China Tea Tours 2009 Participant Page | Seven Cups Fine Chinese Teas

Getting Ready for Your Tour

Thank you for signing up for one of our tours! We have designed this page to assist you in preparing for your trip. We want you to have a great time with us, so please don’t hesitate to call (520) 628-2952 if you have any questions.

Step 1: Review These Important Dates

The following table outlines important pre-departure milestones for each tour, which occur 60 days and 30 days prior to departure.

Tour	Date	Cancellation full refund	All fees due	Cancellation half fees	Paperwork due	Seven Cups may cancel
Green	Mar. 22 – Apr. 3	Jan. 22	Jan. 22	Feb. 22	Feb. 22	Feb. 22
Oolong	Apr. 17 – Apr. 30	Feb. 17	Feb. 17	Mar. 17	Mar. 17	Mar. 17
Puer	Jul. 6 – Jul. 20	May 6	May 6	June 6	June 6	June 6

60 days prior to departure:

If you cancel up to 60 days before the departure date for your tour, we will refund 100% of your fees.
All fees are due at this time.

30 days prior to departure:

If you cancel up to 30 days before the departure date for your tour, we will refund 50% of your fees.
All paperwork is due at this time.
Seven Cups reserves the right to cancel a tour and fully refund all fees.

Step 2: Make Pre-Departure Travel Arrangements

Sign up for a tour, and make sure to place your deposit to hold your spot.
Send in your Tea Tour Waiver and copies of other documents (i.e. proof of health and travel insurance) as listed below. We will email the Tea Tour Waiver to you.
Make sure that you have adequate health insurance and travel insurance for travel in China. If you don’t have this insurance, you can purchase it at one of the links below (see “Insurance Links”). Please send us proof of insurance along with your Tea Tour Waiver.
Apply as soon as possible for your Chinese Visa. Contact us if you need help completing this form.
Discuss immunization options with your doctor (see link below).

Insurance Links
Make sure to have both medical and travel coverage. Austin recommends Travelex, but feel free to use the service that best meets your needs.

Step 3: Gather Important Documents/Information

Upon full payment, please submit copies of the Tea Tour Waiver as per instructions in the document. In addition to originals, please bring with you two copies of:

Yellow Immunizations Book
Passport (photo page and Chinese Visa page)
Health insurance information, in case you need to use it in China
Travel and/or baggage insurance information, in case you need to use it in China

Step 4: Prepare Your Luggage

Please note that you will only be allowed one suitcase. You must be able to lift and carry your own bag as we will have no porters and will be in rural areas.

Please also consider bringing the following:

First aid: suture kit, antibiotics, personal first aid kit, prescription medicines in their original containers, sturdy shoes
Things to do on a bus: download some of your favorite podcasts, music, books, knitting, art supplies, crafts (knitting, crochet)
Things to share: Chinese love to see photos or post cards of where you live. You can even give these as gifts to our hosts.

Step 5: Get Ready to Have a Great Time!

Be Prepared: Touring the Chinese countryside is physically demanding. On these tours, be prepared for the following types of activities: Walking, hiking, bus travel, and even bamboo boat travel!

Be Flexible: Over the past several years, we have learned that plans in China are always subject to change. Flexibility is key, especially in the countryside where few foreigners have ventured! We appreciate your flexibility, and will do everything possible to ensure that this tour exceeds your wildest expectations. Prepare to have your socks knocked off!

Travel Resources

US Department of State – A Safe Trip Abroad provides travel tips that may help you avoid serious difficulties during your overseas travel.
US Department of State also offers China-specific advice.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention offers information to assist travelers and their health-care providers in deciding the vaccines, medications, and other measures necessary to prevent illness and injury during international travel.
Please consider following Rick Steves’ packing and travel advice. Each participant will be allowed one bag which they must be able to carry themselves. An additional daypack will also be allowed.
For information on packing light, Rick Steves has a forum created by users. It’s European-centric, but a lot of the information is applicable to China.
Journey Women provides women-centric traveling and packing advice.
Lonely Planet’s guides can be purchased online and printed at home. You can purchase specific chapters. They have Thorn Tree – a great forum.

Post-Tour Events
If you are planning to do a slide presentation or write an article about your trip, please let us know and we will do everything we can to make sure that you are fully prepared to share your adventure.

Thanks again for your interest in our tours — we can’t wait to travel with you! Please contact us with any questions you may have.