Chindia Lounge

VioletStar November 12th, 2006

India travel is fun and it is getting popular day-by-day looking to the tourist potential of the country. India travel is a pleasure during the cooler months between October and March. The most well known cities are New Delhi, the capital; Mumbai (formerly known as bombay); Calcutta, city of Spirit; Chennai the southern Pearl;and Bangalore and Hyderabad, the India Silicon Valley. India Travel will definitely not complete without experiencing the Taj Mahal, the Temple of Love, in New Delhi. The only caveat of travel is that it is also a country which suffers from more than its fair share of poverty and hardship.

The very name of INDIA brings into mind the pictures of a country, which is immensely rich and diverse in its culture, geography, religion and people. Steeping in culture for over 5000 years, India is waiting to be explored. Delhi is the most famous historical cities of India and houses some of the most fascinating monuments of India. You can try out the various night life and pubs in Mumbai which truly reflects the culture of the city.

Indian food is conquering the world. Some British even joke about the fact that the national dish in United Kingdom is no longer Fish and Chips but Indian curry. It is not true to assume that Indian food is hot. Tandori grill is an example of a non-spicy dish. It is however not a bad idea to avoid eating spicy food all at one time soon after you arrive in India. If you find the food too hot eat yogurt or lots of rice or nan bread to take the heat away. Vegetarian food is easily available, cheap, and of excellent quality. Street food is another highlight especially in big city such as New Delhi.

If you are traveling to India, you should know about the various local modes of Indian transportation. The airline industry in India is not as reliable as many other commonly available modes of transportation. For transportation in and around auto-rickshaws and mini-buses are easily available. There are many canals, and transportation is chiefly by boat. Do not hire any type of transportation from unlicensed or unapproved operators.

The Spirit of India has facinated the world with its mysterical culture, exotic food, history of civilisation and the vibrant energy. India is waiting to be explored and it is up to you to get your mind and body ready to prepare for the adventure.

Violet Star

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VioletStar October 29th, 2006

I know a lot of people are looking for a map of China. Here is one. Do you notice that the shape of China is in a shape of chicken? Beijing, the capitial is in the north eastern part of China. There are two important river: Yellow River (Huang He) and Yangtse River (Chang Jiang).

To Chinese, Beijing is like Washington DC in USA; and Shanghai is like New York City. Hong Kong was a British colony until July 1997 when it was returned to Republic of China. Yet Hong Kong still has its own legislative system, currency and economic system etc. Macau was returned to China in 1999. The major business in Macau is Casino and tourism.

Violet Star

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VioletStar October 27th, 2006

Not many people know that it is VERY easy and fast to apply a visa to China in Hong Kong. The Hong Kong China Travel Services offices issue China visas. Their office are very convenient (can go by Mass Transit Railways – Subway system in Hong Kong). They can issue a China visa within 3 days or even on the same day if you are willing to pay extra. You may do some good shopping in Hong Kong (electronics are always the catch – latest models and NO sales tax)while waiting for your China visa. You may also enjoy a 8 minute boat ride across the beautiful harbor. Citizens of United Kingdom can stay in Hong Kong for up to 180 days without a visa. Citizens of USA, Canada and Australia can stay in Hong Kong for up to 90 days without a visa. Details for Hong Kong visa requirement. Please check on Hong Kong Immigration website:
http://www.immd.gov.hk/ehtml/hkvisas_4.htm

As for the application requirement for the China information, here are the information extracted from Hong Kong China Travel Service website (www.ctshk.com). Don’t forget to choose English as your language on the website.

A China visa for overseas passport holders is required when traveling to the Chinese Mainland. Hong Kong and Macau have their own visa requirements though most travelers do not need a visa to visit these two Special Administrative Regions.

There are different types of visas but the most common for touring China is a single entry tourist visa valid for up to 30 days from issuance, that can be easily obtained through an embassy of the PRC or a CTS office.

1. Apply at the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China in your country of residence or approach an Embassy (Consulate) of PRC in a neighboring country.
2. Apply at an overseas CTS branch in your country of residence.
3. If you are first traveling to Hong Kong, you can entrust the visa application at a branch office of China Travel Service (Hong Kong) Limited. The most convenient is located near to the Star Ferry on the Kowloon side because they are open 7 days a week and they can arrange for a visa in just a few hours, if necessary.
The address is at 1/F.,Alpha House,27-33 Nathan Rd., Kowloon, Hong Kong.
Tel : 852-2315 7188 Fax : 852-2315 7292
E-mail:ctsdmd@ctshk.com

Category of Visa Processing Time Handling Fee(HKD)
(Valid from Mon-Fri only)
Single Entry Visa Ordinary 3 working days 210
Express 2 working days 360
One-day Pickup 1 working day 480
Double Entry Visa Ordinary 3 working days 350
Express 2 working days 500
One-day Pickup 1 working day 620
Half Year Multiple Entry Visa Ordinary 3 working days 850
Express 2 working days 1150
One-day Pickup 1 working day 1400

Documents for visa applications
1. Valid passport or documents for travel in origin files;
2. One photo for visa application;
3. Fill in the Visa Application Form with applicant’s signature attached whereon;
4. For those who immigrate by HKID, please bring along with HKID for application.

Remarks: The above charge is not applicable for following 21 countries, please call for further information. (Tel: 23157188)

1. U.S.A.
2. Brazil
3. Belarus
4. Ukraine
5. Uzbekistan
6. Kazakhstan
7. Armenia
8. Moldova
9. Ecuador
10. Angola
11. Ethiopia
12. Gabon
13. Cameroon
14. United Kingdom
15. Panama
16. Chile
17. Bolivia
18. Republic of Congo
19. Iran
20. The Republic of Cote D’ivoire
21. Venezuela

1. The visa applicant must be the holder of valid passport or documents for travel purpose. In case the documents or passport hereof are about to expire (should be at least a half year validity from the date for visa application) or there is no blank page attached on purpose of applying for visa, it is required to extend the validity of passport/travel documents or to have a makeup of the blank page before applying for visa.
2. Please fill in the application form all required blanks with authentic and correct information and no alterations permitted.
3. The applicant age below 18 should fill in and sign by parent. Must provide copy of the birth document, one of parents passport with the application form. (For the US passport holder, should provide both parents passport copy.)
4. You may pick up your visa categorized as “Ordinary” after 14:00 on the 3rd working day;Visa categorized as “Express” available after 14:00 on the 2nd working day; Visa categorized as “One-day Pickup” available after 17:30 if you apply before 12:00 the same day.
5. For emergency, visa can be available within a half day even during duty-off time and public holidays of Hong Kong when, our Tsimshatsui branch and Mongkok branch are still in operation. In emergency case, an additional handling fee is required.
6. We are authorized to handle multi-entrance visa, visa extension and group visa.
7. The valid days for the single Entry Visa is 30, and the valid days for the double Entry Visa is 90.
8. Apply for the Half Year Multiple Entry Visa should provide the company name & address with the application form.

The above information is for reference only.

As you see, US passport holder will need to pay a little bit more for the visa (as more work need to be done to issue the visa). But it is of very reasonable price. The exchange of HKD to USD is 7.8 to 1

As I can recall, CTS does have a counter set up at Hong Kong International Airport Arrival Hall. They may be able to do the One Day Pick up service there. Please contact CTS office to check out.

Violet Star

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