3 . How to Plan a Panda Tour

There are many places to see lovely giant pandas in China. But the four panda bases around Chengdu are the best places to see giant pandas. Which one is best for you depends on how much time you have and what kind of experience you want to have.

If you just want to see giant pandas, we recommend you go to Chengdu Panda Breeding and Research Base. You can see pandas at all different ages from the oldest to the newborns. This base is huge but usually crowded. You can finish your trip in one day.

If you want a deeper panda experience, there are three recommended activities.

Join in a Panda Volunteer Program

Giant panda volunteer programs are available in three panda bases. Dujiangyan is the best place for a one-day program. If you want a less crowded environment, consider Wolong and Bifengxia, though they require 2 and 3 days respectively. Your work would include weighing and cleaning bamboo, making cakes for pandas, watching pandas being fed, and cleaning pandas’ enclosures (围栏).

Join in a Red Panda Volunteer Program

Unlike with giant pandas, you can have a zero-distance encounter with red pandas—you can feed a group of them without a fence in between. If you are interested in red pandas, you can join in our red panda volunteer program.

Hike Into the Habitat of Wild Pandas

If you are a lover of pandas and outdoor activity as well, consider having a hike in wild panda habitat in Wolong. Go panda tracking, and see if you will be lucky enough to see a wild panda.

4 . A series of trains between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day add extra fun, especially for families. Here are four holiday trips to celebrate the season. All aboard!

Cascade Canyon Winter Train

This memorable five-hour steam (蒸汽) train ride takes passengers through the snowy ops of the Rockies and remote wilderness of San Juan National Forest. Enjoy a fireside lunch or a hike along the picture-like Animus River during your hour-long stop.

Aurora Winter Train

This seasonal train heads north from Anchorage to Denali, America’s highest mountain. You can stop after three hours at Talkeetna to ski down the mountain or continue on for another nine hours to Fairbanks for some breathtaking northern lights viewing. Trains leave every Saturday morning, with return trips every Sunday.

Amtrak California Zephyr

Long-distance train trippers love the Zephyr in any season, but winter adds the attraction of pretty snow outside the window as you go over the Rockies. Departing daily all winter from both Chicago and San Francisco, the 51-hour journey offers hotel-level service in a bedroom with a private bathroom and shower. Or, break up the trip with stops to sleep and ski in Denver or Salt Lake City.

The Polar Express

The Polar Express, a Caldecott Medal-winning children’s book and Tom Hanks’ movie, is re-created in 40 Polar Express rides in 24 states, putting more than a million annual passengers in train seats. The story is read and performed by onboard actors, while Santa and dancing chefs who serve hot chocolate and treats add to the fun on the way to the “North Pole”. Most of the rides will take you to scenic places like the Grand Canyon, Mount Rainier, and the Catskills.

5 . The attraction of an African safari is unparalleled. Here are four ways to experience your trip.

Hot—air balloon safari in Pilanesberg, South Africa

This is the only hot-air balloon safari to launch from inside a park in South Africa. You’ll spot the ‘big five’ (lion, elephant, buffalo, rhinoceros and leopard) among the 7,000 creatures in Pilanesberg in a hot-air balloon and get a bird’s eye view of their behaviour.

A five-night stay at the Palace of The Lost City, includes a hot-air balloon safari, breakfast, return economy flights. From £2,595 per person, based on two adults sharing.

Horse safari in Chyulu Hills, Kenya

At ol Donyo Lodge in the Chyulu Hills, you’ll find a stable of 22 horses, including calm and hardy Boerperds for beginners (aged 12 and above) and a selection of thoroughbreds for the intermediate and advanced.

A seven-night stay at Great Plains ol Donyo Lodge, with daily horse safaris, starts at £7,700 per person, excluding flights.

Sleep out in Onguma, Namibia

The Namibia’s vast Etosha National Park has five lodges, two campsites and 34,000 hectares of wilderness — and offers the opportunity to sleep under the stars on a custom-built Dream Cruiser.

Rainbow Tours offers a six-night trip from £5,595 per person including the unique Dream Cruiser experience, international flights and internal transfers.

Walking safari in Mana Pools, Zimbabwe

You can go off the beaten track to places almost untouched by human activity. 70% of the Mana Pools National Park is accessible only on foot, so the animals are used to seeing people and are more relaxed than when approached by vehicles. If you’re lucky, you might get to spot Boswell, the park’s most famous elephant.

A seven-day safari costs from £7,700 per person. Flights can be arranged at an additional cost.

7 . New Zealand’s towering mountains, temperate rainforests and remote river valleys all fueled Sir Peter Jackson’s creative spirit when he was crafting (精心制作) the well-known films The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit film trilogies. Let’s explore New Zealand, the real Middle-earth.

Start in Hobbiton

The journey starts from the exciting urban center of Auckland to Matamata—the home of the Hobbiton Movie Set. Your knowledgeable guide will help you fully understand the history and the on-location filming processes around The Shire.

Journey to Mordor

Experience wilderness in Tongariro National Park—an area known for its mountainous, desolate (荒凉的) beauty. This region was used as the location for some of the filming of Mordor in The Lord of the Rings trilogy.

Stand among the greenest of forests

Dewy (带露水的) scenery and natural spectacles (壮观的景象) are New Zealand’s biggest draw-cards and a sure reason why the country was chosen as the home of Middle-earth. Explore this magical world of tall trees, clear rivers and sweet bird songs on a short walk or famous multi-day hike. From Cape Reinga all the way down to Bluff there are national parks covering the country.

Discover Earnslaw Burn and the Misty Mountains Pathway

One of the most magical locations in The Hobbit trilogy is Earnslaw Burn. Here you will find sheer (陡峭的) walls of granite (花岗岩) rising 800 meters from the basin floor, and a glacier (冰川) creating a number of waterfalls from its meltwater that spill down from the cliff-tops.

8 . The Ultimate Guide to Sussex

Sussex offers beautiful countryside, charming seaside towns and some of the best vineyards (葡萄园) in the UK. Plan your Sussex getaway with our ultimate guide.

Monk’s House

Put your National Trust membership to good use with a visit to Monk’s House purchased by Virginia and her husband Leonard Woolf in 1919. Virginia wrote many of her most celebrated works at the house, including the essay A Room of One’s Own. Admire the weather-boarded cottage’s beautiful antiques, seemingly untouched since 1969, when Leonard died.

Beachy Head

Come to Beachy Head and you’ll be greeted by one of the most splendid coastal stretches in all of Britain. It offers superb views of Eastbourne and the English Channel from 530 feet above the water. Spring through autumn are the best times to visit. Look out for the Beachy Head Marathon, which takes place every October. There’s a pay and display car park, a pub, toilet facilities and, during summer, the welcome sight of an ice-cream truck.

The Long Man of Wilmington

On the grassy ground of Windover Hill—a 235-foot figure known as the Long Man has been here for centuries. Archaeological researchers believe The Long Man of Wilmington actually dates to around the 16th century. If you’re feeling active, hike from The Long Man of Wilmington to East Sussex’s other chalk-carved figure, the Litlington White Horse.

Lewes

This town is just the right size to explore in a day, though do consider staying overnight to make good use of the local restaurants, pubs and wine bars. Lewes is one of the best places to shop in Sussex with a delightful mix of independent, antique and high street brands. If you’re visiting during summer, pack your bathers for a visit to Pells Pool, the oldest known freshwater swimming pool in the UK. You’ll need to pre-book a session.

In the 12th century, the Southern Song Dynasty moved its capital to Lin’an. Near Lin’an, on the banks of Lake Tai is the city of Suzhou. Given its location near the capital and its     1     (nature) beauty, Suzhou became a preferred place     2     (live). Thus, there were over 300 gardens     3     (build) here, and more than 60 are still in     4     (exist).

Among these gardens, the Humble Administrator’s Garden (Zhuozheng Yuan) is the largest and the most famous, and water pools take up     5     third of its area.     6     (surround) the water pools is a luxuriant (繁茂的) group of flowers, plants, and trees, all carefully chosen according to the way their seasonal colors reflect off the sparkling water below. As is typical of Suzhou gardens, this garden     7     (separate) into different sections, offering various kinds of spaces     8     diverse shapes and sizes that represent different moods and feelings.

Since it is such a large garden, no simple description of the garden will do.     9     you have to do is to walk among the water and plants, enjoy every moment,     10     find your own treasures depending on your mood that day.