2015
WEST COAST TRIP Phoenix AZ/Grand Canyon, AZ/Las Vegas, NV /Los Angeles, CA/Yosemite, CA/San Francisco, CA
14 days/13 nights Here it is, the West Coast Dream Trip! The US has continually expanded westward since its founding, and thus the definition of the West has evolved over time. Our trip will reflect the everchanging nature of this amazing part of the country. You will have an opportunity to travel from Phoenix to San Francisco, visiting the states of Arizona, Nevada and California. Prepare to visit spectacular nature spots like the Grand Canyon and Yosemite National Park, famous cities like Las Vegas, Los Angeles and San Francisco… 13 days of pure adventure and nature, mixed with culture, learning and friendship! Arrivals to the Phoenix airport are between 8:00 am and 5:00 pm MST. Belo USA staff monitors will meet arriving students at our pre-arranged pick-up points. Students must send Belo USA their arrival information in advance in order to be picked-up. All students will be met in the baggage claim area (meeting point attached to your program) and then proceed to the hotel. Please look for our representative with a Belo USA sign in the baggage claim area. Arrival Airport: Sky Harbor International Airport (PHX) in Phoenix, AZ between 8:00 am and 5:00 pm MST. Departure Airport: Oakland International Airport (OAK) in Oakland, CA between 6:00 AM and 3:00 PM PST.
Belo USA contact phone numbers: • Toll free: 1-877-235.6872 - 8am to 6pm CST • FAX: 1-312-376-3690 • E-mail: belo@belousa.com Emergency contact: • Toll free: 1-866-314-0608 (Trip Coordinator - 24 hours during trip dates)
Some of our educational goals of the trip include : 1. Identify cultural and social differences between various regions in Arizona, Nevada and California. 2. Explore the many geographical differences and wonders of the U.S. 3. Learn and live American history.
Operated by:
mapa Yosemite
San Francisco
NV Las Vegas
Los Angeles
Grand Canyon
CA
Phoenix
PACIFIC
AZ
Pro gram
Date: June 8 to June 21 / Departure from:Phoenix, AZ specifics for the trip. The chaperone and the Belo trip coordinator will introduce themselves so students know who they are and what their roles are during the trip. This meeting will prepare all students to fully enjoy this fantastic trip safely.
JUNE 9 - TUESDAY
Phoenix, AZ - Grand Canyon, AZ JUNE 8 - MONDAY
Arrival Day - Phoenix, AZ Welcome to Phoenix! Student Arrivals. Arrival times: 8 am - 5 pm Arrival Airport: Phoenix Sky Harbor International (PHX) Students arriving after 5pm or in a different airport will be charged extra for the transfer Airport – Hotel. 7pm – Dinner at the hotel (included) followed by the Orientation Meeting (Mandatory).
Breakfast (included). 9am – Departure from the hotel. We will get to know more about the largest state capital in the US (Lunch is not included). The Phoenix and Scottsdale metro area is called the Valley of the Sun. Phoenix is in the beautiful Sonoran Desert, the only desert of its type in the world. Experience this unique lush desert, home of the Saguaro Cactus. We will visit downtown Phoenix with a stop at the State Capitol. From there we will the head to Camelback Mountain and Papago Park area to check out an ancient site known as the Hole in the Rock. Let's finish in Scottsdale for some lunch and shopping.
12 pm – Free time for lunch at a mall. 3 pm - Departure to Williams, AZ.
At the orientation Belo USA will give all students the guidelines, as well as the logistical
8am – Departure to the National Park. The Grand Canyon is a steep-sided gorge carved by the Colorado River. It is largely contained within the Grand Canyon National Park — one of the first national parks in the United States. Bring your water and hiking shoes because we are going down into the canyon (not mandatory)! Today you will have the opportunity to take some amazing pictures, not to mention make lifelong memories. If you don't feel like hiking, we can take the shuttle and visit the view points and even check out the Colorado River! Then we will have free time for lunch, and you will have the afternoon to relax and explore the canyon- one of the Seven Wonders of the World. 6pm – Dinner at the park (included). Let's relax and discuss all the natural wonders of the Canyon! 8pm – Return to the hotel.
JUNE 11 - THURSDAY
Grand Canyon, AZ Las Vegas, NV
• Trip: 173 miles / 279 km – approx. a 4-hour trip.
Breakfast (included). We’ll stop in Sedona, AZ – a town with beautiful scenery in the middle of the desert, where a lot of famous Western movies were filmed. It’s also famous for its spiritual energy. 6pm – Arrival and check-in, and time to relax at the pool. 7pm -Dinner (included). Afterward, some time to get ready for our next exciting day.
JUNE 10 - WEDNESDAY
Grand Canyon, AZ Breakfast (included).
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PACK YOUR BAGS… WE'RE GOING TO VEGAS! 8 am – Departure from the Hotel. We are crossing the desert on our way to Las Vegas, so make sure to take a good look around; we will cross the Colorado River that divides Arizona and Nevada. • Trip: 270 miles/440 km – approx. a 5-hour trip.
1 pm – Arrival in Las Vegas and time for lunch and shopping. 3 pm – Head to the hotel to check-in, relax at the pool, and get ready for our first night out in Las Vegas.
Pro gram 7 pm – Dinner (included).
8am – Departure to Los Angeles, CA.
Tonight will be a night to remember. We have arranged for a Las Vegas city tour in a limo (included)! Yes, a limo! We will ride around in style and take in the lights of the Vegas Strip. We'll see the famous water show at the Bellagio Hotel, the Las Vegas Welcome sign and the famous Fremont Street... Definitely a night to remember!!!
• Trip: 283 miles / 455 km – approx. a 5-hour trip.
JUNE 12 - FRIDAY
Las Vegas, NV Breakfast (included). 10am – Let's walk around the Las Vegas Strip and see some more sights of the city that rose out of the desert. We will have time to go into many of the hotels, marvel at the impressive structures and check out the attractions within. And even though we cannot gamble, there is still much to soak up in this bustling playground.
WELCOME TO SUNNY CALIFORNIA!!! 1pm – Arrive in Los Angeles and go straight to Universal Studios Theme Park (included)! You will be on your own for lunch, so make sure to bring some money to buy something at the park. Universal Studios Hollywood is “The Entertainment Capitol of LA”! It is both a movie studio and the original Universal Studios theme park. Throughout the hot summer months its often called “The Coolest Place in LA.” It was first created for people to take tours of the real Universal Studios soundstages and sets but overtime it evolved into the amusement park it is today!
you walk into the Hollywood and Highland Center, up the stairs and to the bridges connecting the 2nd and 3rd floors of the complex you'll also catch an amazing view of the famous “Hollywood” sign! Hollywood Boulevard is known for its “Walk of Fame”- growing since 1960 there are now over 2,300 bronze stars lining the sidewalks. See if you can find your favorite star! 1 pm – Grab your sun block and let's go to the beach! Today is a day of fun in the sun; don't forget to check out all the Californian beach fashion. You'll have the chance to enjoy the Huntington Beach Pier or do some shopping. Free time to get some lunch at the beach. 6 pm – Return to the Hotel to get ready for dinner (included).
7pm – Dinner (included). JUNE 15 - MONDAY
Los Angeles, CA JUNE 14 - SUNDAY
Free time for lunch. Check out the affordable all-you-can-eat buffets in many of the hotels. 2pm – The bus will zip us to the northern end of the Strip, where we will ascend 1,149 ft. inside of the tallest free-standing structure in Nevada, The Stratosphere Tower (included). Behold the sprawling city of Las Vegas all around you and the infinite horizons beyond. There are also some exciting thrill rides atop the Stratosphere! 6pm – We will stay in this area for our dinner (included). After dinner we can walk around. Optional: We have prepared some optional shows for you. We will give you more information about this at our orientation on the first day of the trip. The cost of the shows vary from $70 - $150. You can choose to go to a famous Vegas show or enjoy the swimming pool at the hotel.
JUNE 13 - SATURDAY
Las Vegas, NV - Los Angeles, CA Breakfast (included).
Los Angeles, CA
Breakfast (included).
Breakfast (included).
10 am – Today is our day to go to magical Disneyland (included)!
8 am – Departure from hotel. Time to get ready for an exciting tour of Hollywood! We will start at Madame Tussaud's Wax Museum (included) for a chance to meet all of your favorite stars! Then we'll be able to see Grouman's Chinese Theatre, the Kodak Theatre and Hollywood Boulevard! Grouman's Chinese Theatre often rolls out the red carpet for film premieres, but what we'll get to enjoy today is out front of the theatre. Before entering the theatre you'll find the handprints, footprints and signatures of stars ranging from John Wayne and Shirley Temple to Arnold Schwarzenegger and Daniel Radcliffe. The Kodak Theatre stands in the midst of the Hollywood and Highland Center- full of shopping, food and fun! The Kodak Theatre is able to seat 3,400 people and is the permanent home of the Academy Awards. If
“To all who come to this happy place – Welcome! Disneyland is your land. Here age relives fond memories of the past and here youth may savor the challenge and promise of the future. Disneyland is dedicated to the ideals, the dreams, and the hard facts that have created America… with the hope that it will be a source of joy and inspiration to all the world.” Walter E. Disney, July 17, 1955
7 pm – Dinner (included) at the park and some time to relax before the famous fireworks! (9:30pm – Fireworks)
JUNE 16 - TUESDAY
Los Angeles, CA – Merced, CA Breakfast (included). 8am – Let’s enjoy our last moments in starstudded Los Angeles and take some last
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Pro gram minute pictures. We will be visiting Griffith Observatory for a great view of the Hollywood sign and the entire city of LA!
*Class 1: Very small rough areas, requires no maneuvering. (Skill Level: None)
JUNE 20 - SATURDAY
San Francisco, CA Breakfast (included).
12pm – Free time in Beverly Hills for lunch. 1pm – Departure to Merced, CA • Trip: 296 miles / 480 km – approx. a 6-hour trip.
Yosemite National Park is known for its beauty. It seems like the green you see will go on forever with huge forests, beautiful wildlife and huge granite walls. We will join with nature and learn about this unique forest culture. 7pm – Arrive at Yosemite National Park. We will be staying in Merced, CA, which is located in 79 miles from Yosemite National Park. We will arrive in the city, have dinner (included) and check into the hotel.
JUNE 18 - THURSDAY
Merced, CA - San Francisco, CA Breakfast (included). Today you will be able to relax and get ready to head to San Francisco. 10 am – Departure to San Francisco, CA. • Trip: 130 miles / 209 km – approx. a 3-hour trip.
2 pm – Arrival in San Francisco and head to the beautiful Golden Gate Park, with great views of the city and time to explore the de Young Art Museum (included). We will be going to famous Pier 39, to see the sea lions!
8am – Departure from the Hotel and grab your sailor's hat. We're taking a boat tour (included) to get a glimpse of the marvelous Golden Gate Bridge and the famous Alcatraz Island. Alcatraz is also known as THE ROCK and it is a small island located in the middle of San Francisco Bay. It served as a lighthouse, a military prison, then a federal prison until 1963. The prison held such notable criminals as Al Capone. 12pm – Break for lunch. Stretch your legs and let's get a real experience by walking the 1.71 miles across the Golden Gate Bridge! Let's experience the best view of San Francisco Bay. 6pm – Dinner (included).
7pm – Dinner (included). JUNE 17 - WEDNESDAY
Yosemite National Park, CA Breakfast (included).
JUNE 19 - FRIDAY
San Francisco, CA
8 am – Departure from the Hotel. Breakfast (included). We will start with an interesting talk about how the National Park Service protects bears and what we can do to help. A little bit about the bears: About 300 to 500 American black bears live in the park. The name "black bear" is misleading, since the color of each bear varies from blond to cinnamon-brown to black. The typical adult male weighs 300—350 pounds and adult female can weigh in at 200—250 pounds.
Tonight is the farewell party! Let's have a great last night with all your new friends, and get ready to go back to your host families.
9 pm –Today we will take a lovely tour of the sights of San Francisco! Our tour will include: Pier 39, Fishermen's Wharf, and the famous San Fran cable cars! Yes, we will be riding a cable car! We will be boarding the cable cars and cross the city all the way to Union Square where we will have time to shop, eat lunch and explore the city.
After lunch, we will have a great hiking adventure through the expansive park (included). Yosemite Park is internationally recognized for its spectacular granite cliffs, waterfalls, clear streams, Giant Sequoia tree groves, and biological diversity. We will do some bike riding or rafting (Class 1)* at Yosemite! (included).
We'll have some time to look in the shops there before grabbing dinner at one of the amazing restaurants!
6 pm - Dinner (included) at the Park and let's return to the hotel.
7 pm – Dinner in San Francisco's famous Chinatown (included).
2 pm – Let's board our buses and head to the City Hall and check out the city from the top of the Twin Peaks. After that we'll head to the largest Chinatown in the United States.
JUNE 21 - SUNDAY
San Francisco, CA – Departure Day Breakfast before individual departures (included). DEPARTURE DAY: All day our staff will be taking groups of students to the airport for their departures. Departures are between 6am - 3pm PST from Oakland International Airport (OAK) on this day. Hotel check-out will be at 11:00am. Students are not permitted to stay longer than the planned trip – all departing flights must be scheduled for this day. If there are any flight cancellations or delays, we will communicate with the host family. Thanks for travelling with us and we look forward to seeing you very soon! Belo USA Travel Inc.
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Usefu l Hints MANDATORY ITEMS: • Original Passport - students will not be allowed to travel without their passport; •Approximately US$ 350.00 for personal expenses during the trip, such as meals, gifts, and others. If you are interested in buying gifts, remember to bring a larger amount; • Alarm clock; • Lock for luggage.
•Sandals, sneakers, tennis shoes and/or trekking boots;
•If you bring a credit card, leave a copy with your host family;
• Swimming suit.
• Any medication you take regularly.
• T-Shirts;
ADDITIONAL SUGGESTED ITEMS: • Cap; (Remember to put your name on your belongings!)
• Sweatshirts
• Camera, memory card and charger;
• Layered clothing;
• Video Camera and charger; • Personal products;
CLOTHING AND OTHER NECESSARY ITEMS: •Shorts, Jeans - take a look at the weather before you leave home and decide what you will need to wear;
• Cell phone and charger; • Sunscreen, sunglasses;
• MP3 and/or I-Pod;
• Accessories (belt, etc.);
• Flag from your country;
• Watch;
• Musical instrument you play, etc.
Pri ce Includes •Transportation in coach buses;
• Rafting at Yosemite;
• Water and soft drinks inside the bus for the trip-days;
• Ticket to Alcatraz in San Franciso, CA;
• 13 Nights (4 people per room, 2 per bed same gender);
• Ticket to a cable car ride in San Francisco, CA;
• 13 Breakfasts;
• City Tours mentioned in the program;
• 13 Dinners;
• Local specialized Guides;
• Transportation to the tours;
• Transfer Airport - Hotel - Airport (PHX in Phoenix and OAK in Oakland);
• Entrance Fee for the Grand Canyon National Park; • Night City Tour in Las Vegas in a Limo;
• Belo USA Coordinator;
• Ticket to the Stratosphere Tower;
• Belo USA Monitors;
• Ticket to Universal Theme park;
• Chaperone;
• Ticket to an Amusement Park in Los Angeles, CA;
• 1 Trip T-shirt;
• Entrance Fee for Yosemite National Park;
• 1 Trip Video.
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Hotels
Phoenix, AZ:
Los Angeles, CA:
Hilton Phoenix Airport 2435 South 47th Street Phoenix, AZ 85034 Phone: 480-894-1600
Holiday Inn Buena Park 7000 Beach Blvd. Buena Park, CA 90620 Phone: 714-522-7000
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Grand Canyon, AZ:
Yosemite, CA:
Mountain Ranch at Beacon Hill 6701 E Mountain Ranch Rd. Williams, AZ 86046 Phone: 928-635-2693
Holiday Inn Express & Suites Merced 151 S Parsons Ave Merced, CA 95341 Phone: (209) 384-3700
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Las Vegas, NV:
San Francisco, CA:
Hampton Inn & Suites 6575 S. Eastern Avenue Las Vegas, NV 89119 Phone: 702-647-8000
Hilton Oakland 1 Hegenberger Road Oakland, CA 94621 Phone: 510-635-5000
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Coin Laundry Facility
Fitness Center
Swimming Pool
Internet Access
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General Conditions 01.English is the official language of this trip. 02.It is not allowed, under any circumstance, for any student to separate from the program during the trip. 03.All students must bring their original passport on the trip, however please leave a copy of your passport with your host family. 04.At the beginning and end of the trip, each student must leave from and go directly to their host community, unless the student has written permission from their Exchange Organization and their host family. 05.Belo USA Travel Inc. is not responsible for buying any bus, airline and train tickets from the trip's final destination to your host city. It's the student's responsibility to pay for the ticket. 06.Illegal drug use of any kind is prohibited. 07.Stealing of any kind will be severely punished in addition to any possible legal consequences. 08.Purchasing or consuming alcoholic beverages is strictly forbidden. 09.Tattoos and body piercings are extremely discouraged and allowed only with the preauthorization of the natural parents and sponsor/local their Exchange Organization. 10.Our schedules and itineraries must be followed by all students. The trip coordinator reserves the right to make changes in the schedule, when necessary, or if it is in the best interest of the group. 11.Lodging does not cover incidental costs, such as phone calls, mini-bar purchases, etc. If the students decide to use these services, they are responsible for paying these costs. 12.Keep luggage to a minimum. All students will carry and be responsible for their own luggage at all times. The maximum amount allowed is 50 pounds (23 kg) and a carry on bag (small bag or back pack). Remember to keep those items you will need during the day with you on the bus - like iPods, cameras, wallets, etc. 13. Students must be approved by their Exchange Organization in order to travel. Students who have faced disciplinary action with their Exchange Organization may be denied approval for participation.
19.Please note that additional expenses are different for each individual. We believe that $25/per day is enough for food, extra entertainment, optional items, etc, but remember to bring additional money if you are planning to buy gifts. Also remember that anything you buy will have to fit into your suitcase in order to get it on the bus and back home. 20.There will be plenty of ATM machines available during the entire course of the trip in case you need more money. 21.Please bring all cash in US dollars. 22.If you are not comfortable traveling with cash, Traveler's Checks are a safer option. Most banks in the US can provide you with Traveler's Checks, which are accepted at most commercial locations. 23.Travel expenses from your host city to the trip's departing airport are not included in the program fee. 24.If you take any regular medication, make sure to bring enough for the trip's duration. Also, please bring a copy of the prescription in case you might need it (just to be safe.) 25.Since we will be outside, please be careful and use lotion/sunscreen. 26.If any student's conduct is considered harmful to the rest of the students, or if any student breaks any of the program rules, he or she can be sent back to their host community immediately, assuming all extra costs, to his or her host city/family. Additionally, any violation of the rules and any students removed from the program will be reported to their Exchange Organization. 27.All prices are in US dollars. In case of payment by international wire transfer, the dollar/euro/your local currency exchange rate to be considered for conversion will be the one listed by Chase Bank / JP Morgan on the day that the payment arrives in the USA. 28.All other optional activities that may be offered during student's free time are considered extra costs, and are not included in the overall trip price. 29.Belo USA Travel Inc. is not responsible for the cost of the student's travel expenses from his/her host city to the departure point and back.
15.The trip has a limited number of vacancies, which will be filled on a “first come – first serve” basis.
30.Lost & Found: all the students' items found during the trip will be sent to Belo USA's office and kept for 60 days after the end of the trip. Any student who has lost something must send us an e-mail with the description of the item within 60 days of the end of the trip. Postage to return the item to any student is the student's responsibility.
16.There must be at least 35 students signed up to open up the trip. However, there is a possibility for us to open more buses depending on the number of reservations.
31.All students who take part in this trip grant image use rights to Belo USA to produce a Trip VIDEO, as well as use of photos from the trip on our website and program materials.
17.Belo USA Travel Inc. reserves the right to operate the trip program backwards (i.e., switching the departure city and the arrival city) if needed because of number of students and availability.
32.The Trip Video will be sent to the students within six months of the completion of the trip. Belo USA will contact students by email when the video is ready. You will be sent a link and a password in order to view and download the video
14.All departure/arrival times from/to our activities will be decided by the coordinators, depending on the exact length of each activity.
18.Swimming: Even if you know how to swim please BE CAREFUL, because you are unfamiliar with the pool/places and are not aware of all potential hazards.
34.Please make any comments or complaints regarding the trip in writing (via email or standard letter) to Belo USA Travel within 30 days of the end of the trip to ensure Belo USA a chance to respond. All contracts with Belo officially end 30 days after the trip and Belo USA, the tour operator, is therefore relinquished of any responsibility. 35.Once any student requests the description of any of the trip's programs organized by Belo USA Travel Inc., the client declares to know and to agree with all the terms of this “General Conditions”, that can be found in our trip program or on our web site. Cancellation and Refund Policy: 36.In case we do not achieve the minimum number of participants needed, Belo USA Travel Inc. reserves the right to cancel the trip or to transfer the date and/or to offer other options of tours as well, according to the clients wish. If this occurs, all payments already made will be returned in full. 37.If the student chooses to leave the program or is sent home for breaking any program rules, he/she will pay a penalty according to the date of his written order to cancel the tour, read below: * Cancelled more than 30 days before the beginning of the trip: 10% of the trip's price. * Cancelled between 29 and 21 days before the beginning of the trip: 20% of the trip's price. * Cancelled between 20 and 7 days before the beginning of the trip: 40% of the trip's price. * Cancelled between 6 days or less before the beginning of the trip: 100% of the trip's price. - If a student cancels his or her trip, any payments previously made cannot be transferred to another student or host sibling. 38.Any student who leaves the trip during the program, for any reason, will not receive any refund. 39.A request for reimbursement due to trip cancellation because of an early return of the exchange student to his/her original country, must be made to Belo USA Travel Inc. at least seven (7) days in advance of the program trip's departure. After initial request, reimbursement will be made to a U.S. bank account and the penalties will be applied according to the “cancellation and refund policy” above. If the student does not follow the deadline established by the program, making it necessary for us to proceed with the reimbursement through International Wire Transfer, all taxes and bank fees will be the client's responsibility. - In case of early return of the student from the trip or to his/her original country, cost of return ticket is the student's responsibility. 40.Any cancellations or withdrawals must be made in writing – via letter, fax or email – by the tour's participant to Belo USA Travel Inc. 41.Belo USA Travel is not responsible for any reimbursements or change fees associated with flight or travel arrangements.
Operated by:
33.In case you do not receive an email containing the link to the video, please contact Belo USA with your current email address.
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