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Embark on a four-week road trip with GoEco to see the best of China while gaining a taste of volunteer work. From central China, participants will venture to the mountainous regions of China and visit several local villages to gain a better understanding of the diversity of Chinese cultures.
Itinerary:
Arrival Day, Sunday: Arrival at Chengdu Shuangliu International Airport (CTU) . Participants will be picked up from the airport and taken to accommodations.
Day 1, Monday: Begin your road trip adventure with a visit to the Giant Panda Center! Learn about the breeding program and how it has contributed greatly to conservation before a half-day walking city tour of Chengdu.
Day 2, Tuesday: Today is training day! Participants will spend the day training for volunteer work at the panda center. Overnight at the panda center.
Day 3, Wednesday: Travelers will assist the panda keepers with daily tasks in the morning and afternoon. Participants can take part in an optional Chinese language lesson.
Day 4, Thursday: Participants will take a bus back to Chengdu and visit Huanghuaxi Park and Qingyang Temple. Following dinner will be a night out to the Sichuan opera. Overnight in Chengdu hostel.
Day 5, Friday: This day entails visits to the Chengdu Museum as well as to Huanglongxi Ancient Town to visit the sites of the Ming and Qing dynasties. Participants will have a free night in Chengdu.
Day 6, Saturday: Saturday brings a day tour of Leshan and its giant stone Buddha.
Day 7, Sunday: Participants will take an eight-hour, high speed train to Guilin.
Day 8, Monday: Explore the local village, climb the nearby mountain and have a lesson of the local language and philosophies.
Day 9, Tuesday: A cultural day awaits! Travelers will visit a local family to make a local oil tea, partake in Tai Chi and visit Hongyan Village and Fengyu Bridge.
Day 10, Wednesday: Participants will have a language lesson in the morning, followed by exploring Lianhua and its market.
Day 11, Thursday: Following calligraphy lessons and lunch, participants will visist the Confucius Temple, Guangdong Temple, Gongcheng YAO Minorities’ Musuem in Goncheng Coujnty.
Day 12, Friday: After transferring to Yangshuo, travelers will climb Moon Hill and have free time on Western Street to get some western-style food in contrast to the previous day. Overnight in Yangshuo in a hostel.
Day 13, Saturday: Travelers can relax on Saturday with a calming bamboo rafting experience along the Li River before touring the Xingping village.
Day 14, Sunday: Transfer to the Longsheng village and spend the day trekking up the terraced hills of JinFoDing. Participants can attend a performance show and bonfire of the Miao people after dinner at their own expense.
Day 15, Monday: This day is another day of trekking! Participants will go up either Xishan Shaoyue or Qianceng Tianti.
Day 16, Tuesday: Bus ride back to Guilin for a free day. Overnight train to
Zhanjiang.
Day 17, Wednesday: After arrival into Zhanjiang, travelers will enjoy a relaxing afternoon on the beach, followed by a visit a university in the late afternoon and stay overnight in Zhanjiang.
Day 18, Thursday: Participants will head to Donghai Island! Visit a local village and learn to cook local food. Overnight at the Dolphin Center.
Day 19, Friday: Travelers will begin the morning by hopping on a boat and looking for dolphins! They will then take part in a beach clean afterwards and enjoy a barbeque dinner.
Day 20, Saturday: Participants will head back to Zhanjiang and have free time in the park and shopping mall.
Day 21, Sunday: Travelers will take a five-hour train ride to Haikou and have the afternoon free.
Day 22, Monday: In the morning, participants will receive an introduction to Hainan Island and its culture and go to a local farm to pick papaya or guava! Following lunch, travelers will visit Volcano Park!
Day 23, Tuesday: This day entails a visit to a local school as well as a free afternoon on the beach.
Days 24-27, Wednesday-Friday: Participants will either help at a local school or the local farm, followed by free nights.
Day 27, Saturday: All good things come to an end. Participants will depart home from the airport in Haikou Meilan International Airport (HAK).
Please note: This schedule may altered and/or be amended, depending on weather conditions, local conditions and unforeseen circumstances.
What’s Included
What’s not Included
Flights, visas (if required), travel health insurance, lunches on weekends, personal expenses.
On this road trip, participants will experience the uniqueness of China. This adventure takes participants through the mountains of the Longsheng terraced field, on treks through Tibetan villages and to the coastal city of Zhanjiang.
Participants will visit various temples, several indigenous tribe villages, hike through terraced fields and experience the fast-growing city Chengdu, and the harmonious, top bag packers destination, Yangshuo and enjoy all that China has to offer. In addition to exploring these tourist destinations, participants will be volunteering with the local communities, making this trip the perfect balance of traveling and giving back.
As a volunteer on this project you will be traveling by bus and train and all around. Along the way, you will have three unique volunteer opportunities at the Giant Panda Center, a local school and the Dolphin Conservation Center. Thanks to rigorous conservation efforts, the giant panda is no longer on the World Wildlife Federation’s endangered species list; however, they are still considered a “vulnerable” species.
Volunteers are needed to help safeguard the future of these most captivating animals. The Giant Panda program includes training on the care of pandas and volunteers will be assigned as an assistant to a trainer.
Some of your tasks may include:
A typical day: Each day the schedule will vary depending on the current location and set activities for that day. There are several free nights throughout the four weeks. Sundays are free days.
Please note: Specific activities may vary and are subject to change. *There is no direct contact with the pandas.
Please take note of this project’s minimum requirements:
The program itinerary is filled with travel highlights. Top destinations include: temple visits, visits to the Giant Panda Center, a visit to the Dolphin Conservation Center, learning about different tribers, bamboo river rafting, trekking and visiting the beautiful beaches of Donghai Island.
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