Road Trip China

You can choose this as an add on to one of our other China Volunteer or Au Pair programmes, or simply as the start of your OE kind of add on. 

Find yourself immersed and indulged in the charming and fascinating Chinese culture. This organised and guided road trip will get you to places off the tourist map and allow you to really get to experience the Chinese culture. From the incredible and scenic mountains of Hongyan village to trekking around villages to Tai Chi and Chinese language lessons this read trip has it all.

Project Description

First Leg

This Week in Chengdu is the important step towards a great stay in a new country! It is designed so that you can avoid culture shock and be eased into the Chinese ways of doing things. It is a fun filled week that is dedicated to getting to know China and some of its cultural aspects first hand. You will also get time to meet the local people, taste the local cuisine and get familiar with the Chinese custom. 

Second Leg

This week will begin with a visit to the ancient city of Huanglongxi. After two days exploring these wonders, it's on to Fengyan. Here you can begin to understand the Chinese ways of doing things. It is a fun filled week that is dedicated to getting to know China and some of its cultural aspects first hand. This leg is about the traditional rural Chinese culture, so it is appropriate that this week takes place in Fengyan village. There are many opportunities to immerse yourself in the culture with visits to local villages, a Confucius temple and a Guangong temple, local fairs, and some amazing natural scenery sites in groups or individually during free time.

Third Leg

If you want to experience the more adventurous side of China, Longsheng Rice Terraces is one place you cannot miss! Trek in the amazing terraced rice fields and stay in hill-tribe villages. Enjoy a few days of this peaceful and extraordinary scenery. The journey up there is mildly challenging, but it is definitely worthwhile. Longsheng is a world famous place whose scenery varies with the seasons and harvests.

See full itinerary below.

Schedule

Day 1, Sunday: Chengdu (arrival/pick up day, the meals & activities are flexible up to the arrival time)
Arrive in Chengdu airport by flight. Transfer to Traffic Inn Hostel for fresh up and relax.
Lunch
Dinner


Week 1

Day 2, Monday: Chengdu city

11am, Brunch
One day city tour in Chengdu: local market to understand the local daily life;
The People’s Park to see how local people spend their leisure time;
Kuan & Zhai Alley is a newly reno

vated culture street with ancient architecture, variety of shops etc.
6pm: Welcoming Dinner

Day 3, Tuesday: Panda Reserve

Transfer to Panda Reserve by highway bus, which takes 3 hours.
Breakfast
Transfer to Bifengxia Panda Reserve by bus around 8:30am in the morning.
Lunch at the Panda Conservation base.
In the afternoon, visit Panda Reserve office to get registered as Volunteer, get working uniform and staff card.
Take a tour of the Panda Conservation Base.
Watching DVD to get basic knowledge of Pandas (Can be watched anytime during the week if volunteers want to know more about Pandas)
Meet your Trainer/ the Panda Keeper.
Dinner at the Panda base Hotel

Day 4, Wednesday & Day 5 Thursday: Work with Pandas

Breakfast, Lunch, Diner are offered.
Working with the Panda keepers.
Optional activities during the evenings available: Chinese language lesson.

Day 6, Friday: Chengdu city

Breakfast
Bus to Chengdu city
Lunch
Free time
Dinner is self-organized. (good chance to try variety local food and maybe also try your Chinese language ability).

Day 7, Saturday: Leshan city

Breakfast
One day tour to Leshan Giant Buddha—the largest Stone Buddha in the world.
Lunch in Leshan
Dinner
Day 8, Sunday: Free time in & around Chengdu

The coordinator will recommend A variety of options


Week 2

Day 9, Monday: Huanglongxi Ancient city

Breakfast
Tour to Huanglongxi Ancient city.
Lunch in Huanglongxi Ancient city.
Back to Chengdu & Relaxing.
Dinner

Day 10,Tuesday: Chengdu to Guilin

Brunch
1pm: Taking the train to Guilin(24 hours with sleep cars).
Please prepare some snacks, bread, milk and drinks etc. for yourselves.
Dinner on the train (Instant noodles)

Day 11, Wednesday: Arrive in Guilin

Breakfast (self-prepared)
Lunch on the train (food box purchased in the train).
You may have chance to buy some simple food when train stops at different train station.
In the late evening, arrive in Guilin.
Dinner in Guilin, try Guilin rice noodles.
Bus back to Fengyan village.
Relaxing /unpack

Day 12, Thursday: Fengyan village, Gongcheng County

Late breakfast at 9:30 for sleep in/ relaxing.
Walk around village with coordinators, explore the local life and immerse into it.
Lunch at Fengyan center.
Chinese language learning and Chinese culture lessons. For example, to learn about the Do's and Don’ts while staying in China.
Go to Lianhua town to visit the local market, post office, buy some necessities and get an impression and sights of local life etc.
Preparing for the welcoming Party.
Dinner at Fengyan center.
Welcoming Party at Greenway China Center.

Day 13, Friday: Fengyan village, Gongcheng County

Breakfast, Lunch & Diner are offered
Brief introduction to Chinese Education.
An excursion to a village school; observe lessons from Chinese English teachers.
Prepare to teach at the school or do some community work for the village (Depending on what is priority for the work and on our skills and we will work).
In the evening, we will learn how to play Majiang and other traditional Chinese games.

Day 14, Saturday: Fengyan village, Gongcheng County

Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner are offered.
Chinese Language Lessons + Chinese Culture Explanation & activities
Cultural activities: Learn a Chinese song, paper crafting & Chinese calligraphy (writing with brush)
In the afternoon, go to Hongyan village, New Socialism Model village, with huge area of Persimmon forest. We can climb the mountain, do bamboo rafting (you can raft by yourself) & a visit to Fengyu Bridge; the typical wooden bridge from the Yao minority.

Day 15, Sunday: Fengyan village, Gongcheng County

Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner are offered.
The whole day we will go to tour around Gongcheng: Confucius temple, GuangongTemple, ZhouweiTemple, walk through one old street .
Lunch in the town, to taste the typical local food.
In the afternoon, walk along Cha River, boat on Cha River, a visit the supermarket, post office etc.
Buy cooking ingredients and go back to the a Greenway center to learn how to cook Chinese cuisine.
Optional activity: Chinese calligraphy (writing with a brush).


Week 3

Day 16, Monday: Fengyan village Gongcheng County

Breakfast, Lunch &Dinner are offered.
Volunteer teaching or do other community work activities for the village (Depending on what is priority for the work and on our skills and we will work).
Optional activity: paper crafting/ Learn a Chinese song.
Evening activity: Local family visiting, to try oil tea; specialty from the Yao minority.

Day 17, Tuesday: Gongcheng county

Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner are offered
Volunteer teaching or do other community work activities for the village (Depending on what is priority for the work and on our skills and we will work).
Evening activity: BQQ night in Gongcheng (self-organized)

Day 18, Wednesday: Fengyan village, Gongcheng County

Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner are offered.
Last chance to walk around in the village.
A trek into the mountains of Fengyan/ or free time to relax, to do laundry etc.
Cooking lessons: making Chinese dumplings together.
Evening optional activity: learn Chinese chess.

Day 19, Thursday: Yangshuo

Breakfast Lunch & Dinner are offered.
Packing and transfer to Yangshuo at noon time. Arrive in Yangshuo around 2pm.
Walk in Western street, the center of Yangshuo, the best destination for backpackers, full of a variety of shops, bars, coffees etc.
Dinner at Western Street (self-organized), a good chance to try local food or find some Western food to comfort your stomach).
Free time in Western Street.

Day 20, Friday: Yangshuo

Breakfast at the Greenway Center.
Cycling to the big Banyan scenery spot.
We will have lunch and climb Moon Hill. This is pictured on the front of Lonely Planet China!
In the evening, enjoy yourselves in the romantic West street
Dinner
Day 21, Saturday: Yangshuo

Breakfast at the Greenway Center.
Bus for 30 minutes to Fuli town.
We will visit the Fuli Culture street, where Chinese painting has its roots. It is an amazing place/way to explore unique traditional Chinese culture.
Lunch
Climbing the mountain after lunch to overview the beautiful scenery of Fuli.
Back to Yangshuo in the afternoon. Relaxing/ free time.
Dinner (self-organized)
Self-organized activity in the evening.
Appreciating the light show: Impression Liusanjie. Directed by Mr. Zhangyimou, who directed the opening/closing Ceremony of the Olympic Games in 2008. It is the highlight of the Yangshuo trip (on their own cost -- around 20 Euro for the ticket)!
Day 22, Sunday: Yangshuo

Breakfast
In the morning: a Tai Chi lesson to learn about the mysterious muscle arts.
Lunch
Take a bamboo boat up the Li River. The scenery is so majestic here.
Dinner


Week 4

Day 23, Monday: Yangshuo

Breakfast
Preparation time for rock climbing today.
Lunch
In the afternoon, Rock climbing from 1:00pm to 5:00pm. Yangshuo is the most famous place for rock climbing and it is a great chance for a challenge (optional acitivity due to the physical requirements).
Yangshuo is the hub of climbing in Guangxi if not all of China. With over 350 routes with everything from beginner to grade 14 there are climbs to suite all age groups and levels.
Dinner

Day 24, Tuesday: Longsheng

Breakfast
Departure from Yangshuo.
Lunch in Guilinand
Arrive at Dazhai village of Longsheng around 5pm.
Enjoy the beautiful Scenery of Dazhai and Zhuang minority culture.
Dinner

Day 25, Wednesday: Dazhai Yao minority village

Breakfast, lunch & dinner are offered
Spend the day trekking the spectacular terraced hills; Jin Fo Ding and Xishan Shaoyue.
Stay overnight in a Dazhai Zhuang minority village.

Day 26, Thursday: Longsheng

Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner are offered.
Transfer to Ping'an village.
Enjoy the exhibition of embroidery from the villagers.
Trekking and tour to the terraced fields named as Nine Dragons and Five Tiger and Seven stars surrounding the Moon of Ping’an Zhuang village.
Stay overnight in Ping'an village.

Day 27, Friday: Longsheng

Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner are offered.
Back to Guilin, free time for relaxing.
City tour in Guilin.
Chinese massage to reduce the tension of trekking.
Dinner (self-organized).
Stay one night in Guilin.

Day 28, Saturday: Guilin

Breakfast
Departure to the airport
(Schedule: during the evening times; generally you are free and no program activities are scheduled)

**Please note; This schedule can be changed and/or amended depending on weather conditions, local conditions and unforeseen circumstances.**

Road Trip Inclusions, Exclusions and Costs

• International and domestic flight tickets 
• Visa or border fee
• Drinks, bottled drinking water & meals not mentioned in the above itinerary.
• Sleeping bag.
• Personal expenses

What's included

• Accommodation. Except for the village stay, accommodation will be at tourist class accommodation based on 2-4 persons in triple room, B&B basis. Some with shared showers and toilets.
• Food - all meals listed above.
• Staff support and English speaking coordinator
• Tour arrangements and guide
• Transport
• Services of station English-speaking guide during the excursions and trekking.
• Admission fees where applicable