Kashgar to Xi'an

On all of our Dragoman-operated Overlanding trips you will be accompanied by two Western crew members who are responsible for the group and the overall organisation of the trip. While not being guides in the traditional sense you can expect them to have a broad knowledge of the places visited and to offer suggestions of things to do and see. Dragoman trips use local guides who may stay with us for just a few hours or will actually travel with us for some or all of the journey. In these cases they become a third crew member and are able to offer their local knowledge as well as a real insight into the lives of the local people. Our crew are chosen for their leadership skills, and most importantly have a passion for the region and its people. We endeavour to provide the services of an experienced leader and crew; however, situations may arise where your leader is new to a particular region or training other group leaders On any Overland trip, there are a number of tasks that need to be done. Our overland trip leaders will organise the group into smaller groups of two or three who will take turns in the daily shopping and cooking, vehicle cleaning, disposing of rubbish, etc. There are also a number of other jobs that need doing e.g. collecting water and firewood, luggage loading, supervising the kitty and food stores, which may be assigned to particular people or on a rota system according to group size, make-up, and so on. You must come prepared to 'pull your weight' and share in these duties; you will become very unpopular with other group members if they have to do your share. The more you put into a trip, the more you'll benefit.

Be prepared for some serious physical activity. The majority of activities included on this trip will be challenging. The fitter you are, the more you'll enjoy your holiday. ,Our group trips are designed for shared accommodation and don't involve a compulsory single supplement. Single travellers share with people of the same gender in accommodation ranging from twin to multishare. Some of our itineraries have accommodation booked on a mixed gender share basis and where applicable this will be specified in our Trip Notes. On a selection of our trips, you have the option to pay a single supplement to ensure that you have your own accommodation (where available). Please note that this only applies to accommodation during the tour - pre-trip and post-trip accommodation will be booked on a single room basis.

Many national governments provide a regularly updated advice service on safety issues involved with international travel. We recommend that you check your government's advice for their latest travel information before departure and ensure that your travel insurance covers you for all areas your itinerary covers. Please refer to our website's safety page for links to major travel advisories and updates on safety issues affecting our trip. We strongly recommend the use of a neck wallet or money belt while travelling, for the safe-keeping of your passport, air tickets, cash and other valuable items. Leave your valuable jewellery at home - you won't need it while travelling. Many of our hotels have safety deposit boxes, which is the most secure way of storing your valuables. A lock is recommended for securing your luggage. Your leader will accompany you on all included activities, however during your trip you'll have some free time to pursue your own interests, relax and take it easy or explore at your leisure. While your leader will assist you with the available options in a given location, please note that any optional activities you undertake are not part of your Intrepid itinerary, and Intrepid makes no representations about the safety of the activity or the standard of the operators running them. Please use your own good judgement when selecting an activity in your free time. Please also note that your Leader has the authority to amend or cancel any part of the trip itinerary if it's deemed necessary due to safety concerns. For more details on the type of conditions and safety standards you can expect on your trip, please refer to Intrepid's operational safety policy on our website. We recommend that you take a moment to read through this information before travelling, and would appreciate any feedback on how well it's being implemented in the field: DRAGOMAN SAFETY HOTELS: • Ensure you know where your nearest fire exit is and check to ensure that it is operative. • Check the location of the nearest fire extinguisher. • Study the fire instructions in your room if available. • Identify how to raise the alarm if a fire occurs. • If a fire occurs, leave immediately; do not stop to collect your effects. • Proceed to an assembly point well away from the building. • Electrics in hotels in many of the places that we visit will not be up to the same standards as at home. Please ensure that you check rooms, especially bathrooms and are aware of any issues that look unsafe. If in doubt inform the crew who will endeavor to sort the situation out. • Staircases and stairwells are often built to a very different design than under Western building standards. There may be no guard rails, be excessively steep, etc. At all times be aware and take appropriate and prudent care. • We often stay in homestays and farmstays. These may range from a traditional yurt through to a tree house or a town house. As these are traditional homes they may well not adhere to our western standards of safety and so it is important that you make yourself aware of potential risks. • If in doubt please inform the crew of any safety issues with the hotels/hostels or home stays CAMPSITE FIRE SAFETY: • Ensure you know where the nearest source of water or fire extinguisher is. • Know how to raise the alarm. • Extinguish all camping fires fully before retiring to bed. • Observe any regulations regarding fires and bushfires in dry conditions. • Proceed to an assembly point away from the tented accommodation/affected campsite. OTHER CAMPSITE SAFETY • Familiarise yourself with the campsite and any known hazards. • Group tents around our vehicle wherever possible. • No open flames, smoking or flammable liquids in or near the tents. • Ensure cooking area is well away from the tents. • Ensure all water for cooking and drinking is purified first. • Ensure any soil toilets are min 50m away from tents & cooking area. • All food waste should be burnt or buried – min 100m away from the site. • Ensure local advice is followed concerning any wildlife. • Keep valuables locked in the vehicle. • Be aware of any local security issues that might be important. • Do not set out tents close to perimeter fences which may be a security risk. • Be aware of the security arrangements and local guards for campsite and if in doubt ask them where and where not to pitch tents. • If in doubt please inform the crew of any safety issues with campsite. • When wild camping, ensure that you do not wander away from the camp alone. If you do leave camp ensure that you have notified the leader or other members of the group. FOOD SAFETY • We prepare many meals during the tour and our crew are hygiene trained; however, some general tips can help in order to avoid the possibility of stomach upsets; • Make sure your food has been thoroughly cooked. • Hot food should be hot, cold food should be cold. • Avoid any uncooked food, except fruit and vegetables, (notably those you can peel or shell yourself). • In many countries you should only drink bottled water or purified water and ensure any seal is intact when purchasing bottles. • On the Dragoman vehicles we have a tank of drinking water that is kept purified by the crew. • Avoid ice in drinks as this can cause upset stomachs in hot climates. • Make sure you wash your hands in antibacterial product when preparing and/or eating food. • Restaurant Food: This is grassroots travel and many of the restaurants that you will eat in, either as a group or as individuals, will NOT have the same standards of food hygiene as we have in the Western World. Unfortunately this is part of travel in these regions. Therefore think carefully about what food you order and be aware of the risks. DRAGOMAN TRANSPORT SAFETY • Our own vehicles have fully fitted seat belts; make sure you always belt up. • If you find a safety belt inoperable or missing on one of our vehicles, please inform the crew immediately. • Unfortunately, we cannot guarantee that other vehicles we may use or recommend in some countries will be fitted with seat belts on every seat as it is not a legal requirement in much of the world. • Please remain seated on board vehicles at all times when the vehicle is in motion • Never place luggage in the aisles or foot wells • Ensure you know where your nearest Emergency exit is; this may be a designated emergency exit, a window or a roof hatch. • Check the location of the fire extinguisher and first aid kit. • Follow any safety instructions provided by the crew/driver • Our vehicles are fitted with roof seats which can be used in certain conditions, such as when driving at low speeds, off main tarmac roads, etc. They can only be used with the express permission of the crew and you must never sit in them without seat belts. DRAGOMAN PERSONAL SAFETY: One of the real advantages of overland travel is that the vehicle provides a very real level of security when travelling. There is no doubt that a properly equipped overland vehicle, with safes, fully lockable doors and windows is an obvious advantage when travelling in much of the world. We recommend the use of a neck wallet or money belt whilst travelling for the safe-keeping of your passport, air tickets, cash and other valuable items (although most of these can be locked in the safe whilst you are on the trip) and advise you to leave any valuable jewellery, watches, etc, at home. Generally speaking, you will not be travelling on local public transport and will have the added security of travelling in a group with experienced crew on hand to offer advice. We have come up with a few pointers that we recommend you follow: • Follow the crew’s specific safety advice in each destination. • Be aware, stay away from situations where you do not feel comfortable. • Avoid carrying too much money. • Use of a money belt / neck wallet or is encouraged at all times while travelling for the safe-keeping of your passport, air tickets, cash and other valuable items. • Avoid walking in poorly lit areas. • Ensure your valuables are left secure when you go out. • In any hostels/hotels, place all valuables in a safety deposit box, where available or with reception or locked away by the crew. • Do not take any valuable jewellery/watches etc. away with you. • If possible avoid walking around on your own; it is always safer to explore with others. www.intrepidtravel.com/safety

No age restrictions

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