Splendors of China

About SITA World Tours

With destinations throughout Africa, Asia, Oceania, South America, the Middle East, and both Western and Eastern Europe, SITA spreads a wide net. They offer escorted, small group and independent tours. First-class tours typically range from $80 to $275 per person, per day, plus airfare, while deluxe tours usually range from $100 to $350 per person, per day, plus airfare.

Traveler profile

Best suited for couples of 40+ or families without young children.

Group size

Most escorted tours are limited to 15 guests each. Small group tours are available for groups of 15 or more traveling together.

Tour directors

Tour directors for all tours with 6 or more guests. Some tours are locally hosted by English-speaking tour guides who sometimes welcome tour groups into their very homes to give a true sense of local culture.

Hotel type

Hotel classes range from "deluxe" to "first class" to "luxury" with passengers able to upgrade to the hotels which they find the most appealing fit their budget.

What's included

Airfare, transportation, accommodations, Generally included: some meals, airport transfers and hotel porterage. Organized excursions are included as are entrance/park fees as applicable.

Free time

At least a few half days of leisure built into most tours.

Booking Policy

Please read the Terms, Conditions & General Information contained in these pages very carefully. They outline the terms under which your SITA tour will operate and they limit our liability. Payment of deposit and/or final payment is an acknowledgement of receipt of these terms & conditions and constitutes acceptance of such as outlined.


RESERVATIONS, DEPOSITS & FINAL PAYMENTS
The carefully selected unusual programs featured in this brochure tend to sell out fast. As such, early reservations are essential to ensure availability of space. A deposit of $500 per person is due to SITA at the time of reservation. (A higher deposit may be required for some tours). If deposit is not received at our offices within 7 days from the date of reservations, booking/s is/are subject to cancellation. After receipt of deposit by SITA, any change/s made to the reservation/s will incur a processing fee of $25 per change (see also cancellation clause). Final payment is due to SITA 60 days prior to departure date (Some Tours may require final payment 90 Days prior). If the
reservation is made within the last 60 days of departure (and if space is still available), the entire tour price must be paid at the time of reservation.

PRICES, RATES & FARES
Unless otherwise indicated, all price rates shown are in United States Dollars and are per person sharing a double-bedded hotel room. These prices are in effect at time of printing (October 2007) and are subject to change at any time prior to departure. Quoted tour prices are based on current rates of exchange, tariffs and taxes as of print date above. SITA reserves the right to increase tour prices to cover increased costs of tariffs, taxes, park fees and fluctuations in foreign exchange markets. Airfares (if shown) are from the gateways of JFK or LAX and should be used as a guideline only. Best available airfares will be quoted, applicable at time of departure, based on individual gateways for the complete air itinerary. Due to constant fluctuation in fuel surcharges and taxes SITA is unable to publish airfares. Excellent fares, matching the tour, are available upon request at the time of booking.

TRAVEL DOCUMENTS
All participants must be in possession of a passport valid for 6 months beyond the re-entry date into the United States. A visa or visas may be required for some or all of the countries visited on the holiday or tour selected. Please check your visa requirement/s at time of booking. SITA will provide visa information and application forms. SITA recommends a reliable visa service that will assist in obtaining visa/s for nominal fee/s. Non U.S. Citizen/s may have different requirements. It is the passenger.s responsibility to ensure that all his or her visa and passport requirements are met.

TOUR INFORMATION
Acknowledgement of booking will be sent immediately upon initiation of a reservation. Invoice with appropriate visa applications (if needed) and general information such as reading and clothing suggestions, customs information, anticipated weather conditions, etc. will be forwarded to you upon receipt of deposit. Final tour documents consisting of detailed tour itinerary, vouchers, hotel list, travel bags, baggage tags, etc., are dispatched from our offices approximately 21.30 days prior to departure. If documents are required/requested for earlier delivery, a handling fee of $50 will apply to cover extra handling and processing.

CANCELLATIONS & CHANGES
Because on the special nature of the programs featured in this brochure, suppliers impose rigid cancellation fees; please be aware that SITA has no control over such fees and cannot make any exceptions to these charges.

Note: ALL cancellations must be received by SITA in writing; cancellation/s will be effective when the written notice is received at SITA.s offices in Encino, CA.

If a cancellation is received after SITA is in possession of the initial deposit, but more than 60 days prior to departure (or 90 days if applicable), the cancellation fee incurred will be $250 per person (a higher cancellation fee may apply to some tours). If cancellation is received between 59 and 45 days prior to departure the fee incurred will be 25% of the entire tour price. Or, if final payment has been received before 60 days prior to departure, and cancellation occurs, the fee incurred will be 25% of the entire tour price. Cancellation/s received between 44 days and 30 days prior to departure will be charged a fee of 50% of the entire tour price. NO REFUNDS whatsoever will be made for cancellations received within the last 30 days prior to departure.

Airfares are subject to different rules andcancellation fees; some may be non-refundable. Details will be provided at the time of booking. To protect against cancellation charges, we strongly recommend purchasing Cancellation Protection and Travel Interruption Insurance (see Insurance clause).

UNUSED TOUR ITEMS
No refund will be made for any unused accommodations, missed meals, transportation segments, cruise portions, sightseeing tours or any other service. Such unused items are neither refundable nor exchangeable (no exceptions).

INSURANCE
SITA strongly recommends the Travel Protection Program designed exclusively for guests on SITA tours, cruises and holidays and underwritten by Travel Insured International. The plan protects you and your investment in the event of a sudden emergency before or during your trip and offers coverage for trip cancellation or interruption, illness, injury, and damage, loss or theft of baggage, as well as emergency assistance.

HEALTH REQUIREMENTS
Health regulations for some countriesvisited on featured tours in this brochure may require proof of inoculation and/or vaccination certificate; such certificate should be in your possession throughout the entire tour. SITA strongly recommends that you consult with your personal physician or Passport Health at 888-499-7277 or via the web at www.passporthealthusa.com in regards to your itinerary and required inoculations. You may also visit the website of the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) at www.cdc.gov.

CRUISE AND RAIL TERMS

REVISION FEES

A handling fee of $30 per transaction is charged for any alteration or revision made to a reservation. Spelling corrections to client.s names after tickets have been issued will be subject to airline revision fees. Courier delivery costs apply if any changes are made within five weeks prior to departure. A change of date or itinerary within 95 days of departure will be treated as a cancellation and new booking; in this case regular cancellation fees apply.

CRUISE AND RAIL JOURNEYS
Deviations to the planned cruise or rail itineraries are possible, although every effort will be made to keep them as they are shown. All cruise or rail routes are subject to change without notice. Should conditions render cruise or rail routes unsafe for navigation, alternative services may apply, including but not limited to, accommodation on the docked ship (for cruise itineraries) and/or substitute ground arrangements.

YOUR TOUR PRICE INCLUDES

ACCOMMODATIONS
Accommodations on a double occupancy basis, will be provided at the property specified or similar. Rooms will be assigned by the respective supplier/s on a run-of-the-house basis, in category/ies as specified in the itinerary. The hotels featured in the itinerary will be in accordance to the level of the program . First Class, Deluxe or Luxury - (this term may be defined by the hospitality industry in the region providing such accommodation or by trade custom). All per person rates are based on double occupancy of the respective accommodation units as described above. A Tour member occupying a single room, either by choice or by circumstance, is required to pay the single room supplement. Quoted single room rate does not necessarily mean single occupancy of a double room, as some of the establishments featured in this web site have especially designed single occupancy units.

MEALS
Meals for each tour are included as stated on itinerary. A la Carte, Buffet meals and/or table d.hÃe are offered. Special meals and entertainment are included as shown in the itinerary. In some rare instances, a meal may not be of a standard expected under the term of .deluxe. particularly in remote areas.

SIGHTSEEING & LAND TOUR SERVICES
The following services are included in your tour price: transportation between the airports and hotels, baggage handling, sightseeing with English-speaking guides as mentioned in the itinerary and all entrance fees to attractions visited as described in the itinerary. Sightseeing will be via motor coach, private car and other modes of transportation (air conditioned where necessary and available), as determined by the nature of the terrain and as outlined in the itinerary. Transfers are not included when arriving or departing at the first destination gateway by means other than the scheduled tour flights, but can be arranged at additional cost.

SPECIAL ENTERTAINMENT
Cultural entertainment events, gala evenings and/or festivals are included as per the itinerary.

AIRLINE CLAUSE
The airlines used in conjunction with tours and holidays featured in this web site are not to be held responsible for any act, omission or event during the time passenger/s is not/are not onboard their aircraft. The passenger tickets in use by the airline, when issued, shall constitute the sole contract between the airline and passenger/s. Airfares, where used, are current at the time of printing of the SITA brochure (October 2007) and are subject to change without notice.

LATE BOOKING CHARGE
Bookings made within 30 days of departure incur a $50 handling fee.

NON REFUNDABLE AIR TICKETS
For departures that are not guaranteed: If you are purchasing a nonrefundable air ticket, please make sure that your travel agent explains the difficulties associated with these airfares. SITA cannot be held responsible for any change/cancellation penalties associated with non-refundable airfares.

LUGGAGE
Arrangements include transportation and transfer of two standard-sized suitcases per person.

AIRLINE BAGGAGE REGULATIONS
Intercontinental, Economy-class allowance per tour participant, permits two checked pieces of luggage per person, and subject to a total combined measurement of 106 inches (width + depth + height). No dimension of any single bag is to exceed 62 inches. The carriage weight per bag is limited to 50Lbs.

The regional requirements for non-intercontinental flights are determined by weight, usually 44 lbs. per person in economy class (charter flights, if and when used, allow only 22 pounds, soft-sided luggage; limitations are strictly enforced). Carry-on baggage is not to exceed 45 inches and must conform to under seat size requirements of 9x14x22 inches. Baggage and personal effects are at owner.s risk throughout the tour and baggage insurance is strongly recommended (see insurance clause). Carrier liability for tour members. baggage is clearly stated on the passenger contract printed on all tickets; description can also be found for inspection at the airport or city offices of the carrier. Liability for checked and unchecked baggage shall in no event exceed the actual loss incurred by the passenger, subject to proof of the amount of loss. Please read all of the conditions of your ticket. Federal law and treaties limits the amount of recovery for loss of or damage to your luggage or its contents. To protect against such limitations, we strongly recommend that you purchase insurance (see insurance clause).

TOUR PRICE EXCLUSIONS
Your tour price does not include: Air transportation (unless specifically stated as included); costs and fees to obtain or extend your passport/s; visa fees and processing fees; inoculations and vaccinations (if required); health certificate; airport taxes and country departure taxes (if applicable); all items of a personal nature including alcoholic beverages (except on certain occasions): meals not specified, tips to tour guides; excess baggage charges; cancellation, health, accident and baggage insurance; private, non-group transfers; and any items not specifically listed as included.

PHOTOGRAPHY
SITA reserves the right to take photographs during the operation of any program and to use resulting photographs for promotional purposes. Any passengers who prefer that their images not be used are asked to notify their tour escort at the beginning of the program.

RESPONSIBILITY.LIMITATION OF LIABILITY
SITA World Travel, Inc. (dba SITA World Tours) of Encino, California and all affiliates (herein referred to as .SITA.) act only in the capacity as an agent for the hotels, airlines, bus companies, railroads, ship lines, and/or contractors providing accommodations, transportation or other services to the client. The client is advised that SITA purchases such transportation, hotel accommodations, restaurant and other services from various independent suppliers who are not affiliated with SITA. SITA makes every effort to select the best suppliers of the aforementioned services. However, SITA does not control the operations of these agents and as a result, CANNOT BE HELD LIABLE FOR ANY PERSONAL INJURY, PROPERTY DAMAGE OR OTHER CLAIM which may occur as the result of any and/or all of the following: (1) the wrongful, negligent or arbitrary acts or omissions on the part of the independent supplier, agent, its employees or others who are not under the direct
control or supervision of SITA; (2) defects or failures of any vessel, aircraft, vehicle or other instrumentality which is under the control of an independent supplier; or (3) loss, injury or damage to person, property or otherwise, resulting directly or indirectly from any Acts of God, dangers, incidents at sea, fire, breakdown in machinery or equipment, or wars (whether declared or not), hostilities, civil disturbances, strikes, riots, thefts, pilferage, medical epidemics, quarantines, or customs regulations, defaults, delays or cancellations or alterations in itinerary due to schedule changes, or from any causes beyond SITA.s control. Further, SITA is not liable for any loss or damage resulting from insufficient or improperly issued passports, visas or other legal documents. All coupons, exchange orders, receipts, contracts and tickets issued by SITA are issued subject to any and all tariffs, terms, and conditions under which any services are provided by such hotels, airlines, bus
companies, railroads, ship lines or owners or contractors or by their person in employ.

RESERVATION OF RIGHTS
SITA (when deemed necessary) reserves the right to: (1) cancel any itinerary or any part of it; (2) make any alterations to the itinerary (including, but not limited to, alterations to substitution of hotels); and (3) decline to accept or to retain any person as a tour passenger should such person.s health, mental or physical condition, in the sole opinion of SITA, impede the operation of the tour of the other passengers. Tour members are held responsible for being in sufficient good health to undertake the tour. If a passenger is asked to leave while the tour is in progress, that person will be responsible for charges incurred on account of such departure from the tour and/or their return to the U.S.A. In such a case, SITA will refund any monies that can be recovered for the unused portion of the tour, taking into account additional charges incurred by SITA. Other than to refund such sum, SITA will accept no further liability or obligation toward that person or third party.

DISCLAIMER
SITA is not responsible for any errors, omissions or misquotes contained in this brochure or any other accompanying promotional documentation. The contents of said brochure or promotional documentation may be changed at any time (including, but not limited to, rates and itinerary) without notice and at SITA.s sole discretion.

VENUE
It is specially agreed that this agreement is entered into in the district of Van Nuys, county of Los Angeles, state of California. In the event any legal or equitable action is brought against SITA concerning the interpretation, enforcement or breach of any term, obligation or duty as contained or related to the terms and conditions set forth in this web site, or pursuant to federal law, statute or treaty to which the United States is a signatory, the venue of such action shall lie exclusively in the district of Van Nuys, county of Los Angeles, state of California.

CHOICE OF LAW
It is specifically agreed and stipulated that the law of the state of New York shall govern and apply to any legal or equitable action brought against SITA concerning the interpretation, enforcement or breach of any term, obligation or duty ontained in this web site, or pursuant to any federal law, statute or treaty to which the United States is a signatory.