SILK ROAD SAFARI. China, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan August 19 September 13, 2015

Transcription

1 SILK ROAD SAFARI China, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan August 19 September 13, 2015 Another amazing personalised, escorted and catered tour created by Global Gypsies & Coates Wildlife Tours Travel in the footsteps of Genghis Khan, Marco Polo and Alexander the Great! Spend 26 spectacular days exploring the ancient and exotic Silk Road from Xi an to Tashkent with Jan and Jeremy and local English-speaking guides. Quality transport, meals, accommodation & activities included. What an Adventure! Join us on one of the world s most exciting and mysterious adventures as we discover the secrets of the legendary Great Silk Road! We ll travel over 5000 kms through China, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan following the ancient trade route which transported silk, spices, livestock, produce, culture, customs, religion and language from west to east and back again for hundreds of years. We ll enjoy delicious traditional food; travel in coaches, trains, mini-buses, even the occasional camel and rickshaw! We ll stay in quality 3-4 star hotels (twin/share basis), a sleeper carriage and a nomadic yurt. We ll visit mosques, markets, museums and national parks; enjoy a bevy of cultural activities; meet local people and learn about the fascinating history of Central Asia. Airport transfers, internal flights, visas, ground transport, most meals, entries to attractions, two Australian tour escorts, local Englishspeaking guides, Pre-Departure Workshop and Pre-Departure Kit are included in the package. What to Bring Pack comfortable, casual clothes for a variety of conditions ranging from cities to arid deserts to chilly mountains plus one or two smart outfits for special occasions. A detailed list of suggested items will be included in your Pre Departure Kit. This topic and many others will be discussed at the Pre-Departure Workshop which will be held several weeks prior to the tour. Soft bags with wheels are preferable weighing 20 kgs or less bring only what you can carry yourself along with a day/overnight pack. Please have a current passport valid for at least six months and with several blank pages. Note that Australian citizens require visas for China and Uzbekistan. Check with your doctor as to which inoculations you ll need. We can help plan your flights, book your air fares, assist with visas and travel insurance and arrange pre/post-tour excursions. Because of the complexity of planning this expedition, early bookings are recommended. Don t miss out on this unique opportunity to travel with people you know and trust! Minimum numbers are required for the tour to proceed and group size will be strictly limited.

2 PROPOSED ITINERARY DAY DAY 1: Wednesday, August 19 DAY 2: Thursday, August 20 DAY 3: Friday, August 21 DAY 4: Saturday, August 22 DAY 5: Sunday, August 23 DAY 6: Monday, August 24 DAY 7: Tuesday, August 25 DAY 8: Wednesday, August 26 DAY 9: Thursday, August 27 DAY 10: Friday, August 28 DAY 11: Saturday, August 29 DAY 12: Sunday, August 30 DAY 13: Monday, August 31 DAY 14: Tuesday, Sept 1 DAY 15: Wednesday, Sept 2 DAY 16: Thursday, Sept 3 DAY 17: Friday, Sept 4 DAY 18: Saturday, Sept 5 DAY 19: Sunday, Sept 6 ACTIVITIES Arrival in Xian We are met at the airport & transferred to our hotel. Free time that afternoon & evening to recover from flight. Optional dinner in hotel (own expense). Overnight Xian. Welcome Breakfast & tour briefing. Sightseeing tour including lunch in local restaurant visiting Big Wild Goose Pagoda, Terra Cotta Warriors, Warriors Reproduction Factory & Farmer s Cave.Time to freshen up before enjoying special Welcome Dinner & Tang Dynasty Cultural Show that night. Overnight in Xian. Breakfast at the hotel. Morning sightseeing tour including lunch at local restaurant visiting City Wall (including optional bike riding), Bell & Drum Tower Square, Great Mosque & Muslim Bazaar Afternoon flight to Jiayuguan (2 hours). Check in at hotel & freshen up. Dinner at local restaurant. Overnight in Jiayuguan. Breakfast at the hotel. Sightseeing tour including lunch. Over the next two days in Jiayuguan, we will see Great Wall, Weı & Jın Fresco Tombs & Mogao Grottoes. Dinner at local restaurant. Overnight in Jiayuguan. Breakfast at the hotel. Continue sightseeing in morning. Drive to Dunhuang with boxed lunch en-route (260km). Check-in at hotel. Special Dinner in the Desert. Overnight in Dunhuang. Breakfast at the hotel. Sightseeing tour including lunch to Mogao Caves, Singing Sand Dunes & camel riding. After dinner we are transferred to train station to take overnight soft sleeper train to Turpan (4 persons per carriage). We are met at train station in Turpan & transferred to our hotel. After freshening up & having breakfast, we tour Ancient City, Astana Tomb & Flaming Mountain (including lunch). Dinner at home of local Uyghur family. Overnight in Turpan. After breakfast at hotel, we visit Xinjiang Regional Museum then drive to Urumqi Airport (215 km) to catch a 1.5 hour flight to Kashgar. Over the next three days in Kashgar we will visit Idkah Mosque, Old City, Great Bazaar, Aba Hoja Mausoleum, traditional tea/coffee house & more. Overnight in Kashgar Breakfast at hotel. Continue sightseeing. Lunch & dinner at local restaurants. Overnight in Kashgar. Breakfast at hotel. FREE DAY to relax, shop or explore (lunch & dinner at own expense). Or take optional tour to Karakuli Lake. Overnight in Kashgar. Early start in order to drive cross the border into Kyrgyzstan. After lunch in Tash Rabat, we drive to yurt camp. Dinner & overnight in yurt camp. Breakfast & lunch in yurt camp. Morning activities include walks or horse rides to ancient caravanserai & through countryside. After lunch in camp, depart for Lake Issyk Kul with sightseeing en-route. We check in to our lakeside hotel & freshen up. Over the next two days at the lake, we will see Cholpon Ata Petroglyphs, Grigorievskoe Gorge, Boom Gorge, enjoy a picnic, a Shyrdak Show and folklore performance, a Falcon Show & participate in yak felt production. Dinner & overnight at Lake Issyk Kul. Breakfast at hotel. Continue sightseeing & activities. Dinner & overnight at Lake Issyk Kul. We check out after breakfast & drive to Bishkek, the capital city of Kyrgyzstan (255 km). We have lunch with a local family & go sightseeing. Over the next two days in Bishkek, we will visit Cholpon Ata Town, Dolon Pass, Kochkor Village, Burana Tower, Central Ala Too Square, White House, Parliament House, Lenin Statue & Ala Archa Nature Park. Dinner & overnight in Bishkek. Breakfast at hotel. Continue sightseeing including lunch in Ala Archa Nature Park. Tonight we enjoy a special Folklore Dinner Show. Overnight in Bishkek. After breakfast we transfer to Bishkek airport for 1-hour flight to Tashkent. We are met at airport & enjoy a tour of the city including lunch visiting Khazret-Imam mosque, Genuine Muskhafe-Usman Koran, Amir Temur Square & Museum, Kukeldash Madrassah, Old Town & Independence Square. Dinner & overnight in Tashkent. After an early breakfast we transfer to railway station for 2-hour journey to Samarkand by Afrosiyob speed train. Afternoon sightseeing tour in Samarkand with lunch in guest house. Over the next two days in Samarkand we will visit Imam Al-Bukhari Mausoleum, Gur-Emir Mausoleum, Registan Square, Ulugh Beg Observatory, Siyab Bazaar, Shahi-Zinda complex Mausoleum of Khodja Doniyor (Prophet Daniel) & Khovrenko Winery Museum. Dinner & overnight in Samarkand. Breakfast at hotel. Continue sightseeing including local lunch. Dinner & overnight in Samarkand. Breakfast at hotel. FREE DAY to relax, shop or go sightseeing (lunch & dinner at own expense). Overnight in Samarkand. 2

3 DAY 20: Monday, Sept 7 DAY 21: Tuesday, Sept 8 DAY 22: Wednesday, Sept 9 After breakfast we drive to Bukhara (300 km) & have lunch in a local guest house. We check into our hotel then go for a short sightseeing tour. Over the next three days in Bukhara we will visit the Naqshbandi Mausoleum, Ark Fortress, Bolo-Hauz ensemble, Khanaka and Madrassah of Nadir Divan-Begh, Lyabi-Hauz ensemble, Madrassah of Abdulaziz-khan, MiriArab Madrassah, Poi-Kalyan ensemble, trading domes of Bukhara & Ulugbek Madrassah. We will also enjoy a national dance show and browse in the local handicraft shops. Dinner & overnight in Bukhara. Breakfast at the hotel. Continue sightseeing including lunch. Dinner & overnight in Bukhara. Breakfast at hotel. Continue sightseeing including lunch. Dinner & overnight in Bukhara. DAY 23: Thursday, Sept 10 After an early breakfast at the hotel we drive to Khiva (450 km) with boxed lunch en-route. We arrive in Khiva that afternoon & check into our hotel for a rest before dinner. Over the next two days in Khiva we will visit Pakhlavan Makhmud, Djuma Mosque and Minaret, IslamKhodja Madrassah & Minaret, Kalta-Minor Minaret, Kunya-Ark, Ak-Sheikh-bobo, Mosque of Allakuli-khan, Madrassah of Muhammad Rakhim khan, Madrassah of Shirgazi-khan, PalvanDarvaza Gate, Tash-hauli (palace of Allakuli-khan). Dinner & overnight in Khiva. DAY 24: Friday, Sept 11 Breakfast at the hotel. Continue sightseeing including lunch. Special Farewell Dinner that night with national instrumental show and dance. Overnight in Khiva. DAY 25: Saturday, Sept 12 DAY 26: Sunday, Sept 13 Breakfast at the hotel. Join the group for morning sightseeing tour or enjoy a day at leisure to pack, rest or do last minute shopping. Lunch at local restaurant will be provided for those taking optional tour with group (or at own expense if doing independent activities). We have one last dinner together then are transferred at 10 p.m. to the airport to catch our 2-hour flight to Tashkent. We arrive at midnight & are met at the airport & transferred to our hotel. Overnight in Tashkent. Breakfast at the hotel. We check-out & are transferred to the airport for our onward flights. End of tour. 3

4 MEET YOUR TOUR ESCORTS Your Tour Escorts will be Jeremy Perks and Jan Barrie, Directors of Global Gypsies Tours & Training, assisted by local English-speaking guides. The couple established Global Gypsies in The company offers a range of self-drive eco-adventures in outback Australia as well as escorted tours to such destinations as Borneo, Botswana, China, Kenya, South Africa and North and South America. Our clients come back to us again and again and are like part of our family! We work closely with Coates Wildlife Tours on many of our overseas adventures and they provide our clients with such travel agency services as international flights, insurance and visas. In 2011, Global Gypsies won the Tourism Council WA Gold Award for Adventure Tours and the Bronze Award for Tour Guide Training. Born in South Africa, Jeremy is a professional Tour Guide and a former Tour Guide of the Year. In his youth he served as an Officer in the elite South African Defence Force (similar to the SAS) where he learned bush survival and leadership skills. He is a qualified mechanic and an experienced fourwheel-driver who loves flora and fauna and holds a certificate in remote area first aid. In addition to leading Australian and overseas tours, he also teaches four-wheel-driving, towing and tour guiding. Prior to establishing Global Gypsies, Jeremy was the Managing Director of a major advertising agency in Johannesburg and managed a safari camp in Kenya s Rift Valley. Jeremy immigrated to Australia almost 20 years ago. Jan is a former journalist, travel writer and communications manager who is responsible for the administration, marketing and customer relations aspects of Global Gypsies. She was born in England, has lived in Africa, America and the UK, has travelled extensively and has called Australia home for over 30 years. Jan and Jeremy led the inaugural Gypsies/Coates expedition along the Great Silk Road in They found it so fascinating they can t wait to return and do some more exploring! The 2015 adventure will be slightly longer and will spend more time in Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan. At its conclusion in September, the couple hope to lead a second tour from Istanbul to Venice (incorporating a cruise of the Greek Islands), thus completing the original Great Silk Road in its entirety! Details of this exciting new Silk Road Part II Safari will be available soon! 4

5 PRICE PER PERSON: USD$8699 per person (twin/share two people per room) Single supplement: USD$1100 (unless we can find you a travelling buddy ) Based on two persons sharing a twin room with single beds (double bed MAY be available if requested in advance). There is no single supplement charge if we can find you a buddy. Prices are subject to change if local costs are subsequently affected by government taxes, exchange rate difference, increase in fuel prices and/or any other influence beyond our control. Please note that the tour can only proceed if we achieve a minimum number of 12 participants. Maximum number is 18 + Guides. As we are required to provide a substantial deposit to our industry partners in Asia by September 1, 2014, participants are required to provide Coates Wildlife Tours with a non-refundable deposit of USD$1500 per person by August 15, We will then pass this on to our partners in order to confirm the tour. If minimum numbers are not achieved and we as the operators have to cancel the tour, client deposits will be refunded in full. Please refer to Terms & Conditions for more information. Final payment will be due on May 1, Inclusions: Meet & greet service at Xi an airport & other airport transfers for clients using nominated flights. All accommodation and meals as specified in the itinerary on twin/share basis (please note hotels are subject to change). All transportation, daily tours and entrance fees to scenic attractions (not camera or video fees) as per itinerary. English speaking local guides and two Australian tour escorts. Single entry visa for China & Uzbekistan for Australian passport holders. Clients wishing to undertake post-tour travel in China will need to pay for a multiple entry visa. (To allow sufficient time for processing, visa application forms and scanned colour copies of passports must be sent to Coates Wildlife Tours by June 1, 2014). Internal flights in China based on economy class including taxes. Flight from Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan to Tashkent, Uzbekistan. Overnight train Dunhuang/Turpan based on shared four-berth soft sleeper cabins. Pre Departure Workshop on date to be advised (for Perth-based clients). Pre-Departure Kit. Does not include: International airfares and taxes. Personal expenditure such as all drinks, laundry service and souvenirs. Camera and video entry charges at monuments/forts etc. Arrival/departure transfers if not travelling on recommended flights. Dual entry visa to China (for those wishing to depart via China or undertake optional travel in China post-tour). Meals and services not mentioned. Travel insurance (please note this is compulsory). Tips. To cover tips & gratuities for drivers, guides, waiters, porters etc., rather than asking for individual daily contributions, your Tour Escorts will organise a Tips Kitty and distribute tips as appropriate throughout the tour. For this purpose we will request a USD$250 per person contribution to be paid in advance. For more information, please contact: GLOBAL GYPSIES PTY LTD PO Box 123, Scarborough, WA Phone: (08) Fax: (08) admin@globalgypsies.com.au web: Bookings & payments to be made to: COATES WIDLIFE TOURS (Licence No. 9TA1135/36) P.O. Box 4502, Myaree BC, Myaree WA 6960 Phone: Fax: coates@iinet.net.au EFT Payments: Coates Wildlife Tours Bankwest BSB: Account No:

6 SILK ROAD SAFARI BOOKING & DEPOSIT FORM Each participant to complete a separate form please! Name (as shown in passport) : Address:.. Phone:.. Mobile: address:... Date/Place of Birth:.. Nationality: Passport Number:.. Date of Issue: Expiry:. Please note that the price of this tour is quoted in US Dollars. A non-refundable deposit of USD$1, per person is required to secure your booking. If you wish to pay by credit card (Visa/MasterCard) please complete the following. We will be in touch again soon with a receipt & more information. Type of card:... Number:... Expiry date:... Name on card:... Three digit code on reverse :. Amount: AUD$... Terms & Conditions The Silk Road Safari is being operated and conducted by Miramax Travel Management of Uzbekistan (MTM) under local laws, conditions and regulations in conjunction with Coates Wildlife Tours of Western Australia (CWT) hereafter called The Operators. Global Gypsies Pty Ltd of Western Australia (GG) is providing two professional Tour Escorts & assisting with tour development, marketing & customer inquiries. There will be a recommended flight to Xi an which can be arranged/booked by Coates Wildlife Tours. Clients wishing to book their own flights must arrive in Xi an, China, by 5:00 p.m. on Day 1, August 19, MTM/CWT/GG reserve the right to cancel the tour if there are insufficient participants (minimum 12/maximum 18). Deposits are non-refundable (unless the tour is cancelled by the operators in which case all moneys will be refunded in full). All cancellations by clients are subject to an administration fee from days prior to departure. A cancellation fee of 50% of total tour cost will apply within 90 days of departure. No refunds will be made if cancelled within 89 days of departure. No refund will be given in the event clients fail to join the tour or leave it early. In addition to tour fee, the Operators will collect a Tip Kitty of USD$250 in advance. Whilst all care is taken, MTM/CWT/GG accept no liability for loss or damage to baggage, sickness or injury, or additional expenses caused by factors beyond their control. Clients are advised that in some countries there is no free health service and that local vehicle insurance is of limited value. Travel insurance is compulsory and must cover most circumstances of cancellation as well as luggage loss and medical cover. The client accepts that this tour is of an adventurous nature and involves an element of personal risk, and that neither MTM/CWT/GG nor their agents can be held liable for any injury, damage to property or loss of life caused. The client accepts responsibility for all risks involved. Most visitors require visas for China & Uzbekistan (cost of visas for Australian travellers are included in the tour price note that China visa provided is for single entry only). It is the client s responsibility to ensure that they are in possession of valid travel documents including passports, visas, health certificates etc. MTM/CWT/GG cannot accept any liability for incorrect documentation. Itinerary is subject to alteration without notice and is intended as a guide only. Alterations may occur due to road conditions, flooding, mechanical defect, political events or other reasons. Any additional expenses incurred by passengers are not MTM/CWT/GG s responsibility. The operators and/or their agents and employees are unable to guarantee exact arrival and departure times, and will not be liable for failure to make connections with any other services. In event of breakdown or other unforeseen circumstances, MTM/CWT/GG reserve the right to substitute different vehicles & personnel. Properties used may change, however the same or similar standard is guaranteed. Accommodation is on a twin-share basis with single beds (double beds MAY be available if requested in advance). There is no single supplement charge if we can arrange a buddy. The client agrees to comply with the laws and regulations of all the countries visited and to comply with all reasonable instructions of the Tour Leaders and Escorts relating to the safety and organisation of the tour. This agreement between client and Miramax Travel Management is made subject to and shall be interpreted and construed in an Uzbekistan court of law. Any legal conflict with CWT/GG shall be resolved in the jurisdiction of Western Australia. Please keep luggage packed in soft/pliable bags with wheels - maximum 20 kg per person. ALL prices are based on 2014 costs and are subject to change if subsequently affected by increased government taxes, exchange rate differences, increases in jet fuel or car fuel prices and/or any other influence beyond the control of the operators. I have read and understand the above tour conditions and agree to abide by them. I acknowledge that there are risks associated with this tour and accept that these risks are my own responsibility. Signature... Date:.. PLEASE POST/FAX/ TO: COATES WILDLIFE TOURS, P.O. Box 4502, Myaree BC, Myaree WA 6960 Tel: Fax: coates@iinet.net.au EFT: Coates Wildlife Tours; Bankwest; BSB: ; Account: