China Journeys
China Ties- Our Flagship Program
June 26-July 10, 2013
June 18-July 2, 2014
July 2-16, 2014
China Ties Lite
June 26-July 6, 2013
(return date based on availability)
Private or Semi-Private Travel
CHINA TIES HIGHLIGHTS –
Our Flagship Program
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China Ties Itinerary
- Arrive in Beijing, where Ties staff will meet you and provide transportation to the hotel. China Ties families stay in first class to moderate, clean hotels, where after a day out experiencing many new tastes, smells, sights and sounds, families can relax.
- Gather for an orientation meeting, a chance to connect with the other families, and discuss the journey ahead.
- Participate in hands-on activities focusing on calligraphy, language, music and food.
- Visit CCCWA (China Center for Children’s Welfare and Adoption) where referral documents and post placement reports are maintained.
- Climb the Great Wall of China, watch artisans at work at a cloisonné factory, take pictures at Beijing’s National Stadium, home of the 2008 Olympics.
- Explore Tiananmen Square and the Forbidden City, board a bicycle rickshaw and ride through the Hutongs, eat scrumptious Chinese cuisine, and yes, shop.
- Consider seeing a performance of Chinese acrobats, visiting Beijing’s zoo and aquarium, or travel to Xi’an to see the Terra Cotta Warriors!
- For most families, Beijing will be the jumping off point for the “Centerpiece of your Adoption Homeland Journey” as they travel to their child’s province of birth.
While on adoption visits, families will:
- Travel by airplane, train or car to destination, and be met with driver and English speaking guide
- Visit your child’s orphanage, meet caregivers and foster families, return to finding sites and re-connect with other people and places important to your family.
- See sites in province, according to your interests.
- Bask in the messages of the journey as The Ties Program oversees the travel details including transportation, translators, and hotel arrangements.
- China Ties Lite families will depart from province for the United States or their home countries.
- China Ties families will reunite in Guilin.
- In Guilin, spend a relaxing day reconnecting and processing your time in province–along with other families.
- Cruise down the Li River while reveling in the beauty of humped back mountains, reflective waters and lush vegetation before disembarking in the ancient city of Yangshou. Discover how fisherman fish without the use of hooks or nets.
- Tour the Reed Flute Cave and try your hand at Chinese brush painting.
- Participate in a cooking class – yum, yum!
- If you like, extend your stay in China and enjoy an optional tour to Xi’an, Chengdu and the Panda Reserve, Guangzhou or Hong Kong or other places of interest to your family.
CHINA CONNECTIONS
We have decided to discontinue Connections programs. Our goal in offering Connections was to provide a less expensive option for families. To accomplish that, families traveled with an in-country English speaking guide, but not with Ties staff. In our flagship Ties programs, groups travel with both a “logistical genius” and an adoption professional, so that families are really well supported on this important, identity-building journey. It is a “formula” that has served families well for nearly two decades!
But we knew we still needed an alternative.
CHINA TIES LITE
So, we put our thinking caps on, and re-thought the options. As we move forward, many of our programs will be offered as traditional Ties Programs, and in some countries (China included), will include a Ties Lite option. It will give you all of the advantages of traveling with a Ties Program, but a shorter stay, lowering your costs. You will receive information on China Ties and China Ties Lite when you request information.
PRIVATE OR SEMI-PRIVATE TRAVEL
While we believe strongly in the support a group provides, we know there are times when individual family travel is a better fit. We are happy to work with individual families or small groups of families. Please email us your request.
