BA Announces Direct Flights To Chengdu

BA has announced that from September 22nd, it will begin direct flights to Chengdu in South-West China. This is great news for animal-lovers, especially those interested in seeing extremely rare giant pandas!

There are 41 panda reserves across China, but by far the biggest is the Giant Panda Breeding Reserve Base, in Chengdu. You will be very, very lucky indeed to spot a panda in the wild but are 100% guaranteed to see loads of them here. The centre is home to red pandas and golden monkeys, too, but the headline act is without doubt the giant pandas, which can be seen here in here in lots of different age groups, including cubs.

It’s also worth a little extra time and money to become a volunteer for the day. You can feed the pandas, and also clean up after them, should you wish! For a much bigger fee, you can take the opportunity to hold, cuddle, and have your picture taken with a giant panda cub – a truly once-in-a-lifetime experience.

You can also volunteer at the Bifengxia Panda Reserve, 2-3 hours’ drive from Chengdu. There are less pandas here but they are held in a much more authentic environment, and the work is more ‘hands-on’. You can volunteer for a day, a week, or more should you wish to. We include a visit to Bifengxia on our ‘Taste of Sichuan’ tour, but can tailor-make any of our China trips to your requirements.