A friend of mine is flying to Kunming on Thursday and asked me to write an itinerary for his five-day trip in Yunnan province. I wrote the following recommendations based on my own one week trip there in August, 2008. I was given a number of excellent tips for my trip by Matt Schiavenza who has lived in Kunming now for the past several years. For such a short amount of time, I recommend getting out of Kunming as quickly as possible. Kunming is not a bad city, but Dali, Lijiang and Tiger Leaping Gorge are some of the highlights of the very popular Yunnan province.
KUNMING:
Land in Kunming in the morning and grab a taxi to Salvadore's Coffee House (76 Wen Lin Jie, Wen Hua Xiang) for a big breakfast or lunch. If you live in Kunming, I've been told that Salvadore's is your home away from home. This is a great place to try fresh Yunnan coffee and lounge around for hours with a book, lodged in one of the many beanbag chairs. Salvadore's is American-owned and has an extensive Western menu. I love this place. I know, I know, I should be eating local food, but this really is a nice treat. Then hop in a cab to the bus station to go to Dali. Ask at Salvador's to find out when the next bus leaves to Dali. The staff speak English. Buses to Dali leave often and a cab to the bus station takes about half an hour.
DALI
The bus trip from Dali to Kunming used to take a lot longer, but the new highway means that an express bus can get you there in about three hours.
ACCOMMODATIONS IN DALI:
Dali Old Town is where you want to be, don't be confused by what is sometimes called Dali City, Dali New Town, or Xiaguan. Either way, you want to be in the old town and can get to most places on foot. For accommodation in Dali, there are a lot of inexpensive options. You are going to pay around 40 to 150 RMB per person if you are sharing a room in most modest guesthouses, depending on the time of year. In low season, you can barter a bit. I wasn't that impressed by the accommodation options. But for traveling in China: clean, cheap and basic is still not bad.
Located within the walled center of Dali old town, Lee's Guesthouse is a good choice (see map) for travelers. Run by Lee's family (a twin brother and sister) from Inner Mongolia, this place just opened at the end of 2008. Dorm rooms double rooms from 25-290 RMB. Cozy clean and comfortable. Facilities include: a courtyard, basic accommodation, free internet & WIFI, movies, a family dinner served at 7:00pm (book a day ahead), laundry services and bike rental.
Lee (pictured above right with his dogs) speaks great English and is a really lovely guy. He runs the best travel agency in town, so he can book your bus, train, air tickets and give great recommendations for where to go. You also get the feeling that he wants you to have a great trip, rather than trying to rip you off. He was so friendly that he wanted to be Facebook friends and come visit me in Shanghai.
EATING AND DRINKING IN DALI:
Mr. Li's Cafe ( Bai Cuisine)
Yunnan food is famous for being hearty, delicious and appealing to Western tastes, from the potato and eggplant dishes to the goat cheese. We had dinner Mr. Li's Cafe on Renmin Lu (across the street from the Bad Monkey) and quite enjoyed trying the local Bai dishes. Mr. Li (not to be confused with Lee of Lee's Guesthouse) was a gracious host and I recommend that you try Mr. Li's homemade plum wine. Very delicious.
Bakery 88: Dali's German Bakery
If you are looking for a great Western breakfast, fresh German bread, homemade jams, pastries, cakes, and muffins: Bakery 88 is THE place to go. My mouth is still watering. Karine, the lovely German owner, makes you feel very much at home as she fusses around the place. She is very German in her attention to detail. Definitely a labor of love, this one. The bakery is pretty much next to Lee's Guesthouse on Bo Ai Lu, near Renmin Lu.
James Bar (370 Renmin Lu)
Nestled at the lower end of Renmin Lu towards the lake, James Bar is an Western-managed place in a delightful courtyard setting at 370 Renmin Lu. I think it's called James Bar now (formerly Caffeine Club). The place is adorable, all made of stone, fresh cut flowers, a pretty courtyard, very romantic and arty. Love, love this place!!! Quiet, nice music, great for chilling, reading and they also have a good selection of wines.
Bad Monkey (77 Renmin Lu)
While I can't say that I particularly liked the place, it has a bit of weirdo charm. The bartenders are washed-up and wild-eyed hippy expats from the UK and America and the place is owned by two Brits (Clive and Derek??).
The bar opens till the wee hours and the pizzas are said to be the best in town. If you want to meet some local expat weirdos to find out what Dali is famous for, stop in at The Bad Monkey for a drink. As the name suggests, don't be surprised if you get passed a big, fat joint stuffed full of locally grown grass. The place stinks like pot and stale beer and has the feeling of something you might find in Kathmandu.
THINGS TO DO AROUND DALI:
With only a day or two in Dali, you will likely do what most travelers do....and that is: NOTHING. Eat, drink and wander around the charming cobblestone streets. Eat, drink, eat and repeatedly say "NOOOOOO!!!" to 60-year-old Bai ladies in local costume trying to sell you dope on the street in broad daylight.
But if you feel adventurous, walk up to Lee's travel agency on the corner of Bo Ai Lu near Renmin Lu and ask him what to do. You can take a boat ride on Erhai Lake, take a cable car of up the mountain (we did and thought it was a bit lame), or go visit the Kung Fu monastery where you can stay for a week or longer and study kung fu with the monks. There is also a spa about 40 minutes out of town that has hot springs and is supposed to be nice. Lee can organize that trip for you too. Lee IS the man!!
LIJIANG
A five-hour bus ride from Dali and an eight-hour bus ride from Kunming, Lijiang is usually more popular with Chinese tourists and Dali is more popular with Western tourists. You decide. It's really pretty. I would also recommend getting up early to walk around because that is when you see the real life and not just tourists. In my opinion, Lijiang's old town is actually more beautiful than Dali's, but it's harder to navigate and has more tourists, so you don't really want to stay longer than two nights. The other thing about Lijiang is that it's en route to Tiger Leaping Gorge.
ACCOMMODATIONS IN LIJIANG:
A lot of travelers like to stay at Mama Naxi's Guesthouse (it's REALLY hard to find, but you have to do it on foot so you need to ask a lot of people and that is how you will find it eventually). The famous Mama Naxi is a funny lady. She will give you a big wet kiss on the cheek before you leave and give you a blessing and a little present.
There are tons of animals running around the place and it's a bit dirty and smelly but fun. You will at some point have to rescue one of the kitten's heads from being eaten off by one of the puppies. It's noisy and there are animals everywhere: there were three cats sleeping on top of the TV in the dining room, a cat on each of the three computers in the computer area, at least 5 dogs running around the courtyard.
Travelers like to stay here because of the warm Naxi family atmosphere--watching Mama Naxi boss around Baba Naxi and the staff running around the place, nearly collapsing with exhaustion. This is a good place to meet other travelers too. We met three people there that we ended up hiking the Gorge with the next day, and exchanging emails with. I've now got a place to stay in Barcelona, thanks to the friendly atmosphere of Mama Naxi's. Their family meals each night are cheap and tasty.
Dorms beds are 40 RMB. Your own shared room is 50 RMB per person. The rooms smell a bit mildewy, but your stay will be memorable. From Mama Naxi's they will organize a minibus to take their guests to Tiger Leaping Gorge and you can leave your heavy bags at the guesthouse and pick it up the next day or a few days later. The minibus to TLG leaves usually at 8:00 am. Costs 20 RMB, takes 2.5 hours to get to TLG.
TIGER LEAPING GORGE
Hiking Tiger Leaping Gorge is to Yunnan with the Inca Trail is to Peru. It's incredible, it's a must do and it's not over-rated or touristy like I expected it to be. You can take as long as you want hiking TLG, but I recommend staying one night on the Gorge and staying at Halfway House (although there are a number of other places to stay too). The minivan from Lijiang drops you off at Jane's. If you still have your heavy bags, leave them at Jane's and you can pick them up the next day.
Wear good hiking shoes, have a day pack with proper clothing for the weather, pack a rain jacket, an extra pair of socks and extra clothing in case it gets cold. You can stop for lunch at the Naxi Family Guesthouse. Pack some snacks like chocolate, fruit and nuts. From Jane's take the high road upwards. The low road is what the tour buses take. You will hike from 11 am to 6pm at an easy rate. It's not tough, anybody with a decent set of knees can do it and it's relatively unchallenging except for the 28 Bends which is a steep track of looping bends that will have you gasping for breathe after 40 minutes. But luckily, the tough bit, is only 40 minutes or so.
ACCOMMODATIONS IN TIGER LEAPING GORGE
By evening you will have reached Halfway House. I recommend you pack a bottle or two of red wine for when you arrive at Halfway House. The places serves hearty meals and beer, but if you pack chocolate, wine and a nice smoke or two, you will be very, very blissed out. Halfway House is perched on the side of the Gorge. The place has balconies and a rooftop terrace. It's misty and stunningly beautiful.
A bed in a dorm will set you back 25 RMB. A double room with shared bathrooms is 50 RMB. En suite rooms are 130RMB. The "scenic toilets" have views of Jade Dragon Snow Mountain. The apple pie served in the restaurant is excellent and the food is not too bad either.
The next morning, have breakfast (the pancakes are too filling) and set off. Another 2.5 hours of hiking (mostly downhill) will take you to Tina's Guesthouse where you can have lunch and catch a taxi back to Jane's and back to Lijiang. The other option is hiking further along TLG, but from what I have heard, the most scenic parts of the hike are between Jane's and Halfway House on the first day of hiking. For more photos from my trip to TLG, go here. For more practical advice on hiking TLG, go here.
TIPS FOR FIVE DAYS IN YUNNAN:
If you have only five days, it's possible to fly into Kunming, spend a night or two in Dali, a night or two in Lijiang, a night in Tiger Leaping Gorge and then maybe a night in Kunming. Obviously a bit longer is nice, but if given the chance don't miss out on hiking the TLG and visiting both Dali and Lijiang. The bus rides are not so bad because the surrounding scenery is very beautiful. Be sure to try lots of traditional Yunnan cuisine, although, nothing beats a good Western breakfast and Dali, Lijiang and Kunming cater to Western tastes because of their popularity with foreign tourists and expats. Pack some chocolate, red wine and munchies for Halfway House. I didn't and wished I did. Carrying them on the hike is worth the trouble. Also if you are pressed for time you can fly from Lijiang to Kunming. Flights are cheap/frequent.
Photo Index:
Salvadore's Coffee House from Salvadors.cn
The Lee Twins from Lee Guesthouse.
Mr. Lee's Cafe from Rebekah Pothaar.
Bakery 88: The German Bakery in Daly from Rebekah Pothaar.
James Bar 370 Renmin Lu from Rebekah Pothaar.
Bad Monkey, 77 Renmin Lu from Travelpod.
The Streets of Lijiang in the early morning from Rebekah Pothaar.
Mama Naxi from Martin Callum.
Hiking Tiger Leaping Gorge from Rebekah Pothaar.
Halfway House on Tiger Leaping Gorge from Rebekah Pothaar.
Wild Weed at Tiger Leaping Gorge from Rebekah Pothaar.