; (3) the Han Dynasty (206 BC – 220 AD), Han Wudi extended the Great Wall west to a Pass called Yumen Pass and beyond it; (4) the Ming Dynasty (1368–1644), Hero General Qi Jiguang rebuilt the Great Wall around Beijing.

Why was the Great Wall of China built?

While there are many identifiable reasons to why the Wall was built, there are two profound reasons which stand out. They are the prevention of invasion and the protection Silk Road trade. It has already been pointed out that King Zheng joined the walls already built against external aggression, or invasion, specifically, aganst the Xiongnu people. And, Han Wudi's expansive extension of the Wall into what is today called western China was blitz to protect Silk Road trade.

What is the height and width of the Great Wall of China?

The height and width of the Wall are not equal throughout its length, although it has an average height of 23 to 26 feet (7 to 8 metres). On steep hills, the Wall is a bit lower. As regards width, it usually stood 21.3 feet (6.5 metres) wide at the base and 19 feet (5.8 metres) at the top.

What is the map and location of the Great Wall of China?

The Wall is situated at the northern part of China where it served as a fortification against invaders, among other reasons. Although, this is an aside, today, it no longer function as a fortification but a super tourist attraction. Put differently, this is remarkable, prior to this time, it kept people away from China, but, now, it brings people from all over the world to China. Below is a map of the Great Wall of China.

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Conclusion

Being a collective work built by different governments over great years starting from 770BC for the purpose of fortification, the Great Wall of China is 21,196 km (13,171 mi) long. On average, it is 23 to 26 feet (7 to 8 metres) high, and 21.3 feet (6.5 metres) wide at the base and 19 feet (5.8 metres) at the top. It is located at the northern part of China. For its worth, it is a super tourist attraction. Why people must visit it has, in fact, been written about here and it is a Great read.

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What Vaccinations Do I Need for China - Detailed

What Vaccinations Do I Need for China - Detailed

   December 19, 2017       Emmanuel Obarhua

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Vaccinations required for china. China is no mean country. Indeed, with many contributions to world's civilisation over the years, technological breakthroughs, rich and striking cultures, and a buoyant economy, for example, people of all shades and walks of life from the world over visit it. It is no surprise then that many people run searches on required vaccines needed as regards travelling to China. This forms the aim of this writing. In this way, we'll touch upon vaccines travellers to China need and whether or not vaccination is mandatory to get into China. That is, whether China makes vaccination compulsory for visitors.

Credit: BBC.com

It has been said that health is wealth, but more than that we hold that health is life, the pedestal of near-unalloyed happiness, and money-saver. Normally if you're healthy, you can be truly happy. This is different from the laughter or fleeting happiness sick or some people who have one health challenge or the other have. And, the money for preventing the contracting of sicknesses or diseases is always lower than that used in curative measures. So, if you were travelling to China, it is a brilliant move indeed to search for the vaccinations required. First of all, China does not mandate travellers to China to take any vaccine before visiting. That is, on travellers' arrival at China, your papers are not checked to see if you have met some vaccination requirement, law or policy. Put differently, you don't need some required vaccinations to obtain a Chinese visa, although yellow fever vaccine is mandatory for people visiting China from countries with the risk of yellow fever. Countries with the risk of yellow fever and "China vaccine schedule" shall be addressed much later in this article. For now, let's quickly see the vaccines you'd need while visiting China.

What vaccinations do I need for China?

While vaccination is not mandatory to visit China, it is of extreme importance to foreign visitors as they are prone to contract various diseases, for varying factors. Certain factors determine the vaccine you should take before setting out to China. Some are where you're travelling from, where you'll be visiting in China, your current health status, the time or season you're travelling, and the duration of your stay in China, that is, how much time you'll be spending there.

It is natural that vaccines countries will recommend for their citizens may vary, so where you're travelling from as well as where you'll be visiting in China, say, rural areas, the kind of work you'll be doing, and your activities there contribute to the factors that determine the vaccine you'll take. The CDC, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, recommends that travellers should, first of all, be up to date on routine vaccinations while travelling to any destination. Some vaccines may also be required for travellers and these will be discussed a little later. The routine vaccines include measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine, diphtheriatetanus-pertussis vaccine, varicella (chickenpox) vaccine, polio vaccine, and your yearly influenza (flu) shot.


Also kindly read: Do I need a visa for China

Routine, or compulsory vaccinations while travelling to China

MMR: The MMR vaccine are compulsory. When a child is growing up, only one is recommended. So, speculatively, many adults have not taken the second shot - every human should take two shots. If you haven't, you should. This is important for tourists, business people, students or whoever will meet people on a daily basis and especially if you're staying in China for a long time. China is a very populated country and besides it is one country many people visit. For example, it has been reported that over 70,000 people visit the busiest section of the Great Wall of China, Badaling, in a day in peak periods for the purpose of a tour, only. What this means is that the possibility of contracting measles is high and so to get a second MMR vaccine is required for you.

DPT: You should take tetanus or diphtheriatetanus-pertussis vaccine if it's now more than ten years since you last took it. And, if you're pregnant or are always with children or will be, you should discuss DPT with your general practitioner or a specialist in the field.

Pneumonia: Smokers, those who are asthmatic, those in some chronic condition, or those over 65 should talk to their general practitioner or a specialist in the field about getting the pneumonia vaccine.

Varicella or Chickenpox: Travellers to China are also faced with the risk of contracting chickenpox. This can be prevented squarely. TravelReadyMD says two dose will ensure adequate protection, although we always recommend the advice of an expert, because exactly what you'd need will be different from another individual.

Influenza or flu: You should ensure to take this vaccine before travelling to any destination. CDC says it is taken yearly; so, say, if you were in China for more than one year, you should ensure to retake it, and renew it yearly.

Specific vaccinations for travellers to China

The foregoing are compulsory but those are not all the vaccine needed while travelling to China. There are more vaccines travellers should consider. And while they are not compulsory, they are very important because travellers to China may be exposed to certain diseases depending on where they'll be visiting or living there, what they'll be doing etcetera. These vaccines include Hepatitis A, Hepatitis B, Typhoid, Polio, Japanese Encephalitis, and Rabies.

Hepatitis A: CDC as well as other medical authorities recommend this vaccine for travellers to China because they can get hepatitis A as it is rather widespread in China. The vaccine is recommended for anyone older than twelve months. Two doses 6 months apart for full protection are required, although one dose often works well. But if you would be taking Hepatitis B too, there is an accelerated schedule of Twinrix (Combination Hepatitis A+B vaccine) which can provide protection in as little as twenty one days. Some diseases are more prevalent in some regions than others, but regardless of where you will be visiting in China, you should take this vaccine as Hepatitis A spreads through poorly washed hands, or food (say, fruits), and contaminated food or water. Besides this vaccine, in this connection, you should always wash your hands, say whenever you return from your outing, thoroughly with clean water and soap, or use some good hand sanitizer; wash fruits thoroughly before eating them and don't ever eat the bad ones; only drink bottled water, or a good alternative, but never any water; do the same when brushing your teeth; never go to eat in some substandard restaurant to ensure you don't eat contaminated food thereby avoiding the risk of contracting Hepatitis A.

Typhoid: This vaccine is strongly recommended by the CDC, as typhoid can be contracted through contaminated food or water in China. It is strongly recommended for travellers, especially if they will be staying with people - friends or relatives, visiting smaller cities or rural areas, or if they were an adventurous eater.

Hepatitis B: China is well populated country and many contemporary activities are there. Hence, the risk of contracting hepatitis B is rather high, although this vaccine is not recommended for travellers to China. How is Hepatitis B contracted? Basically, it spreads or is contracted through body fluids. In this way, it can be contracted through sexual intercourse, kissing, contaminated needles, finger cutters, razor blades, or clippers, say, while cutting your hair or getting a tattoo, piercing, or any medical procedures like stitching, for example, and through blood products. What will your activities in China be like, or what kind of traveller are you? If you will be doing or using some of the things already listed, then you should consider this vaccine. If you will not, we still recommend it, especially if you will be staying in China for a long time, and also because the disease can lapse into some severe illness or liver cancer in some persons. It takes 3 doses over 6 months for full protection, however an accelerated schedule of Twinrix can be given over twenty one days

Japanese Encephalitis: Transmitted by mosquitoes, this viral disease is prevalent in the rural areas of China. This vaccine is needed depending on where you be visiting in China, how much you will spend there (are you spending more than a month in China?), and the season during which you will be going to China. You should consider this vaccine for this three factors, especially where you'll be visiting -- the rural areas -- or anywhere mosquitoes are found, as well as if you'll be spending a lot of time outdoors, even for trips shorter than a month. Seek the advice of a doctor to determine if this vaccine is appropriate for you depending on your itinerary. If your itinerary does not include rural areas, and your doctor has not prescribed this vaccine for you because of that, then you must be strict with your itinerary, and especially not defy it visiting rural areas.

Polio: If you will be visiting the Xinjiang province in China, then this vaccine is highly recommended to you, especially if you will be working in a health care facility, refugee camp, or humanitarian aid setting, as you might make contact with someone infected with polio. Polio is contracted by making contacts with infected persons. If you were vaccinated against it as a child but have never had a polio booster dose as an adult, you should get this booster dose. Adults need only one polio booster in their lives. If you were not completely vaccinated as a child or do not know your vaccination status, talk to your doctor about this.

Rabies: Immunization against Rabies is recommended to both adults and children. Rabies can be contracted through animal bites. Such animals include bats, monkeys, cats, dogs or whatever mammal you can think of in China. The length of your stay in the country and/or the activities you'll engage in in China will determine whether or not you should take this vaccine. If you will stay in China for long or are moving there; if you will engage in activities such as camping, hiking, biking, adventure travel, caving, working with or around animals (such as veterinarians, wildlife professionals, and researchers) you should take this vaccine as you are more likely to get an animal bite which may result in Rabies.

Malaria: Anyone can contract malaria in China; you should therefore avoid mosquito bites. One of such ways to do this is to sleep in medicated mosquito net always. There are medications which prevent your contracting malaria. Unlike most vaccines, you shouldn't take anti-malaria medication only before travelling; you should also take anti-malaria medication during your stay in China according to the prescription of your doctor, as well as after you return from China. Visitors in China can easily contract malaria if they spend time outdoors, in rural areas, close to dirty waters like rivers, in woods, or sleep outside.

Countries considered having the risk of yellow fever

While China does not make vaccination mandatory for visitors, they do on yellow fever vaccination for people coming from countries marked with the risk of yellow fever. Below is data according to WHO about countries with the risk of yellow fever. WHO has stated that 44 countries in the world have the risk of yellow fever. Of these countries, 33 are African, while 11 are in Central and South America.

They are:
For African countries: Benin, Chad, Congo, The Public of Guinea, Equatorial Guinea, Ethiopia, Ghana, The Republic of Ivory Coast, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Sudan, Uganda, Zaire, Cape Verde, Burundi, The State of Eritrea, Gambia, Guinea-Bissau, Rwanda, Sao Tome and Principe, Somalia, Tanzania, Cameroon, Kenya, Liberia, Mali, Angola, Burkina Faso, Gabon, Mauritania, Senegal, Togo, Central African Republic.

For countries in Central and South America: Brazil, Bolivia, British Guiana, Columbia, The Republic of Ecuador, French Guiana, Panama, Peru, Surinam, Paraguay, Venezuela

China vaccine schedule

For those wondering what China vaccine schedule would be, it's what we've been discussing. There is no fixed vaccination schedule for everyone travelling to China. Where you're visiting in China, the activities you'll be engaging in, such as recreational activities or your work, your kind of person (are you extrovert and loves to meet people?), the food you'll eat and how long you'll stay in China will determine your vaccination schedule. This is why it necessary to read the vaccines above.

Conclusion

These vaccinations are reliable, however every individual has a unique constitution, faculties and health status. Thus, while these vaccinations are specific, the individuality of people renders them general. Hence, we recommend you seek your general practitioner or a specialist in the field for recommendations consequent upon your individual status, your itinerary and activities in China to you. Taking vaccines is a bid to prevent diseases, but you should also prevent them by always washing your hands with soap and clean water or use some good hand sanitizer, don't eat contaminated food (fruits included) or water (drink good water. Say, bottled water), avoid animal bites and those of mosquitoes (so use a medicated mosquito net especially when sleeping, mind living in rural areas or spending time in them and close to dirty waters), use only sterilized clippers or any metal hair cutter, finger cutters, needles and the like.

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Should You or Not Use Viator for Your China Tours - A Must-Read - A Critical Review

Should You or Not Use Viator for Your China Tours - A Must-Read - A Critical Review

   December 18, 2017       Emmanuel Obarhua

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Are you in China or are planning to visit China for a tour and plans to use Viator.com to book some china tour package and are wondering if you should or shouldn't? Or, are you contemplating whether or not they're reliable, trustworthy or competent? If you were, then patiently continue reading as the article is informed by extensive actual testimonies of tourists who have used Viator. We will in the article, thus, address issues like: does Viator guarantee you wonderful tour experiences; what is their pricing, handling of tour problems, communication or response to complaints, refund attitudes and tour descriptions like?

We start the exposition with a quick talk on what Viator is - this is important and relevant. With over two million (2,043,691) Facebook likes at the time the article was published, Viator is an international tour company in affiliation to TripAdvisor, finding tourists tour packages in destinations worldwide, covering popular destinations as Paris, Rome, Las Vegas, Sydney, New York and China. They promise tourists skipping the long lines at popular attractions such as the Eiffel Tower and Empire State Building as well as getting them VIP treatment with once-in-a-lifetime experiences, like private viewings of the Sistine Chapel reference. All that have been said here about Viator have been said for a purpose and none of them were intended to praise or tout them with, especially what they promise tourists. Hence, we'll make reference to them later, the reason for which we have touched upon them.

Viator.com is clearly a tour company as we have seen above and/or as you may have known, but that's only apparent - it only appears to be so but is not actually so. This is because, contrary to what many people assume or know, though Viator offers tour packages worldwide, they are not tour operators. What this means is that they do not run or organize tours; they don't organize the tours they display themselves but work with companies that do so - these companies are the tour operators. So, Viator only list tour packages by different tour companies or operators. The assumption that Viator organizes tours is understandable however.

Those who have used them time and again in their review at TripAdvisor.com have revealed that Viator is only a consolidator, put differently, a booking agency; it is only a website or company that resells tour packages by tour companies (operators). The implication for addressing this shall be touched upon shortly. It is indeed important to have stressed this because it is a basis for what tourists who want to patronize them on China tours must really know about them.

Does Viator have quality control over the tour - can they guarantee quality?

Our first point will be the quality of tour experiences. Since Viator are only resellers of tour packages; since they are only consolidators, it stands to reason that they can't guarantee you how the tour experience will be - good or bad. In other words, they have no control over the quality of the tour experience. Of the tour operators that work with them, some are excellent and some are less so. They run the tours; all Viator does is link you and them. In this way, since Viator are not directly in charge of the tours, logically you can't blame them or hold them responsible if the tour experience weren't satisfactory to you or if it weren't good at all as this is in the hands of the tour operators. If you booked a tour at Viator.com and you got it, then Viator has played its part. Whatever comes afterwards cannot be blamed on them. And, when you lay a complaint to them, you'll be referred to the company responsible for the tour. Please note that it doesn't mean something must go wrong when using Viator. We have only said 'if'. But what's important is that Viator has no control over the tour experience.

To reiterate somewhat, referring now to what Viator has promised their customers, can Viator guarantee tourists a VIP treatment and once-in-a-lifetime experiences as they have promised? Clearly, the answer is no. It is no because as we have said, Viator is not in charge of the tour (the tour guide for example do not come from them) but is only a website where you can book tours run by other tour companies which Viator does not disclose to you. Some of the tour operators Viator work with are excellent; some are not. Thus, the treatment you'll be given will depend on the quality of the tour operator you are linked with.

Let's see some real comments:

#Username-removed · May 11, 2014, 3:43 PM
Le Marche, Italy · 37,713 forum posts
#33 of 275 ·
As we've said over and over, Viator does NOT offer tours. They are a reseller of tours operated by other tour companies. Often they have good discounts, especially if the company that's really operating the tour is stuck with a lot of unsold tickets.
The quality of the tour depends entirely on who's operating it. Some of the companies who list with Viator are excellent and others less so. It's not easy to figure out from the description on Viator's web site who's really running the tour. 

#Username-removed · Apr 27, 2014, 11:12 AM
Los Angeles, California · 5 forum posts
#31 of 275 ·
It seems they delete all reviews which are not positive.
I posted some on several sites, they were not posted (Viator post) or deleted after a short period of time (here).
Viator is in fact just a reseller without quality control and without any kind of after sales service.
We will for sure never book with them.

#Username-removed · Jun 23, 2014, 10:14 PM
Townsville, Australia · 129 forum posts
#44 of 275 ·
Here is what I do with Viator:
Use it as a search engine, as they gather a whole lot of tours together on one convenient website and resell them. As previous posts noted, some will be good, some will be bad. Viator don't really care either way, and once they have your money it's all your problem if something goes wrong.

Is Viator's pricing cheaper than that of the actual tour operators or not?

Our second consideration is pricing. Sometimes, usually most cases, Viator's prices are cheaper; sometimes they are just the same as those of the direct tour operators. And, sometimes they are screamingly higher than the operators' prices. Viator's price gets lower among other reasons when tour operators consign them batches of tour packages at striking discounts. And, the benefits they get are a hint to why they don't disclose actual tour operator they might be linking you up with. Below are actual comments made by those who have used them in this regard.

#Username-removed · May 11, 2014, 3:43 PM
Le Marche, Italy · 37,713 forum posts
#33 of 275 ·
As we've said over and over, Viator does NOT offer tours. They are a reseller of tours operated by other tour companies. Often they have good discounts, especially if the company that's really operating the tour is stuck with a lot of unsold tickets.

#Username-removed · Jun 24, 2014, 1:27 PM
Le Marche, Italy · 37,713 forum posts
#46 of 275 ·
It's not usually easy to find who the real operator is. I've tried several times when trying to help users of this forum, but only once did I find the real operator.
Viator often has better prices than the real operator, though, because tour operators sell them batches of tours they haven't managed to fill, at a deep discount. They can sell them below the usual price and still make money. That's actually the reason they're so secretive about the tour operator: it's part of the deal they make. 

#Username-removed · Jun 23, 2014, 10:14 PM
Townsville, Australia · 129 forum posts
#44 of 275 ·
...
If you find a tour you like, do a separate Google search with the name of the tour to find who is actually the operator of that tour and deal with them directly. It [dealing directly with the tour operators] will usually be cheaper, and you will have the satisfaction of knowing that the operator knows you exist. Once you know the name of the tour operator it will also be much easier to check TA and see if other travelers think that the tour is good.

#Username-removed · Sep 14, 2013, 11:30 AM
Quebec · 11,901 forum posts
#11 of 275 ·
If you book directly with the tour company it is always cheaper. Viator is simply a reseller of tours, they charge a fee for this. Viator has no control over whether a tour is good or bad. If you have complaints they redirect you to the tour provider.

#Username-removed · Sep 14, 2013, 6:30 PM
Australia · 8,790 forum posts
#14 of 275 ·
#Username-removed - The Colosseum tour + underground cost $125 USD!
I've done this tour last year and will go again soon - it's costing me 22.50 euros booking directly with the Coopculture (the official site but by phone). I'm happy you were satisfied with Viator but that is a lot of money for exactly the same tour as the official one.

Does Viator handle tour problems?

The third point that will be made in this connection is troubleshooting or fixing a tour problem. The tour thing is not always a smooth sale. Sometimes certain things go wrong and would need fixing. At such times, customers can get really frustrated. Why? One, Viator are not in charge of the tour and, hence, cannot give you necessary assistance, although they assist as best as they can. Two, the tour operator doesn't know you one-on-one and you don't know them; so, say, you missed them (the tour), you might miss them (the tour operators, or the tour) for good. In sum here, it is indubitably easier, faster and much more effective to get your problems addressed directly and by those in charge of the tour, rather than by a third party.

#Username-removed · Sep 14, 2013, 11:30 AM
Quebec · 11,901 forum posts
#11 of 275 · 

If you book directly with the tour company it is always cheaper. Viator is simply a reseller of tours, they charge a fee for this. Viator has no control over whether a tour is good or bad. If you have complaints they redirect you to the tour provider.

#Username-removed · Jun 04, 2015, 5:56 PM
Galway, Ireland · 1 forum post
#120 of 275 ·

Hi
...
Another issue I encountered in Rome is that the tour I booked on didn't end up operating due to having too few people sign up. However, Viator made NO effort to let me know this and in fact I didn't find out until I went to the meeting point for the tour (which was the tour office of the agency), leaving them to tell me that I had come across town in vain as there was no tour. They did not want to refund my money but tried to sell me a different tour that I did not want. All in all, this wasted more than 2 hours of my time in Rome and could have been avoided had Viator done the right thing and emailed me about the cancellation.

How is their response in times of difficulty like?

Our fourth consideration is about Viator's response to complaint. These days, clearly, companies, no matter how big, contrive to give their customers great customer experience. Communication or prompt response to complaint in this regard is very important, especially in times of difficulty. How is Viator with communication when customers complain? Many, nearly all, reports we got in our research on this matter showed that Viator's response to complaint is at the nadir - customers either don't get any response or get them very late. It is a big company indeed and this is understandable, although not felicitous.

#Username-removed · Jun 04, 2015, 5:56 PM
Galway, Ireland · 1 forum post
#120 of 275 ·

Hi
I was in Rome two weeks ago and we, my boyfriend and I, booked on to a Vatican tour with Viator tours which cost roughly €60 each. Firstly they held two sets of payments on my card and I had to ring them from Rome which was expensive. On the tour In the Vatican I got lost and missed the tour plus the radio they gave me did not work. I wrote a complaint after and Viator did not respond so I would advise against using them.
...

Does Viator Refund customers' money when necessary?

Our fifth consideration is about whether or not Viator refunds customers' money when necessary. We're not sure what the terms of service (TOS) of Viator are as regards making refunds to customers, but these days, it is a common practice that service and product websites give customers refund guarantee and actually give the refunds if the need arises -- say, if the service or product customers opted for were not what it should be. I got a refund from a Nigerian product website called Jumia (at Jumia.com) when I complained that what was delivered to me was not exactly what I opted for; they retrieved the product and paid the money into my account. That's how it should be. Whether or not Viator has refund guarantee in its TOS, our concern here is what is in practice -- what they actually do. It has been found that Viator refunds customers' money, although in our analysis we found that complaints about their not refunding were more. Thus, their refunding customers' money can be judged, to be fair, to be 50/50. Let's see some.

#Username-removed · May 28, 2013, 1:47 AM
Melbourne, Australia · 8 forum posts
#4 of 275 ·

I used them for my family's 5 week vacation across Italy and France. All our tour and hop on / hop off tickets were arranged through them. Had no issues or drama. I was surprised to having received a refund for the hop on / hop off ticket we had not used in Pisa. It is a booking agency but I had the peace of mind of organizing my requirements 2 to 3 months ahead of schedule.

#Username-removed · May 27, 2014, 9:07 AM
3 forum posts
#36 of 275 · 

Do NOT use viator!!
They are a middleman, but they are the weak link! I wouldn't use them not because they product they are selling is variable, but, because what I consider the product is their booking service not the tour itself.
They oversell or overbook tours, won't refund, low/lack of communication.
They are supposed to ease the booking transaction but it's pretty Much just a scam.
I've booked two tours and paid fully right away had confirmations and evouchers, no tours and no refunds!!!

#Username-removed · Apr 22, 2015, 11:01 AM
1 forum post
#99 of 275 ·

I would strongly NOT recommend Viator Tours. We bought a tour from them in Mexico and they withheld information that made us cancel [that is, opt out of the service], but they refused to give us our money back. 

#Username-removed · Jun 04, 2015, 5:56 PM
Galway, Ireland · 1 forum post
#120 of 275 ·

Hi
...
Another issue I encountered in Rome is that the tour I booked on didn't end up operating due to having too few people sign up. However, Viator made NO effort to let me know this and in fact I didn't find out until I went to the meeting point for the tour (which was the tour office of the agency), leaving them to tell me that I had come across town in vain as there was no tour. They did not want to refund my money but tried to sell me a different tour that I did not want. All in all, this wasted more than 2 hours of my time in Rome and could have been avoided had Viator done the right thing and emailed me about the cancellation.

Does Viator give detailed information of the tour?

The sixth point in this connection is that of tour description. Viator gives you details about the tour you're booking. However, a tourist who has used them believes that they don't always describe the tours fully. This may be very true as they are only resellers and can't give details as the actual operators can, but are limited to the amount of information they're given. Basically, the information they have is usually about the tour packages; and tour arrangements of course. Thus, it is the operator that has detailed information of the actual tour and its arrangements -- for example, information on change of plan, however slight. It is important a tourist knows every detail of the tour package, and that of the destination they are paying to visit. The foregoing paragraph gives a hint to their lapse as regards giving information about the tour. You should read it (the immediate foregoing paragraph) in this light and consider the thought shared just below.

Tourist's thought:

I don't feel they fully describe the tours well enough in all cases, and you don't have the ability to ask questions of the vendor.

Conclusion

We have tried as much as possible to be objective, writing disinterestedly, striking off subjective views on the cited comments and not going as far as even suggesting what readers must do, so that they can make their own conclusions and decisions as regards using Viator for their china tours. We have seen that Viator cannot guarantee the quality of a tour experience but such is dependent on the tour operators they use (Kindly note they work with different tour operators even on the same tours). So, what they have to do is vet the tour operators they're working with, because as we know they seem not to be doing this. We touched upon their pricing and it was shown that in some cases, usually most cases, their prices are cheaper, in some, the same; and in some, screamingly more expensive. We have also touched upon whether or not they handle tour problems and we have seen that they do indeed but the handling of the actual tour operator can be more effective and felicitous. We also touched upon the nature of their response to complaints and said with reason that they are not very responsive; we have also looked into whether they refund customers' money when necessary and found that this, to be fair, is 50/50. And finally, we saw that while they give all necessary details about tours, they can't do so as much as the actual tour operators can.

Fifty percent of why Viator can't give ninety nine percent or so experience is that they are middlemen. This article notwithstanding, it doesn't mean that a problem will necessarily erupt while using Viator but you should consider the points addressed here in your decision-making. We wind up this article with the advice given by someone who has experience with websites like Viator:

When choosing sites like Viator you must do further research to see which companies they are booking you with and find out about that particular company. Viator is just a consolidator-they don't do any tours!

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Do I Need a Visa to Visit China – Details by China Embassy

Do I Need a Visa to Visit China – Details by China Embassy

   September 30, 2017       Emmanuel Obarhua

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In this article, you will learn about whether you as a US citizen or that of any other country in the world need a visa to visit, go to, or travel to China. While China is not the most visited country in the world, records show that scores of peoples from all over the world visit it. This is small wonder. China's economy is relatively good, cost of production of things, say, technological works is also relatively cheap there. This can partly explain why many companies move to China. Furthermore, China is no mean country for tourism. In fact, people search, among other things, for the following every passing month, although you may gloss over them:

"do you need a visa to go to china"

"do i need a visa to visit china"

"visa needed for china"

"do i need a visa to go to china"

"do you need a visa to visit china"

"do us citizens need a visa for china"

"do you need a visa to travel to china"

"do i need a visa to travel to china"

"how do i get a visa for china"

"how long does it take to get a visa to china"

"china visa requirements for us citizens"

Is a Visa Needed to Visit China

Sternly speaking, according to the Chinese Embassy, foreign citizens (those who are not Chinese) generally need a visa to visit China's mainland with the exception of visa-free entry according to relevant agreements and regulations. Kindly maintain your cool, friend, as I explain further.

If you are a Chinese Permanent Resident Card holder, you don't need a visa to enter China during the validity of your Permanent Resident Card, your country notwithstanding. US citizens are allowed to visit Hong Kong without a visa but must have a visa to visit China's mainland. They are not also allowed a landing visa, that is, applying and getting a visa at the port of entry. Thus, they must apply for a visa before setting out of their country for China, before arrival in it.

As a non-US citizen, you have to apply for a visa to travel to China. You (including US citizens) may apply for a visa at a Chinese Embassy or Consulate General based on your State of residence.

What is China's Mainland? 

Here, a brief explanation will be given as to what China's mainland is: China's mainland or mainland China is the total area under the authority of Chinese Government (or China). Geographically, it generally includes Hainan island and excludes the special administrative regions of Hong Kong and Macau, even though both are partially on the geographic mainland

 

What Sort of Visa Does A Tourist Need?

You know, tourists normally travel across cities. And this causes people to ask, in this context, whether they need different visas to tour China. The answer is simple. Chinese Embassy states that "If you are a U.S. citizen, you need to apply for mainland China visa only. For non-U.S. citizens, if you are not eligible for a short-term visa-free visit to Hong Kong SAR/Macao SAR (Click to check youreligibility), you will need to apply both mainland China visa AND HKSAR/Macao SAR visa

Furthermore, if you are travelling to China on multiple purposes, you may submit your application based on your main purpose and provide supporting documents accordingly. 

How Long Does it Take to Get a Visa to China

It normally takes 4 business days to process a visa application. But some applications require longer processing time. You will be notified of the estimated collection date either on your pick-up slip or by phone later. You are advised to submit your visa application about one month before your planned travel date to China

I Lost My Passport During My Stay in China; What Should I Do?

If you lost your passport during your stay in China, Chinese Embassy states that you should report the loss to local public security authorities as soon as possible and thereafter go to your country's embassy or consulate in China to apply for a replacement passport or travel document. After that, you must go to the local public security authorities to apply for a new entry and exit visa

Conclusion

To start with, I must say that I hope your question(s) was (or were) answered. The miscarrying of plans, speaking from experience, is not good. If you have done this search because you want to visit China, consider the situation and every aspect of it meticulously and carry out your decision quickly and resolutely. A visa is however not a guarantee to enter China, but this is no problem. It's just like the situation whereby an author reserves some (or all) rights of a given work of theirs. But that doesn't mean you can't make use of the work duly fully. They only reserve rights that people may not misuse the works. That a visa is not a guarantee for entry into China does not mean that China will blithely refuse anyone entry. On your part, just make sure you are free from anything that is aberrant, or unacceptable, anything that may cause a trouble. I wish you every success, friend! Flourish!

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