Beauty and Value in Urban Exploration
As the sun sets behind the iconic skyline of a bustling metropolis, a group of young individuals, full of curiosity and wanderlust, sets out to explore the hidden treasures of their temporary home. This is the life of an au pair, a unique opportunity that allows young adventurers to immerse themselves in the heart of a foreign city while caring for a host family's children. At Wanderlust Exchange, we believe that the experience of being an au pair goes far beyond the boundaries of babysitting and chores; it's about embracing a new culture, forging deep connections, and discovering the beauty and value in urban exploration.
Join us as we dive into the enriching world of city tours, au pair life, and the beauty and value that lies within the tapestry of urban exploration. So, lace up your walking shoes, grab your city map, and let's embark on this exciting adventure together.
1. What is a City tour?
City tour is a guided tour in a city that aims to give visitors a more comprehensive understanding of the city's culture, history, landscape and living style. Usually led by professional tour guides or city tour service providers, tourists can visit the city's major attractions, historical sites, places of interest, and explore the local customs under the guidance of the tour guide.
City tour can be conducted in a variety of ways, such as walking, cycling, taking buses, cruises, etc., and different ways of touring are chosen according to the characteristics of the city and the interests of the tourists. During the City tour, the tour guide will introduce the history, culture and traditions of the city to the tourists and share interesting stories and anecdotes, so that the tourists can understand more about the unique charm of the city.
City tour not only allows tourists to enjoy the beauty of the city, but also provides an opportunity to interact with locals, savor authentic cuisine, participate in folk activities, and deeply experience local life. For the au pair life, City tour becomes an excellent way to get to know and integrate into the host city, and at the same time promotes cross-cultural exchanges and interpersonal relationship building.
2. Benefits of the city tour
For au pairs setting foot in China for the first time, the city tour is an opportunity to broaden their horizons. They will be able to experience first-hand the cityscape of a Chinese city and learn about a culture and life that is different from that of their home country. During the city tour, au pairs will have the opportunity to get in touch with the local culture, customs and traditions. This will not only deepen their understanding of Chinese culture, but also enable them to experience cultural diversity. By visiting historical sites and museums, au pairs will be able to gain a deeper understanding of the historical evolution of a Chinese city and thus better integrate into the city.
WE au pairs come from different countries, such as the UK, USA, France, Italy, South Africa, etc. (you can show the image of the small program here), and they will have the opportunity to interact with the local Chinese residents during their city tours, which promotes cross-cultural understanding and enriches the au pair's knowledge of China.
Sometimes our au pair families accompany the au pair and their WE friends on the City tour. By participating in the City tour, the friendship between the au pair and the au pair family is further strengthened, and the joint exploration and interaction deepens the understanding of each other.
City tour is a unique learning opportunity for au pairs coming to China for the first time, so we arrange it on the second day of the au pair's stay - they can combine their book knowledge with real-life situations and increase their in-depth knowledge of China.
3. WE and city tours
When au pairs set foot in an unfamiliar city, they are accompanied by WE's professional staff, who understand the local conditions and have a wealth of knowledge and experience, and are able to provide au pairs with high-quality guided tours and guidance. WE's staff ensures that the program takes into account the au pair's interests and time, and that reasonable arrangements are made for the sights and activities that will be visited.
China is a vast country and each place has its own unique cuisine. The food tasting session is not only the highlight of the City tour, but also a good way to learn about the culture. We will recommend some authentic local food, and au pairs will be able to try out these delicacies and communicate with the staff in the course of the City tour to get more local perspectives and suggestions, and to gain an in-depth understanding of the local life and culture. Au pairs will also have the opportunity to participate in some of the city's local events, such as bazaars, temple fairs, concerts, etc., which will allow au pairs to integrate more deeply into the local atmosphere and lifestyle.
During City tour, au pairs keep an open mind, try new things and are willing to accept different cultural experiences, they will gain more fun and memories.
By exploring the city with WE's professional staff, au pairs will be able to experience the local culture better and deeper, creating unforgettable city memories. Whether it is history and culture, culinary experiences or cross-cultural exchanges, city trips will become valuable experiences in their lives.
4. Feedback from au pairs
I really liked the tour! It was a nice gesture that you gave me the bracelet as a welcome gift, and that I had the opportunity to immerse myself in the ancient world of China. First of all, I could try the rickshaw, which made me feel as if I traveled back in time, riding on the historic streets of Suzhou. The Humble Administrator's Garden was beautiful, I had always wanted to visit it. I was amazed by the atmosphere of the place, the buildings and the lakes with their bridges and lotus flowers. I'm so glad that you offered me to try the Hanfu, so I could walk around the streets, feeling like I was in a movie:) I really appreciate that I was not just a bystander but an active participant, who could experience the traditions of this ancient history.
——Mira from Hungary
I had such an amazing city tour experience with Wanderlust exchange! I got to see some of the most famous Shanghai locations like The Bund, Yu Garden, City God temple, which undoubtedly left me more than impressed. Taking a walk through the Nanjing road, trying Chinese local food, sipping one of the top50 best coffees in the world and crossing the Waibaidu bridge left me fascinated, not only with the financial center I could see right before me, but also made me realize I am very lucky to be in Shanghai. I am very grateful to the agency Wanderlust for taking such good care of me, showing me around and giving me the real, unforgettable and fun city tour.
——Adrijia from Lithuania
The two day Shanghai tour was amazing, throughout the tour we managed to try some very local food like Shanghainese dumplings and different noodle dishes, which were all amazing. We made it to various locations and got to see how housing and properties used to look within Shanghai. We also made our way to an art gallery as well as a beautiful temple where we ended our tour! Overall it was a great experience and gave me a good chance to see parts of Shanghai I never would have thought to go to myself! Thanks to Jai Li who showed me around, for answering all of my questions and helping me around the city as well as helping me set up my bank and sim card!
——Esben from Denmark
During the City tour, WE and our au pairs not only discover the beauty of the scenery and taste the food, but also create precious interpersonal and cultural experiences. We hope that every au pair who comes to China will be able to reap the benefits of this wonderful experience, and that the children of every family will grow up through this experience!
So, whether you're considering becoming an au pair, reminiscing about your own experiences, or simply seeking inspiration for your next city tour, join us as we celebrate the beauty and value of au pairs. So whether you're considering becoming an au pair, reminiscing about your own experiences, or simply seeking inspiration for your next city tour, join us as we celebrate the beauty and value of urban exploration through the lens of au pair life. Your journey begins here.
Wanderlust Exchange encourages the exploration of self-awareness and personal development , and fostering of global understanding. We desire to bridge cultural divide and contribute to build the world with more trust, understanding and diversity among all.