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Our five nights at Guilin Ming Garden were great as well! It is certainly our favorite place in China. The apartment is remodeled, extremely clean and has a great view; having internet access is a nice touch and there is plenty of room for our entire family. After a long day of fun, it was relaxing to come home to delicious home cooked meals prepared by our nanny Mrs Huang.She made us feel right at home with her traditional Cantonese home cooked dinners: her normal dinner consist of soup, two meat dishes and two vegetable dishes; very much like the meals our Cantonese parents made for us when we were younger and the meals had brought back fond memories.

-Helen Lee

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Orphanage Reunion Tour C

This tour starts and ends in two different cities with claims to the title: "Largest". Beijing has the largest geographical area and Shanghai has the largest population. The trips to your child's province on days 8-10 are customized according to your preferences and price is determined accordingly. Contact Louie at louie@lotustours.net today for questions and to get started today!

Tour Overview

Tour Code: HHT-ORT-C

Trip Duration: 14 days/13 nights

Tour Price/Accommodations

Beijing, Xian, Chengdu, Shanghai

Departure Dates: 2010: Every Sunday

Day 1 : US/Beijing

meals: N/A

Begin your tour to China's most popular historical sites and cities today when you depart from the US gateway city for Beijing.

Day 2 : Beijing

meals: N/A

Arrive at the Beijing International Airport. Your private English-speaking guide and driver will bring you to the hotel upon your arrival. Have a good rest tonight and soak in the arrival to your child's birth country while you adjust to your new time zone and surroundings.

Day 3 : Beijing

meals: B/L

Begin your day with a tour at the Forbidden City. Listed as a world heritage site in 1987, the Forbidden City contains the largest group of intact palace structures in the world. The palace is 720,000 square meters in size and contains 9,999 rooms, numerous pavilions, gardens and courtyards. Then visit the Tiananmen Square. Noted as the largest city square in the world, the square was initially designed for political rallies and important gala events. Today the square is flanked by the Forbidden City in the north, the Great Hall of the People in the west, Mao TseTung's Mausoleum in the south and the Museum of Chinese Revolution and the Museum of Chinese History in the east. This afternoon, stop by at the major 2008 Olympic Venues including the National Stadiums - "Bird's Nest", the National Aquatics Center - "Watercube" on the way to the imperial gardens of the Summer Palace. The palace was originally built in 1750 and was rebuilt in 1886. Located in the western outskirts of the city, the Summer Palace is the leading classical garden in China and a UNESCO world heritage site.

Day 4 : Beijing

meals: B/L

Visit the UNESCO world heritage site today. Begin your day with a tour at the MuTianYu section of the Great Wall. Constructed more than 2,000 years ago by China's first emperor, the ancient wall is the world's longest man-made structure at approximately 4,000 miles in length.

Day 5 : Beijing/Xian

meals: B/L/D

Explore the fascinating Hutong neighborhoods. Beijing's oldest Hutongs were constructed during the Yuan, Ming and Qing dynasties. Your tour will take you through some of the best-preserved Hutong neighborhoods, which represented the history, culture and lifestyle of old Beijing. After a special homemade lunch at a local family residence in the Hutong Lane area, your family can learn how to make your own kites under professional instructions, and then fly your handmade kites with others at the Temple of Heaven which is China's largest temple and altar. It is often regarded as the most recognizable symbol of China. Early this evening, get onboard a luxury express train for your overnight journey to Xian.

Day 6 : Xian

meals: B/L

Arrive early this morning in China's ancient capital city of Xian. Known as ChangAn in ancient times, Xian was the capital city of China for 1,062 years (13 dynasties and under the reign of 73 different emperors); visit the Shaanxi Provincial History Museum for an in-depth look at China's extensive history with more than 2,000 items on exhibit. In the afternoon, get on top the 950-year-old city wall and ride a bike; be sure to enjoy the panoramic view of the city. Built during the early Ming Dynasty with a core of mud covered by three layers of bricks, it is the only city wall to remain intact in China today.

Day 7 : Xian

meals: B/L

Embark on an amazing historical and cultural adventure today and begin with an exploration at the Terracotta Warriors and Horses Museum, where you will find lifelike terracotta soldiers, horses, chariots and weapons created more than 2,000 years ago to guard the first emperor's tomb. Their vibrant painted details worn away during weathering, thus revealing their original earthy color. Learn to make JiaoZi (traditional Chinese dumplings) in a local restaurant and have JiaoZi lunch there. This evening, relax and unwind. Enjoy recording your experiences of the day in a journal or just lounging in your fine hotel room.

Day 8 : Xian/Chengdu

meals: B/L

Wrap up your amazing experiences in Xian and be prepared for your new wonderful adventures while you fly to Chengdu; have your cameras ready to capture all the precious moments! After lunch, visit the Chengdu Children's Palace where you could learn the basic techniques of Chinese calligraphy and landscape painting; certainly a fun activity for both adults and children.

Day 9 : Chengdu

meals: B/L

Embark on an extraordinary journey to the Panda Breeding Research Base this morning. A professional panda caregiver will give you a brief insight of the panda research findings and everyone will have the rare opportunity to hold and hug a baby panda; something everyone in the family is sure to enjoy. After lunch, visit the fascinating SanXingDui Museum. Little is known about the mysterious cultural and religious beliefs of the people of SanXingDui, yet visitors can gain a sense of the culture through intriguing displays of ancient and rare artifacts used in daily life and religious ceremonies.

Day 10 : Chengdu/Province

meals: B

Depart Chengdu and travel to the capital city of the designated province for an orphanage visit. Lotus guides will sensitively and carefully assist your family as you embark on this most meaningful portion of your return trip. On this initial day of the city visit, one can spend time strolling the area and absorbing a sense of the city and locale.

Day 11 : Province

meals: N/A

Your orphanage visitation typically includes a lunch meeting with the orphanage director and staff. If your family wishes to be in touch with the foster family, Lotus can also arrange a time for you to reunite if contact information is available. After lunch, you may explore your child's finding site. Record the day's events in your journal or just relax with your family this evening.

Day 12 : Province/Shanghai

meals: N/A

This morning take some final glimpses around your child's province to capture your special memories. After breakfast, depart for Shanghai.

Day 13 : Shanghai

meals: B/L

Begin your adventure with a relaxing walk along the Bund near the Huang Pu River. Then visit the Yu Yuan Garden and enjoy its intricately designed pathways, pavilions, koi stocked pools and quiet courtyards; then pass by the shops and restaurants in YuYuan Bazaar on your way to lunch. In the afternoon, visit the Jade Buddha (Yufo) Temple. As you enter the temple grounds, you might hear prayers of the monks and glimpse the smoke of incense curling toward the sky.

Day 14 : Shanghai/US

meals: B

Meet your private English-speaking tour guide and driver at the hotel lobby and travel to the Shanghai Pudong Airport for your international flight back to the United States. Cross the International Dateline and arrive home on the same day.

Tour Prices:

Valid: Jan 01, 2010- March 31, 2011

	1 Person	2-5 Persons	6-9 Persons	10 Persons	Hotel Single Supplement
Standard Class	/	$1399.00	$1199.00	/	$230.00
Deluxe Class	/	$1799.00	$1550.00	/	$570.00
Superior Class	/	$2050.00	$1799.00	/	$790.00

Note: child price is 80% of adult price.

Accommodations:

City	Standard Class	Deluxe Class	Superior Class
Beijing　.	Home Inn Beijing Tiantan	Gloria Plaza Hotel	Nikko New Century hotel Beijing
Xian　.	Home Inn Rujia Tumen	Grand New World Hotel Xi'an	Sheraton Xian Hotel
Chengdu　.	Home Inn Rujia Chengdu Zhengfu	Tianfu Sunshine Hotel	Sheraton Chengdu Lido Hotel
Shanghai　.	Home Inn Shanghai Ouyang Road	Holiday Inn Vista Shanghai	Huating Hotel & Towers Shanghai

Hotel Information:

Hotel	Indoor Pool	Outdoor Pool	Gym	Safe Box	Refrigerator	Hair Dryer	Kitchen
Home Inn Beijing Tiantan
Gloria Plaza Hotel	√		√	√	√	√
Nikko New Century hotel Beijing	√		√	√	√	√
Home Inn Rujia Tumen
Grand New World Hotel Xi'an	√		√	√	√	√
Sheraton Xian Hotel	√		√	√	√	√
Home Inn Rujia Chengdu Zhengfu
Tianfu Sunshine Hotel		√	√	√	√	√
Sheraton Chengdu Lido Hotel	√
Home Inn Shanghai Ouyang Road
Holiday Inn Vista Shanghai	√		√	√	√	√
Huating Hotel & Towers Shanghai		√

Inclusions

Beijing/Xian soft sleeper train tickets
Airfare of Xian/Chengdu
Airport/hotel/airport (or train station) transfer as listed on itinerary
Tour price includes hotel accommodations, sightseeing and meals as noted in the itinerary, intra-China airfare, private transfers and ground transportation, and the services of an English- speaking guide and driver.
Hotels and meals as stipulated on itinerary
All prices are quoted in US Dollars and are subject to change without notice. Please check at time of booking
All prices are quoted per person based on two people sharing a room (double occupancy). Single supplement applies for single travelers

Exclusions

US/Beijing, Guangzhou/US international airfare. Please contact us for discount international airfare starting from your city
Passport and/or China Visa Fees
Some meals
Tips to guides and drivers
Expenses of a personal nature
Provincial Civil Affair Bureau orphanage visit filing fee
Side trips to the designated provinces on Day 10 - 12 and the airfare of Chengdu - province city - Shanghai which can be arranged with extra cost by us
The cost of holding the panda and taking a picture is additional to the entry fee. The costs are USD185.00/per person for holding a baby panda. Although the Pandas are cute and adorable, they may inflict accidental injuries in their playful nature

Important Remarks

For different scheduled tour, please contact us for a price quote
All prices are quoted in US dollars, per person, based on two people sharing a room (double occupancy)
A child has to be 11 years old or under on the last day of the tour to receive a discount.
Twin beds in China hotels, about 50 inches wide, are closer in width to the 54" double size beds in the U.S., and much wider than the 39 inches wide twin beds found in U.S. homes.
A soft sleeper train compartment is equipped with two bunk beds and sleeps four. If there are less than four people in your party, Lotus Travel highly recommends purchasing the extra seats in the compartment to ensure privacy.
If your itinerary states "free time" or "free day", no activities would be planned for you and your English-speaking tour guide and driver would not be present.
Lotus Travel highly recommends clients to purchase travel insurance. The Travel Select Plan offered by the Travelex Insurance Company has excellent travel benefits and children 18 and under are free of charge when traveling with an adult.
A Chinese visa issued at the Chinese Consulate in Los Angeles is good for 6 months. We recommend applying for travel visas at least two months before your departure. For detailed information, please visit the Web page at http://www.lotustours.net/visas/china.shtml
Lotus Travel offers a very affordable cell phone rental package to help you stay in touch with families while in China. Please contact us at 1-800-956-8873 or email us at info@lotustours.net for more details.
A $500.00 per person non-refundable deposit is due at the time of registration.
Balance is due 60 days before departure.

To review full listing of terms and conditions, refer to: http://www.lotustours.net/info/terms.shtml