Amazing China Tel Aviv University 2015 Experiencing China Differently in Beijing, Yunnan November 8-17, 2015
DAY-BY-DAY ITINERARY Meals are provided as indicated: Breakfast (B), Lunch (L), Dinner (D) DAY LOCATION TIME ACTIVITIES BEIJING Saturday, Nov 7 Rosewood Hotel ***** Arrival Should you choose to arrive on Saturday, please know your guides will be available throughout the day to meet you at the Beijing Capital Airport Arrival Hall, and drive you by private car to the five-star Rosewood Hotel for check in. Sunday, Nov 8 Rosewood Hotel ***** 7:00-8:00 AM Energize yourself with an early morning Tai Chi lesson with a local master. 9:00 AM TAU Morning Briefing: Experiencing China through the Tel Aviv University lens. 9:30 AM-4:00 PM Antiques & Artifacts. An expert guide takes you through Beijing s bustling Panjiayuan Flea Market. It is a heaven for buying and appreciating antiques, crafts, collectibles and decorations. or The Ancient Meridian. Start at the Temple of Heaven, travel through Tiananmen Square to the Forbidden City and Coal Hill. 4:00-6:00 PM Return to the hotel. 6:00-8:00 PM Welcome Dinner.
BEIJING Monday, Nov 9 Rosewood Hotel ***** B Breakfast on your own. 9:30 AM-4:00 PM Chinese Fashion & Jewelry. Visit some of Beijing s elite high fashion and jewelry houses and their industry-leading business and creative teams. Then meet several ontheir-way-up entrepreneurs. or The Great Wall. Experience China s most famous 5500-mile-long landmark and the beautiful countryside surrounding it. 4:00-6:00 PM Return to the hotel. 6:30-9:30 PM Cocktail reception and Gala Dinner, including special guests and performances. 09:30 PM Return to the hotel.
BEIJING Tuesday, Nov 10 Rosewood Hotel ***** Breakfast on your own. 9:00 AM-12:00 PM Architecture. Explore the wonders of the modern Beijing skyline through the eyes of one of the city s most respected architectural critics. or Contemporary Art Scene. Discover Beijing s 798 district -- the heart of the art scene -- with local artists and historiaans. 12:00-1:30 PM Reconvene for classic Dim Sum Lunch. 1:30-4:30 PM Morning groups switch to take part in the alternate adventure. 5:00-7:00 PM Dinner at a local restaurant. 7:00-8:30 PM Attend a Beijing acrobatics show, characterized by feats of strength and daring performed cleverly, precisely and accurately, and extraordinary acts of balancing in motion. (optional) 08:30 PM Return to the hotel.
BEIJING >DALI Wednesday, Nov 11 The One Resort ***** 4:30 AM Transfer to Beijing Capital Airpot to take 6:35 am MU Flight #9747 to South China s historic town of Dali, in the Yunnan Province. 10:30 AM Experience the three-course tea ceremony practiced by the Bai ethnic minority. The ceremony is practiced on holidays or when treating honored guests. Transfer from Dali Airport to the five-star One Resort to check in. 12:30 PM Light lunch. 1:30-5:00 PM Stroll through the narrow alleys of the historic old town. 6:30-9:30 PM BBQ Dinner Party by the 250-square-kilometer Erhai Lake. DAY LOCATION TIME ACTIVITIES DALI Thursday, Nov 12 The One Resort ***** Breakfast on your own. 7:00-8:00 AM Walking or biking tour of Dali s Old Town and fresh food market. 9:00 AM TAU Morning Briefing 9:30 AM-4:00 PM Spend the day with businessman Faraz Maani. When he flew into Hong Kong with his wife and two children from Chile in 1988 to start his fruits import business, the city s trading environment was pretty simple. Rice paddies grew rice. Today, they re growing cherries and lemons! And Faraz is raising cows for dairy products. You ll want to learn more. 04:00 PM Return to the hotel. 06:00 PM Traditional Yunnan Welcome Feast in Dali s most authentic restaurants.
DALI > SHANGRI-LA Friday, Nov 13 Songtsam Retreat **** 8:00 AM-12:00 PM Transfer to Tiger Leaping Gorge in a private coach to enjoy one of the world s most majestic landscapes the Himalayas, the world s largest and youngest mountain range. 12:00 PM Picnic lunch. 1:00-4:30 PM Descend to the viewing point in the middle of the Gorge to witness the power of nature first hand. 04:30 PM Check in to Shangri-La s five-star Songstram Retreat. 05:30 PM Explore the cobbled streets and ancient monasteries of the Tibetan old town; and join the locals in the evening dance. 06:30 PM Shangri-La Welcome Dinner at the Retreat. The altitude in Shangri-La is 3,300 meters above sea level. Most guests will find this comfortable; but we do recommend you refrain from drinking alcohol.
SHANGRI-LA Saturday, Nov 14 Songtsam Retreat **** 7:00-8:00 AM Relax with Tibetan meditation and yoga. (optional) 9:00 AM TAU Morning Briefing. 9:30 AM-12:00 PM Stroll to the Songzanlin Monastery, the largest Tibetan Buddhist monastery in Yunnan and full of treasures golden figures of Buddha josses, golden lamps, Tibetan lections, silver censers and more, accumulated from each dynasty. 1:00-5:00 PM Visit the Tangka Academy, an NGO dedicated to preserving traditional Tibetan language and culture by empowering community members through art and music. Small rotating groups will learn the basics of Tibetan painting, calligraphy and language. 7:30-9:30 PM Traditional Hot Pot Dinner, music and dancing in the homes of a local Tibetan village. Morning activities are within walking distance of the hotel. Afternoon activities are a 5-minute drive or equivalent walk. Participation is optional. DAY LOCATION TIME ACTIVITIES SHANGRI-LA Sunday, Nov 15 Songtsam Retreat **** 5:30 AM-6:00 PM Take a day trip to Tacheng to see the endangered Yunnan Snub-nosed Monkeys in the Golden Monkey Nature Reserve. Meet Lisu Ethnic Community members to learn how logging and flooding are affecting the Mekong River. or 9:00 AM-6:00 PM Take a day trip to Dongzhulin to see the Buddhist Monastery and Nunnery -- two of the most interesting religious sites in China -- and meet their residents. 7:30-9:30 PM Tibetan Gala Dinner and Performances to celebrate your last night in Yunnan.
Monday, Nov 16 SHANGRI-LA > BEIJING Rosewood Hotel ***** LB 9:00-10:00 AM Relax with Tibetan meditation and yoga. (optional) 12:00 PM Final Lunch in Shangri-La Old Town. 1:00-3:00 PM Free time 04:00 PM Transfer to Shangri-La Airport for 5:50 PM CZ8130 flight to Beijing, which includes a 1-hour layover in Chengqing; or fly home directly. DAY LOCATION TIME ACTIVITIES Tuesday, Nov 17 BEIJING Return home or extend your trip.
WHO WE ARE About WildChina Our story began on the slopes of Tibet s Mount Kailash. The company founder and Yunnan native, Mei Zhang, found herself braving high altitudes and a harsh landscape without a guide. After completing the kora (pilgrimage route) and spending the night in an abandoned guesthouse, she awoke to beautiful snowcapped mountains alight with the sunrise. The breathtaking view brought Mei a deep sense of fulfillment yet she stood alone and exhausted from her journey. Disappointed by how little support was available for travelers looking to get off the beaten path in China, Mei was inspired to start her own business dedicated to offering high-end, stress-free and responsible travel to China s most remote and unique destinations. Her prescient insight became the company motto: Experience China Differently WildChina does not partipate in shopping commission schemes, or organize shoppoing as part of our programs. Guests may choose to purchase items or not, in the knowledge that no third parties are involved.