China Guided Tours

Every individual should visit China at least once to enjoy the scenic beauty of the terracotta Army of Xian, Buddhist caves, temples of Tibet, Great Wall of China and the ancient places of Beijing and Shanghai. There are thousands of travel agencies that offer a wide variety of guided and non-guided tour packages to China visitors. Many different packages are offered that include a tour guideA tourist traveling through China who wishes to truly experience the history, civilization and natural beauty really should opt for a guided tour package.

Most of the tour operators in China like OrientTravel.com, China Travel service (CTS), InfoHub, GAT China Vacation etc offer guided tour packages for the visitors at different competitive prices depending upon the tastes and interests of the visitors. An experienced guide will meet you (or your group) when you arrive and stay with you through the tour. The travel agency where you book your trip will arrange hotel and room accommodations as well as set up your itinerary for touring. They will also give you information about transportation, currency, tipping, health and hygiene and weather and temperature.

A 15 day guided tour of China will usually take you to various cities such as Beijing, Xian, Shanghai, Guilin and Hong Kong. This is one of the more popular itineraries and offers wonderful highlights including museums of art, a day trip to Suzhou to visit the famous gardens and the Li River cruise in Guilin. A package will run generally around $2300 per person.

China Great Wall Tours

The Great Wall of China, one of the most appealing attractions of China and one of the greatest wonders of the world, was constructed by the Vassal states under Zhou Dynasty for defense purposes. The construction began during 7th century B.C. and was completed between the 14th and 17th centuries. The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) recognized the Great Wall of China as the World Heritage in 1987.

Once the state of Qin was unified with China, China joined all the walls to impede invaders from northern China and extended them to more than 10000 li, which is equal to 5000 kilometers. Like a Chinese holistic dragon with a zigzag shape, the Great Wall of China stretches across mountains, plateaus, deserts, rivers and grasslands with a length of almost 6,700 kilometers. It is over 2000 years old and runs from East China to West China. Unfortunately, portions of the wall are in ruins due to lack of interest on the part of the Chinese Government. This magnificent piece of Chinese history touches the provinces of Shanhaiguan Pass, Liaoning, Hebei, Tianjin, Beijing, Shanxi, Inner Mongolia, Ningxia, Gansu and finally ends in Jiayuguan Pass.

China tour operators like Beijingguide.com, Chinahiking.com, and Orientaltravel.com etc various tours to the Great Wall of China at discount prices and outstanding services. Tourists stay at the beautiful places near the wall like Jinshanling and Simatai, where there are restaurants, guest houses, shops and transportation agencies. The entire Great Wall of China can be broadly divided into four popular sites namely Badaling, Mutianya, Simatai and Shixiaguan. Of these, Simatai is the steeper portion of the Wall. Generally May and October are ideal months for touring.

China Business Travel

The Chinese dragon has not only woken up but is also moving aggressively to dominate the world business economy. With its annual GDP growth exceeding 9%, China has suddenly become the business destination of the mighty and rich multinational business corporations. China offers great business opportunities to a large variety of businessmen and therefore business travel to China is a must for every business executive.

Although China offers great business promise, there are certain factors you need to keep in mind before planning a business trip to China. While traveling through China, you may have to face the language barrier in communicating with the Chinese – starting with the cab driver to the hotel manager and ending up with your counterparts in your business. English, though the lingua franca of the world, is usually neither spoken nor understood in China.

Beijing, Xi’an, Shanghai and Guangzhou are the main business destinations – besides numberless other smaller places. It is therefore advisable to contact a travel agency that specializes in China tours in these cities, and book a suitable hotel for you as per your budget.

The first important item to deal with is the language problems. For that you need an English-speaking guide as soon as you land in China. You should make sure that your travel agency provides you an English speaking cab driver who will be the first man to meet you as you step out of the airport. A non-speaker of Chinese cannot move about China without a guide. Therefore you need a guide who has thorough knowledge of the topography of the area you are visiting and can fluently communicate with you in English. You must ensure that the guide you get is professionally trained and certified by the China Travel Administration.

Two more pointers: first, protect your credit card from fraudulent activity, which is widely prevalent in China. Second, you must be aware that you cannot drive a car in China even if you are a licensed driver in your country. So you have to rent a car along with a driver for travel around the city.

China Bicycle Tours

China is a wonderful country filled with exciting places to experience. The most popular and perfect mode of transportation in China is the bicycle, so it makes sense to take a bicycle tour in the world’s largest population and largest cycling population. Cycling in China will take you by the ancient Great Wall of China, the holistic temples of Beijing or any of the scenic beautiful and historic sites of China.

You can bicycle around China on your own, but a custom, private or small tour is highly recommended. Tours allow you to stop at historical sites and interesting villages, as well as take photographs wherever you like. Small group tours are designed to be ridden at a moderate pace and you will learn all you need to know about proper cycling techniques to make your tour pleasant and relaxing. Your guide will help you learn the ways of the locals and help you design a tour that fits your abilities and interests. A good guide will help you with the Chinese language, safety tips and how to find a hotel.

Most tourists rent mountain bikes while in China for a reasonable cost. If you don’t feel like pedaling all day, there are even electric bikes that can be rented. The cost of the tour generally depends on the number of people, the length of the tour and other transportation that will be used (trains, planes, automobiles) during the tour. Cost usually runs somewhere between $100 to 200 per day for a guide, hotel, group meals, other transportation, entry fees, etc. Any cost not included in the tour will be the responsibility of the individual. To keep costs down, it is better to find a group to travel with.

Chiller Rentals

Chiller rental units represent a wide range in quality water cooling capacities. The process of optional air-handling equipment allows the capabilities of HVAC in the chiller rentals. Most of the extreme industrial settings use the well designed and manufactured models of chiller rentals. In general the air and water chiller rentals are the most common types of chillers.

Typically, a nominal temperature chiller rental varies in size from 50 to 3000kW. Chiller rentals use non-chlorofluorocarbons (non-CFC’s) as the refrigerants, due to environmental safety reasons. Wide ranges of chiller rentals are used for applications which require the temperature control. Carrier, Aggreko, Chiller Resources Inc. and Ware are few of the popular rental providers. Rental providers like Aggreko provides power generators, temperature control equipment and compressed air systems to many countries around the world.

Carrier Rental Systems (CRS) offer you one of the highly effective services for rental temperature control and power generation systems. It serves you both in emergencies and in planned projects. Services like setup, maintenance and repair processes, removal, 24 hour availability, engineering and technical support are commonly offered.

Ware Industrial chiller units use Microtech reciprocating control, which features the latest compressor technologies. They offer you high operating efficiency and a more simplified troubleshooting ranging from 40-600 tons. Chiller rental units vary in sizes from 10 to 1,000 ton (60Hz) or 30 to 3,000kW (50Hz). The usage of air handlers in a standalone unit provides the cooling for the ambient temperature control, air conditioning applications, and industrial processes. The control panel is very easy to operate and to install, in these chiller rental units.

Low temperature chiller rentals ranges in the size from 90 to 3000kW. Chiller units are operated between 60º and 10º F. The very low range unit runs and operates between 10º and -40º F. Low temperature chiller rentals are generally operated for industrial applications. In general, chiller rental unit renters provide service, effectiveness, and quality.

Chile

Stretching almost the entire length of the South American continent and wedged between the intimidating Andes Mountains and the Pacific Ocean, lies Chile, a country rich in natural beauty, culture and heritage.

The most fascinating aspect about Chile is its geography. Although the country stretches over 2,800 miles from north to south, making it the longest country in the world, it is only 265 miles at its widest point, east to west. The country offers an amazing landscape, ranging from a chain of volcanoes in the Andes to freezing glaciers, fjords, inlets and islands.

Since the country spans over 30o of latitudes, it experiences some dramatic climatic variations. The northern region undergoes mild variations in climate and has little to no rainfall. The Central Chile region features more pronounced seasonal changes with some rainfall in the winter months. The southern part, stretching to the famous Strait of Magellan, is considerably cooler with more rainfall than the rest of the country.

Chile has had a turbulent and exciting history, since its days under the Native Americans to its independence from Spain in 1810. From Ferdinand Magellan’s discovery of the southern passage around the tip of the country to the European invasions and their wars against the Native Americans, Chile has had a history covered by many tomes and books.

Santiago, located in the center of the slender country, has been the capital city since the first European settlement was established there in 1541. Although Santiago is the capital city, the Congress is located in the nearby port city of Valparaiso. Chile’s foreign trade market largely flourishes on the exports of copper, seafood, forestry and wood products.

The country’s culture shows the traits of all its inhabitants, from the Incas and the Spanish, to the French and English. The Chileans take pride in their tradition and culture and call their country Pais de Poetas, which means ‘Land of the Poets’.

With its rich scenic beauty, wonderful culture and history, and a modern-day cosmopolitan outlook, Chile has been soaring to new heights, just like the condor depicted on the country’s coat of arms.

Childrenx92s Book Clubs

One way of making your child appreciate the value of reading is to let them join book clubs that are either established by neighborhood libraries or by neighbors. Doing so will expose your child to the advantages of reading and will improve his social interaction skills. However, the additional burden of having to bring your child to a certain place to attend a book club, apart from your daily duty of dropping them off at school, can become a hindrance. As a solution to this problem, people have used the Internet to establish online book clubs for children. Below is some useful information that can help you decide on which book club you want your child to join.

How it works

When you search the Internet for online children’s book clubs, you should be aware of the age group that a specific book club caters to since you wouldn’t want your child to participate in a book club that may be too advanced for him. Books are sent through the mail so it is also important to know the book list that these clubs base their discussions on. Doing so can help you supervise the materials that your child is being given. Some websites offer personalized book listings based on the child’s age, reading ability and interests. The discussions on the books are posted on the Internet forum that the website makes available to its members.

Costs

The fee that you must pay when your child becomes a member of a book club averages about $25 to $30, depending on the cost of the books on the list and the membership dues charged by the group. However, if your child wishes to pick his own set of books to read, the cost will vary. Memberships are easily canceled and money-back guarantees are also offered by some websites.

Childrenx92s Art Supplies

Are your children enthusiastic about the arts? Do you see budding artists in them? Encourage your children to be the best they can be. Fire up their creativity. Provide them with the tools to help them realize their dreams.

Children’s art supplies include basic art materials such as art paper, pens, coloring materials, sketch pads, brushes and clay. Most of these are available in art shops or even from art dealers. These art materials are perfect for your little artists as they are child-sized, washable and non-toxic.

How and Where to Find Children’s Art Supplies

For moms who want to develop the artistic inclinations of their children, there are a lot of quality art materials available online.

The Internet hosts many online shops that include children’s art supplies in their catalogues. On these sites, you can find a wide array of choices. There are starter kits for young kids and complete art sets for older children. These shops also offer miniature art equipment to suit your children’s needs. Online shops also offer art supplies at discounted prices. You can order anything you want with just one click and have your purchases delivered to you promptly.

Children’s Art Supplies Safety Tips

Although most children’s art supplies are safe, there are some objects, such as scissors, bottles and other items that can hurt your children if handled improperly. Make sure that you supervise young children in their art activities. Teach them how to use the scissors correctly. Keep breakable bottles at a safe distance from their work area. Keep a close eye on items that have small parts, lest your children swallow and choke on them. After your children have finished creating their masterpieces, be sure to keep all art materials far from their reach.

You can leave older children unsupervised in their art activities. However, in buying them art supplies, check for non-toxic materials.

Children’s Underwear

Children, at times, can run through clothes faster than most people can breathe. If they do not dirty them, they outgrow them, and then it is time to visit the store and buy a completely new wardrobe, which they will probably outgrow by the next week.

Depending on the age group and gender, children need a variety of underwear. Girls need panties, camisoles, training bras, and bikinis in their underwear drawers, whereas boys would feel lost without boxers. Both need undershirts and socks, not only to wear at home but also to school and when going out. The most favorable material for children’s underwear is cotton since it is soft, durable and absorbs moisture. It is recommended that each child have at least two pairs of underwear for each day of the week. For children with bedwetting issues, the number should be considerably higher. Very often, department stores sell a set of seven undergarments that have the name of each day of the week printed on them. These can help children as well as parents become organized at least in the wardrobe.

Undershirts need to be stocked in accordance with the regions climate. If the climate is generally cold, parent should keep at least one pair of long sleeved, thermal undershirts for each night of the week. Half sleeve undershirts for boys and tank tops for girls are recommended for daywear. Socks are essential for all kids old enough to wear shoes. The type and variety of socks depends on how parents want to dress their children. Fun socks, with cartoon and designs on them can be used for everyday wear. On the other hand, at least a couple pairs of sock must be kept aside to wear on formal occasions. These are generally white or black in color. Generally, girls begin requiring training bras by age twelve, although it is not unusual for girls as young as eight to need them. It is best to keep at least three pairs of training bras handy in addition to one that can be worn with formal dresses.

Childrens Educational Software

Children’s educational software is widely available in schools, and to parents who want to make their home a healthy, learning environment for their kids. Even public libraries and museums, nongovernmental organizations and children’s hospitals have this software available.

Benefits of children’s educational software

By integrating technology into the learning environment, children’s educational software can make learning highly personalized. The child can manipulate the software to fully understand the concepts being taught. They do not feel judged, even if they are slow-learners. The software can repeat information an infinite number of times without a problem.

Children’s educational software also extends curriculum choice and helps develop multiple intelligences. For a very small investment, schools and parents can exponentially extend their current information libraries for kids. There is no need to build additional infrastructure or spend money on additional books. Everything is in one software package.

Children’s educational software can o help build learning ‘communities’ that are connected either physically or virtually. Such software is typically linkable to other computers (and therefore other users). Some functionalities allow students to interact, form teams, or simple help each other out.

Buying children’s educational software

You can acquire children’s educational software either off-the-rack from software specialty stores, or through special authorized educational resellers. For use in schools and other learning institutions, the manufacturer or developer of the software usually gives licensing discounts and extra after-sales support. You can buy campus and school agreements, either open or select licences, and student and teacher licences, among many others. More often than not, manufacturers and developers of children’s educational software give low-cost, comprehensive licensing agreements for the unique needs of primary and secondary educational organizations on an annual basis. They also offer volume-licensing arrangements exclusively to educational institutions, so that these schools can take advantage of significantly lower volume-based pricing.