S E E U S O N T H E W E B AT wildlifeworldwide.com 89 Asia / China Day 6. Chongqing & Chengdu [B, L, D] Arrive into the city of Chongqing early this morning. This hilly city has historically been of strategic importance as the gateway to Sichuan Province. Transfer to the airport for your flight to Chengdu where you stay in a 4-star hotel overnight. Day 7. Wolong Nature Reserve [B, L, D] Today, drive outside the city to the wildlife reserve at Wolong. An International Biosphere Reserve, Wolong protects Giant Pandas, Golden Monkeys, Golden Langurs, Muntjac Deer and Snow Leopard. This afternoon you can visit the panda enclosures and the ecology museum before checking into the Panda Inn for one night. Hands-on Panda care Why not extend your trip to Wolong Reserve and have the chance to help out in the breeding area of the reserve. Tasks are changeable but under the guidance and supervision of Chinese zoologists you can help to feed and care for mature or baby pandas. Please ask us for further details. Day 8. Shanghai [B,L] Spend this morning in the Panda Enclosure at Wolong before heading back to Chengdu in the afternoon and flying to Shanghai later in the day. On arrival you will be transferred to a 4-star hotel for the night. Day 9. Homeward [B] Fly back to London, arriving later today. In Pursuit of Pandas 13 days London to London This trip offers an unsurpassed opportunity to track and view Giant Pandas in the Qinling Mountains in their natural habitat. Pandas live at high altitudes, are solitary, and excellent at evading human presence, yet land pressure means the threat of extinction. Viewing of wild pandas cannot of course be guaranteed, but in the research areas you will have the opportunity to experience the natural beauty and wildlife of China and to learn about panda protection first hand. An open mind and spirit of adventure are a must! You will be staying in basic hostel style accommodation in the main research areas. Days 1 & 2. Xi’an Depart on the evening flight from London to the city of Xi’an via Beijing where you will be met and taken to a 4-star hotel for two nights. Day 3. Xi’an [B, L, D] Take a day trip today to see the Terracotta Warrior museum and the outstanding History Museum of Xi’an. Day 4. Yang County [B, L, D] Drive to Yang County where you will visit the Ibis Reserve which has the only wild population of Crested Ibis in the world. Overnight at the Ibis Protection Centre. Day 5. Foping Nature Reserve [B, L, D] After early morning birding at the Ibis Reserve continue to Foping County where you visit Shaanxi Foping National Nature Reserve Bureau and Qinling Mountains Man & Nature Educational Centre to learn more about the local projects to protect wildlife. Spend the night at Foping Nature Reserve. The Qinling Mountains in Shaanxi provide a rich and diverse range of ecosystems, and the remote location ensures the survival of many rare species including Giant Panda, Golden Monkey, Takin, Crested Ibis, Golden Eagle, and Clouded Leopard. This area boasts the world’s highest density of pandas. Days 6 to 8. Foping Nature Reserve [B, L, D] Travel further into Foping Reserve where you hike through the reserve to Qinling Wild Research Centre. Your destination today will be the Sanguanmiao Research Centre where you will be based for three nights taking daily trips out with specialist naturalist guides. Days 9 & 10. Laoxiancheng Nature Reserve [B, L, D] Head to Laoxiancheng Nature Reserve where you will be based for two nights whilst you go out with specialist naturalist guides to look for wild pandas in the reserve. Day 11. Golden Monkey Reserve [B, L, D] Spend a final morning trekking for wild pandas, before departing for the Golden Monkey Reserve. Overnight at a local lodge. Day 12. Xi’an [B] Visit the Golden Monkey Reserve in the morning before returning to Xi’an for the night in a 4-star hotel. Day 13. Homeward [B] Fly to Beijing and connect with your flight to the UK, arriving later the same day. Cost per person: 1 Jan to 14 Mar, 25 to 31 Dec £1,895 15 to 31 Mar, 24 to 8 Oct, 14 to 24 Dec £2,195 1 Apr to 20 Jul £2,095 21 to 31 July £2,295 1 to 23 Aug £2,395 9 Oct to 13 Dec £2,095 Based on a shared cruise berth in a 2nd floor cabin Single supplement: Available on request What is included: Flights, meals as indicated, transfers & guided activities Accommodation: Hotels and Yangtze River boat Departure dates: Daily, throughout the year Cost per person: 1 Jan to 14 Mar, 25 to 31 Dec £2,350 15 to 31 Mar, 24 to 8 Oct, 14 to 24 Dec £2,595 1 Apr to 20 Jul £2,495 21 to 31 July £2,695 1 to 23 Aug £2,795 Oct to 13 Dec £2,495 Single supplement: Available on request What is included: Flights, meals as indicated, transfers & guided activities Accommodation: Hotels, hostels Departure dates: Daily mid March to November Other ideas Beijing The capital city boasts many historical sights. Highlights include the Forbidden City, the Summer Palace, the Great Wall and the Temple of Heaven. Shanghai A vibrant and dynamic city. Visit the historic bund, the old town quarter, tea houses and Yu Yuan gardens. Nearby, visit picturesque Suzhou, famous for it’s classical gardens, bridges, and canals. Zhalong Nature Reserve This reserve in northern China is on a major migratory route and is home to over 260 species of birds. Six of the world’s fifteen species of crane can be found here: Red-crowned, White-naped, Siberian, Hooded, Common, and Demoiselle. Yunnan The tropical rainforests of Yunnan Province are home to wild Tigers, Leopards, Elephants, and Golden-haired Monkeys. Five enormous forest reserves were created to ensure their survival. Terracotta Warriors

90 F O R R E S E R V A T I O N S C A L L U S O N 0845 130 6982 India is an eclectic mix of the old and the new, the traditional and the modern. There are few places that can stir peoples emotions like India can – you will either love it or hate it! Our view is that if you take one of our tailor-made holidays to India you will not only love it, but you will want to keep going back to re-visit places you have seen before and to cover new and exciting ground. India’s wildlife is in a class of its own and whilst in the past the lodges have not been anything much to write home about this is rapidly changing. There are superb properties located around all of the key Tiger reserves and national parks, and the city accommodation is a match for the world’s finest. So too is the level of wildlife expertise amongst the guides that we work with in India, who are now setting a standard for the world to follow. Game-viewing in India Game-viewing in India is second to none, the guides are superb and the wildlife is amongst the finest on earth. As a general rule your stay at a lodge will include a morning and afternoon game activity. This will be either a drive or ride to search for Tigers and other wildlife by open-topped jeep and possibly Elephant depending on the park. You will be accompanied by a driver and/or a guide (a mahout if you are on elephant-back) assigned by the National Park authorities. Normally jeeps can carry up to six passengers. If you wish to reserve a private vehicle and guide please enquire whether this is possible at the time of booking. Jeep & Elephant back safaris in Kanha & Bandhavgarh Local guides accompany all game-drives in Kanha and Bandhavgarh. Jeeps are free to follow their own route along tracks, using pugmarks and alarm calls as indicators of nearby predators. Every morning, three groups of Elephants and their mahouts are also out tracking. If they are successful then visitors may have the opportunity to view a Tiger from Elephant back. Tiger Shergarh Tented Camp, Kanha India