How to Plan a Route for Yunnan Travel
Last week, my family and I just returned from a trip to Yunnan. All tourist attractions are open normally, such as Kunming, Lijiang, Dali, Xishuangbanna, Lugu Lake, etc. Now you can travel normally without quarantine, so everyone can go with peace of mind. Speaking of Yunnan, I feel I have a lot to say. I have been to Yunnan three times with different people, and each time the experience was different. Let me share with you:
First time: My parents took me, and we joined a tour group locally in Shenzhen. It was very expensive, and the itinerary was too rushed and tiring. Honestly, we didn’t enjoy it at all!
Second time: I went with my best friend. It was very free, but also very troublesome. We had to book hotels, tickets, find transportation, and plan the route ourselves. It cost a lot of time and money. When we rented a car at the foot of Jade Dragon Snow Mountain, the driver even cheated us. If you want to travel independently, remember to have someone arrange everything in advance, so you can just enjoy yourself after arriving in Yunnan; otherwise, it’s too much hassle.
Third time: I went last month, and it was the most enjoyable trip. I had originally planned to join a tour group, but later I learned that tour groups have tight schedules, and you might not be able to visit the attractions you want, which would make the trip unsatisfying, so I decisively gave up. But we were not familiar with Yunnan and couldn’t understand the local dialect, afraid of taking many detours, and we were very conflicted. Then I accidentally found online a kind of independent travel with a companion that arranges accommodation, tickets, and private cars in advance. That’s how I got to know Yunnan travel planner Ashima. She is a local of Yunnan, warm and hospitable, and she helped us save a lot of time and money. Before we left for Yunnan, we contacted Ashima in advance. She arranged a 6-day itinerary according to our family’s needs. Before we arrived in Yunnan, she had already arranged accommodation, route, tickets, and transportation. It was super great, and the price was very reasonable. The most important thing was that it saved us a lot of trouble. After arriving in Yunnan, we just had to enjoy the attractions!
There are many scenic spots to visit in Yunnan. Here is the itinerary we had for six days and five nights in Yunnan:
Day 1: Pick up at Kunming airport and sign contract. Stay at a hot spring hotel. Free time.
Day 2: Stone Forest Scenic Area – Stone Forest Lake – Stone Screen – Stone Forest Scenic Views – Stone Forest Outer Scenery – Lotus Pond – Ashima Incarnation
Day 3: Erhai Lake – VIP Private Yacht – Luoquan Peninsula – Open-top Jeep Tour around Erhai Lake – Nanzhao Fengqing Island
Day 4: Lashihai – Lijiang Ancient Town – Sifang Street – Lishui Jinsha Performance
Day 5: Shuhe Ancient Town – Jiuding Longtan – Jade Dragon Snow Mountain Glacier Park Large Cable Car – Blue Moon Valley – Return by bus to Kunming
Day 6: Visit Flower City, immerse yourself in the ocean of flowers. I wish I could live here every day, being a little fairy surrounded by flowers and beautiful scenery! Hehe~ After that, Ashima will arrange airport transfers according to flight information.
We took the six-day itinerary, which includes the highlights of Dali, Lijiang, Jade Dragon Snow Mountain, Erhai Lake, etc. The ancient architectural features of Yunnan really fascinated me. The current travel market is very chaotic, and it’s really important to find a reliable person. The hotel we stayed in and the meals were all arranged by the itinerary planner Ashima, who was very patient. I must give her a thumbs up. If you want to go, contacting her is definitely the right choice.
