Yunnan Province, China, Trip Report: May 26-June 10, 2017
Jul 3rd, 2017, 11:32 AM
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2014
Posts: 4,498
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Yunnan Province, China, Trip Report: May 26-June 10, 2017
My husband and I traveled with our daughter and her husband to Yunnan Province for 2 weeks in May/June. We are independent travelers, and I usually plan all of our trips. Because I was planning other trips for this year, I asked my husband to plan our trip to China. He decided to use a travel agent to make the trip planning easier, and so that we could see many places during our 2-week trip.
We used Yunnan Adventure Travel Co. located in Kunming. Their email is [email protected]
This was not your typical large group tour. The travel agent customized the tour just for the 4 of us. My husband told them where we wanted to go, and he asked them to include 2 free days. The price included breakfasts every day (at the hotel), and lunch every day. We were on our own every night for dinner. Our hotels were 4-star hotels in excellent locations. Our tour did not include any mandatory shopping opportunities!
I highly recommend Yunnan Adventure Travel. They were very flexible, which would not be possible with a large group. Some mornings, due to either illness or jetlag, we delayed our sightseeing. Initially, we wanted to spend 3 nights at Lugu Lake, but we changed that to 2 nights when we were there, and added an extra night to Lijiang. Our daughter and her husband decided to go to Shanghai after spending a week in Yunnan Province, and the travel agent made all of the last-minute arrangements for them.
This is our itinerary:
Kunming – 2 nights
Overnight train from Kunming to Dali
Dali – 2 nights
Lijiang – 2 nights
Lugu Lake – 2 nights
Lijiang – returned to Lijiang for another 2 nights
Shangri-la – 2 nights
Kunming – 1 night before departing for home
It was a very long journey from Boston to Kunming! We flew from Boston to Toronto; then we had a 13-hour flight from Toronto to Beijing. Our flight to Kunming was delayed, so we had a long lay-over in Beijing. We finally arrived in Kunming at 2:00AM!!!
KUNMING:
Hotel – New Era Hotel – located in a very convenient area, within walking distance of the ornamental stone gateways in Jinbi Square. These arches looked beautiful lit up at night.
Our breakfasts at the New Era Hotel were probably the best we had on our trip. The breakfast included a very large Chinese buffet and a very large Western style buffet. The dining room had lots of windows with nice views of the city.
Kunming is the capital of Yunnan Province. It is 2000 meters above sea level, and its nickname is the City of Eternal Spring. It’s a modern city with very, very little pollution.
Sightseeing:
STONE FOREST:
For sightseeing, we drove 86 km to the Shilin (Stone Forest). Stone Forest is a huge park with bizarre but stunning limestone karst formations. They are otherworldly! We really enjoyed Stone Forest, although it was hot and crowded when we were there. As you move further away from the entrance, the crowds do thin out. There is a lot of walking, and some up and down walking, too. My guidebook criticized Stone Forest for the Chinese characters written on some of the karst pillars. However, there were very few of these characters, and because Stone Forest is so large, it really did not detract from the beauty and enjoyment.
GREEN PARK:
We also visited Green Lake Park on a Sunday during the Dragon Boat Festival. It was very crowded, noisy, and busy, but I really enjoyed it. I’m not sure it is this crowded on week days, but definitely very lively on weekends. There were many, many groups of people dancing and exercising. I thought it was refreshing to see people so uninhibited in public and so obviously enjoying themselves. The park is pretty with lakes, flowers and weeping willow trees.
After walking around and enjoying the dancing and exercising groups, we found a café located in a quiet part of the park, and enjoyed some cold drinks with our tour guide.
GUANDU ANCIENT TOWN:
One afternoon, we visited Guandu Ancient Town, which none of us liked. It was very crowded and noisy, with loud obnoxious blaring music! Most of the stores sold junk; there was nothing we were interested in purchasing. We did visit two small temples, which were a quiet oasis.
BIRDS AND FLOWER MARKET:
Another disappointment was the Birds and Flower Market, which sold more junk than anything else. The lanes were very narrow and crowded, and we didn’t linger long.
THE OVERNIGHT TRAIN FROM KUNMING TO DALI:
It was my husband’s suggestion to take the overnight train from Kunming to Dali to give us more time for sightseeing and to not pay for a hotel that night. Well, we all agreed this is something we will never do again! Apparently, the only train that goes from Kunming to Dali is the K train. Trust me, it is not a luxurious train. We were all in shock when we saw our overnight accommodations! The room, which sleeps 4, was like a sardine can! There were 2 upper bunks and 2 lower bunks, with a very narrow space in between. We stored 2 suitcases in the alcove above the upper bunks, and we stored the other 2 suitcases standing upright on the floor. We had very, very little space to move around in. I woke up every time the train stopped, and we all could hear the constant clacking, clanging, and whistle blowing. The train would stop, then lurch forward about 20 feet or so. Sometimes we didn’t see anything that resembled a train station, so not sure where we actually were. We can laugh about the experience now, but I do not recommend it. Maybe younger people might like it, but my daughter & son-in-law are in their 30’s, and they admitted this was a little too rough for them. My son-in-law’s sheets were damp, probably from the AC which was just above him. So he slept on his blanket, but got cold during the night, so I gave him my blanket. But then I got cold, so my daughter opened up her suitcase and threw some of her clothes on me.
So you can imagine how we felt after not getting any sleep and arriving at the very noisy and crowded Dali train station at 6:30AM! There were honking cars and a garbage truck blaring “It’s a Small World After All”! We were so happy to hear our new tour guide call out our names!!! This is when having your own tour guide and private driver is worth every penny!
To be continued . . . .
We used Yunnan Adventure Travel Co. located in Kunming. Their email is [email protected]
This was not your typical large group tour. The travel agent customized the tour just for the 4 of us. My husband told them where we wanted to go, and he asked them to include 2 free days. The price included breakfasts every day (at the hotel), and lunch every day. We were on our own every night for dinner. Our hotels were 4-star hotels in excellent locations. Our tour did not include any mandatory shopping opportunities!
I highly recommend Yunnan Adventure Travel. They were very flexible, which would not be possible with a large group. Some mornings, due to either illness or jetlag, we delayed our sightseeing. Initially, we wanted to spend 3 nights at Lugu Lake, but we changed that to 2 nights when we were there, and added an extra night to Lijiang. Our daughter and her husband decided to go to Shanghai after spending a week in Yunnan Province, and the travel agent made all of the last-minute arrangements for them.
This is our itinerary:
Kunming – 2 nights
Overnight train from Kunming to Dali
Dali – 2 nights
Lijiang – 2 nights
Lugu Lake – 2 nights
Lijiang – returned to Lijiang for another 2 nights
Shangri-la – 2 nights
Kunming – 1 night before departing for home
It was a very long journey from Boston to Kunming! We flew from Boston to Toronto; then we had a 13-hour flight from Toronto to Beijing. Our flight to Kunming was delayed, so we had a long lay-over in Beijing. We finally arrived in Kunming at 2:00AM!!!
KUNMING:
Hotel – New Era Hotel – located in a very convenient area, within walking distance of the ornamental stone gateways in Jinbi Square. These arches looked beautiful lit up at night.
Our breakfasts at the New Era Hotel were probably the best we had on our trip. The breakfast included a very large Chinese buffet and a very large Western style buffet. The dining room had lots of windows with nice views of the city.
Kunming is the capital of Yunnan Province. It is 2000 meters above sea level, and its nickname is the City of Eternal Spring. It’s a modern city with very, very little pollution.
Sightseeing:
STONE FOREST:
For sightseeing, we drove 86 km to the Shilin (Stone Forest). Stone Forest is a huge park with bizarre but stunning limestone karst formations. They are otherworldly! We really enjoyed Stone Forest, although it was hot and crowded when we were there. As you move further away from the entrance, the crowds do thin out. There is a lot of walking, and some up and down walking, too. My guidebook criticized Stone Forest for the Chinese characters written on some of the karst pillars. However, there were very few of these characters, and because Stone Forest is so large, it really did not detract from the beauty and enjoyment.
GREEN PARK:
We also visited Green Lake Park on a Sunday during the Dragon Boat Festival. It was very crowded, noisy, and busy, but I really enjoyed it. I’m not sure it is this crowded on week days, but definitely very lively on weekends. There were many, many groups of people dancing and exercising. I thought it was refreshing to see people so uninhibited in public and so obviously enjoying themselves. The park is pretty with lakes, flowers and weeping willow trees.
After walking around and enjoying the dancing and exercising groups, we found a café located in a quiet part of the park, and enjoyed some cold drinks with our tour guide.
GUANDU ANCIENT TOWN:
One afternoon, we visited Guandu Ancient Town, which none of us liked. It was very crowded and noisy, with loud obnoxious blaring music! Most of the stores sold junk; there was nothing we were interested in purchasing. We did visit two small temples, which were a quiet oasis.
BIRDS AND FLOWER MARKET:
Another disappointment was the Birds and Flower Market, which sold more junk than anything else. The lanes were very narrow and crowded, and we didn’t linger long.
THE OVERNIGHT TRAIN FROM KUNMING TO DALI:
It was my husband’s suggestion to take the overnight train from Kunming to Dali to give us more time for sightseeing and to not pay for a hotel that night. Well, we all agreed this is something we will never do again! Apparently, the only train that goes from Kunming to Dali is the K train. Trust me, it is not a luxurious train. We were all in shock when we saw our overnight accommodations! The room, which sleeps 4, was like a sardine can! There were 2 upper bunks and 2 lower bunks, with a very narrow space in between. We stored 2 suitcases in the alcove above the upper bunks, and we stored the other 2 suitcases standing upright on the floor. We had very, very little space to move around in. I woke up every time the train stopped, and we all could hear the constant clacking, clanging, and whistle blowing. The train would stop, then lurch forward about 20 feet or so. Sometimes we didn’t see anything that resembled a train station, so not sure where we actually were. We can laugh about the experience now, but I do not recommend it. Maybe younger people might like it, but my daughter & son-in-law are in their 30’s, and they admitted this was a little too rough for them. My son-in-law’s sheets were damp, probably from the AC which was just above him. So he slept on his blanket, but got cold during the night, so I gave him my blanket. But then I got cold, so my daughter opened up her suitcase and threw some of her clothes on me.
So you can imagine how we felt after not getting any sleep and arriving at the very noisy and crowded Dali train station at 6:30AM! There were honking cars and a garbage truck blaring “It’s a Small World After All”! We were so happy to hear our new tour guide call out our names!!! This is when having your own tour guide and private driver is worth every penny!
To be continued . . . .
Jul 4th, 2017, 05:14 AM
#2
Looking forward to more.
Sorry the train trip didn't work out. Much depends on the train class, and soft sleeper can be quite comfortable. I have also done one trip a while back in hard sleeper, which is six berth sections open to the corridor and very hard berths....
I was in Kunming in 2004 and much of the old sections were being torn down and rebuilt as pseudo-old. The Stone Forest was very popular even then, but like you I found it quite easy to lose the crowds by walking further.
Sorry the train trip didn't work out. Much depends on the train class, and soft sleeper can be quite comfortable. I have also done one trip a while back in hard sleeper, which is six berth sections open to the corridor and very hard berths....
I was in Kunming in 2004 and much of the old sections were being torn down and rebuilt as pseudo-old. The Stone Forest was very popular even then, but like you I found it quite easy to lose the crowds by walking further.
Jul 4th, 2017, 06:04 AM
#4
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2014
Posts: 4,498
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Thursdaysd, where else did you go in Yunnan Province?
We were in Kashgar in 2006 and loved visiting the old town. I understand that has now been torn down for modernization.
BTW, I have enjoyed reading your report about Turkmenistan!
We were in Kashgar in 2006 and loved visiting the old town. I understand that has now been torn down for modernization.
BTW, I have enjoyed reading your report about Turkmenistan!
Jul 4th, 2017, 04:32 PM
#6
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2014
Posts: 4,498
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Kathie,
Even though there were a few things we were disappointed in, we loved Yunnan province, and I highly recommend going there. Where else have you been in China?
Yunnan Province is very different from the East Coast of China. It is more rural and mountainous, and was always remote from mainstream China. While our 4-star hotels all had western style toilets, many public places still only had squat toilets and one place only had a trough.
I also had intestinal issues, even though I only drank bottled water, and I avoided raw fresh fruit and vegetables.
I will hopefully submit another installment tonight!
Karen
Even though there were a few things we were disappointed in, we loved Yunnan province, and I highly recommend going there. Where else have you been in China?
Yunnan Province is very different from the East Coast of China. It is more rural and mountainous, and was always remote from mainstream China. While our 4-star hotels all had western style toilets, many public places still only had squat toilets and one place only had a trough.
I also had intestinal issues, even though I only drank bottled water, and I avoided raw fresh fruit and vegetables.
I will hopefully submit another installment tonight!
Karen
Jul 4th, 2017, 05:09 PM
#7
Karen - I spent a bit longer in Yunnan than I had planned because I was escaping bad weather in Chengdu.
21-Oct-04 Night train to Kunming
22-Oct-04 Kunming
23-Oct-04 Bus to Tonghai
24-Oct-04 Bus to Jianshui
25-Oct-04 Jianshui
26-Oct-04 Bus to Gejiu
27-Oct-04 Gejiu
28-Oct-04 Bus to Shiling
29-Oct-04 Bus to Kunming
30-Oct-04 Fly to Lijiang
31-Oct-04 Bus to Daju
01-Nov-04 Daju
02-Nov-04 Bus to Lijiang
03-Nov-04 Lijiang
04-Nov-04 Bus to Dali
05-Nov-04 Dali
06-Nov-04 Day train to Kunming
07-Nov-04 Night train to Nanning
Daju was the far end of Tiger Leaping Gorge - six months into the trip I didn't feel up to hiking it but had found Lijiang rather touristy and wanted a couple of nights elsewhere.. The loop south from Kunming was well off the tourist trail and fascinating, I spent a couple of nights in a traditional Qing dynasty home. The only thing booked ahead was the flight to Lijiang.
Glad you are enjoying the TR, still have three or four posts to do.
21-Oct-04 Night train to Kunming
22-Oct-04 Kunming
23-Oct-04 Bus to Tonghai
24-Oct-04 Bus to Jianshui
25-Oct-04 Jianshui
26-Oct-04 Bus to Gejiu
27-Oct-04 Gejiu
28-Oct-04 Bus to Shiling
29-Oct-04 Bus to Kunming
30-Oct-04 Fly to Lijiang
31-Oct-04 Bus to Daju
01-Nov-04 Daju
02-Nov-04 Bus to Lijiang
03-Nov-04 Lijiang
04-Nov-04 Bus to Dali
05-Nov-04 Dali
06-Nov-04 Day train to Kunming
07-Nov-04 Night train to Nanning
Daju was the far end of Tiger Leaping Gorge - six months into the trip I didn't feel up to hiking it but had found Lijiang rather touristy and wanted a couple of nights elsewhere.. The loop south from Kunming was well off the tourist trail and fascinating, I spent a couple of nights in a traditional Qing dynasty home. The only thing booked ahead was the flight to Lijiang.
Glad you are enjoying the TR, still have three or four posts to do.
Jul 4th, 2017, 06:00 PM
#8
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2014
Posts: 4,498
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
DALI:
Hotel – Landscape Hotel – located in Dali’s ancient town.
This is one of our favorite hotels, designed in the Bai Minority’s courtyard style. I believe there are 9 courtyards. Our room was clean and spacious, but plain. The bathroom was a good size with a huge walk-in shower. The hotel serves a western style breakfast and a Chinese style breakfast. We didn’t care for either one, and we actually had breakfast at McDonald’s one morning! We hardly ever eat at McDonald’s at home, and certainly never on vacation. I’d like to add that many of the hotels served stir fried vegetables for breakfast, which just did not appeal to me. My family and I are adventurous eaters and love to try different ethnic foods, but I could not acquire a taste for stir fried vegetables in the morning.
Dali’s ancient town is beautiful, with old traditional architecture and leafy tree-lined streets. I should point out here that Yunnan Province is home to over 20 ethnic minority groups in China, and the Bai minority people reside in Dali. We really enjoyed Dali; it’s crowded but not unbearably so. We strolled through the ancient town, climbed one of its towers, and walked along the restored sections of its Ming Dynasty walls. Dali is in a gorgeous location, too, with Erhai Lake on one side, and the green Cang Shan mountain range behind the town.
SIGHTSEEING:
THREE PAGODAS AND CHONGSHEN TEMPLE
The three Pagodas, the symbol of Dali, are very picturesque and make for lovely photo opportunities. However, you cannot go inside them. For us, one of our highlights was visiting Chongshen Temple, which is in back of the 3 pagodas, built on different levels into the mountainside. The original temple was founded in the 9th century, but it was also enlarged in 2005. My guide book criticizes the temple for being so large, but we found it interesting and beautiful, with the mountains as the backdrop and stunning views of Erhai lake. We took our time wandering through the temples, and taking photos of this beautiful site with its prayer flags, and enjoying the scent of burning incense. One of the temples houses 280 gold buddhas! What a great sight! So please don’t dismiss Chongshen Temple.
CRUISE OF ERHAI LAKE
We cruised Erhai Lake on a one and half story ferry boat. We saw a larger tourist boat (about 4 or 5 decks high) on the lake. Because our ferry was smaller and very simple and plain, it did not feel touristy at all. We stopped at a village along the lake and browsed through its market, which sold some interesting goods, such as different kinds of dried fish and miniature shrimp, things I had never seen before. There were the usual fresh fruits and vegetables, along with spices, clothing etc. We saw many grandmothers at the market, either working or shopping, and carrying their grandchildren on their backs.
We then visited a small and worn looking temple. I don’t remember its name. It definitely was not spruced up for tourism but it was an interesting comparison to Chongshen Temple. They couldn’t be more different from each other.
I haven’t mentioned food yet. We had delicious meals in Kunming and Dali. Everything was fresh and very flavorful. Unfortunately, I must have had something contaminated, and I became ill while in Dali. We were scheduled to visit Xizhou on the day we left Dali to drive to Lijiang. However, because I was sick, we couldn’t leave early in the morning. We left Dali around noon, when we had to check out of our hotel and I was feeling a little bit better. Because of the long drive to Lijiang, we had to cancel our visit to Xizhou, which was disappointing. According to my guidebook, Xizhou is a very important Bai town because of its well-preserved Bai architecture. So that was disappointing, but you have to be flexible when traveling. BTW, I did take a full-course of Cipro, and felt better after a few days, only to be stricken again. (More about that later!) I did offer to remain in my hotel room by myself while my family went to Xizhou, but our guide told us that wouldn't work because they would be backtracking to pick me up, and there wouldn't be time to get to Lijiang at a decent hour.
I’d like to add one more thought/suggestion about Dali. My husband and our oldest daughter visited Dali in 2004. They had more time than we did on this trip, so they also spent several days renting bikes and visiting the small villages that line Erhai Lake. My husband still speaks fondly of that trip. So if anyone has the time, I would recommend doing that. Additionally, there are lots of hiking opportunities around Dali. We didn’t have the time for this, but I also have some mobility issues caused by arthritis, so I wouldn’t be able to do any of these hikes. Just thought I would mention this for the more athletic traveler!
Our next stop is Lijiang!
Hotel – Landscape Hotel – located in Dali’s ancient town.
This is one of our favorite hotels, designed in the Bai Minority’s courtyard style. I believe there are 9 courtyards. Our room was clean and spacious, but plain. The bathroom was a good size with a huge walk-in shower. The hotel serves a western style breakfast and a Chinese style breakfast. We didn’t care for either one, and we actually had breakfast at McDonald’s one morning! We hardly ever eat at McDonald’s at home, and certainly never on vacation. I’d like to add that many of the hotels served stir fried vegetables for breakfast, which just did not appeal to me. My family and I are adventurous eaters and love to try different ethnic foods, but I could not acquire a taste for stir fried vegetables in the morning.
Dali’s ancient town is beautiful, with old traditional architecture and leafy tree-lined streets. I should point out here that Yunnan Province is home to over 20 ethnic minority groups in China, and the Bai minority people reside in Dali. We really enjoyed Dali; it’s crowded but not unbearably so. We strolled through the ancient town, climbed one of its towers, and walked along the restored sections of its Ming Dynasty walls. Dali is in a gorgeous location, too, with Erhai Lake on one side, and the green Cang Shan mountain range behind the town.
SIGHTSEEING:
THREE PAGODAS AND CHONGSHEN TEMPLE
The three Pagodas, the symbol of Dali, are very picturesque and make for lovely photo opportunities. However, you cannot go inside them. For us, one of our highlights was visiting Chongshen Temple, which is in back of the 3 pagodas, built on different levels into the mountainside. The original temple was founded in the 9th century, but it was also enlarged in 2005. My guide book criticizes the temple for being so large, but we found it interesting and beautiful, with the mountains as the backdrop and stunning views of Erhai lake. We took our time wandering through the temples, and taking photos of this beautiful site with its prayer flags, and enjoying the scent of burning incense. One of the temples houses 280 gold buddhas! What a great sight! So please don’t dismiss Chongshen Temple.
CRUISE OF ERHAI LAKE
We cruised Erhai Lake on a one and half story ferry boat. We saw a larger tourist boat (about 4 or 5 decks high) on the lake. Because our ferry was smaller and very simple and plain, it did not feel touristy at all. We stopped at a village along the lake and browsed through its market, which sold some interesting goods, such as different kinds of dried fish and miniature shrimp, things I had never seen before. There were the usual fresh fruits and vegetables, along with spices, clothing etc. We saw many grandmothers at the market, either working or shopping, and carrying their grandchildren on their backs.
We then visited a small and worn looking temple. I don’t remember its name. It definitely was not spruced up for tourism but it was an interesting comparison to Chongshen Temple. They couldn’t be more different from each other.
I haven’t mentioned food yet. We had delicious meals in Kunming and Dali. Everything was fresh and very flavorful. Unfortunately, I must have had something contaminated, and I became ill while in Dali. We were scheduled to visit Xizhou on the day we left Dali to drive to Lijiang. However, because I was sick, we couldn’t leave early in the morning. We left Dali around noon, when we had to check out of our hotel and I was feeling a little bit better. Because of the long drive to Lijiang, we had to cancel our visit to Xizhou, which was disappointing. According to my guidebook, Xizhou is a very important Bai town because of its well-preserved Bai architecture. So that was disappointing, but you have to be flexible when traveling. BTW, I did take a full-course of Cipro, and felt better after a few days, only to be stricken again. (More about that later!) I did offer to remain in my hotel room by myself while my family went to Xizhou, but our guide told us that wouldn't work because they would be backtracking to pick me up, and there wouldn't be time to get to Lijiang at a decent hour.
I’d like to add one more thought/suggestion about Dali. My husband and our oldest daughter visited Dali in 2004. They had more time than we did on this trip, so they also spent several days renting bikes and visiting the small villages that line Erhai Lake. My husband still speaks fondly of that trip. So if anyone has the time, I would recommend doing that. Additionally, there are lots of hiking opportunities around Dali. We didn’t have the time for this, but I also have some mobility issues caused by arthritis, so I wouldn’t be able to do any of these hikes. Just thought I would mention this for the more athletic traveler!
Our next stop is Lijiang!
Jul 5th, 2017, 11:49 AM
#11
Hi Karen, outside North America it is standard practice for multi-person compartments or sections to be shared with strangers. In western Europe it is usually same sex, but not elsewhere. In fact, as a solo traveler, I find it very annoying that Amtrak requires me to pay for a two person compartment! At least Via Rail in Canada does have singles. These are the only countries in which I have traveled in private compartments.
Theoretically you could buy all the berths in a multi-person compartment if there were, say, only two or three of you, but in some countries I wouldn't count on keeping the conductor from reselling the empty berths.
If you are interested in the trip (this was just part of a longer one) it is on my old website, but I ran out of blogging energy in Kunming!
http://wilhelmswords.com/rtw2004/index.html
Theoretically you could buy all the berths in a multi-person compartment if there were, say, only two or three of you, but in some countries I wouldn't count on keeping the conductor from reselling the empty berths.
If you are interested in the trip (this was just part of a longer one) it is on my old website, but I ran out of blogging energy in Kunming!
http://wilhelmswords.com/rtw2004/index.html
Jul 6th, 2017, 12:04 PM
#12
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2014
Posts: 4,498
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
LOVELY LIJIANG AND THE TEA HORSE TRADE ROUTE:
We continued along the old Tea Horse Trade route, which was the caravan route from Yunnan Province to Tibet, until we reached Lijiang. People in Sichuan and Yunnan provinces traveled by foot and horseback with pack horses to exchange tea for horses with people in Tibet – and so this route was called the Tea Horse Road.
When we first arrived in Lijiang, we had a late lunch, and then we visited the Dongba Museum, which is small but interesting, and housed in an attractive building. The Naxi people live in Lijiang, and the Naxi shamans are translating old Naxi scriptures in this museum. We then visited Black Dragon Pool, a beautiful park with flowers, ponds, and bridges, with the mountains as a backdrop. We only saw a small portion of this park, and I wish we had more time here.
Our guide and driver then drove our daughter and son-in-law to the Lijiang Airport so they could catch their flight to Shanghai. Our daughter was having some health issues, and a Western doctor she was referred to suggested she go to Shanghai to the Western hospital there if she continued having problems. This made her nervous, and they decided to leave that night. Whether or not this was necessary, we will never know, but she preferred to err on the side of caution. She had an appointment the next day, and everything was fine. Her problems were primarily asthma and high altitude related, and she felt much better after arriving in Shanghai (at sea level). She lived and worked in Shanghai for 2 years so she enjoyed being back there and showing her husband her old haunts. Because our return flight was through Shanghai, we were able to fly home with them from Shanghai and compare our travel stories.
Our driver then brought my husband and I to our hotel in Lijiang, the Wangfu Hotel, located in Old Town in South Gate Square. This is our favorite hotel. It has several lovely and peaceful courtyards; our room was very large with a comfortable sitting area and a very large bathroom. There were two restaurants for breakfast, one for the Western style breakfast, and one for the Chinese style breakfast. We had omelets made to order, noodle soup made to order, and an assortment of meats, pastries, coffee, tea, and orange juice.
Old Town Lijiang is beautiful, with traditional wooden buildings, narrow cobbled streets, streams with bridges, leafy trees, and beautiful flowers, such as purple bougainvillea! No wonder it is popular! But please don’t let the crowds scare you away. It actually wasn’t as bad as we were expecting. The area around our hotel was very quiet during the day, and only became busy at night when people were dining out. Families live in our neighborhood; in fact, we saw school children walking to school in the early morning. The Main Square (further away) and surrounding area is very crowded, especially at night.
SIGHTSEEING:
JADE DRAGON SNOW MOUNTAIN:
This is one of our favorite sightseeing trips! After driving to Jade Dragon Snow Mountain, we took a bus for a 30-minute ride up the mountain. Then we took a chairlift for another 20 minutes to Yak Meadow. The chairlift ride was so peaceful with gorgeous views of the mountains, and fresh, clean air with the scent of pine. At times our chairlift almost touched the tops of the trees. It was a very relaxing ride. Yak Meadow is beautiful with abundant wildflowers, a monastery and yaks grazing in the meadow. There is also a trail that circles the meadow, but I was having difficulty with the high altitude and couldn’t do this walk. My husband and guide went inside the monastery, but I sat on the steps because I didn’t have the energy to go any further. BTW, I did purchase oxygen before we got on the chairlift, because it was exhausting for me to walk just from the parking lot to the chairlift.
After we returned to the bottom of the mountain, we rode on an open air electric car to see the waterfalls and pools. My itinerary calls it the Baishuihe River, but I think our guide also called it the Blue Moon Lake or something like that. It is a series of small lakes and waterfalls. The water is a bright blue from the minerals and glaciers. We were able to stop several times for photos, and we also saw many brides and grooms having their wedding photos taken here.
BAISHA VILLAGE:
Our next stop was a late lunch in Baisha Village. This is not a touristy village, but a place where people live and work. It’s a very serene and quiet spot. There are only 2 main streets, and we had time for a nice stroll. There is also a temple located here (don’t remember the name) with a 600 year old mural. Unfortunately, at this point, it was very hot, and I was wilting and having leg pain, so I found a shady spot to rest while my husband and guide went inside the temple to see the mural and other miscellaneous buildings.
The next day we detour off the Tea Horse Trade Route to Lugu Lake, at the Yunnan/Sichuan border!
We continued along the old Tea Horse Trade route, which was the caravan route from Yunnan Province to Tibet, until we reached Lijiang. People in Sichuan and Yunnan provinces traveled by foot and horseback with pack horses to exchange tea for horses with people in Tibet – and so this route was called the Tea Horse Road.
When we first arrived in Lijiang, we had a late lunch, and then we visited the Dongba Museum, which is small but interesting, and housed in an attractive building. The Naxi people live in Lijiang, and the Naxi shamans are translating old Naxi scriptures in this museum. We then visited Black Dragon Pool, a beautiful park with flowers, ponds, and bridges, with the mountains as a backdrop. We only saw a small portion of this park, and I wish we had more time here.
Our guide and driver then drove our daughter and son-in-law to the Lijiang Airport so they could catch their flight to Shanghai. Our daughter was having some health issues, and a Western doctor she was referred to suggested she go to Shanghai to the Western hospital there if she continued having problems. This made her nervous, and they decided to leave that night. Whether or not this was necessary, we will never know, but she preferred to err on the side of caution. She had an appointment the next day, and everything was fine. Her problems were primarily asthma and high altitude related, and she felt much better after arriving in Shanghai (at sea level). She lived and worked in Shanghai for 2 years so she enjoyed being back there and showing her husband her old haunts. Because our return flight was through Shanghai, we were able to fly home with them from Shanghai and compare our travel stories.
Our driver then brought my husband and I to our hotel in Lijiang, the Wangfu Hotel, located in Old Town in South Gate Square. This is our favorite hotel. It has several lovely and peaceful courtyards; our room was very large with a comfortable sitting area and a very large bathroom. There were two restaurants for breakfast, one for the Western style breakfast, and one for the Chinese style breakfast. We had omelets made to order, noodle soup made to order, and an assortment of meats, pastries, coffee, tea, and orange juice.
Old Town Lijiang is beautiful, with traditional wooden buildings, narrow cobbled streets, streams with bridges, leafy trees, and beautiful flowers, such as purple bougainvillea! No wonder it is popular! But please don’t let the crowds scare you away. It actually wasn’t as bad as we were expecting. The area around our hotel was very quiet during the day, and only became busy at night when people were dining out. Families live in our neighborhood; in fact, we saw school children walking to school in the early morning. The Main Square (further away) and surrounding area is very crowded, especially at night.
SIGHTSEEING:
JADE DRAGON SNOW MOUNTAIN:
This is one of our favorite sightseeing trips! After driving to Jade Dragon Snow Mountain, we took a bus for a 30-minute ride up the mountain. Then we took a chairlift for another 20 minutes to Yak Meadow. The chairlift ride was so peaceful with gorgeous views of the mountains, and fresh, clean air with the scent of pine. At times our chairlift almost touched the tops of the trees. It was a very relaxing ride. Yak Meadow is beautiful with abundant wildflowers, a monastery and yaks grazing in the meadow. There is also a trail that circles the meadow, but I was having difficulty with the high altitude and couldn’t do this walk. My husband and guide went inside the monastery, but I sat on the steps because I didn’t have the energy to go any further. BTW, I did purchase oxygen before we got on the chairlift, because it was exhausting for me to walk just from the parking lot to the chairlift.
After we returned to the bottom of the mountain, we rode on an open air electric car to see the waterfalls and pools. My itinerary calls it the Baishuihe River, but I think our guide also called it the Blue Moon Lake or something like that. It is a series of small lakes and waterfalls. The water is a bright blue from the minerals and glaciers. We were able to stop several times for photos, and we also saw many brides and grooms having their wedding photos taken here.
BAISHA VILLAGE:
Our next stop was a late lunch in Baisha Village. This is not a touristy village, but a place where people live and work. It’s a very serene and quiet spot. There are only 2 main streets, and we had time for a nice stroll. There is also a temple located here (don’t remember the name) with a 600 year old mural. Unfortunately, at this point, it was very hot, and I was wilting and having leg pain, so I found a shady spot to rest while my husband and guide went inside the temple to see the mural and other miscellaneous buildings.
The next day we detour off the Tea Horse Trade Route to Lugu Lake, at the Yunnan/Sichuan border!
Jul 6th, 2017, 04:10 PM
#14
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2014
Posts: 4,498
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Kathie,
Lijiang is 2600 meters high. Both myself and my daughter felt the effects of the high altitude beginning in Dali. The altitude did not affect my husband and son-in-law, so I guess you just never know.
Lijiang is 2600 meters high. Both myself and my daughter felt the effects of the high altitude beginning in Dali. The altitude did not affect my husband and son-in-law, so I guess you just never know.
Jul 7th, 2017, 09:54 AM
#16
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 33,288
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
So true, the only reliable predictor of who will or won't get altitude sickness is whether you have gotten it before at that altitude. I had altitude sickness in Cusco, but not in the Sacred Valley or at Machu Picchu, and not in a number of places in the Himalayas that weren't quite as high.
Jul 7th, 2017, 03:14 PM
#17
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2014
Posts: 4,498
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
THE JOURNEY TO LUGU LAKE:
This is a spectacular drive over very high majestic mountains and very deep valleys. Before the new road was built, it took 6 – 8 hours to drive from Lijiang to Lugu Lake. Now the drive takes about 4 hours over the new road and part of the old road where the new highway has not been finished. The scenery is gorgeous and well worth the drive. Along the way, we passed small markets (some were only 1 or 2 tables) on this highway carved into the edge of the mountains. The few homes we passed were very poor and looked abandoned, but there were signs of life, such as clothes on a clothesline, a vehicle in the driveway.
Hotel – Shilili Guest Lodge in the small village of Lige on Lugu Lake
This guest lodge is in a convenient location, and has a lovely courtyard with a small pond and a footbridge. There is only one table with chairs and a thatch-roofed umbrella. It has a rather African feel to me instead of Asian. Our room (with balcony) was on the 3rd floor. There aren’t any elevators. Our room was a comfortable size but I thought rather dark. We enjoyed sitting on the balcony and admiring the lake view. We were disappointed in the Spartan breakfast, which consisted of hard boiled eggs, rice congee, and the ubiquitous stir-fried vegetables.
SIGHTSEEING:
CANOEING ON LUGU LAKE:
Lugu Lake is very clean and calm and set in a beautiful location surrounded by low-lying mountains. The lake is on the remote Yunnan and Sichuan border. We went canoeing on Lugu Lake in Mosuo canoes called pig troughs because of their dug-out design. The canoes hold about 8 passengers, and the Mosuo ethnic people, dressed in their traditional dress, do the actual hard work of paddling the canoes. Our canoe was paddled by 2 men, but I saw some canoes being paddled by 2 women. They must be very strong! The ride to the island was a pleasant half-hour trip. Once we reached the island, you could take an uphill path to a small temple, but I chose to sit, relax, and enjoy the beauty.
A DAY OF SIGHTSEEING:
First we drove through farmland (saw lots of goats and sheep) to visit Zhamei Lamaist Monastery, but when we arrived, we were told “Bridge broke!” So we turned around and drove along the lake into Sichuan province to walk across the WALKING MARRIAGE BRIDGE. The ethnic people in this area are the matrilineal Mosuo. Women never marry, and they can have as many partners as they wish. The man walks across this bridge at night to spend the night with a woman, and then he returns in the morning to his home. The women are in charge! They have property rights, and they are responsible for raising their children. Clan names, and social and political positions are passed on through the females, not the males.
The WALKING MARRIAGE BRIDGE stretches across the GRASS SEA (THE CAOHAI), which is filled with dense reeds. The bridge is made of wood and is more than 300 meters long. The location is very pretty and scenic, and the day we were there it wasn’t too crowded. This was a pleasant and bucolic experience.
We also visited the LAMA TEMPLE, which is near the entrance to Walking Marriage Bridge. It’s a small temple that holds religious rituals and is a little worn looking.
When we had some free time, we enjoyed walking along the waterfront park in Lige, with its willow trees and sandy beach. There is a small peninsula that juts out into the bay, which is filled with attractive guesthouses and restaurants.
If you go to Lugu Lake, I recommend staying in Lige. When we first arrived, we had lunch in Luoshui, and that is where we took our canoe trip from. Luoshui is heavily developed with ongoing construction. Lige is smaller, quieter, and more pleasant.
FOOD:
While we enjoyed most of the food on our trip, we were disappointed in the food in the Lugu Lake area. Of course, one problem was that my stomach was still a little queasy. Most of the restaurants offered the same menu (a lot of spicy food, with little variation). I was wary of eating spicy food at this point so it was difficult finding something suitable. Also, we noticed the variety of vegetables was very slim. I assume this is because they only sell what is locally grown and in season. We never saw broccoli on the menu, for example, which was abundant in other places. The vegetables were typically bok choy and something else that looked similar but we didn’t know the name. At one restaurant we stopped at for lunch, my husband asked for scrambled eggs with vegetables. He was told the only vegetable available was leeks! I wish I took a photo of our leek and scrambled egg dish. It was about 80% leeks and 20% eggs! Not very appetizing!
To be continued . . .Our return to Lijiang, and onward to Shangri-la!
This is a spectacular drive over very high majestic mountains and very deep valleys. Before the new road was built, it took 6 – 8 hours to drive from Lijiang to Lugu Lake. Now the drive takes about 4 hours over the new road and part of the old road where the new highway has not been finished. The scenery is gorgeous and well worth the drive. Along the way, we passed small markets (some were only 1 or 2 tables) on this highway carved into the edge of the mountains. The few homes we passed were very poor and looked abandoned, but there were signs of life, such as clothes on a clothesline, a vehicle in the driveway.
Hotel – Shilili Guest Lodge in the small village of Lige on Lugu Lake
This guest lodge is in a convenient location, and has a lovely courtyard with a small pond and a footbridge. There is only one table with chairs and a thatch-roofed umbrella. It has a rather African feel to me instead of Asian. Our room (with balcony) was on the 3rd floor. There aren’t any elevators. Our room was a comfortable size but I thought rather dark. We enjoyed sitting on the balcony and admiring the lake view. We were disappointed in the Spartan breakfast, which consisted of hard boiled eggs, rice congee, and the ubiquitous stir-fried vegetables.
SIGHTSEEING:
CANOEING ON LUGU LAKE:
Lugu Lake is very clean and calm and set in a beautiful location surrounded by low-lying mountains. The lake is on the remote Yunnan and Sichuan border. We went canoeing on Lugu Lake in Mosuo canoes called pig troughs because of their dug-out design. The canoes hold about 8 passengers, and the Mosuo ethnic people, dressed in their traditional dress, do the actual hard work of paddling the canoes. Our canoe was paddled by 2 men, but I saw some canoes being paddled by 2 women. They must be very strong! The ride to the island was a pleasant half-hour trip. Once we reached the island, you could take an uphill path to a small temple, but I chose to sit, relax, and enjoy the beauty.
A DAY OF SIGHTSEEING:
First we drove through farmland (saw lots of goats and sheep) to visit Zhamei Lamaist Monastery, but when we arrived, we were told “Bridge broke!” So we turned around and drove along the lake into Sichuan province to walk across the WALKING MARRIAGE BRIDGE. The ethnic people in this area are the matrilineal Mosuo. Women never marry, and they can have as many partners as they wish. The man walks across this bridge at night to spend the night with a woman, and then he returns in the morning to his home. The women are in charge! They have property rights, and they are responsible for raising their children. Clan names, and social and political positions are passed on through the females, not the males.
The WALKING MARRIAGE BRIDGE stretches across the GRASS SEA (THE CAOHAI), which is filled with dense reeds. The bridge is made of wood and is more than 300 meters long. The location is very pretty and scenic, and the day we were there it wasn’t too crowded. This was a pleasant and bucolic experience.
We also visited the LAMA TEMPLE, which is near the entrance to Walking Marriage Bridge. It’s a small temple that holds religious rituals and is a little worn looking.
When we had some free time, we enjoyed walking along the waterfront park in Lige, with its willow trees and sandy beach. There is a small peninsula that juts out into the bay, which is filled with attractive guesthouses and restaurants.
If you go to Lugu Lake, I recommend staying in Lige. When we first arrived, we had lunch in Luoshui, and that is where we took our canoe trip from. Luoshui is heavily developed with ongoing construction. Lige is smaller, quieter, and more pleasant.
FOOD:
While we enjoyed most of the food on our trip, we were disappointed in the food in the Lugu Lake area. Of course, one problem was that my stomach was still a little queasy. Most of the restaurants offered the same menu (a lot of spicy food, with little variation). I was wary of eating spicy food at this point so it was difficult finding something suitable. Also, we noticed the variety of vegetables was very slim. I assume this is because they only sell what is locally grown and in season. We never saw broccoli on the menu, for example, which was abundant in other places. The vegetables were typically bok choy and something else that looked similar but we didn’t know the name. At one restaurant we stopped at for lunch, my husband asked for scrambled eggs with vegetables. He was told the only vegetable available was leeks! I wish I took a photo of our leek and scrambled egg dish. It was about 80% leeks and 20% eggs! Not very appetizing!
To be continued . . .Our return to Lijiang, and onward to Shangri-la!
Jul 7th, 2017, 05:15 PM
#19
That one was ten months - haven't done one that long since, although have RTW'ed again. Lots of countries I haven't been to, although I have covered most of the ones in Europe and Asia. I think I'm at around 75, and there are over 200, so certainly won't get to all of them, probably won't even make the Century Club.
Glad you enjoyed the blog!
Glad you enjoyed the blog!
