China wildlife Tour

Overview

Embark on an 11-day botanical tour through the limestone karst landscapes of Guizhou and Guangxi, China. This guided orchid-focused journey traverses UNESCO-linked karst peaks, sky-pits, and canyon waterfalls to discover 100+ orchid species including endemic Coelogyne, Dendrobium, and Calanthe. From limestone cliff orchids to ancient cycad forests, experience China’s most biodiverse karst “bloomscape” — where rare flora meets Miao and Bouyei cultural heritage.

Highlights

World-Class Karst Orchid Corridor

· Explore 3 UNESCO-linked sites: Fanjing Mountain, Maolan Biosphere Reserve, and Huanjiang Karst

· Track 100+ orchid species: Coelogyne fimbriata, Dendrobium thyrsiflorum, Calanthe tricarinata, and Pholidota articulata

· Discover endemic flora: Guizhou Golden Monkey habitat, China’s largest Fagus longipetiolata forest, and rare Taxus populations

· Among the highest orchid species count of any single-route tour in southern China.

Geological Wonder Theater

· Traverse 4 karst formations: peak-cluster depressions (Maolan) → canyon waterfalls (Malinhe) → sky-pit clusters (Dashiwei) → calcite waterfalls (Huangguoshu)

· Uncover karst ecology: limestone cliff orchid microhabitats, hanging calcite formations, and vertical ecological gradients

· Four distinct karst formations in one journey, unmatched by any other botanical itinerary.

Cultural Heritage Trail

· Miao Village: silver-smithing workshops and ethnic dance in Xijiang Miao Village

· Buddhist heritage: ancient tree conservation at Fanjing Mountain temples

· Bouyei culture: traditional plant-dye workshops in Xingyi

· Go beyond flowers to understand the people who have lived alongside these karst landscapes for centuries.

Daily Itinerary

D1: Guiyang → Fanjing Mountain — Gateway to Karst Flora

Morning: Depart Guiyang (4h drive). En-route briefing on karst geology and 11-day survey objectives. Brief stop at a limestone outcrop for first calcareous flora encounter (*Pyrrosia* spp., *Pleione* spp.).

Afternoon: Check-in. Introductory valley walk (~1,200m): low-altitude calcicolous orchids (*Calanthe tricarinata*, *Goodyera* spp.) and lithophytic ferns. Introduction to vertical vegetation zonation.

Highlight: Acclimate to montane climate while observing the first vegetation gradient from valley floor to ridge crest.

Accommodation: Fanjing Mountain base hotel (3-star) | Meals: L / D

D2: Fanjing Mountain — Vertical Ecological Exploration

Morning: Cable car to Mushroom Stone (~2,200m). Survey high-altitude endemics: *Abies fanjingshanensis* (CR), *Dendrobium fanjingshanense*, dwarf rhododendrons. Potential Guizhou Golden Monkey sighting.

Afternoon: Ecological descent documenting three vegetation zones:

· 2,000–2,200m: *Fagus lucida* forest with epiphytic orchids

· 1,500–2,000m: Broadleaf evergreen belt (*Castanopsis*, *Lithocarpus*) with *Cymbidium* spp.

· 1,200–1,500m: Shrub-grassland with *Gentiana* and *Primula*

Highlight: Witness karst ecosystem stratification from subtropical base to temperate summit in a single day.

Accommodation: Fanjing Mountain base hotel (3-star) | Meals: B / L / D

D3: Fanjing Mountain → Xijiang Miao Village — Forest to Heritage

Morning: Final Fanjing survey: limestone cliff-face flora (*Luisia* spp., *Cheirostylis* spp.) and riparian calcareous wetland plants (*Orychophragmus violaceus*).

Afternoon: Drive to Xijiang Miao Village (3.5h). Explore *diaojiaolou* architecture and observe Miao agro-biodiversity: medicinal herb gardens, indigo dye plants (*Strobilanthes cusia*), and household fruit trees.

Evening: Miao Long-Table Banquet with traditional rice wine toasts.

Highlight: Understand how Miao traditional knowledge preserves karst biodiversity through sustainable forest use.

Accommodation: Xijiang guesthouse (traditional *diaojiaolou*) | Meals: B / L / D

D4: Xijiang → Maolan Biosphere Reserve — Orchid Hunt in Karst Funnels

Morning: Dawn walk through Xijiang terraced fields — observe paddy-field calcareous herbs and pollinator interactions.

Afternoon: Enter Maolan karst funnel system. Target species:

· Hard-Leaf Slipper Orchid *Paphiopedilum micranthum* — limestone cliff specialist

· Purple-Haired Slipper Orchid *Paphiopedilum barbigerum* — epiphytic on karst outcrops

· Single-Flower Magnolia *Woonyoungia septentrionalis* (CR)

· Yunnan Yew *Taxus wallichiana*

Study epiphytic/lithophytic orchid adaptations in peak-cluster depressions.

Highlight: A “botanical time capsule” — Pleistocene relict flora surviving in limestone micro-refugia.

Accommodation: Maolan guesthouse (2-star) | Meals: B / L / D

D5: Xiaoqikong Scenic Area — Karst Water & Flora Symphony

Full Day: Explore Xiaoqikong (UNESCO World Heritage). Document subtropical riparian flora amid turquoise waters and karst waterfalls:

· Crested Coelogyne *Coelogyne cristata* — on mossy boulders above waterfalls

· Calanthe Orchid *Calanthe discolor* — in shaded limestone gullies

· Spray-zone bryophyte-orchid communities at 68-Level Waterfall

Highlight: Where karst hydrology creates microclimates that nurture orchids impossible to find elsewhere.

Accommodation: Libo town hotel (3-star) | Meals: B / L / D

D6: Libo → Du’an County — Riverine Karst & Rare Plant Survey

Morning: Drive to Du’an, Guangxi (4h). Observe transition from Guizhou peak-cluster karst to Guangxi tower karst.

Afternoon: Karst river valley survey targeting:

· Sheep-Ear Orchid *Liparis* spp. — on cliff faces above river

· Cleisostoma Orchid *Cleisostoma* spp. — epiphytic on riverine *Ficus* trees

· *Pellionia* spp. in karst seepage zones

· Discussion with local conservation staff on community orchid protection

Highlight: River corridors as “green highways” for calcareous orchid dispersal across arid limestone landscapes.

Accommodation: Du’an hotel (3-star) | Meals: B / L / D

D7: Du’an → Leye County — Sky-Pit Preparation

Morning: Drive to Leye (4h). En-route lecture: Dashiwei sky-pit geology and vertical survey methodology.

Afternoon: Karst valley field survey targeting Rock-Peach Orchid *Pholidota* spp. and Coelogyne Orchid *Coelogyne* spp. Practice climbing-assisted observation for cliff-face flora. Compile species checklist for D8.

Highlight: Build field skills for tomorrow’s vertical ecological assessment.

Accommodation: Leye hotel (3-star) | Meals: B / L / D

D8: Dashiwei Sky-Pit Cluster — Vertical Botanical Odyssey

Full Day: Descend into Dashiwei Sky-Pits (depth ~613m). Document vertical zonation:

· Rim (1,000–1,100m): Xerophytic shrubs (*Vitex*, *Ziziphus*)

· Upper Slopes (800–1,000m): Deciduous forest with *Celtis*, *Pteroceltis*

· Mid Slopes (500–800m): Evergreen forest with *Dendrobium*, *Bulbophyllum*

· Pit Floor (~500m): Fern valley — *Cyathea* (tree ferns), *Pleione*, *Goodyera*, *Ludisia*

· Cave Entrance: *Paphiopedilum* spp. and bryophyte communities

Highlight: A “botanical island” where species have evolved independently for millennia — biodiversity found nowhere else on Earth.

Accommodation: Leye hotel (3-star) | Meals: B / L / D (field lunch)

D9: Leye → Xingyi — Orchid Treasure Hunt

Morning: Drive to Xingyi (4h). En-route: geology of Malin River and Huangguoshu formation.

Afternoon: Xingyi karst peak survey — a biodiversity “crossroads” where Yunnan, Guizhou, and Guangxi species converge:

· Dendrobium Orchid *Dendrobium* spp. — lithophytic on karst faces

· Cymbidium Orchid *Cymbidium* spp. — in shaded limestone gullies

· *Vanda* / *Aerides* spp. on cliff-top trees (seasonal)

· Compare assemblage with previous sites — discuss biogeographic patterns

Highlight: An orchid diversity hotspot unmatched in China — three floristic provinces meet here.

Accommodation: Xingyi hotel (3-star) | Meals: B / L / D

D10: Malin River → Huangguoshu Waterfall — The Grand Finale

Morning: Malin River Gorge (“Earth’s Most Beautiful Scar”) — cliff-side boardwalk survey:

· Single-Flower Orchid *Changnienia amoena* — monotypic genus, China’s botanical treasure

· Calcite waterfall-edge flora: travertine-dwelling mosses, ferns, and orchids

· *Primula* and *Pedicularis* spp. on moist cliff faces

Afternoon: Drive to Huangguoshu Waterfall (2.5h) — Asia’s largest (77.8m × 101m). Walk through Water Curtain Cave. Group reflection and botanical journal compilation.

Highlight: Two of China’s most spectacular karst landscapes — shaped by the same forces that created the flora you’ve studied for 10 days.

Accommodation: Huangguoshu hotel (3-star) | Meals: B / L / D

D11: Huangguoshu → Guiyang — Journey Finale

Morning: Final dawn visit to Huangguoshu. Complete botanical records, receive personalized flora survey summary.

Afternoon: Drive to Guiyang (2h). Trip concludes.

Highlight: Depart with a complete karst flora field journal and 11 days of botanical discovery.

Meals: B