Giant Panda Center in Chengdu, China

I’ve really enjoyed the experience and would love to do it again! Special recognition to our guide April, she was great! Only improvement area would be the Hostel in Chengdu, accommodations was really bad. Maybe a nicer option could be given for people to chose from. And considering China social media restrictions, would be good to give the tip in advance for people to download a VPN and WeChat.

This has been one of the best trips I've been on! I love pandas with a passion, and being able to be near them every day was just incredible. I learnt a lot from the keepers, not just about the species but also about every panda we had in the area (there were 13 pandas in the area I was assigned to). The weekend trips around the area were also eye opening! An excellent trip overall with great friendships forged.

The union with nature outside big cities was a nice sight. For me this trip was fascinating as i had an opportunity to escape from normal life and spend time with animals and nature, to get to know absolutely new for me Chinese culture.

This has been one of the best trips I've been on! I love pandas with a passion, and being able to be near them every day was just incredible. I learnt a lot from the keepers, not just about the species but also about every panda we had in the area (there were 13 pandas in the area I was assigned to). The weekend trips around the area were also eye opening! I enjoyed the interaction with pandas & learning about the pandas from the keepers the most during my stay.An excellent trip overall with great friendships forged.

I went for a two week volunteer trip to Chengdu, China to work with pandas. It was fantastic! I got to feed the pandas each day, as well as experience some of China's fantastic sights on the weekends. It was great to meet other people from different countries, I have made many friends! Overall I would definitely recommend this trip to others. I went by myself (which was a little bit scary) but when I got there, I felt very welcomed and at ease.

This is one of the best volunteer projects that we have ever done. The first few days are made up of exploring China before heading into the Giant Panda centre to volunteer for 3 days. Some may want to volunteer at projects for longer than a week but we promise that you will be very satisfied and happy with just one week here. You will explore the city of Chengdu and the region of Sichuan around the centre. There are a wide variety of optional activities including dumpling making, temple exploring, chinese calligraphy classes and basic Mandarin classes. You won't get bored at this project. You main tasks when volunteering are cleaning out the Panda enclosure and preparing bamboo before feeding them four times a day. It is so cute to watch them eat their Panda bread, carrots and apples - a highlight of the trip. We highly recommend anyone to come do this project even though interaction is very minimal. Being able to get this close to feed Panda's is a once in a lifetime opportunity. Date volunteered: June 2016 Recommended time spent here: 1 week (no more) Living conditions: Twin Share Bedrooms, hot showers WiFi: Excellent - just use a VPN Vegetarian friendly: Yes Additional Notes: There are breaks between each feeding - we recommend you take the walk back to the hostel to get a drink or relax before heading back out. Max walk time can be around 20 minutes, but min will be around 5 min. Thank you to Go Eco for allowing us to experience this incredible volunteer project in China. Our opinion is, as always, our own.

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Through GoEco I was able to do something I've wanted to do my whole life - volunteer with giant pandas! These animals are majestic and because of their rarity it is hard to get up close and personal with them. The program offered by GoEco was one of only a few offered globally and it certainly appeared to be the most legitimate. On this program the conservation of pandas is also the main concern so you know they are in good hands. Through my volunteer experience I got to spend a lot of time with the pandas, feeding them 3 times a day as well as cleaning their enclosures in the morning. The program was well organised, the accommodation was great and the food was even better! I also made some great friends on the program that I am still in touch with now. All in all I had a amazing, once-in-lifetime experience.

The giant panda program was a wonderful experience. I had a great time meeting new people from all over the world and trying new foods that I wouldn't get to experience anywhere else. Working with the giant pandas was the best part of the trip. Hand feeding them everyday gives you the opportunity to be up close with these wonderful animals. Watching the panda kindergarten was a good way to pass the time. I have plenty of adorable baby panda pictures!