Archive for the ‘Destinations’ Category

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Vietnamese Visa Requirements to Visit Hanoi

Thursday, September 2nd, 2010

Vietnam has come a long way since the war. Although the Communist party still rules the roost, the country has become increasingly welcoming to foreigners and is now a popular destination for Western tourists. In fact, Gadling’s Stanley Stewart recently visited Hanoi and found it to be a wonderful, timeless city:

War and communism have preserved Hanoi from fifty years of progress. There are moments when it seems like the lost city of Asia, the one you can never quite find, the great teeming, squalid, fascinating metropolis of Marlene Dietrich films and 1930’s novellas. The modern age has transformed Shanghai. Hong Kong and Bangkok are jammed with traffic and skyscrapers. The lanes of Old Peking have given way to boulevards wide enough for tanks. Hanoi alone has retained its street urchins, curbside gamblers, sing-song girls, street barbers, bicycle rickshaws and air of neglect.

It’s great to hear that Hanoi has retained its charm-now, here’s hoping that more tourists will translate into more prosperity for the city and fewer street urchins. Romanticizing poverty in a foreign place is a little bit dangerous. But his visit sounded like a lot of fun: shopping, smoking an unknown (and extremely potent) tobacco blend out of a water pipe in a tea shop, and visiting the pristinely embalmed body of Ho Chi Minh.

If you’d like to visit Hanoi before it loses its charming, old-fashioned “air of neglect”, you’ll need your passport and a Vietnamese visa. Vietnam does not issue tourist visas on arrival, so you will need to apply for yours in advance. Here’s what you’ll need:

  • Your US passport
  • A completed Vietnamese visa application
  • A recent passport photo, taken within the past 6 months.

For more information about getting a Vietnamese tourist visa, see “Vietnamese Visa Requirements for Tourists.”

RushMyTravelVisa can make the process of getting a Vietnamese visa much quicker and easier. We’ll help you with the application, answer any questions you might have, and deliver it to the Vietnamese Embassy for the fastest possible processing.

Apply for your Vietnamese visa the easy way!

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Egyptian Visa Requirements To Climb Mt. Sinai

Wednesday, September 1st, 2010

The tallest mountain in Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula, Mt. Sinai has religious significance for Christians, Muslims and Jews alike, as it is believed to be the place where Moses was given the Ten Commandments. Naturally, some scholars dispute this. However, whatever you do (or don’t) believe, if you have the opportunity to climb Mt. Sinai, it’s an experience not to be missed.

Due to the scorching heat of the Egyptian sun, climbing Mt. Sinai takes place at night, by the light of the moon (supplemented, naturally, with flashlights.) The mountain is 2,285 meters high, and climbing it generally takes 2.5 to 4 hours. There are two ways up: Siket El Bashait, also known as “the Camel Trail,” and the aptly named “Steps of Penitence.”

Once at the top, you’ll generally have plenty of time to watch the stars as you wait for the sun to rise. It gets cold and windy, so make sure you have appropriate clothing and blankets. On the way down, you can stop at the Monastery of St. Katherine, the Church of the Transfiguration, and what’s billed as a descendant of the original “Burning Bush.”

To visit Egypt, you need both a passport and an Egyptian visa. Egyptian visas are available by arrival in the airport only-if you’re crossing over a land border, you have to apply in advance. Even if you’re flying in, getting your Egyptian visa beforehand is still a good idea because it means you’ll be out of the airport faster, and that’s always a blessing after a long flight.

Here’s what you’ll need to apply:

  • A valid US passport.
  • A passport photo.
  • Plane tickets or a copy of your itinerary
  • A completed Egyptian visa application.

Using RushMyTravelVisa makes getting an Egyptian visa before you leave the US much faster. We’ll help you with the application and deliver your paperwork to the Embassy for the fastest possible processing.

Apply for your Egyptian visa today!

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Tanzanian Visa Requirements for the Winner of the Kilimanjaro Ultimate Adventure Sweepstakes

Wednesday, August 25th, 2010

Is “climbing Mount Kilimanjaro” on your list of things you absolutely must do before you die? Then check out the latest sweepstakes from Polarmax, Backpacker Magazine, Cotton Incorporated and Zara Tours: the Kilimanjaro Ultimate Adventure Sweepstakes (h/t Gadling).

Whoever wins the sweepstakes gets the opportunity to take a guest to Tanzania to climb Mt. Kilimanjaro with guide Macon Dunnagan. Dunnagan is an experienced climber who literally wrote the book on climbing Kilimanjaro. Well, a book, at least-his novel Sons of Kilimanjaro is about 4 men climbing the 19,340 foot mountain, and he’s made the climb at least 16 times himself.

The winner will also be protected from the elements with Polarmax clothing and gear, obviously, and will get to star in a climbing video for the Polarmax site. Airfare and 4 nights in a nearby hotel is included as well.

Sure, it’s a long shot, but entering is a cinch-all you have to do is go to the Sweepstakes website and enter your contact information in the online entry form.

Whether you win or not, successfully climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro requires training and preparation. For more helpful hints about how to prepare for the climb, see A Tanzanian Visa: Your First Step To Climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro.

Whether you’re going as a contest winner or you are paying for the trip on your own, you’ll need both a valid passport and a Tanzanian visa. You can apply for a Tanzanian visa in the airport when you arrive, but you’ll be able to leave the airport and get to your hotel more quickly if you get yours in advance.

Here’s what Tanzania requires you to have in order to apply for a tourist visa:

  • 1 completed visa application form
  • 2 passport photos
  • A copy of a recent bank statement
  • A yellow fever vaccination certificate
  • A travel itinerary or a bank statement showing a minimum balance of $2,000.
  • If you’re going on an organized tour, you will need a letter from the tour operator showing you are paid in full.

RushMyTravelVisa can help you get a Tanzanian visa, as well as any other visas you might need for your journey. We make the application process easy by providing you with personal guidance and helpful checklists. Then, we deliver your paperwork directly to the embassy for the fastest possible processing.

Apply for your Tanzanian visa today!

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5 Reasons to Get a Cambodian Visa

Tuesday, August 24th, 2010

Each year, more and more international tourists discover Cambodia for the first time. Here are 5 great reasons to get a Cambodian visa and explore this magical country yourself:

1. Angkor Wat

The national symbol of Cambodia, Angkor Wat is a massive Hindu temple/Buddhist shrine. Built in the early 12th century, it towers over the surrounding jungle, richly decorated with reliefs, sculptures and statues.

2. Phnom Penh

Cambodia’s capital is another must-see. Bustling and vibrant, Phnom Penh is a great place to shop, eat, or just contemplate Cambodian history, whether in a gilded Buddhist temple or at a somber memorial to the people who died in Cambodia’s killing fields.

3. Siem Reap

Siem Reap is a great base for visiting the temples at Angkor Wat, but it’s also an interesting city in its own right. Located on the banks of the Siem Reap river, the town center is full of picture-perfect French colonial architecture. Traffic to the temples of Angkor Wat has a sparked a tourism boom, with lots of excellent places to stay and world-class restaurants.

4. Preah Vihear

A UNESCO World Heritage Site, the temple of Preah Vihear is located along Cambodia’s border with Thailand. It dates back to the 9th century, and like Angkor Wat, it was originally built as a Hindu temple and later converted to Buddhism.

5. Ratanakiri Province

Remote Ratanakiri Province is an excellent destination for adventure tourism. Here’s how the Lonely Planet’s guide to Cambodia describes it:

Adrenaline activities are plentiful. Swim in clear volcanic lakes, shower under waterfalls, glimpse an elephant or trek in the vast Virachay National Park – it’s all here.

To visit Cambodia, Americans need a Cambodian visa. If you’re flying in, you can apply on arrival at the Phnom Penh and Siem Reap airports. However, you can also get your visa before you leave the US, and this will allow you to escape the airport more quickly.

To learn more about getting a Cambodian tourist visa, see Cambodian Visa Requirements for Tourists.

Remember, RushmyTravelVisa.com can make the visa application process easier by offering assistance with the application, helping you avoid common mistakes, and getting the fastest possible processing.

Apply for your Cambodian visa today!

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Overpriced Cruise Excursions: One Way To Circumvent Russian Visa Requirements

Friday, August 20th, 2010

Russia’s visa system is not known for being traveler-friendly. In fact, even the US Department of State calls it “restrictive and complicated,” and that’s putting it diplomatically. Gadling notes that the hassles involved in applying for a Russian tourist visa have encouraged a market for expensive shore excursions on Baltic cruises. Most Baltic cruise ships remain in port in St. Petersburg for 2 or 3 days, and Gadling points out that if you travel by yourself, you can easily get to and from Moscow for about $60, while a Moscow shore excursion booked through Silversea Cruises costs $999 per person.

The advantage of booking through the cruise line, however, is that the cruise line deals with the Russian visa system for you by obtaining a blanket transit visa good for all passengers on the ship. Avidcruiser.com explains:

These so-called “transit” visas, good for visits of up to 72 hours, allow you to exit the ship only on group or private tours conducted by that ground operator. You are not allowed to disembark the ship and travel on your own — not even to stroll Nevsky Prospect, the most famous street in all of Russia — unless you’ve taken the time to apply for a tourist visa.

Still, $999 per person? It seems like the chance to avoid the Russian visa bureaucracy is more precious than rubies for some people!

Of course, if you go through the trouble of getting a Russian visa, you’re free to travel on your own while the ship is in port, so you benefit from the opportunity to set your own itinerary and move at your own pace, plus you’ll have a lot more money for your next shore excursion.

To learn more about how to get a Russian visa, see “Russian Visas for Tourists.”

If you want to see Moscow but can’t stomach the thought of forking over a grand for the privilege, private visa services like RushMyTravelVisa can help. We’ll assist you with the application, helping you to avoid common errors that could cause your Russian visa to be delayed. Then, we’ll personally deliver it to the appropriate embassy office for the fastest possible processing.

Apply for your Russian visa today!

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Travel Visa Requirements To Eat, Pray and Love

Wednesday, August 18th, 2010

Eat, Pray, Love was a both a critical and commercial success in novel form, appeasing both professional literary critics and Oprah Winfrey as well as topping the New York Times’ Bestseller list. Now, , writer Elizabeth Gilbert’s chronicle of self-discovery through travel has been made into a movie, with Julia Roberts playing the lead role.

The Nileguidance blog points out that both the book and the movie are inspiring people to travel to the locations mentioned in the book in hopes of having some transcendent experiences of their own. Several tour companies have even started to offer Eat, Pray, Love tours. Here’s how Nileguidance describes the appeal of patterning a trip after the book:

What Eat Pray Love does inspire, however, is the notion that long-term travel is possible, and so are those extraordinary experiences. Perhaps the film will motivate people to set out on their journey far sooner than imagined.

Whether you decide to go to Italy to eat, to India to pray, or to Bali to seek love, or all three, you will need the proper travel documents. A US passport, valid for at least 6 months, is required everywhere. Here are the visa requirements for the three countries:

Italy: Italy is a Schengen country, so you don’t need a travel visa unless you plan on staying for more than 90 days.

India: India requires all US citizens to have travel visas in hand before they arrive. For more information on how to get a tourist visa for India, see Indian Visa Requirements for Tourists.

Bali: Bali is in Indonesia, which gives American citizens the option of applying for a tourist visa in advance or applying at the airport when you arrive. Of course, if you apply in advance you’ll be able to get through immigration faster, which is always a blessing. Make sure you have at least one clean blank page in the back of your passport to accommodate the visa. For more information on getting an Indonesian tourist visa, see Indonesian Visa Requirements for Tourists.

No matter what the itinerary is for your own voyage of self-discovery, RushMyTravelVisa can help you get the documents you need to travel. We’ll research your itinerary to make sure you know exactly what stops will require visas. Then, we’ll help you with the paperwork and submit your applications for you for the fastest possible processing.

Save time on applying for your travel visas with us today!

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Kenyan Visa Requirements To Climb Mt. Kenya for Charity

Tuesday, August 17th, 2010

The famous mountaineer George Mallory was once asked why he wanted to climb Mt. Everest. He reportedly responded “Because it’s there,” and those three words have become something of a mantra among mountaineers.

However, modern-day mountaineers have another reason to climb: charity. Charity climbs help aid groups raise money and bring attention to the causes they support. For example, The International Childcare Trust is currently organizing a climb of Mt. Kenya, Africa’s second-highest mountain, to publicize its work fighting for the rights of children to enjoy childhood without hunger, poverty or preventable sickness (h/t Gadling).

Here’s how their website describes the journey:

A unique challenge of a lifetime up Africa’s 2nd highest peak – Mount Kenya, an extinct volcano with incredible scenery and wildlife; elephants, rhinos and leopards roam the surrounding area. You will see rainforests, moorland, plantations, great valleys, glacier fields and beautiful African skies.

To climb Mount Kenya, you will need a Kenyan visa. While American citizens are eligible to get visas when they arrive in Kenya, if you go that route the US Department of State warns you to “expect delays upon arrival.” Fortunately, you can also apply for a Kenyan visa in advance, before you leave the airport.

Either way, here’s what you’ll need to get a Kenyan tourist visa:

  • 1 application form
  • 1 passport photo
  • A copy of your travel itinerary

One tricky thing to remember about filling out Kenyan visa paperwork: It all needs to be typed. Handwritten applications are not acceptable and will be rejected. Simply go to the Kenyan Embassy’s website, fill out the form online and print it, then sign on the dotted line.

Using an online visa service like RushMyTravelVisa.com can make the application process quicker and easier. Apply for your Kenyan visa today!

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The Top 5 Reasons to Get a Vietnamese Visa

Sunday, August 15th, 2010

In 2010, approximately 4.5 to 4.6 million international tourists will visit Vietnam.  Should you join them? Here are the top 5 reasons to get your Vietnamese visa and go check it out for yourself:

1. Phu Quoc Island

This idyllic island features flawless, snow-white beaches, delectable seafood and a cornucopia of outdoor adventure activities such as riding motorbikes, sea kayaking and scuba diving. Visit it now, while it’s still relatively undeveloped. It won’t stay that way long.

2. Hoi An

Hoi An is a charming tourist town that revels in its history. One of the highlights of visiting Hoi An is the “Hoi An Legendary Night,” a monthly street festival that celebrates the full moon with traditional decorations, food, drink, songs and dances.

If you like clothes, Hoi An is also the perfect place to get a perfect fit. The town is known for its many tailors, so you’re sure to find some flattering fashions to take home with you.

3. Halong Bay

Halong Bay is justly famous for its interesting limestone karst formations that rise from the sea like something out of a surrealist painting, as well as its many deep, mysterious sea caves.

4. Hue

Hue was once the capital of the Nguyen emperors, and many remnants of its former imperial splendor remain in the form of temples, pagodas, palaces and other artistic and architectural marvels.

5. Interesting Cuisine

If you have the stomach for it, Vietnam is known for serving a unique selection of foods and beverages. For example, consider the delicacy called “Ruou Mat Ran.” According to the NileGuidance blog, this meal begins with the contents of the gallbladder of a live snake served in a glass of rice wine. The remaining parts of the snake are then cooked in various ways and brought to the table after you’ve finished your drink.

Not feeling quite that adventurous? Just forfeit your bragging rights and order something a little tamer (but still delicious), like Phở or sticky rice.

To visit Vietnam, you do need a visa and you need to apply before you leave the US. For more information about what’s required, see Vietnamese Visa Requirements for Tourists.

RushMyTravelVisa can expedite your Vietnamese visa application. We offer assistance with the application and a handy checklist, helping you avoid common mistakes that could delay your application, as well as the fastest possible processing.

Apply for your Vietnamese visa today!

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Should You Use Your Indonesian Visa to Visit Indigenous Tribes?

Thursday, August 12th, 2010

One of the neat things about Indonesia is how many different local tribes and cultures there are, each with their own unique customs. Gadling has a post up about some of the most interesting tribal cultures in Indonesia, encouraging readers to visit groups like the Sea Gypsies (more properly, the Moken or the Mogen), the Batak, the Baliem Valley Tribes, the Tana Toraja and the Dayak Tribes of Borneo.

Certainly, a huge part of the charm of any foreign travel is seeing how people live in other parts of the world and experiencing local cultures. And often, your tourist dollars are a boon to the people you’re visiting, providing money for food, schools and other necessities that we take for granted. However, too many tourists can also interfere with traditional ways of living, and there’s something inherently disrespectful about treating living, breathing people like zoo exhibits.

For example, in an article from the Expeditions website describing how the lives of the Moken have changed since the outside world became aware of their existence after the tsunamis:

“In spite of government protections, more and more tourists come to gawk at the Mogen. They bring with them outside cultural influence and a dependence on cash.”

The dependence on cash and government regulations have interfered with the Moken’s traditional “Sea Gypsy” lifestyle. On the plus side, they now have access to medical care and education. However, they stand to lose their language and culture.

If you decide to visit indigenous cultures in Indonesia, make sure that you go to learn, not to gawk. Also, do your research and try to find resorts and/or tour companies that are dedicated to helping local people instead of just profiting off them. Although I thought the Gadling article made most of the indigenous tribes featured sound like sideshow attractions, the jungle resort they recommended in Sulawesi is actually run by an anthropologist and focuses on generating income for people in the surrounding villages.

Remember, to visit Indonesia you do need an Indonesian visa. You can apply for your visa on arrival or you can apply in advance, before you leave the US. To see what you need to apply, check out Indonesian Visa Requirements for Tourists.

If you’d like your Indonesian visa in advance, RushMyTravelVisa can help. We can also help research your itinerary and apply for any other visas you might need.

Apply for your Indonesian visa today!

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Money to Burn? Get a China Visa And Visit Shanghai’s Newly Re-Opened Peace Hotel

Sunday, August 8th, 2010

For most of us, traveling overseas means budgeting carefully to contain costs. However, if you just won the lottery or are otherwise lucky enough to have money to burn, you might be interested in Gadling’s write up of China’s newly re-opened luxury hotel. The Peace Hotel, which just opened its doors back up after a 3-year, $64 million renovation, has rooms that start at $340 per night and go up to $1000 per night. Splurge on rooms here, at you can walk in the footsteps of former US Presidents Ronald Reagan and Jimmy Carter and silent-film legend Charlie Chaplin, all of whom stayed here often in the past.

Rooms and suites feature amenities like walk-in closets, luxury bathrooms, flat-screen CDs, powder rooms and in some cases, even dining suites so you can entertain guests in style. Sure beats staying in a Motel 6!

Luckily, if you’d like to see Shanghai and don’t have $340+ for a room in the Peace Hotel, there are plenty of other, cheaper rooms available in the city. A quick search at Yahoo Travel, for example, showed rooms available as low as $24 per night, although around $100 per night seemed average for most of the well-respected, global hotel chains.

No matter where you’re staying in Shanghai or how much your spending, you will need to apply for a China visa before you leave the US. If you’re traveling as a tourist, see China Visa Requirements for Tourists for more information on how to apply.

If you’re going to be in China on business, the requirements to get a visa are slightly different- see Getting a Chinese Visa for a Business Trip for more information.

Whether you’re traveling to China for business or pleasure, RushMyTravelVisa can help you get the documents you need to travel. When you apply through us, your professional visa specialist will walk you through the application process, helping you avoid common errors that could hold up your application. Then, we expedite your visa with the Chinese embassy for the fastest possible processing.

Apply for your China visa today!

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