Daily Daydream: Bifengxia Panda Base, China

Seeing pandas behind bars at the zoo or on the Nature Channel just isn’t cutting it anymore—you need to hug a live baby panda. Your dreams can come true at the Bifengxia Panda Base in China.

The base has plenty of pandas, including some familiar faces (pandas from zoos in D.C. and San Diego have been relocated there). Even more pandas were moved there in 2008, following the earthquake in Sichuan which damaged the panda facility there. You can sign up for a volunteer stay at the base, helping staffers do general maintenance tasks like cleaning or food preparation, or visit for a day, and get your picture snapped snuggling a panda.

Where is it? Bifeng Gorge in Ya’an, China. (About an hour outside of Chengdu.)

Where to stay? Stay at the number one TripAdvisor-rated hotel in Ya’an, the Xikang Hotel, which features a central location and beautiful river views.

What else should I know? Cuteness doesn’t come cheap—expect to shell out over $100 to hold a cub.

Who’s it for? Anyone who wants to hold a panda!

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