Pre – Arrival Kit to Chengdu

Chengdu also known as “County of Heaven” one of fastest developing cities in China and also one of tourism hubs in China Sichuan Plateau.

How to get from Chengdu Shuangliu Airport to city center
1. Airport bus 1 – Airport to city center ticket - 10 RMB
2. Taxi – Will cost around 60 RMB to reach city center
3. Metro – Underground metro line 10 is currently connect the airport and the city center. Ticket around 6 RMB

Internet access and social sites
As a one of most developed cities in China, Chengdu city and also most of the parts of Sichuan is strong with 4G network service. But you must be aware that some websites like, Facebook / Google / Watsapp/ Youtube is blocked inside mainland China. You need to simply download VPN service from your app downloader before arriving to China. Some of the VPN app are recommended like ExpressVPN. WeChat is a great app to download before coming to China. You can use it to communicate with your tour guides and make friends in China.

Electricity Devices and inputs
Electricity in China runs on 220V, 50 cycles AC. Many hotels have an outlet in the bathroom for using both 110V and 220V. Outside the hotel bathrooms, generally 220V outlets are provided. Most U.S. based devices that need to be charged (including camera batteries, phones, etc.) work in outlets ranging from 110-240 volts, so they typically do not require a power converter.

Average Temperature Ranges (In Fahrenheit)

Chengdu weather is mild and humid all year round, featuring four clear-cut seasons –short and warm spring, long and sultry summer, cool and rainy autumn, and cold and foggy winter. The distinctive characteristics of Chengdu climate is fog and humidity. There are fewer hours of sunlight per day,

Meals and Drinks
Sichuan cuisine is considered as one of best in the world and most of the tourists always love to experience Sichuan foods again and again.

If the lunches and dinners are included, we are always taking you to the best authentic, local cuisine. Rather than going to tourist-specific crowdie restaurants, we opt for the simple, local eateries. Meals are often served in traditional Chinese family-style – several different dishes will be brought to the center of the table, and travelers will serve themselves from these shared dishes.
Sichuan have wide varieties of foods available – Rice, Noodles, Pork, Beef can be identified as the main food items and meat. Usually almost all the vegetables are available here in Chengdu.
The rice is generally brought out at the very end of a meal, after all other dishes have been served. If you would like to have rice served at the beginning of a meal with the rest of your food, you will need to specify this at the time of ordering.
Vegetarian and other reasonable special dietary needs will be accommodated to the best of our ability. Please give us ample notice prior to your departure.
Because of the influence of neighboring provinces there are quite a lot Muslim food outlets also available in the town.

Smoking
Throughout the country, you will find that an large number of Chinese citizens smoke. We will do our best to mitigate this as much as possible while dining, but do not anticipate that there will always be separate designated smoking and non-smoking areas, including the use of electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes), is not permitted in our vehicles. For those travelers who do smoke, we will stop our vehicles in regular intervals and you can have a smoke at that time. We ask you to be considerate and smoke only when others in your group are not around.
Washroom/ Toilet Facilities

During outings, while we will stop at the cleanest and most modern bathroom facilities available, there may be times when primitive squat toilets in basic, and sometime dirty, local facilities are our only option. Should this occur, feel free to talk to your guide if you have any questions or concerns.

Intestinal Health
Wherever one travels in the world, stomach upsets and diarrhea can occur. This is mainly due to being in a new environment, eating new food, and drinking water with a different mineral content. An effective precaution against getting sick is taking “acidophilus” capsules every day, Start couple of days before your adventure and keep using it even after few days you arrive here. If you became sick, one dose of Imodium will often clear it up. In the meantime, replace lost fluids and minerals such as sodium and potassium to avoid dehydration, eat a mild diet, drink caffeine-free beverages that are in factory-sealed containers and avoid dairy products.
Remember in Chengdu because of the weather you rarely feels thirsty but make sure you drink enough water for your body.

-It is very important that you drink enough water each day to limit the effects of dehydration.
-Tap water is never suitable for drinking.
-Most soft drinks, beer and liquors are okay to drink. Tea is safe as well, since the water has been boiled.
-Wash your hands frequently with soap, or use a waterless hand sanitizer.


Time Zone
China is bigger than USA from land but surprisingly while USA having 6 time zones in the country. China is maintaining just one time zone which is time in Beijing for whole country. The entire country follows the time zone of UTC/GMT + eight hours, which is thirteen hours ahead of Eastern Standard Time. China does not recognize Daylight Saving Time.

Gratuities
-Tour guide
We suggest a tipping guideline below for your convenience. These amounts are entirely at your discretion and should reflect your level of satisfaction with services rendered. If you feel the tour guide has done an outstanding job and wish to offer a gratuity, we recommend RMB50-200 per person, per day, including children.
-Driver:
Tips for taxi drivers in China are not expected, but certainly appreciated. If your driver assists you with your luggage, RMB50-100 per group, per day is an adequate tip.
-Restaurants and Bars
Tipping is not expected in local restaurants and bars. Most establishments will include a service charge with your bill.

Money Safety & Theft
There is always a possibility of theft while traveling. When alone in larger cities like Beijing, pay close attention to bumping and shoving, which are common techniques used by thieves to distract you while they steal your valuables. Be especially aware of this when in public spaces, as pick pocketing happens in China.

If possible, do not carry a purse or wallet. Instead, either store your valuables in a hotel safe (if available), or purchase a money/document pouch that can be kept hidden underneath your clothes so that you can keep your valuables with you.

If you are traveling on your own, either before or after your tour, be aware of taxi scams. Don’t follow someone at the airport who approaches you offering taxi service. Instead, go to an official marked taxi stand to wait for the next available taxi, and always ask for a meter to ensure you aren’t overcharged.

In public places it’s better to keep your backpack in your front side rather than keeping it in your blindside.

Credit Card/Wechat/Cash
Cash is still more widely used in China than credit cards, especially in smaller cities and away from more touristy areas. However, more and more places in China, including hotels, upscale restaurants, and foreign brand name stores accept credit cards, so it is still worth bringing your credit card with you. Visa, MasterCard, and American Express are widely accepted in China. You can exchange your home currency for CNY before you leave or after you arrive in China. The best thing to do is to exchange some money before arriving in China, and bring at least one credit card for any big payments and one debit card to withdraw more cash after you arrive in China.

It is easy and quick to get cash on arrival at any Chinese international airport. There are usually cash machines in the baggage reclaim area and after exiting customs on both the arrival and departure levels. There are also currency exchange counters in the airport, although they may apply a steep fee.

While you are in China, you can use your debit card to withdraw money from 24-hour ATMs. Big cities and smaller towns all have 24-hour ATMs. However, many rural areas, don't have many ATMs.

Not every card works in every machine, so it is best to stick with major banks such as the Bank of China, ICBC, China Construction Bank or HSBC. Check to see which cards are supported before you use the ATM.

APPs are useful in China
XE Currency =calculate live currency and foreign exchange rates with this free currency converter.
Pleco =is an simple English & Chinese Dictionary application for IOS and Android devices.
WeChat =is a Chinese multi-purpose messaging, social media and mobile payment app

Preparation
Toilet paper
As toilet paper is not often provided in public restrooms, we recommend bringing a roll with you and keeping it in your daypack. Remove the cardboard in the center of the roll to take up less space when packing.

Insect repellent
You may wish to bring this in the panda base if you are particularly sensitive to bug bites.

Hand-sanitizer