Expérience de volontariat à Dujiangyan ou Wolong Panda Base

Our panda experience with our guide and English interpreter Danielle was amazing. She and the driver Mrs Wu picked us up in a beautiful and very comfortable SUV and drove us to the Wolong base - about 1hr 40mins away. , arriving just before it opened at 9am. Once we arrived, we checked in (Danielle handled all of our paperwork) and locked our belongings in a large locker at the center. We changed into oversized blue overalls and had about 40mins to explore some of the panda habitats - about .300, and as of all ages. Back to the main center guide who then escorted our group (~12 tourists - all with interpreters) to the back of the habitats where we went inside and saw the keepers feed a panda with bamboo shoots, carrots and panda cake. Every member of the group then had an opportunity to break bamboo cane. More time to see the remaining panda habitats, check out a small gift shop and grab a coffee or panda ice-cream! Back to the center for lunch - a traditional buffet style meal - nothing fancy - rice, beans and pork in sauce, egg/tomato, followed by water melon. Bring your own drink as they don’t provide one. After lunch we headed upstairs to chop leaves into very small pieces for the older pandas, (their teeth don’t allow them to eat bamboo any more). We watched a documentary on pandas by National Geographic in English - the journey home. Then we made panda cakes - forming all sorts of shapes! Finally we were all given a certificate, and gift bag. It was an incredible experience - highly recommended if you love pandas!! And our guide Danielle couldn’t have been more gracious, helpful and informative.

Overall a great experience and we enjoyed it very much. Note that there is little in terms of getting closer to the pandas than any normal visitor to the panda base. You need to want to do the work to feel like you’ve contributed to the pandas. We walked around the Dujiangyan with a member of staff who was very passionate and informative about the individual pandas and their lives. The guide was great at taking photos of us and sending them over. The company was excellent in getting in touch in advance and was very flexible with planning. The car journey was very comfortable and we were picked up at the hotel door as planned. It is a high price point so make sure you’re keen and get the most from the day. The guide was very helpful in this regard. The price seems to reflect how well organised the guide company is and their ability to flex and deliver on their commitments.

Overall experience is ok. Our transport bus is small and old. Molly was our guide, majority of the time she worked as interpreter. After entering the base, we were led by the base staff/guide, the staff was the one walked us around base and introduced all the pandas to us. We only had one chance to be like two feet close to a panda, during the time panda nanny fed panda, about 10 minutes. NO cellphone allowed!!! After that, we were guided to another room and helped smash bamboos. The last part of volunteer was cutting off bamboo leaves for senior pandas. Our kids did learn a lot of knowledges about pandas. For education purpose, this volunteer activity is good for kids. But for the price we paid, this activity is definitely overpriced. I would not recommand this vendor to anyone else, because there are some identical volunteer activities only cost half of the price on viator. Please do your own homework on viator and will save your fortune.

All I can say is WOW. I originally had booked with another company, but they canceled my reservation without explanation, which prompted me to book this tour. I must say that I could not be happier with the experience. We were picked up at our hotel on time in a Mercedes sedan, so it felt luxurious. Andie was our tour guide, and she was terrific. She spoke perfect English and was incredibly knowledgeable about the history and culture of Chengdu—and pandas! She loved the pandas as much as my daughter and knew many interesting facts. The drive itself felt fast because the conversations were engaging. We loved prepping food for the pandas and watching them feed up close—so close that I was an arm's length away from the panda. The documentary we had to watch was interesting, and it was amazing to see just how much the pandas are loved and well cared for. To top it all off, Andie and our driver went above and beyond on our way back to Chengdu. My daughter was obsessed about these egg crepes, which are well-known street foods that we had learned about from YouTube. Andie made sure that we found a vendor that was one of the best in the city. Needless to say, my 13-year old was super happy. I highly recommend this tour company and our guide Andie. It was an unforgettable experience.

We had Robert as our guide tour and he was amazing. Super friendly, very well knowledgeable and patient. We customized our entire tour to our preferences. He always asked us if we need something or had any questions. The experience was amazing to be so close to so many pandas and to learn many things about it. It's a tour I highly recommend and if you are lucky to get Robert, you won't be disappointed.

The vehicle was very comfortable to ride. They were great at communicating before the experience and arrived on time to take us for the day. Our guide was very sweet and super knowledgeable about the pandas and the habitat. Her English was excellent. We were well taken care of and enjoyed the day very much ! Don’t worry you do not work but have a lot of fun !