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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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Red Couch Reunion Tour

Start from: $1799.00 per adult & $1439.00 per child

Come and join this memorable 2010 tour! It's one that is sure to delight your heart as you take a stroll down memory lane. Your family has the chance to see China's cultural treasures of the Great Wall, Panda Breeding and Research Center as well as the Terra Cotta Horses and Warriors Museum. In addition, there is a customized program prepared for adoptive families visiting the White Swan before its one year renovation project closure. Lotus and the White Swan have crafted a uniquely memorable program to honor adoptive families as they return for a visit to update many adoption trip photos. The specially planned evening at the White Swan includes a program filled with memories, unique history as well as a "one of a kind" silent auction of unique items. It is definitely another "trip of lifetime" and a trip that is sure to delight! Email Louie Yi at louie@lotustours.net for more details today!

Tour Overview

Tour Code: LY-RCRT10-1218

Trip Duration: 14days/13 nights

Tour Price/Accommodations

Beijing, Xian, Chengdu, Guangzhou

Departure Dates: December 18, 2010

Day 1 : Dec-18-10 Saturday U.S./Beijing

meals: N/A

Leave U.S. for Beijing today.

Day 2 : Dec-19-10 Sunday Beijing

meals: N/A

Arrive at the Beijing International Airport. Your private English-speaking guide and driver will take you to your hotel. Soak in your child's birth country while you adjust to your new time zone and surroundings.

Day 3 : Dec-20-10 Monday 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. After a bowl of fresh hot noodles for lunch, you will visit the major 2008 Olympic Venues including the National Stadiums - "Bird's Nest" and the National Aquatics Center - "Watercube" in the afternoon.

Day 4 : Dec-21-10 Tuesday Beijing

meals: B/L

Begin your day with a tour at the Great Wall. Constructed more than 2,000 years ago by China's first emperor, the ancient wall is 6,350 km or about 4,000 miles in length. As an optional program at night, you can enjoy either a Kungfu or acrobatics show.

Day 5 : Dec-22-10 Wednesday Beijing/Xian

meals: B/L/D

This morning explore the fascinating Hutong neighborhoods. Beijing's oldest Hutongs (alleys) were constructed during the Yuan, Ming and Qing dynasties. Your tour will take you through some of the best-preserved Hutong neighborhoods that 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 to construct your own kites under professional instruction. In the afternoon, visit China's largest temple and altar-the Temple of Heaven, which is often depicted as the most recognizable symbol of China. Then relax and fly your handmade kites with the others at the Temple of Heaven.
This evening, get onboard a luxury express train for your overnight journey to Xian. Beijing/Xian Soft Sleeper Train Z19(9:24P/8:25A + 1 day)(Your tour guide has tickets)

Day 6 : Dec-23-10 Thursday Xian

meals: 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 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. Enjoy the traditional puppet show in the GaoJia Courtyard. Your children can practice with-the puppets after the show.

Day 7 : Dec-24-10 Friday Xian

meals: B/L

Embark on an amazing historical and cultural adventure today, beginning 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 have worn away and revealed their original earthy color. Learn to make JiaoZi (traditional Chinese dumplings) in a local restaurant and have a JiaoZi lunch there. In afternoon you will get on top the 950-year-old city wall and ride a bike; be sure to enjoy the panoramic view. Built during the early Ming Dynasty with a core of mud and covered by three layers of bricks, Xian's city wall is the only city wall that remained intact in China today.

Day 8 : Dec-25-10 Saturday Xian/Chengdu

meals: B/L/D

After breakfast, your local guide and driver will transfer you to Xian Airport for trip to Chengdu.
Xian/Chengdu CZ6433(10:45A/11:55A) (Your local guide has tickets)
Please meet your local guide and driver at the Chengdu airport exit for transfer to the hotel. You will visit the People's Park Tea House in the afternoon. Enjoy a traditional Chinese hot pot as your Christmas Dinner in Chengdu tonight.

Day 9 : Dec-26-10 Sunday Chengdu/Province

meals: B/L

Embark on an extraordinary journey to the Panda Breeding Research Base this morning. A professional panda caregiver will give a brief insight into 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 JinLi Old Town in afternoon.
Notes: When you tour the Panda Reserve Center, you will receive an introduction to panda research at the reserve followed by the opportunity to meet and hold a baby panda. Please note that the cost of holding the panda and taking a picture with one is an additional fee to the entrance fee. The costs are USD185.00/per person for holding a baby giant panda, and USD62.00/per person for holding a red panda. Although the pandas are cute and adorable, they may inflict accidental injuries in their playful nature.

Day 10 : Dec-27-10 Monday Chengdu/Province

meals: B

After your breakfast in the hotel, you will be transferred to the Chengdu Airport 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 : Dec-28-10 Tuesday Province

meals: N/A

With help of your private English-speaking tour guide and driver, you will visit the orphanage today. 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 : Dec-29-10 Wednesday Province/Guangzhou

meals: N/A

This morning take some final glimpses around your child's province to capture your special memories. After breakfast, depart for Guangzhou. Meet your local English-speaking tour guide and driver at the Guangzhou New BaiYun International Airport for transfer to the hotel. Tonight you can enjoy an evening cruise on the Pearl River as an optional program.

Day 13 : Dec-30-10 Thursday Guangzhou

meals: B/L/D

After your breakfast at riverside restaurant, update your red couch photo on the second floor and get special gift prepared by the hotel. This morning you may tour around Shamian Island: stopping at the American Consulate where you had interview, and the medical clinic where adoption medical exams are conducted and visiting the photo shop where your child's visa photo was taken. After the included Dim Sum lunch, visit the QingPing Market, Chinese herbs market in afternoon. This evening, your family is invited to participate in special after dinner dessert and celebration. This includes a program to honor adoptive families, sponsored by Lotus Travel and the GM of the White Swan. This program offers a unique gift for each adoptive child, special family tributes and a memorable visual montage. Included in the evenings' activities are a silent auction of special items from the White Swan hotel; proceeds from the auction will benefit the Guangzhou Children's Welfare Institute. Each family attending will have unique memories of their stay in the "original" White Swan hotel to end this trip.

Day 14 : Dec-31-10 Friday Guangzhou/U.S.

meals: B

Please meet your private English-speaking tour guide and driver at the hotel lobby and travel to the Guangzhou New Baiyun International Airport for your international flight back to the United States. Cross the International Dateline and arrive home on the same day.

Tour Prices:

Start from: $1799.00 per adult & $1439.00 per child 　

Accommodations:

City	Hotel	Deluxe Class	Superior Class
Beijing　.	Novotel Beijing Peace	N/A	N/A
Xian　.	Grand New World Hotel Xi'an	N/A	N/A
Chengdu　.	Tianfu Sunshine Hotel	N/A	N/A
Guangzhou　.	White Swan Hotel	N/A	N/A

Hotel Information:

Hotel	Indoor Pool	Outdoor Pool	Gym	Safe Box	Refrigerator	Hair Dryer	Kitchen
Novotel Beijing Peace	√		√	√	√	√
N/A
N/A
Grand New World Hotel Xi'an	√		√	√	√	√
N/A
N/A
Tianfu Sunshine Hotel		√	√	√	√	√
N/A
N/A
White Swan Hotel		√	√	√	√	√
N/A
N/A

Inclusions

Beijing/Xian Soft Sleeper train ticket.
Xian/Chengdu air tickets.
Airport/hotel/airport (or train station) transfer as listed on itinerary.
All listed sightseeing and tour programs with private English-speaking tour guide and private van or bus with driver.
Accommodations as stipulated on itinerary.

Exclusions

US/Beijing, and 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 December 27 - 28, and the airfare of Chengdu - Province - Guangzhou which can be arranged with extra cost by us. We have to identify your adopted child's orphanage location with enough information from you. Then we can give you more detail itinerary with extra cost for December 27 - 28.
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

Prices are quoted in US Dollars and are subject to change without notice. Please check at time of booking.
For different scheduled tour, please contact us for a price quote
All prices are quoted per person based on two people sharing a room (double occupancy). Single supplement applies for single travelers.
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 Plus Plan offered by the Travelex Insurance Company has excellent travel benefits and children 15 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/promo/visas/index.shtml
Lotus Travel offers a very affordable cell phone rental package to help you stay in touch with families while in China. Please contact our cell phone rental specialist Theresa 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.

Notes:

B = Breakfast L = Chinese Lunch D = Chinese Dinner
CA= Air China CZ=China Southern Airline MU=China Eastern Airlines

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