January 20th, 2010 by Ambrose Bittner
In what seems like a knee-jerk reaction to terrorism, India has just come out with two new visa requirements that affect all travelers to India:
New Requirement #1: Additional Documentation Now Required for All Visa types
As of January 15, 2010, travelers of all nationalities who are applying for any type of Indian visa will be required to submit either a photocopy of their original birth certificate or photocopies of their most recent education certification (i.e. high school diploma or college degree) with their visa application.
New Requirement #2: Tourist Visas – Re-Entry Permit Requirements
The Indian Government has introduced a new policy which requires frequent travelers to obtain a ‘Re-Entry Permit.’
Cruise or Tour Group Travelers
Cruise or tour passengers making frequent entries into India as part of their overall cruise/tour experience do not need to obtain the re-entry permit but must show a round trip ticket or booking back to their country of residence. (Re-entry into India each time is at the discretion of the Indian Immigration officials).
Non-Cruise or Tour Group Travelers
If you intend to travel from the US to India more than once within a two month period, special approval in the form of a ‘re-entry permit’ is required from the Consulate. In this situation, you will need to complete and submit two documents, in addition to your visa application: the Reentry Permission Form and the Permit Support Letter. Please see details on these two forms below:
1. Re-entry Permission Form
One copy of the reentry permission form. This form will generate automatically as a part of the application process. After printing, answer the questions not covered by the online application form, and then sign. A blank form is available here: https://www.indian-visa.com/pdf/Permit_Form.pdf
2. Permit Support Letter
A letter is needed to support two points:
- The letter must highlight the urgency of the visit and the purpose of the visit must be for recreation/sightseeing, casual visit to meet friends and relatives/others (to be specified).
- The applicant may not be engaged in Business Activities/Employment or pursuing studies/research, etc. In such cases, registration would be required within 14 days of arrival. Sample Letter available here: https://www.indian-visa.com/pdf/Permit_Letter.pdf
January 20th, 2010 by Ambrose Bittner
Last month, the Cabinet of the Government of Nepal approved the re-opening of the seven jungle lodges located within Chitwan National Park. The lodges had been ordered closed by the government after their lease expired. The lodges were forced to cancel all bookings and move guests to lodges outside the Park. After five months of closure, the lodges have been allowed to reopen, but the lease is still yet to be negotiated. Two of the most prominent lodges affected were the Tiger Tops Lodge and Machan Lodge. Signs are that all stakeholders (the lodges, employees, government, local communities, and the national park) are all getting involved. So, let’s hope for a good outcome for everyone.
January 4th, 2010 by Ambrose Bittner
We’re ready to go with next year”s Climb for Himalaya Children of Mt. Rainier. The climb will take place from July 15th to 17 in 2010. Please visit the Red Lantern Journeys web site for complete details about participating and how to register for the climb. As of January 1st, we have 10 people registered. That means only 10 more spots are available, so if you’re interested, sign up soon!
If you’re looking for a little motivation, check out this short video of last year’s climb:
Click to Watch!
November 24th, 2009 by Ambrose Bittner
Red Lantern Journeys is arranging in-country services for the Greater Seattle Chamber of Commerce’s South Korea Study Mission in April of 2010. The Seattle Chamber is planning for a group of 60 business leaders, regional leaders, and entrepreneurs to visit Seoul and Daejon, a sister city of Seattle. The services include accommodation in Seoul, banquet facilities, local transportation, guides/translators, and optional tours. For more information on the Study Tour, visit the Seattle Chamber’s web site.
August 17th, 2009 by Ambrose Bittner
In an article by Charlie Norton dated August 14, 2009 in the Daily Telegraph, Aung San Suu Kyi, the Myanmar opposition leader, has dropped her opposition to tourism in Myanmar. Burma was renamed Myanmar by the ruling military dictatorship, but the new name has never been recognized by the United States and other Western countries. In a BBC interview in 2002, Suu Kyi was quoted as saying: “We have not yet come to the point where we encourage people to come to Burma as tourists.” The article says that her new views on the subject came from a close acquaintance and former member of her party, the National League for Democracy. According to article, “she now believes it can be encouraged, provided it is run through private operations and not through the government, and that visitors might help draw attention to the oppression of the people by the military junta.”
Read the full article here.
I have incredible respect for Aung San Suu Kyi, a winner of the Nobel Peace Price in 1991, and have always tried to be responsible in promoting tourism in Myanmar. In fact, we speak about her and her opposition to tourism as well as the military dictatorship there on our Red Lantern Journeys Myanmar web page. We want all visitors to Myanmar to be well informed of the issues in Myanmar and to understand the ramifications of traveling there. However, we also believe it is one of the most magical countries in SE Asia and well worth visiting…especially in a manner that is respectful to the population and uses privately owned tour operators, hotels, and shops.
August 6th, 2009 by Ambrose Bittner
On Sunday, July 19, 2009 two groups of participants in the Red Lantern Journeys
Climb for Himalaya Children struggled their way through thin air and high winds to reach the summit of the 14,410-foot-high Mt. Rainier. They planted Tibetan prayer flags on the summit in honor of the children of the Mitrata Orphanage in Kathmandu. Prior to the climb, the 21 participants and 5 climb leaders raised over $30,000 from generous people who sponsored their climb. The mountain was climbed by two different routes: one group via the Camp Muir-Dissappointment Cleaver route; and one group via the Camp Schurman-Emmons Glacier route.
CHC 2009 Participants on Mt. Rainier Summit
I’d personally like to thank REI for providing our tents, and free rental gear for the participants. I’d also like to thank Richmoore Foods for providing freeze-dried meals for participants. And, a special thanks to Dan Ansbaugh, who worked diligently to find our sponsors and promote the climb.
August 6th, 2009 by Ambrose Bittner
Check out my article on Nepal and the Mitrata Orphanage in the Go section of the June, 2009 issue of the Arc Magazine. I write about my last trip there in March and some of the amazing things to do there besides go trekking and climbing mountains! Read the article here:
Nepal Article in the Arc Magazine
Also, the Give section of the same issue of the Arc Magazine features the Red Lantern Journeys Climb for Himalaya Children, a benefit climb of Mt. Rainier that raises money for the Mitrata Orphanage in Kathmandu. Please check it out, and if you’re interested in making a tax deductible donation, please go to the Mitrata web site.
August 5th, 2009 by Ambrose Bittner
At the direction of the Nepal Forest Ministry, Chitwan National Park has forced all 7 lodges located within its boundaries to close because they have been unable to renegotiate a contract that expired on July 16th of this year. Word from a local tour operator, says that the lodges owe the government some tax money and that’s part of why they haven’t been able to negotiate a new contract. Speculation is that until the money is paid, the lodges will remain closed indefinitely.
What’s the effect of this? There are about 87 lodges located just outside of Chitwan National Park that are not affected and they have taken on the clients of the closed lodges. Safaris and tours into the park are still allowed.
The closed lodges include: Tiger Tops, Machan Wildlife Resort, Temple Tiger, Narayan Safari, Gaida Wildlife Camp, Island Jungle Resort, and the Chitwan Jungle Lodge.
February 24th, 2009 by Ambrose Bittner
Although China hasn’t made an official announcement, probably because they want to avoid publicity, Red Lantern Journeys’ Tibet, Nepal, and China partners have been letting us know that Tibet permits are not being granted for travel in March. From what we can tell, this affects entry to Tibet from both China and Nepal.
The reason? March is the 50th anniversary of the Dalai Lamai leaving Tibet to escape the Chinese invasion. It’s also the 1 year anniversary of the Tibet riots prior to the Olympics last year. China seems to be taking preemptive action in anticipation of needing to crackdown on any new protests. They don’t want tourist using their digital cameras and camera phones to take photos and video of anything that could look bad.
I hope the closure of Tibet will be brief. From what we can tell, it’s only March that is planned for now. However if protests and uprisings occur, expect China to close Tibet for as long as they deem necessary.
February 12th, 2009 by Ambrose Bittner
After my last trip to Vietnam in January, 2009, I wrote an article about the mountain village of Sapa that was published in the new indie-focused arts web site called The Arc Magazine. Be sure to visit the site and subscribe to the magazine. It only comes out once every two months, and you won’t get on any spam lists.
Richele Kuhlmann is the founder and editor of The Arc Magazine. However, she is also a professional photographer and musician and composer based in Seattle, Washington. She created The Arc Magazine out of a genuine desire to share inspiring stories about creative and talented people along with information about worthwhile causes and organizations.
Richele was also the first employee at Red Lantern Journeys. We were sad to see her go last spring to pursue her other interests, but clearly she is a uniquely talented person and will accomplish great things in her life.
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