A Dali Family Trip: How to Keep Parents Relaxed and Let Kids Grow Through Immersive Experiences

I'm a mom of a first-grader. I started designing our family trips back when Guoguo was three. At first, like every mom, I thought a family trip meant staying in nice hotels, eating well, not rushing out in the morning, leaving time for a midday nap, and heading back to the hotel early in the afternoon for a rest. After a few less-than-successful attempts, I began looking into what the market offered for family travel. I soon realized you need to pepper the itinerary with things kids actually enjoy. For example, whenever we arrive somewhere, a visit to the local bustling pedestrian street is a must—kids get captivated by all the unique trinkets. Tianjin's clay figurines and giant fried dough twists, Sanya's seashells... no matter how many times we go, they still stop and stare at every single one. So I upgraded my family travel to Version 2.0. In this version, the moment we get home, my child would show off the little crafts brought back from the trip to other kids, sometimes even bringing small gifts for her close friends, sharing all the sights and stories along the way in vivid detail. It would make the other kids green with envy, give my child a real sense of satisfaction, and boost her confidence.

Version 2.0 got my child to learn a bit about the destination, broadened her horizons, and taught her to share. As family travel matured, especially with the rise of study tours and experiential trips, I deeply felt that these journeys are actually a very important way of learning. Kids can pick up so much knowledge that you can't find in textbooks, and they can apply what they've learned in books to real life. It would be such a waste not to make the most of a carefully planned trip like this. That's when I came up with Version 3.0.

When I planned this trip, my idea was simple: I just wanted to test in Dali whether my travel formula would really appeal to kids. But as soon as word got out, unexpectedly, six families joined in. I got a little nervous, worried I wouldn't organize it well and let the other families down.

The night before departure, while packing, I tossed some basic cold medicine, Band-Aids, and Yunnan Baiyao spray into my suitcase, and kept reminding Guoguo to look after the other kids, to act like a little tour guide.

Once we dropped off our luggage at the hotel, the little ones couldn't wait to explore the old town. Off to Dali Ancient Town we went.

Early the next morning, we set off to make flower-themed gifts. This was a delightfully artsy experience estate where you could make flower cakes, rose jam, lipstick, and candle holders. The estate was huge, and the rose jam the kids were going to make required them to pick the petals with their own little hands.

There were two adorable little alpacas on the estate that the kids absolutely adored.

Once the rose petals were gathered, the kids could dive right into the experience.

Next stop: tie-dyeing!

When in Dali, you simply can't miss Erhai Lake. We kicked things off with a photo stop at Panxi Village.

That day we stayed in Dali Ancient Town. Those who still wanted to wander through the old town could keep exploring. Guoguo and I headed back to the hotel early for some rest, ready to brew a pot of tea.

Another early start, and today we were off to buy groceries. I believe many families are like us—the kids hardly ever get the chance to handle cash. This was a great opportunity for them to use RMB and learn to pick out vegetables.

With the ingredients ready, it was time to start washing them.

This was a gorgeous base where we could do a BBQ, hotpot, or cold buffet. The moms could snap tons of photos and enjoy afternoon tea right at the campsite.

The three-day short break flew by, filled with the kids' immersive experiences. My nervous heart finally settled. The whole trip went so smoothly. The children grew through these hands-on activities and formed deep friendships. I hope we can all travel together again. Just wonderful!