6 night/5 day panda-centric trip report

Question

Hi all

My husband and I (55M; 38F) have just got back from 6 nights/5 days in Chengdu, focusing on seeing the pandas; here's our trip report!

Day 1/2 (Sat/Sun):

Our flight with Air China from London Heathrow direct to Chengdu was due to take off at 22.05, but was unfortunately delayed. We ended taking off approx. 1 hour late, but made up time and landed only 30 mins late.

The flight was good: the seats (we were in economy) were fairly comfortable, there was a decent selection of entertainment in English, and the food was very nice (our first meal was a starter of prawn and couscous salad, chicken and veg with rice, a warm bread roll with butter; and a fabulous cheesecake; drinks provided were white and red wine, beer, apple juice and orange juice, water, and Coke and Sprite (no low-cal options; the second meal, a breakfast, was a cheese omelette with sausages, cooked cherry tomato (singular!) and mini hash browns, melon, a mini croissant with jam, and yoghurt).

We landed 4.20pm on Sunday local time, and disembarked quickly, heading straight to passport control. If you're a foreigner you need to complete a form at this stage before getting into the queue; this threw me somewhat as they asked for countries visited in the last 2 years, and I'd been expecting the last year as per the visa (I travelled a LOT the previous year as I'm trying to hit all European countries before 40, so it took me a while to get them all down!).

We cleared passport control at around 4.50pm, and headed to baggage claim. The bags came quickly and we were heading out of the airport by 5.15pm. Signage was great (SO much better than England: I don't know how we get it so wrong here!) and we made for the taxi stand.

Come 5.30pm we were in a metered taxi, en route to our hotel, the Crowne Plaza Chengdu Panda Garden (I had printed out key places we were visiting in English and Chinese, and this came in handy here). We arrived at the hotel at 6.50pm, and the cost was 270 CNY including tolls.

On checking in we were informed we'd been upgraded to an executive suite, which was a lovely surprise. The room was absolutely fantastic: a huge bathroom with walk-in wardrobe, screened off shower and loo, his and hers basins, a dressing table with illuminated mirror, and large free-standing bathtub (plenty of towels, as well as robes and slippers; good quality shampoo, conditioner, bath foam & body lotion; and tooth brushes and paste, razors, etc); and then the room itself and a super king bed, corner sofa, desk with swivel chair, and fantastic floor-to-ceiling windows with city views).

After unpacking we opted for the hotel's western restaurant for dinner, where pasta, a pizza and 2 beers came in at £23, and then it was off to bed.

Day 3 to come

Answer

My husband and I recently returned from a 6-night/5-day trip to Chengdu, focusing primarily on visiting the pandas, and we wanted to share our detailed experience for anyone planning a similar trip.

Day 1/2 (Saturday/Sunday)

We flew with Air China from London Heathrow direct to Chengdu. Our scheduled departure was 22:05, but the flight was delayed by about an hour. We managed to make up some time in the air and landed only 30 minutes later than expected. The in-flight experience in economy was comfortable, with decent English entertainment and surprisingly good meals. The first meal included a prawn and couscous starter, chicken with vegetables and rice, a warm bread roll, and cheesecake for dessert. Drinks included white and red wine, beer, juices, and soft drinks. The second meal (breakfast) was a cheese omelette with sausages, a cooked cherry tomato, mini hash browns, melon, a mini croissant with jam, and yogurt.

We landed at Chengdu at 16:20 local time and quickly made our way to passport control. Foreign visitors need to fill out a form, which asks for countries visited in the last two years. This caught me a bit off guard as I had prepared for the last year only, so it took some time to complete. We cleared passport control around 16:50 and collected our baggage promptly, leaving the airport by 17:15. Signage at the airport was excellent, making navigation straightforward.

By 17:30 we were in a metered taxi heading to our hotel, the Crowne Plaza Chengdu Panda Garden. The ride cost 270 CNY, including tolls, and we arrived at the hotel at 18:50. At check-in, we were pleasantly surprised to be upgraded to an executive suite. The suite featured a huge bathroom with a walk-in wardrobe, a screened shower and toilet, his-and-hers basins, a dressing table with illuminated mirror, a large free-standing bathtub, plenty of towels, robes, slippers, high-quality toiletries, and amenities including toothbrushes, toothpaste, and razors. The bedroom had a super king bed, a corner sofa, a desk with swivel chair, and floor-to-ceiling windows with city views.

For dinner, we stayed in the hotel’s western restaurant. We ordered pasta, pizza, and two beers, which came to roughly £23. After dinner, we retired early to rest from the flight, looking forward to the upcoming panda adventures.

Key Tips from Day 1/2:

Arrive at airport early: foreign travelers may need extra time to complete forms at passport control.
Have hotel address in both English and Chinese to facilitate taxi rides.
Booking a higher-class hotel can result in pleasant surprise upgrades, especially with flexible check-in policies.
Evening meals in hotel restaurants can be cost-effective and convenient after a long flight.

Overall, the first day was smooth despite minor flight delays. The combination of a comfortable flight, efficient airport experience, and excellent hotel accommodation set a great tone for the rest of the panda-centric trip.

6 night/5 day panda-centric trip report

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