Yunnan Travelogue
From October 13 to 28, 2023, four of us post-70s generation traveled to Yunnan. It was our first cooperative trip. We visited Kunming, Weishan, Dali, Lijiang, and Banna. We pretty much covered all the must-see places. Of course, we didn't drive ourselves nor join a tour group; it was pure independent travel.
Seeing that round-trip flights from Hangzhou to Kunming were only 1,260 yuan, even lower than the second-class high-speed train ticket at 806, I confidently booked. Who knew that off-season airfares don't work that way? After we bought our tickets, prices kept dropping and eventually fell below 800 yuan. Lesson learned: in the off-season, it's better to buy tickets close to departure.
We usually travel by train, but since Yunnan's cities aren't on a single line, taking the train to Kunming, Dali, Lijiang gets you to the end. From Lijiang via Dali and Kunming to Xishuangbanna takes over 7 hours by bullet train and costs around 420 yuan. Online, flights from Lijiang to Xishuangbanna were 320 yuan (excluding fees) for 1 hour, so I thought I'd wait for the price to drop further and fly to Xishuangbanna. Eventually, I caught a break: two days before departure, the fare dropped to 190 yuan. Since I needed four tickets, I didn't dare wait for the absolute bottom, fearing one ticket might sell out. We took the bird in hand and bought four tickets at 348 yuan per person. Train tickets in the off-season are easy to get and slightly cheaper. Before departure, we only bought the Kunming–Weishan ticket for the 14th; the rest were left unbooked.
So our main itinerary was settled.
D1 October 13
We took the 5:30 p.m. flight on the 13th. Previously, we'd never enjoyed VIP lounge perks, so after an early lunch, we took the metro to the airport. Due to the Asian Games, the VIP lounge was requisitioned and temporarily replaced by an ICBC lounge. The lounge offered snacks, apples, water, and instant noodles. There was even a buffet at 5 p.m. But we missed it because we had to check in 40 minutes early. Still, we ate instant noodles before boarding to avoid hunger on the 3-hour flight.
Before the flight, Capital Airlines sent a text saying that for economy class, no free checked luggage was provided; to check luggage, you had to pay 100 yuan for an upgrade. Carry-on luggage was limited to one piece per person under 7 kg, with dimensions smaller than 20×30×40 cm (14 inches). That gave us a fright. Our suitcase was 18 inches; the weight was under 7 kg, but it exceeded the size limit. We thought, it's just 100 yuan, after all, and felt at ease. At the airport, the check-in agent saw our not-so-large suitcase and said no need to check it, so the issue was resolved. But in Lijiang, it became a real problem—more on that later.
The flight departed Hangzhou on time and arrived in Kunming punctually at 8:30 p.m. without incident.
After landing, we followed the crowd out of the airport. From apron to exit, Kunming Airport was quite a walk—over 20 minutes. We took Metro Line 6 to Juhua, transferred to Line 3, and exited at Dashuying station, taking over an hour. Everything was unfamiliar. The best way to find a hotel in the middle of the night was by taxi; 12 yuan got us to the Boman Hotel on Renmin Road. The hotel's location was central, but it was old with outdated facilities. The toilet seat wouldn't stay up easily, and the door chain had a button—hard to get used to. The room was small and dim, 166 yuan per day with breakfast. Although the front desk service was good and they gave each of us a snack bag, we decided not to stay there again on our return and to find another hotel.
D2 October 14
On the morning of October 14, we woke up naturally, went down for breakfast. The breakfast selection wasn't large: rice noodles, eggs, fried rice, corn, sweet potatoes, cabbage, steamed buns... not lavish but filling. After eating, we took a taxi to Daguan Lou Park. The park is famous for its 180-character long couplet. The taxi from across the hotel cost 18.63 yuan to Daguan Lou. It was a bit like Hangzhou's West Lake, with hills, water, bridges, pavilions, towers, and even pleasure boats.
The entrance to Daguan Lou was fenced off, so we couldn't get in to admire the ancient famous couplet closely.
We had a 1:07 p.m. train to Weishan, so we headed back to the hotel around 10 a.m. This time at the park gate, because we trusted new energy vehicles, we didn't use a ride-hailing app; we just hailed a cab and told the driver to go straight to the hotel. The driver claimed it was a metered legal taxi, but he took us on a huge detour—up the elevated highway, around the city ring road—racking up 36 yuan to the hotel. He even said, 'If you think I took a detour, go ahead and complain!' Clearly implying that a few elderly out-of-towners wouldn't have the time or energy to deal with him. We could only chalk it up to bad luck and resolved not to hail taxis blindly again. Back at the hotel, we grabbed our luggage. There was no time to eat nearby, so we took a taxi to the train station and found food there. Luckily, the station was close—about a ten-minute ride. Seeing it was still before noon, we quickly ate rice noodles and boarded the train.
The train arrived in Weishan on time at 3:35 p.m. We took a 13.12 yuan taxi to the Yunzhishang Hotel. It was 181 yuan per day with breakfast. The room was spacious, bright, with new facilities and good service. Near the front desk, free cold drinks and water were provided. However, breakfast was via voucher at a rice noodle shop across the street (all-you-can-eat).
After dropping off luggage, we took a 18.63 yuan taxi to Weishan Ancient Town. Weishan was the capital of the Nanzhao Kingdom. The ancient town's streets were orderly—perfectly perpendicular—and the buildings were not tall, but almost every one had painted decorations on the exterior, very pretty. We walked around for a long time, visiting Gongchen Tower and Xinggong Tower, but didn't find other scenic spots. As dusk fell, we returned to the hotel.
D3 October 15
On the morning of October 15, after breakfast, we asked the front desk about the route to the Nanzhao Museum and learned they even provided free tourist maps of the ancient town. We took a map and a 10.4 yuan taxi to the museum. Entry was free. It was Sunday, so there were many students visiting. We spent over an hour there and returned to the hotel around ten. Prices in Weishan were relatively low. In Yunnan restaurants, vegetable dishes typically cost 16–20 yuan per plate. The restaurant next to the hotel's breakfast place was decent. We ordered a plate of beef for just 58 yuan—thick slices of braised beef, about 2 cm thick, very tasty, and even the two of us couldn't finish it. On this trip, everything except meals was split evenly (AA). Every time we two ate at a restaurant, we'd order one meat dish and two vegetable dishes. Yunnan restaurants usually charge 2 yuan per person for rice and another 2 yuan per set of bowls and chopsticks for sterilization.
We took the 2:08 p.m. train and arrived in Dali at 2:30. Dali Railway Station was quite big. Most stations in Yunnan lack escalators at the exit, and Dali was the same. The exit was barricaded, so you had to follow the crowd, go up an escalator to an overpass, cross it, and only then reach the street to hail a taxi. Our taxi to the Dali Tianfa Hotel cost 10 yuan.
Tianfa Hotel was 149 yuan per day with breakfast. The room was large and bright, the bathroom had wet/dry separation, and in the room, besides two cabinets near the TV for luggage, there was a long leather bench under the window and a chair—good conditions. Free bottled water was available in the corridor, help yourself. The breakfast provided was also decent. All in all, it was good value.
There were many restaurants near Tianfa Hotel, of all levels. Not far from the hotel gate, to the left along the street, there was a restaurant with its doors wide open; it had the lowest prices. On our last day in Dali, at noon, we ate a fish-flavored shredded pork rice bowl there. We asked her to serve the rice and dish on two separate plates; the portion of shredded pork was no less than a regular order, and it only cost 13 yuan.
Although Dali's streets are also grid-like, the crowds made them seem narrow and packed with tourists. Hawkers' cries came one after another. Walking out of the old town was a long way. After strolling around, we were tired and didn't want to walk further. We found a spot where a car could turn around, used our phone to hail a taxi, and paid 38.87 yuan back to Tianfa Hotel.
D4 October 16
We originally planned to tour Erhai Lake. We had arranged a chartered car with Driver Xiao Du, a Dali taxi driver. At 9 a.m. sharp we set off, and by 10 we reached Erhai. But soon after arriving, an accident—someone slipped into the water, soaking the camera and phone—forced us to return to the hotel, so the whole morning was lost. We had to change plans: in the afternoon, we'd take a boat on Erhai. There are several piers; we chose Dali Pier. After a taxi to the pier, we wanted to buy tickets. Outside, a woman in her 50s stopped us, asking if we wanted boat tickets. She said she was a local and could help us buy them cheaper than at the pier—140 yuan each. We weren't sure, so we looked around and then asked at the ticket office inside, where they were 160 yuan each. That made her offer more believable. Seeing our hesitation, she said, 'I'll be right here; let my brother buy the tickets for you, then you pay me.' So we waited for her brother to bring the tickets, paid her, and then easily passed the ticket check and boarded. The ticket came in two parts: one for the boat, one for a show. The lower deck was a lounge area, and the second floor was the performance area. We were watching the second show; I assume each show was the same. After boarding, we found window seats. The announcement said those with first-show tickets should go to the second floor. The boat kept moving away from the dock. Only after the first show ended did we go upstairs. The performance was about Bai ethnic Three-Course Tea—each person got three small cups of tea to taste the differences and learn the story behind it. Then came a song and dance show, similar to the movie 'Five Golden Flowers,' with the character A Peng... After the show, we went up to the third and fourth floors. Due to strong wind on Erhai, the windows were shut. There were many people, but the view wasn't better than downstairs. Efficiency-minded, most people went back to the main hall after the show. The boat seized the moment to sell their tea, and someone promoted a calligrapher writing and selling works on the spot—tactics we've seen many times. When the boat docked, we strolled along the lakeshore before taking a taxi back to the hotel.
D5 October 17
We had arranged with Driver Xiao Du for a chartered car tour of Erhai—320 yuan for 9 hours, from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. He was supposed to pick us up at the hotel at 9. But because he had a parent-teacher meeting, he asked Driver Zhang to substitute; Zhang arrived a few minutes late.
We didn't know how to tour Erhai, so we just followed Zhang's lead. He first took us to S-Bay, probably one of the prettiest spots along Erhai. To someone from Hangzhou, it was just okay—not even as nice as the lakeside path at Willow Waves and Orioles. The distant scenery across the lake was nothing special, far inferior to Hangzhou's West Lake. Of course, Erhai is much larger than West Lake and the water is very clear. There are many trees growing in the water along the shore, and a gentle breeze was refreshing. The bay was a short walk from the road; Zhang dropped us off at the intersection. We walked in at 10:10 and came out around 10:50. Then he took us to Xizhou, famous for Bai ethnic residences. We arrived at 11:20. Zhang led us through alleys to a residential complex—one of the larger ones in Xizhou, with an entrance fee. Since we were all over 70 and didn't watch the Three-Course Tea show inside, we got in free. Each of us wore a badge and casually toured the courtyard, living room, study... We didn't go upstairs, just stayed on the ground floor. By 11:50 we were tired, so we left to find the car and lunch. Zhang, being local and familiar with the area, naturally took charge of finding a restaurant. He drove us to a place bustling with diners. There were no free tables, so we waited while the two ladies scouted suitable dishes. Once seated, we ordered: a soup pot, a plate of fried spare ribs (eight whole ribs), a stir-fried mushroom dish, plus two vegetable dishes. Five of us ate for 280 yuan, all full and satisfied. After lunch, Zhang drove us to Shuanglang, where the highlight is Nanzhao Customs Island. From Shuanglang, you need a boat to reach the island. At 3 p.m. we landed on the island; a guide explained the scenery (claiming he'd take 20 minutes to talk about the island's history). Inside the Nanzhao Palace, another guide explained Nanzhao Kingdom history. The talk was good, but standing for over an hour was too tiring, so we slipped away early. At 3:40 we took the boat back from the island. Xiao Wu and others eagerly rushed to see the Sun Palace, but I was too tired and waited at a three-way junction for them to return before we headed to the next spot—Little Putuo. They made it quick, spending 20 minutes just peeking outside the Sun Palace. Apparently, the prices inside were high. Little Putuo is a tiny island; we just looked from a distance along the causeway. Visiting the temple to pray wasn't my thing. After that, it was 5:10 p.m. At 5:50 we reached the last scenic spot on Erhai's shore: Lion Camel Ridge, which was actually a high-end hotel, still under construction. Zhang drove us up the hill; we finished touring at 6:10, called him to pick us up on the main road, and all headed back. By the time we reached the hotel, it was past 7 p.m.
D6 October 18
There are three cableways up Cangshan Mountain. We chose the most popular Gantong Cableway. Online it said tickets on-site were 115 yuan per person, online pre-booking 105 yuan, with no mention of senior discounts. So I booked online. The cableway opens at 9 a.m. From Tianfa Hotel, it was 32.6 yuan by taxi to the Gantong Cableway gate. We arrived at the ticket office at 8:50 and asked; the staff said there was a discount for over-70s, only 80 yuan per person. We asked her to help us refund the online tickets; she sent us to the office upstairs. Refunding online tickets shouldn't be hard, but the problem was I had previously used my wife's phone to buy flights on Ctrip, so that phone was the default account. This time I'd bought tickets on my own phone. Although I could see the payment record, it didn't show an option to refund. That stumped us. The staff were in a meeting; they told us to wait until it was over for them to handle it. Just when we were at our wits' end, a young couple arrived with a pet dog. Seeing our distress, they kindly offered to help. We felt rescued and poured out our troubles. The young man took my phone and got to work. Being young and quick-minded, he solved it in about five or six minutes. We were so grateful; he said it was nothing, anyone would have helped. This taught me a lesson: buying tickets early isn't always cheaper. In the future, I won't buy entrance tickets online; purchasing at the destination is better. After that, we bought new tickets and took the cableway. It was quite long, taking 21 minutes up. At 9:30 we reached the mountain top and found it much colder than at ground level. We first added clothes, then descended to Qipan Gorge. The path there was rough, the scenery just average, not suitable for those with weak legs. It's a loop trail, going up and down by different routes. At the top, a transverse path connects the three cableways. To be honest, visiting Cangshan wasn't really worth it for us; it's just a mountain, nothing memorable. For young people, it might be an adventurous hike, as some stone steps are uneven, steep, or missing, making the climb challenging. At 11:40 we left Cangshan by taxi to Chongsheng Temple. The taxi from Gantong Cableway to Chongsheng Temple's Three Pagodas cost 20.8 yuan. We arrived at 12:00. We didn't enter the temple, just came to see the Three Pagodas that withstood many earthquakes as mentioned in the Nanzhao Palace. The pagodas are not the same size—one large, two small. Since we had a 3:20 p.m. train to Lijiang, we hurriedly saw the pagodas and returned to the hotel. The taxi from the pagodas to Tianfa Hotel was 50.47 yuan. The train station wasn't far. After returning, we leisurely had lunch, then went to the station. On the taxi driver's advice, we didn't cross the overpass but went straight across the road into the station. The train arrived in Lijiang on time at 5:21 p.m. Lijiang Railway Station was small, with a quiet entrance, not like other places with many shops. It felt like a tiny 5th-grade station; leaving the station, you're in the countryside. The female taxi driver told us Lijiang administers one district and two counties, and this was one county. The taxi from the station to our hotel, Xibulun Hotel, cost 27.6 yuan. Xibulun is near the old town of Lijiang, about a 15-minute walk. The room wasn't really small, but with two 1.5-meter queen beds, the space felt cramped. The front desk was to the right of the outer wall, the breakfast room behind it. Breakfast was okay, not lavish. The front desk clerk said their treatment was all right; they earned 3,200 yuan a month, working one day on, one day off.
D7 October 19
We took a 14.1 yuan taxi at 8:50 to Shuhe Ancient Town. This was the most beautiful ancient town I've ever seen. The streets maintained their original layout, and though the buildings were new, they were all built to evoke the imagined feel of the Tea Horse Road. A guesthouse entrance: a pavilion beside the water where you can drink tea, chat, and do business. However, the lodgings here aren't cheap. On the return flight, I met a young man from Hangzhou who stayed here for 199 yuan a night. We followed signs to the Tea Horse Road Museum, but luck wasn't with us; it was closed. So we just strolled around Sifang Street. Every hotel and restaurant here was beautifully decorated, very pleasant. The streets were clean, no touts, and the restaurants and tea houses seemed to do good business, which surprised us. After reaching the innermost Dragon Pool, we left the town. The ancient town is quite large with several gates; the one we entered and exited were different. Around 10:30 we took a taxi back to the hotel. After lunch and a short rest, we headed to Lijiang Old Town. Though not far from Xibulun Hotel, we weren't familiar with the roads and got a bit lost, backtracking before finally finding it via an underground shopping passage. It was already 3:30 p.m. when we surfaced. The first sight was the Big Waterwheel. Lijiang Old Town has narrow streets paved with old stone blocks. The main streets were okay, but the alleys were uncomfortable to walk in. The most famous sight in Lijiang is Mufu (Mu Mansion). Mufu was the chieftain's residence from the late Yuan Dynasty to the Xianfeng era of the Qing Dynasty, spanning over 400 years of glory. You can also enter the old town from a large market entrance without using the tunnel. Because the area was large and you had to walk everywhere, we lost interest in seeing every single attraction. We didn't even visit the Big Stone Bridge made famous in a Naxi girl's song, and just headed back to the hotel.
D8 October 20
Wanting to see the 'Rizhao Jinshan' (Sunshine on the Golden Mountain) at Dongba Valley (on the morning of the 19th, at the Shuhe ancient town gate, we met a girl who had seen it and then visited the town), we made an early start—got up at 6 a.m., had breakfast at 6:15, and took a 42.47 yuan taxi to Dongba Valley. Xibulun Hotel's breakfast hours were 6:00 to 9:00, earlier than most hotels, which was nice. Sunrise in Lijiang isn't until 7:20, so arriving before 7:00 should've been fine to catch the sunrise over the mountain. The road outside Dongba Valley was lined with parked cars; many people like us had come for the sunrise. There were two vehicles selling breakfast on an open space, and a few horses offering rides at 20 yuan a loop. It was very cold; even with extra clothes we were chilly. Everyone watched the eastern sky, waiting for the sun. But the weather seemed to conspire against us: clouds thickened in the east, and Jade Dragon Snow Mountain was tightly wrapped in white. The sky lightened, but the sun refused to appear. By 7:50 people were disappointed and started driving away. We held on until 8, then gave up. Lured by a taxi driver's claim that Shihe Village was fun, we took a 21.32 yuan taxi from Dongba Valley to Shihe Village, arriving at 8:45. The village's public toilet was locked; the cleaner said it wouldn't open until 9, which was a problem. But there's always a way: we first tried the primary school, but they denied entry; then we went to the village committee office. Nobody was working yet, but the gate to the courtyard was open, and the toilet was right there. With that solved, we wandered around Shihe Village. It wasn't big; the main road sloped upwards, with construction vehicles busy loading and hauling dirt. Houses were built along the road, mostly of stone—rustic and sturdy. Mountain water seeped from stone crevices, flowed through walls and courtyards, and dashed into a roadside brook; the water was crystal clear and fast-flowing. Apart from that, we saw nothing particularly fun, so we decided to head back. Down at the village entrance where the taxi had dropped us, we couldn't hail one. The taxi driver called, saying he couldn't come up because the village had installed a barrier that only allowed their tour vehicles in. He waited outside for us to walk out. It was a classic 'if you want to pass, pay up' situation—we had to walk. Outside the barrier, we took a 49.12 yuan taxi back to the hotel for lunch. At 11:15 we grabbed our luggage and took a 72.59 yuan taxi to Sanyi Airport for the 1:50 p.m. flight to Xishuangbanna. Even though we arrived at the airport early, after getting our boarding passes, a short man blocked us and wouldn't let us board, insisting we check our luggage because our suitcases exceeded their 20×30×40 cm limit. At the check counter, after weighing—and seeing we'd have to pay by weight—we frantically unpacked, stuffing everything possible into our backpacks. Once weighed, our two suitcases totaled 8 kg, but the suitcases themselves weighed 5 kg, so they were practically empty. Still, we had to pay a 90 yuan checked baggage fee. After paying, with little time left, we asked a cleaner for our boarding gate. She said Gate 6. That sent us running up and down—to Gate 6 on the lower level, where they said we were wrong, it's upstairs. Back upstairs, we asked a counter staff member and finally learned we were at Gate 10. We sprinted there just as boarding was closing, and finally settled down.
D8 October 20 (after arriving in Xishuangbanna)
The Chinese Academy of Sciences Botanical Garden was 80 km from Xishuangbanna Station, with two other attractions along the way—a Tropical Rainforest Park and the Olive Dam Dai Folk Customs Park. Visiting two or three places in a day would be tiring, so I chose Wenmu Garden Hotel near Olive Dam, aiming to take the flight to Xishuangbanna's Gasa Airport early enough to visit the Dai Folk Customs Park. The plane landed on time at 3 p.m. in Xishuangbanna. The hotel's car was already waiting outside. We got in and headed straight to Wenmu Garden Hotel. On the way, a call came from the hotel's sales director, Mr. Wang, who also wanted a ride back. With our consent, the driver picked him up at a fork. Once in the car, Mr. Wang started sharing his travel insights. According to him, the Botanical Garden wasn't much fun—it's for specialists. He suggested we go to the Saturday 'Ganbai' (a market fair), and the 21st happened to be the Dai ethnic market day... We didn't react to his suggestion. By the time we reached the hotel, it was past 4 p.m. and we were all tired, so we settled in first. Wenmu Garden Hotel had excellent hardware: smart curtains, air conditioning, toilet, large bright rooms with desks, chairs, and cabinets. Best of all, there was a rack for suitcases, and the surroundings were nicely arranged. After a short rest, we wanted dinner. We checked the hotel restaurant, but the dishes didn't appeal, and there were no other eateries nearby. So we took a 10.4 yuan taxi to Olive Dam. After dinner there, we browsed a store for mosquito repellent, then tried to hail a taxi back but couldn't—it was too remote, no taxis willing to come. Fortunately, it wasn't far, so we treated it like a post-dinner stroll and walked back to the hotel.
D9 October 21
We got up early, packed our luggage, and left the suitcases at the front desk. At 7 a.m. we went to the restaurant and saw Manager Zhang personally cooking noodles for us. After cooking, he topped each bowl with beef and a fried egg, and even generously gave us some youtiao he'd bought. We couldn't thank him enough. After eating, we took a 116.47 yuan taxi to the Botanical Garden. The garden is on an island in Xishuangbanna, vast, divided into east and west zones. Although we didn't need entrance tickets, we still had to buy shuttle bus tickets—50 yuan each for the east zone. At 8:35 we bought tickets and boarded the shuttle over a large bridge into the garden. The garden has countless tree species; as laymen, we couldn't name them. It's divided into sections, and there were many tour groups with guides explaining as they walked. Following a group would be too slow and tiring; we couldn't keep up. On our own, we were overwhelmed and couldn't tell one plant from another. The shuttle stops were far apart, and each shuttle only ran between two stops within a section; to go to the next section, you had to follow their sequence. We quickly got disoriented and inevitably backtracked, getting tired and eventually just wanting to leave. I can't say how many sections we visited. By 12:30 p.m., it was time to rest and head back. We called the taxi driver who brought us, having agreed earlier on a flat 100 yuan ride back to Wenmu Garden Hotel. The driver arrived as promised. Once in the car, we decided to first visit the Dai Folk Customs Park, then return to the hotel, and finally go to the airport hotel in Jinghong. We told the driver our plan; he said for another 100 yuan, he'd take us all the way to the airport hotel. The deal was fair, so we agreed: he'd drop us at the Dai park, we'd call him when done, he'd pick us up and then take us to the airport hotel. The driver was very kind. Being a local, he said he could drive us inside the park so we'd walk less. When leaving, we wouldn't need to walk to the main gate; just call him from a spot where he could turn around inside. After the Botanical Garden, the Tropical Rainforest Park would be redundant, he said. So at 1:50 p.m. we arrived at the Dai Folk Customs Park. It was still under construction, and tickets were required, but since we were over 70, we got in free. We walked all the way to the innermost area. The water-splashing activity was set to start at 3:30 p.m. We saw young people in colorful costumes carrying small basins, but someone said you had to buy a ticket to participate. That killed the interest; we'd only be spectators, so we decided to leave. We called the driver; he was busy with other passengers, so he sent a friend to first take us to the hotel and asked us to wait a bit until he finished his work before taking us to Jinghong. And so ended our Olive Dam excursion. The driver got us to the airport hotel by 6 p.m.
The airport hotel was near the train station, which was why we chose it. It was clean, the room spacious, the bathroom even had a window, and the furniture was decent. However, the toilet and shower weren't separated, which was quite uncomfortable. 132 yuan per day, but it had a perk: free airport/train station transfers, as long as you arranged it. Since we had a 7:40 a.m. train to Mengla on the 22nd and would return to Xishuangbanna at 6:09 p.m. that evening, having the shuttle was great. So we booked two nights. But because the hotel had few guests, bookings were non-refundable. They provided free water, but only one bottle; if you needed more, you had to ask, and they'd give it, though not as generous as other places.
D10 October 22
From Xishuangbanna to the Wangtianshu (Parashorea chinensis) Scenic Area is 150 km. A one-way taxi would cost 500 yuan, not cost-effective. Taking the train to Mengla shortens the distance to just 20 km. Train tickets: Banna to Mengla 47 yuan, Mengla to Banna 62 yuan; round trip for four would save over 500 yuan, so we took the train. There were two daily trains, likely the same one running back and forth; the convenient option was the outbound morning train and return evening train. But we hadn't thought about breakfast or lunch—the train had no dining car, no stops in between, and no food. The airport hotel's breakfast started at 7:30, but the shuttle picked us up at 7:00, so we couldn't eat. We went to the dining hall, found no breakfast, grabbed two boiled eggs, and left. The train arrived in Mengla at 8:36. While using the restroom after exiting, someone shouted that the bus was leaving and to hurry on. The station staff said there wouldn't be another bus. We had to let it go. After it left, we had to take a taxi (25.46) to Mengla town to find food first. Unsure where to go, we consulted the map and spotted the Third Chinese Medicine Hospital. The driver, hearing we wanted food not the hospital, took us to a breakfast spot he thought was good near the hospital and dropped us off. A bowl of minced pork rice noodles (small 12 yuan, large 14 yuan) filled us up. Then we took another taxi (61.7) to Wangtianshu Scenic Area, arriving at 10:10. At the gate ticket office, they sold both entrance and boat tickets. We asked and found we could walk in without the boat ticket, so we didn't buy it. Inside, we realized the boat ride just took you from the ticket office to the main gate along the river, showing the scenery. Once in, the road lined with elephant statues was the main path. The trees here are very tall, said to be 80 meters high; indeed, many towering trees. The most famous feature is a canopy walkway, suspended mid-air among the trees—you have to crane your neck to see it—where you can stroll. We left the area after 2 p.m. and at the gate learned there was a free shuttle from the gate directly to the train station, perfectly timed with the train. Why wouldn't we take it? It departed at 4 p.m., so we waited. Actually, we'd been foolish in the morning: the bus from the train station to Mengla town cost 9 yuan per person, but the shuttle to the scenic area was this free bus. However, inside the scenic area there were no restaurants, only a small store at the entrance with pricey items—instant noodles were 15 yuan. We were underprepared, not expecting that the train had no breakfast and the station had no eatery, so we had to taxi for breakfast. Few people took the free shuttle. Our train there wasn't crowded; many passengers were heading to Laos for work. The return train also wasn't too crowded. We arrived back in Jinghong on time at 6:09 p.m.
D11 October 23
After breakfast, we packed up and moved to Tongcheng Boutique Hotel (Jinghong Water Splashing Square branch). City life is more convenient; unlike the airport hotel, there were no restaurants nearby, requiring long walks. The taxi (12 yuan) driver, hearing we planned to visit Jino Mountain Village and Wild Elephant Valley, offered to charter his car for 200 yuan round trip. Not knowing the situation, we just said we'd call him after settling in. We kept his number. At the hotel, the front desk clerk said we'd booked windowless king-bed rooms (706 yuan for two rooms for two nights). That stunned us. I wanted to cancel and find another hotel. The clerk said we could change room types—standard twin rooms? We agreed. He canceled the original booking and rebooked online, with two standard rooms for 529.9 yuan total for two nights. Instead of costing more, it was cheaper—thanks to off-season price drops; early booking was pricier. Tongcheng Boutique Hotel is a 22-story building; the lower part (16 floors) and upper part are different hotels, but the clerk said facilities were similar. The room had ample cabinets, desk, chairs, a decent bathroom, and breakfast was much better than the airport hotel. Located downtown, it was surrounded by many eateries. The clerk assigned two rooms on the 8th floor; we were satisfied. After settling in, we checked the map and realized taxi fares to both places would be around 200 yuan (hotel to Wild Elephant Valley 90, Valley to Jino Village 75, Village to hotel 30), and that was just an estimate; maybe more. So chartering the driver's car was better. We called him, and he arrived about ten minutes later. First, we went to Jino Mountain Village. The driver said no discount cards worked there, but he could get a discount with his guide certificate. We entrusted him. At the ticket office, he bought tickets (160 yuan per person, discounted to 140), and handed us over to a tour guide. The guide, a young woman, described their life as we walked, leading us into villagers' homes, drinking tea, and hearing about their prosperity. The village had many stone steps—not for those with weak legs. After the tour, we watched a performance while seated around small tables with snacks. At 12:40 we left for Wild Elephant Valley, arriving around 1:40 p.m. An elephant show was at 2:00 p.m.; our first move was to find good seats. We were a bit late—good front spots gone—so we sat on the side farther back. The show: elephants eating peanuts, bananas, drinking water, having their temperature checked, height and weight measured... After the show, elephants came to the corridor where visitors could feed them and take photos—for a fee. We visited the butterfly house, deer park, and walked the valley's trails. Encountering wild elephants is all about luck; we had none, so we returned to the hotel.
D12 October 24
Tongcheng Boutique Hotel was not far from the General Buddhist Temple. After breakfast, we walked there. The temple is free; the first sight is a statue of Premier Zhou. It's a royal temple, with not only halls but also a lake, bridge, and river; you can take a boat on the river (30 yuan per person), and there were vendors on the bridge. Many tourists. We arrived at 9:10, strolled in the downtown park with no hills, no physical demands, and left at 12:10. At 2 p.m. we reached the Great Buddha Temple, a reconstructed temple. A taxi (12 yuan) from downtown got us there, located on a hillside. At the ticket office, they also sold tour bus tickets (40 yuan each). We rode up and walked down. By the time we descended, it was 2:55 p.m. At 3 p.m. there was a peacock release show. After that, the water-splashing activity began. The square had viewing stands; we arrived early and got a front seat. First, a Dai ethnic dance by young men and women, then the host explained Dai customs, invited audience members to join the splashing (renting costumes and props), and then came the splashing—short and not very lively. Afterward, the host invited a famous calligrapher to write scrolls, giving away three free ones to lucky viewers; the fourth onward cost 300 yuan each. Eleven people in our session signed up. Besides the places we visited, Xishuangbanna also has the Primitive Forest Park (famous for its peacock release), the Tropical Rainforest, Daluo (a border port), and the Single Tree Forest, among others. Our taxi drivers said those spots are similar to what we'd already seen, so we decided to skip them.
D13 October 25
We had planned to take the 3 p.m. train (arriving 7 p.m.), but with no activities scheduled, we took the 10:54 a.m. train, arriving in Kunming at 2:29 p.m. The ride from Xishuangbanna to Kunming was almost all tunnels, similar to the Mengla stretch. This is related to altitude: Banna at 500 meters, Kunming at 1,800 meters—a big climb accomplished in the 3-hour journey. Ticket to Kunming South was 198 yuan. We took Metro Line 4 to Yangfutou, then a taxi to Ibis Hotel (776 yuan for two rooms, two nights). This hotel was clean, rooms large and bright, with furniture for luggage and backpacks, desks, chairs, wet/dry separated bathroom, good breakfast, and free bottled water—good value. The only drawback: the bathroom door opened outward, which was inconvenient and uncomfortable. Many restaurants nearby, and prices were reasonable.
D14 October 26
There are many trains from Kunming to Shilin West. Although Shilin West is a bit far from the scenic area (40 minutes by bus), there's a bus specifically timed with the trains; you can board directly after getting off and ride to the end, which is the entrance to the Stone Forest, for 10 yuan. We got up late and took the metro to Kunming South, so by the time we reached the Stone Forest it was nearly 11:30 a.m. Everything in the Stone Forest scenic area was free, including the shuttle bus inside, except the public bus. After entering, cross a bridge to the shuttle bus stop. From the main gate to the Big Stone Forest is quite far; the shuttle took nearly 15 minutes. After visiting the Big Stone Forest, we went to the Small Stone Forest nearby. By the time we finished, it was close to 1:50 p.m. We needed to catch the 3:54 p.m. train back to Kunming, so no dawdling. We first found the shuttle, exited the park, then took the public bus, allowing time for ticket buying and waiting. We got back to the hotel around dinner time.
D15 October 27
After breakfast, we called the Haigeng Base office to ask if there were seagulls at Dianchi Lake. Getting a positive answer, we decided to see the red-billed gulls. A 29.71 yuan taxi got us to Haigeng Dam by 9:30. Many people on the dam held up bread, trying to pose with gulls. But it's a skill; to get a photo, you usually have to pay someone to help. We watched the gulls, then took a 19.07 yuan taxi to Green Lake Park at 10:50. The Jiangwutang (Military Academy) is right outside the west gate of the park; both are free. The academy is fairly large and tiring to tour. It's famous for two alumni: Zhu De and Ye Jianying, and a total of over 200 generals. We breezed through, then taxied to Nanping Street. Nanping Street is wide and blocked off at both ends as a pedestrian street. At a flower cake shop, we queued to buy some pastries, then walked to Zhengyi Road to find a restaurant. Zhengyi Road was bustling with shops; even past noon, customers kept streaming. I ate a fish-flavored shredded pork rice at a Xinjiang restaurant—the meat was beef shreds. After eating, we strolled out and hailed a taxi back to the hotel. We rested in the lobby until dinner, then after dinner, we left for the airport to catch the 9:50 p.m. flight back to Hangzhou (arriving on time at 00:50).
