China: Applying for a Chinese visa in the Philippines

Applying for a Chinese visa in the Philippines is very straightforward. It's a matter of completing all the requirements and submitting them to the Chinese Embassy Consular Section (2/F The World Center with entrances along Buendia/Gil Puyat Avenue or H.V. dela Costa). Here are things you need to prepare before proceeding to the embassy:

1. Passport that is valid for at least six (6) months with at least one blank visa page. Note that you will need to photocopy both the front and back pages of your passport, meaning the passport's information or photo page and emergency contact page which you can find at the back. Make sure the blanks of the emergency contact information is filled out before you photocopy.
2. Visa Application Form which you can download here. Note that you should not leave any field blank and write "N/A" if the question does not apply to you.
3. One (1) colored Passport Photo (48mm x 33mm) affixed to the Visa Application Form (note that it has to be glued; photos that are stapled, taped, clipped, detached, etc. will not be accepted). The photo should be recent, front view, white background, without head covering.
4. Travel itinerary
5. Round-trip airline ticket
6. Hotel reservation
7. Invitation letters from China (if applicable). Invitation letters must contain the full name, gender, date of birth and passport number of applicant; purpose of visit, arrival and departure dates, place(s) to be visited, relations between the applicant and the inviting entity or individual, financial source for expenditures; and name, contact telephone number, address, official stamp, signature of the legal representative of inviting entity or the inviting individual. The invitation letter may be in the form of fax, photocopy or computer printout, but the consular officer may require the applicant to submit the original of the invitation letter.
8. If you have been previously issued a visa, photocopies of the issued visas, and old passport(s) if the visa(s) are in your old passport(s).

For first time visa applicants, you will also need to submit the following:
9. Bank certificate of deposit balance
10. Bank statement showing the past 6 months history of your bank account (at least Php100,000 average daily balance)
11. Receipt for payment for the certificates (issued by the bank)
12. BIR-stamped income tax return form
13. Letter from your employer detailing your salary and the length of your employment (for employees)
14. Business registration certificate (for business owners)
15. Professional ID (for professionals)
16. Certificate of enrollment (for students)
17. A letter of explanation if you could not provide the above-mentioned documents

If you are visiting Tibet, you will need a special permit. Submit a letter from an Authorized Travel Agency in China (which you can get from your local travel agent if they have a partner in China) if you plan to join a tour. But if you are going on your own, you will need to contact the Tourism Administration of the Tibet Autonomous Region (Telephone No. +86 891-6834313; Fax No. +86 891-6834632) in advance and provide a Visa Notification issued by them.

How to submit visa applications
Once you complete all your requirements, proceed to the Consular Section of the Chinese Embassy (location map of The World Center here) anytime between 9 to 11 a.m. from Monday to Friday. No appointment is required. You may ask another person or a travel agency to submit on your behalf, but with an authorization letter. Messengers should have an authorization letter on company letterhead. Note that you may be required to go to the Consular Section for an interview if necessary. Address of the Consular Section is 2/F The World Center, 330 Sen. Gil J. Puyat Avenue, Makati City.

Visa fee is Php1,400 for a single entry visa, Php2,100 for double entry, Php2,800 for six months multiple entry and Php4,200 one (1) year multiple entry. The regular processing time is four (4) working days. But visas may be expedited with extra fees: Php1,100 pesos for three (3) working days and Php1,700 for two (2) working days. Visa fees are paid (cash only) when you claim your passport.

For information on requirements for other visa types, visit the Chinese Embassy website.

India: Exploring Dal Lake in Srinagar, Kashmir

At the heart of Srinagar, Kashmir's capital, is Dal Lake, which many call the jewel in the crown of Kashmir. Srinagar was built around it. And today, it's bustling with life with its floating communities and many houseboats with the tourism economy they create.

Hiring a shikara (traditional boat) and exploring Dal Lake should be in your bucketlist when visiting Srinagar. It's best to do it in the morning or late in the afternoon. The lake is quite big so you won't be able to explore all of it. Our shikara ride took us around the vicinity of our houseboat.

It's quite interesting observing the daily life in Dal Lake as locals make their way around on their boats, going about their business, meeting with friends or selling souvenirs to tourists. Yes, some persistent merchants pursue tourist boats and try to sell you everything under the sun from flowers, seeds and spices (such as saffron) to shawls, clothing and jewelry.

There are also shops which sell necessities such as a medicine, food (dried fruits and nuts are quite popular here) and things you'd see in a regular market. And of course, there are also shops for tourists.

You'll see families with children on their way to school on the mainland or locals boating to the port to proceed to work.

But it's just not people which make life on Dal Lake interesting. There are many species of birds and other wildlife and interesting flora.

A visit to Kashmir would not be complete without noticing military and police presence. It may be scary at first. But you realize they keep the area stable and safe. I actually felt secure while I was in Kashmir, seeing them all over the place.

After our shikara ride, we were off to the airport to catch our Jet Airways flight back to Delhi. Goodbye Kashmir! It was a pleasant and interesting visit indeed!

Jet Airways flies daily to Srinagar!
Jet Airways has twice daily flights from Delhi (DEL) to Srinagar (SXR). Jet Airways also connects to Delhi from Manila via Bangkok, Singapore or Hong Kong at least twice daily!

India: Pony ride to the Himalayan glaciers of Kashmir Valley in Sonamarg

A popular day-trip from Srinagar is a visit to the Himalayan glaciers of Kashmir Valley in Sonamarg. For our last full day in Kashmir, we drove to Sonamarg to enjoy the cold weather and majestic views of the glaciers.

Along the way, we passed through small towns, busy markets and beautiful valleys and mountain scenery. We were lucky to drop by a souvenir store along the way where I bought colorful lacquer-painted trinket boxes with intricate designs, a popular Kashmiri craft. They came in various shapes such as regular boxes and animals including ducks, roosters and turtles.

We were on the road for three hours. I dozed off for most of the trip. Arriving at Sonamarg, you immediately notice the pleasant weather and fresh air!

A herd of sheep and goats welcomed us, making its way up the hills for greener pasture. As we observed and explored the vicinity, our coordinator arranged for our pony ride and guides. You can actually walk if you want to. It's about 7 kilometers from the main road to the jump-off point for the glaciers.

Many of us could say that among the activities we did in Kashmir, this was probably the best! It was a slow-paced ride that gave us fantastic views of Kashmir Valley. The pony ride takes 45 minutes per way.

At the end of the ride is a small camp where makeshift stalls selling snacks and drinks have been set-up. If you don't mind the garbage left by some visitors in the camp (not that much but still noticeable), the scenery was magnificent and perfect for a cup of coffee or a hot bowl of instant noodles which you can buy at the stalls.

About an hour after we arrived, we had to make our way back since it was way past lunch time! Everyone was hungry and we had to return to the main road and drive to the center of town where a sumptuous (but very late) lunch was waiting for us at a local inn.

We rushed back to Srinagar as soon as lunch was done since we wanted to visit the local market before flying back to Delhi the next day.

Jet Airways flies daily to Srinagar!
Jet Airways has twice daily flights from Delhi (DEL) to Srinagar (SXR). Jet Airways also connects to Delhi from Manila via Bangkok, Singapore or Hong Kong at least twice daily!