2023 International School of Denver China Immersion Program: Yunnan
| Travel Dates: |
June 1, 2023 -
June 15, 2023
Dates are tentative
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| Group Organizer(s): |
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| WTT Contact: |
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| Program Tuition: |
$3,790 USD
Airfare not included in program tuition
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| Estimated Airfare: | $1,500 |
Important Reminders
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What to Expect
Please read through all of the information below. More details will be added as your departure draws closer.
Itinerary
We do everything possible to abide by itineraries as originally planned, but decades of experience teaches that we must be flexible in our planning. Changes to a trip’s schedule are uncommon, but Walking Tree reserves the right to make adjustments to programming in the best interest of the group.
| Day | Location | Description | Lodging |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | USA - Beijing | Today we'll depart from the US and fly to Beijing. | Airplane |
| 2 | Beijing | After crossing the international dateline, we'll arrive at Beijing International Airport in the evening. We'll settle into our accommodations in one of Beijing's oldest hutong alleyway neighborhoods dating back to the Ming dynasty. We'll have our first dinner together and rest up for our upcoming adventure! | Drum Tower Hostel or Sleepy Inn |
| 3 | Beijing | We'll begin our morning bright and early with a hutong scavenger hunt, exploring our neighborhood and soaking up Beijing's unique culture. We'll make our way to the Drum & Bell Tower Square for a demonstration of how time was kept by beating drums ancient times. We'll then hope on the subway heading towards Qianmen, the old front gate of the city wall. We'll then walk through Tiananmen Square, and reflect on the past and current significance of the events that took place there. Eventually, we'll make our way to the Forbidden City, the Chinese Imperial Palace from the Ming Dynasty to the end of the Qing Dynasty. Time allowing, we'll check out the emperor's impressive collection of elaborate mechanized clocks from all over the world at the Hall of Clocks. After a busy day, we'll spend the late afternoon in Jingshan park for sweeping views of the Forbidden City from above. After a full day, we'll enjoy a Beijing speciality: Peking Roast Duck! | Drum Tower Hostel or Sleepy Inn |
| 4 | Beijing | Today we'll visit one of the most important cultural sites on the planet: the Great Wall of China! We'll start our climb on the Wild Wall in Lotus Pond Village (taking time to get a sense of life in a rural village outside the city) and eventually connect to the restored Mutianyu section of the Great Wall. After taking as many photos as we can stand, we'll have our choice of ways to descend, either via cable car or toboggan ride. We'll enjoy lunch in smaller, family-run restaurants to get a sense of rural home-style Chinese cooking. In the evening, we'll make our way to the Hutong, a neighborhood cultural space to enjoy a traditional Chinese cooking class. | Drum Tower Hostel or Sleepy Inn |
| 5 | Beijing - Transit | After a busy first few days, we'll have a leisurely morning bopping around Beijing. We'll visit the Yonghegong Lama Temple, one of the largest and most active Buddhist temples in Beijing, or the 2008 Olympic Venues. In the afternoon, we'll board our train for Guilin and settle into our bunks for an overnight adventure & great opportunity to practice speaking Chinese with our neighboring passengers. All aboard! | Sleeper Train |
| 6 | Yangshuo, Guangxi | We'll arrive to Guilin late morning and grab a bite to eat before catching the bus to Yangshuo. Upon arrival in Yangshuo, we'll settle into the hotel and explore our home for the next few days, including an evening stroll along the Li river to see Yangshuo's famed karst peaks. When the weather conditions are right, it's like walking into a classical Chinese painting! | Faulty Towers |
| 7 | Yangshuo, Guangxi | This morning we'll have the opportunity to take fan painting lessons and then kayak along the Li River while learning about the ecology of the area and some of the environmental threats brought on by development. This night we attend a telling of traditional ghost stories before trying our hand at traditional cormorant fishing. | Faulty Towers |
| 8 | Longji, Guangxi | Today we explore the sublimely beautiful Longji Rice Terraces. Aside from staggering natural beauty and incredibly ingenious irrigation dating back as far as 700 years, we'll learn about and witness the culture and customs of some of China's ethnic minority groups which live in this area. After getting dropped off at the base of Dazhai village, we'll make a 40 minute trek up, up, up the mountain to remote Tiantou village, where we'll be spending the night in a traditional wooden Yao house. Weather permitting, we'll be sure to catch the sunset over the idyllic rolling rice terraced hills surrounding the community. For dinner, we'll enjoy local specialties of rice and chicken baked inside bamboo tubes and fresh, organic veggies from the family plots nearby. | Dragon's Den Hostel |
| 9 | Longji - Guilin, Guangxi | We'll rise before the sun and hike to an amazing sunrise viewing point. Even if it's cloudy, watching the mist clear and the clouds roll over the terraced hills is not to be missed! After breakfast, we'll make our way back to Guilin in order to catch a flight to our next destination, Kunming, which will be the jumping off point for our adventures in Yunnan province. | Kunming Upland International Hostel |
| 10 | Kunming, Yunnan | Today we explore Kunming by bicycle. In the evening, we'll say goodbye to our new friends and prepare for our second overnight train adventure, arriving in Dali the following morning. | Train |
| 11 | Dali, Yunnan | Let's eat! Today we take a cooking class to learn about a few local delicacies and visit a local market to buy our own ingredients for Xizhou baba (pizza). This afternoon we'll have time to stroll through the streets of Dali and enjoy sipping tea before a dinner of dumplings! | Dali Hotel |
| 12 | Dali, Yunnan | Today we'll enjoy a boat ride across Erhai lake, enjoying beautiful views of Cangshan mountain. We'll also check out the Three Pagodas of Chongshen temple, with over 1800 years of history, this is an important site in terms of the spread of Buddhism in the area. | Dali Hotel |
| 13 | Dali, Yunnan | Today we'll check out a traveling market frequented by the Yi minority, who live up in the mountains and come down to attend the market and buy supplies. We'll also visit Buddhist temple hidden in the rice fields! | Dali Hotel |
| 14 | Dali - Kunming, Yunnan | We'll leave early AM on the bus from Dali back to Kunming where we'll enjoy a farewell dinner & then pack-up for departure the next morning. | Kunming Hotel |
| 15 | Transit | We will travel to the airport and fly home! 再见中国！ | Your own bed, eventually! |
Accommodations
In order to provide a safe and memorable experience, we follow strict guidelines when choosing group accommodations. Walking Tree partners with hotels and guest houses which are centrally located, locally operated, clean and safe. We inspect each partner hotel to ensure they meet these standards.
Sleepy Inn
The cosmopolitan and vibrant atmosphere make this hotel a wonderful experience for our student groups. Selected for the great service, clean rooms and advantageous location, Sleepy Inn is an excellent place to relax between adventures around Beijing. Rooms and bathrooms will be exclusive to our travelers.
Kunming Upland International Hostel
Quaint and clean accommodations conveniently located in the center of Kunming. This hostel has been selected for its proximity to Green Lake and friendly staff. Free Wi-Fi access throughout the building keeps everyone feeling connected. Students will be grouped in their rooms according to gender and availability.
Group Flight
Once your flight schedule has been confirmed, the itinerary will appear here.
Walking Tree will secure a seat on the group flight for each participant unless otherwise instructed.
Travelers are responsible for checked baggage fees. Please visit the airline’s baggage webpage to learn if you should expect to pay anything.
We will provide a group manifest – complete with reservation codes and ticket numbers – to the Group Organizer/s before departure, and travelers will need to check in at the airport in order to receive their boarding pass and have documents verified. We recommend arriving no later than three hours prior to the scheduled departure, but contact your Group Organizer for specific details on exactly where and when to meet on the day of departure.
FLIGHT INTERRUPTION, DELAY OR CANCELLATION
Air travel can be unpredictable. Regardless of proper planning, there may still be instances when a flight is delayed or cancelled due to staffing shortages, weather, mechanical problems, etc. Please note that in such an event, Walking Tree Travel (WTT) is not financially responsible for unanticipated costs incurred by travelers en route. Our programs officially begin and end in the destination country, and because our staff doesn’t fly with the group, Group Organizers (the traveling faculty member/s) become the front-line advocate for the group in the event of a delay. In most cases of cancellations or delays, the airline will be the one who re-books travel or possibly arranges a hotel and food the night. Our primary role will be to keep families updated and provide support to the Group Organizer to reach a quick and effective resolution.
Host Community and Project Details
Packing List
What follows is a sample packing list that is provided as a guideline. Feel free to augment as you feel necessary. We recommend you bring a larger piece of luggage like a roller, duffel bag, or backpack, as well as a smaller backpack that you can bring on hikes, weekend excursions and shorter activities.
“Less is more” is a packing tip we encourage for all our travelers. The list below should cover everything you would need, but know yourself and what you are comfortable traveling with. We suggest bringing only as much as you would be able to carry on your own.
Finally, we recommend consulting a weather forecast for your destination.
The region of the country you will be visiting is in a lush tropical rainforest and next to the ocean and therefore humidity is omnipresent and it can take a while for clothes to dry. Keep this in mind when selecting your clothing fabric.
Most importantly, be sure to remember your PASSPORT and STUDENT ID.
CLOTHES (quantities depend on your trip length) :
- Underwear
- Socks (a mixture of good hiking socks and casual socks)
- T-shirts (some quick dry)
- Long sleeve shirt
- Long sleeve quick dry shirt (for activities under the sun such as rafting or surfing)
- Rain jacket or poncho
- Travel/athletic shorts that are breathable and light
- Comfortable/hiking/everyday pants (NOT all jeans)
- 1 nice shirt/top to be worn to more formal dinners (girls might want a skirt or something a little nicer for such occasions, boys may want to opt for a polo shirt or button up shirt with jeans)
- Durable athletic/hiking shoes with good grip
- Sandals (Chaco/Teva/Keen/Merrel sandals are great to have for water activities)
- Thick long socks (for the sand fleas)
- Bandana for work site (optional)
- A hat that can protect your neck
- Swimming suit, for surf classes a rash guard is recommended for sensitive skins
TOILETRIES: BRING THE BASIC TOILETRIES YOU NEED PLUS:
- Sunscreen (You will use a lot. Natural products/lotions are preferred over aerosol, especially for the beach)
- Mosquito repellent (non-deet/lotions are preferred to reduce environmental impact)
- Band Aids and Neosporin
- Anti-itch cream
- Hand Sanitizer
- Medication in properly marked original container. It’s important that medication travel in its original container, as customs officials have the right to confiscate it otherwise.
MISCELLANEOUS:
- Sunglasses
- Journal and pen
- Book
- Camera (digital, disposable, waterproof)
- Alarm Clock and watch
- Debit card/US Dollars (we recommend about $50-$150, depending on number of desired snacks, souvenirs, extra items etc.)
- Durable water bottle
- 1 quick-dry towel
- Flashlight/headlamp
- Batteries
- Deck of cards or other portable games
- Chinese/English dictionary
- Electrical converter and adapter
**China runs 220V, 50Hz AC electricity. A converter is only necessary if your device does not have 120-220V range.
RECOMMENDED ADDITIONAL ITEMS:
- Small luggage lock
- Portable charger (for long train ride)
- Wet wipes
- Ziplock bags
- Travel pillow
- Ear plugs
Support Team
At a minimum, one experienced Program Leader will travel on every trip. In addition to this full time leadership presence, Walking Tree has additional staff in all destinations and 24/7 support from our headquarters in Denver, Colorado. Below you’ll find the the team members involved in the preparation, planning and execution of your program.
Alena Shish
China Country Director, Program Leader
Middlebury College – B.A. in Chinese Language in Literature; Minor in French & Francophone Studies
Born in Ukraine and growing up in the United States, Alena is no stranger to thriving in different cultural environments and studying foreign languages (so far, she speaks four: English, Chinese, French, & Russian). While at Middlebury College, she had the opportunity to study in both Hangzhou, China, and Paris, France. Her time abroad inspired her to see the potential in study abroad and intercultural exchange for personal growth and cross-cultural understanding. Having fallen in love with the Chinese language, food, and culture while abroad, after graduation, she moved to Shenzhen, China to help Chinese high schools students through the US university application process. Since then, she’s also traveled around Russia, Israel, East Asia and all over China. So far, she’s been to 19 provinces, 4 municipalities, and 2 administrative regions in mainland China. When she’s not hiking or spending time reading, she’s obsessively baidu-ing (the Chinese Google) new Chinese slang, new Chinese dishes to try, or new places to explore in China. She’s excited to see to share her love of China, Chinese language, and travel with all her trip participants.
Emory University – B.A. Sociology and minor in Latin American History
Luke’s path to student travel began in Mexico, during a year abroad in Mexico and Central America. This formative time led him to join an international volunteer program which, after graduating from college, sent him to the small village of San Gerardo de Rivas in south-central Costa Rica. Welcomed by the loveliest of host families, his experience in this tiny town is directly connected to the beginnings of Walking Tree five years later. His love for travel still burns bright, and today he’s lucky to have a wife and daughter who are equally passionate about exploring the world. Settled in Denver, he adores his family and colleagues, skies whenever possible, and is a devoted fan of all Colorado sports teams.
Group Roster
Below is a list of the travelers enrolled on the program.
Blog and Communication
During travel we work hard to keep families updated as frequently as possible with blog posts and photos, giving you peace of mind that your traveler is safe and thriving on their program. Students regularly contribute to these posts, providing families back home a great way to vicariously track the progress of the trip. You will be notified when the first update is posted, after which we recommend checking in regularly via the black “Program Blog” button at the top of this webpage.
Assuming your school allows the use of cell phones, most destinations are wired enough to allow participants access WiFi at different moments in the program, allowing them to communicate directly with home. Ask your Walking Tree representative about the degree of connectivity on your program.
GLC Curriculum
Walking Tree has developed a curriculum of activities meant to help travelers get the most out of their trip before departure, during travel and after they return home. These simple and engaging activities are meant to spark discussion, frame experiences, and prepare participants to travel ethically and effectively both on this trip and on future adventures.For more information about student learning objectives and the format of the curriculum, click on the ‘learn more’ button below.
To view and complete the Pre-Program Activities, visit our online portal at the button below.
Standards of Behavior
In order to run a safe and successful program, it is vital that travelers are prepared to be on their best behavior and bring enthusiasm and interest to each and every day. A communal atmosphere of trust and mutual respect is the foundational. As such, all individuals participating on a Walking Tree program are required to take responsibility for their actions and adhere to a high standard of personal conduct.
IMMEDIATE DISMISSAL
- Possessing, consuming or distributing alcohol or illegal drugs.
- Associating with participants while they are in possession of alcohol or illegal drugs.
- Behaving in a way that consistently damages the group dynamic or jeopardizes personal or group safety. This includes consistently displaying a negative attitude, intimidating or excluding other participants, sneaking out, disobeying group leaders, and any other behavior that is not conducive to an atmosphere of trust and mutual respect.
GROUNDS FOR DISMISSAL OR IN-COUNTRY CONSEQUENCE
- Getting a piercing or tattoo.
- Stealing, or deliberately damaging or defacing any personal property, buildings or materials.
- Threatening physical or emotional harm, or brandishing a weapon.
- Possessing, consuming, or distributing tobacco or nicotine, including vape pens.
- Riding mopeds, motorcycles, or any other type of unauthorized vehicle.
- Being out of designated area or accommodations after curfew.
- Breaking group rules.
These standards of behavior are essential for the successful completion of your program. Please take the time to review these as a family and make sure everyone understands and agrees to them.
Health and Safety
We strongly recommend visiting the CDC China website to get the most updated information on health and vaccination considerations in your destination country. In addition, we encourage you to consult your personal family physician so you can be as informed as possible when making important decisions about vaccinations and other necessary health-related preparations before traveling.
Our in-country staff meticulously prepare for all programs. Walking Tree receives regular updates from the U.S. Department of State’s Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) to proactively stay ahead of any potential security concerns. Our in-country staff also verify the safety records of our partner organizations, vendors, and transportation providers, thoroughly vet homestay families through in-depth interviews and visits, and stay informed about important current events in the region.
Program Leaders are seasoned travelers who are CPR and First Aid certified, undergo thorough training in crisis management, and participate in comprehensive leadership training. We do our best to prepare for any eventuality and have detailed emergency protocols for our leaders, in-country staff, and U.S.-based staff.
We collect medical disclosures from all participants to ensure we can meet every student’s needs during the program. Please inform us immediately of any additional health issues not listed during your initial registration process. Leaders and in-country staff are prepared to respond promptly to any mental, physical, or emotional health concerns and follow comprehensive emergency protocols.
Insurance
While we work hard to ensure the safest experience possible for our travelers on program, experience teaches that travel can be unpredictable. For this reason, we recommend that all travelers consider a travel insurance policy with a Cancel for Any Reason (CFAR) provision. Detailed explanations of plan options can be found via the link below.
To provide travelers and families with a quality option, Walking Tree has partnered with Travel Insured International, one of the most respected providers in the industry. Begin by getting a quote here.
IMPORTANT NOTE: in order to secure coverage that includes CFAR, you must purchase the plan within 14-21 days of your first payment to Walking Tree. Be careful when you read the tenets of the policy to ensure you understand the required timeframe for purchase. You must also insure 100% of your trip cost, so program tuition + flight. Please reach out to us with questions.