Lily's Scenic Minority Regions Tour

Tour Route: Beijing-Guiyang (with area Minority Villages)-LiJiang-Hong Kong
Tour Dates: July 2-July 16, 2009 & July1-July15, 2010

Lily's Scenic Minority Regions Tour is one of our new premium OCDF Chinese Culture Tours, designed especially for families who have already been to China a time or two and as such have already “been there done that” at the traditional sightseeing locations. Lily Ao, one of OCDF's outstanding guides, will lead your family on a tour far beyond the typical China tour. Lily's tour encourages your family to gain a deeper understanding of China's many minority peoples and cultures, as well as offering the great vacation services you've come to expect from OCDF China Tours.

Tour Logistics
Age : any
Kid-friendly focus : Medium-High for young children, High for pre-teens/teens
Level of Difficulty : Hiking at Huangguoshu Waterfall, Stone Forest, Jade Snow Dragon Mtn. Those who are unable to climb steps can opt to view from a distance. Walking at high altitude at Jade Snow Dragon Mtn. will require some people to take their time and go at a slower pace though there are not as many steps as at Huanguoshu Waterfall. Use of pit toilets is highly likely in minority regions.
Accessibility for the Disabled : Low

Itinerary

Day 1

Thursday, July 2: Leave your home country and fly to China. Arrange international airfare either on your own or through Marta LaCour at TravNET, email: marta.lacour@travnet.net

Day 2

Friday, July 3: Arrive in Beijing – met at the airport by OCDF Transfer Staff with transportation to your hotel (central Beijing - inside the 2nd ring road). Hotel will be 4-5 star premium hotel. With many new hotels being built for the Olympics, we will post to the website which hotel is selected as soon as we have the contract. Lunch and Dinner on your own.

OCDF Welcome Packet will be given at the time of airport transfer. Children will receive their workbook keyed to the tour itinerary (different from prior tour materials). Daily children’s treasures will be keyed to the itinerary (different from prior tour programs). Special designed Lily tour t-shirts will be sent to your family prior to the trip.

Day 3

Saturday: Breakfast at the hotel. Beijing Sightseeing – Great Hall of the People, lunch at Sun Yat Sen Park, visit the new Capital Museum including kids craft room. Boat ride on the Grand Canal followed by Peking Duck Welcome Dinner. Optional Afternoon/ Evening: at the American Chamber of Commerce US 4th of July Party in Beijing. Cost for tickets to be announced at a later time (usually we will not know the price until a month prior to the event). Typical cost is $25-30 USD per person. They will have kids play area/games, food, beverages all included in the event. 1000+ persons attend the event each year.

Day 4

Sunday:Breakfast at the hotel. Beijing Sightseeing – Morning to Peking Man Archeological Site. Lunch at family home in Hancunhe village. Visit to village museum and hydroponic gardens (learn about this model communist village recognized for how China’s growth and development was supposed to be like). Dinner in Beijing at Xiao Wang Fu Restaurant in Ritan Park.

Day 5

Monday:Breakfast at the hotel. Beijing fly to Guiyang, Guizhou Province in morning. Met at airport by OCDF’s Guiyang Staff and transfer to Howard Johnson’s 5-star Hotel. Lunch at the hotel. Afternoon visit to Huanguoshu Waterfalls (a UNESCO Natural Heritage Site – largest waterfalls in China). Enjoy a Guizhou-style Foot Massage. Dinner at local restaurant to try some local Guizhou cuisine including local-style noodles. Swim time at the hotel.

Day 6

Tuesday: Breakfast at the hotel. Guiyang to the minority villages of the region by tour bus with overnight in Kaili at the top local hotel. Visit to Batik-making, stop at small villages, interact with the village artisans, chance to see local dancing and minority music. Photography of people in native attire and picturesque scenery abounds. Lunch and dinner included at local restaurants or hotel.

Day 7

Wednesday: Breakfast at the hotel. From Kaili travel by tour bus to the Miao and Dong villages with evening return to Guiyang to Howard Johnsons Hotel. Lunch and dinner included.

Day 8

Thursday: Breakfast at the hotel. Fly from Guiyang to Kunming, Yunnan Province in am. Met in Kunming by OCDF Kunming Staff and transfer to 5-star hotel. Lunch included at a local restaurant – try some Yunnan-style cuisine. Afternoon visit to the Minorities Culture Museum to learn about the 26 ethnic minorities living in Yunnan Province. Dinner in Kunming with local show included.

Day 9

Friday: Breakfast at the hotel. Daytrip from Kunming to the Stone Forest. Lunch and dinner included at local restaurants. Fly to LiJiang in the evening. Met by local LiJiang guide and transfer to the LiJiang Grand Hotel.

Day 10

Saturday: Breakfast at the hotel. LiJiang Sightseeing – morning (depart hotel around 11 am) – walking tour of Old LiJiang. Lunch at a local restaurant. Afternoon visit the Dongba Museum and then a Naxi Village to see their Batik-making. Dinner at the hotel. Naxi music show in evening.

Day 11

Sunday: Breakfast at the hotel. Morning free time in LiJiang Old Town. Lunch on your own. Afternoon tour to Jade Snow Dragon Mountain. Take the chair-lift to the visit the Meadows area where local minorities provide dancing and other local entertainment. Return to LiJiang for dinner at a local restaurant. Evening free-time.

Day 12

Monday: Breakfast at the hotel. Fly from LiJiang to Kunming and then on to Hong Kong in the morning. Met at airport in Hong Kong by OCDF local guide. Transfer to the hotel in Kowloon. Lunch on your own. Afternoon sightseeing tour of Hong Kong – including Aberdeen Harbour and Victoria Peak. Dinner included at Victoria Peak’s Movenpick Restaurant. Return to the hotel via the Victoria Peak Tram and the Star Ferry.

Day 13

Tuesday: Breakfast at the hotel. Hong Kong Disney daytrip – Our guide will help you to take the metro to Disneyland (your entrance fee is also included). You will make their own way back to hotel by metro, bus or taxi so that you can leave the park any time you wish to do so. Meals on your own for lunch and dinner.

Day 14

Wednesday: Breakfast at the hotel. Free day in Hong Kong to explore by boat or walking or metro. Meals on your own for lunch and dinner. Suggestions – Day trip to Lantau Island to see the big Buddha and monastery. Daytrip to Macau by hydro-foil. Shopping at Stanley Market (it’s easy to take the Star Ferry to Hong Kong Island and then the bus to Stanley or hop in a cab!). Shop throughout Kowloon including the morning Jade Market and the Temple Street Night Market. Explore the streets, cafes, and shops along the world’s longest escalator in downtown Hong Kong.

Day 15

Thursday: Breakfast at the hotel. Depart Hong Kong. Your guide will assist you with your airport transfer (included).

Options

A Add-on to orphanage at end of trip (cost varies)
B trip extension in Shanghai (cost varies)
C Join the OCDF Conference in Beijing on Adoption from China
contact jenny@ocdf.org for optional tour extension arrangements and pricing.

Tour costs: please download the 2009 tour pricing schedule (Word).
Tour dates: 2009 - July 2-July 16
2010 - July1-July 15

RT Airfare from US to China with TravNET: Check with TravNET for current prices by calling 1-800-359- 6388, or email marta.lacour@travnet.net

Chinese Visa Processing Service: www.mychinadocs.com

Questions? Please visit our OCDF China Tours FAQ page, and be sure to download all the information from our Essential Information for OCDF Travelers section (top right-hand side of every Tour page). Many of your answers can be found in those documents. Please feel free to contact the OCDF staff with any questions. We're happy to help!

Brief Background on OCDF China Tours

To asssure you a quality tour program, OCDF directs all tour programs and selects all staff that work with our groups, expatriate and Chinese staff as well as national and local tour guides. OCDF China Tours is the only travel service provider in China with 100% of staff certified in First Aid/CPR. Dr. Jane Liedtke, CEO and Founder of Our Chinese Daughters Foundation lives and works in China. She has organized and led tour groups to China for adoptive families, educators and professional groups with experience in China since 1987. OCDF began Chinese Culture Camps for adoptive families in 1996 and extended them to China in 1998. OCDF was the first organization to offer Chinese Culture programs to adoptive families via tour programs to China. We work extensively with adoptive families and orphanages throughout China to insure your family has the best experience possible upon your return to your adopted child’s birthcountry.

 Our Chinese Daughters Foundation is a non-profit organization in support of adoptive families. In addition to tours, OCDF offers many other services including China for Children Magazine, Orphan Support Projects, Summer Camps, and more!