Exotic Tours
CITY GUIDE BERLIN
presents
The Panda Bears of China
A specially arranged tour to volunteer at the Giant Panda Bear Research Center – Wolong in combination of an exclusive city and countryside tour
September 29th. - October 13th., 2008 (15 days)
Day 1 – Departure for your flight to Beijing.
Day 2 - Arrive in Beijing where your local guide will meet you and transfer you to the hotel.
Day 3 - Relax over breakfast, then set out for a visit to the Forbidden City which after recent renovation mirrors once more its former splendor. Afterwards relax over lunch before visiting the magnificent Temple of Heaven set in a large forested park. In the evening enjoy dinner in a romantic little palace on shore of Beihai Lake. BLD
Day 4 - This morning leave Beijing to drive to a remote section of the Great Wall which you will have mostly to yourself. You will have a couple hours to walk along it and enjoy the magnificent views of the wall as its winds over the mountain ridges resembling more an endless fortress than a wall. Afterwards continue to the town of Chengde, the former summer retreat of the Quing Emperors. Dinner this evening features some of the specialties of this region. BLD
Day 5 - This morning visit the Imperal Summer Garden with its rustic palaces set in romantic surroundings among forests and lakes. Later visit the unique PutuoTemple which was built as a replica of the Portola Palace in Tibet. After relaxing over lunch in a local restaurant return to Beijing where you will enjoy a typical Peking Duck dinner in the evening, in the oldest restaurants specializing in this delicacy. BLD
Day 6 - This morning you fly to Xi´an. After arrival you will be met by your guide to be transferred to Xi´an where a typical Shaanxi Hot Pot is a real treat for lunch. Afterwards check into the hotel after which the remainder of the day is on your own. Optional this evening is Xi´an’s famous Tang Dynasty Show which rivals the best of Las Vegas floor shows. Or you may just want to relax and enjoy the city on your own. BLD
Day 7 - This day will be spend visiting the Terra Cotta Warrior Museum located in the hills west of Xian which always exceeds expectations and is an astounding sight. Here you are a VIP visitor and as such you will be able to walk freely among the terra cotta soldiers in the restoration section of Pit One. Something that is normally accessible to visiting dignitaries. In the evening enjoy a Xi´an Dumpling dinner, a specialty of this area. BLD
Day 8 - After breakfast transfer to the airport for the flight to Chengdu in the province of Sichuan. After arrival embark on a city tour (subject to flight arriving in time to do this) of Chengdu which has an illustrious history dating back more than 2000 years. In the evening a dinner of Long Chao Shou ( Sichuan Chengdu Food) is on the itinerary. BLD
Day 9 - This morning leave for the 160 km drive into the mountains that border the Sichuan Basin and the Tibetan Plateau to Wolong where the Giant Panda Bear Research Center is located. Please note that presently the road is under construction and the drive may take longer than normally. Upon arrival check into the Panda Inn which is part of the research facility and the only hotel in this area and the Panda Center. After lunch attend a lecture given by one of the directors of the Research Center where you will receive your working uniform, the same as the staff member wear which is your pass to enter the facility where the Pandas are kept as many times as you like. After the lecture your workday will begin. You will be assigned a "Master", one of the keepers in the center who will show you what needs to be done and introduce you to your very own panda for whom you will care. Chores include sweeping the bins, taking bamboo to their outdoor runs, feeding the bears apples, milk and a specially prepared Panda cake. When the chores are done you can roam freely throughout the facility which at most times has between 45 and 65 pandas. Please not that you should be in good physical condition to be a volunteer. You should also be aware that the altitude of Wolong is 6000 feet. BLD
Day 10 - The day begins early with breakfast and then it’s off to your work day. From eleven to two you will be off for lunch and to do as you please. By the time you go back to work you know what to do. You will finish between four and five. You will have until dinner to walk around and take pictures of the pandas. BLD
Day 11 - Another day of caring for the pandas is in store You may be dishing out the food on your own by now, feed them apple slices by hand which are a special treat that you have picked up at a roadside fruit stand on your way to Wolong. After your morning chores you feed your pandas once more before everyone meets to play with the all the young pandas in the panda nursery, a great thrill which only a very few are privileged to experience. The play time with the pandas is about 5 minutes, the maximum time Wolong will allow us to be in the panda kindergarten. Since only about 4 persons are able to enter the kindergarten at one time, it is necessary to keep the visit to that time. The pandas will get too hyper and restless if people are with them for much longer than this. This measure is taken for the protection of the pandas. In the evening a special dinner in the company of all the "Masters", the assistant director, and some other officials of the center will end your stay in Wolong. A certificate of having volunteered will be given to each member in the group. BLD
Day 12 - This morning you will bid Wolong farewell, but before you leave there is time for another quick visit to say goodby to your panda who has by now become your special friend. After returning to Chengdu the evening is on your own. There is local shopping in the immediate neighborhood, or take a stroll along the river walk which is but ten minutes on foot from the hotel. You might want to opt to eat in, either in the hotel’s restaurant or order room service which is very reasonably priced. BL
Day 13- This morning transfer to the airport for the flight to Shanghai, China’s largest city. After arrival at the airport ride the world’s fasted train to the city which travels of speeds exceeding 400 km. After the train ride you will have a late lunch then visit the Yu Yuan Garden, a typical Chinese Garden famous for its scenery which inspired the scenes on Blue Willow porcelain. Later enjoy Shanghai on your own. BL
Day 14 - The day is free to go shopping on Nanjing Road - great buys are clothing and jewelry - or pursue other interests you may have. Your guide will be happy to assist you with any particular interests you may want to pursue, or opt to visit the very interesting Shanghai Museum. A special Shanghai Dim Sum dinner in Beijings beautifully restored old section is on the itinerary for the evening. BD
Day 15 - After breakfast transfer to the airport for your homeward flight. B
Price: on request
Single Supplement: on request
Participation is limited to 16 Tour members each trip
INCLUDED IN THE PANDA TOUR ARE: 13- nights deluxe and first class hotel accommodation, daily breakfast, daily lunches and special dinners as per itinerary, transportation in deluxe air conditioned 28-passenger buses, all sightseeing and entry fees as mentioned in the itinerary, entry into the panda kindergarten, airport transfers, all flights within China, domestic airport taxes and departure fees, English speaking guides with special knowledge of the areas visited, tips to drivers and guides, and the services of your Chinese host and City Guide Berlin.
NOT INCLUDED: International airfare, passport and visa fees, alcoholic drinks and soft drinks with meals
|
 |
|
Impressum
