The road through Fengke (the way most of the tour buses go) is in good condition, except for a 5 km stretch about 45 minutes out of Lijiang which is muddy and potholed. It's in good condition, but narrow and winding and does lots of climbing, so it takes a long time.
Honghe, Wenshan, Yuxi, Lincang, Baoshan, Dehong, Qujing, Zhaotong, and Chuxiong are all quite off the beaten path. Most of Yunnan is, for that matter. Just go to the bus station and choose a bus to somewhere random you've never heard of. Have an adventure. Most of Yunnan is beautiful, especially at this time of year.
Sounds like a better deal than the 25 yuan "Australian" blueberries they're selling in Dali these days. Though, probably not organic, as these Dali ones claim to be.
I biked from Lijiang to Lugu Lake last month. Text, maps, and pictures are all on my blog:
matthartzell.blogspot.com/[...]
The most direct route from Lijiang to Ninglang is closed for construction of a new 2nd class road (二级公路) and probably will be until 2016. There are three alternate routes:
a) Lijiang to Yongsheng (good 2nd class road), Yongsheng to Ninglang (paved but old, winding, narrow mountain road, very slow), Ninglang to Lugu (new 2nd class road, finished, and fast)
b) Lijiang to Mingyin (鸣因乡), Mingyin to Ahai Dam (阿海水电站), Ahai Dam to Hongqi (红旗镇), Hongqi to Lugu
c) Lijiang to MIngyin, Mingyin to Fengke (奉科乡), cross the Yangzte on the new bridge, Fengke to Yongning (永宁乡), Yongning to Lugu
I did route c) on my bike as it's the most scenic.
It took several days, and I also made out-of-the-way stops at Baoshan Stone City (宝山石头城) and Daju (大具). Each day, I saw a convoy of minivans and public buses heading from Lijiang to Lugu. They would all pass within one hour of each other, which means they must have left Lijiang at about the same time in the morning. There appeared to be many more than two buses. I'd estimate at least ten if not more. But I guess I'm not 100% sure if they were public buses or private tour company vehicles.
It was buried in one of the links provided above but so far no one's singled it out so I will:
There's a Vietnamese place at Saigong Wharf on Dianchi Road (越南菜馆,西贡码头,滇池路). For Vietnamese food purists it may disappoint. I'll admit the offering weren't exactly what I ate in Vietnam. Still, the food's really good, and the environment's interesting.
Highly recommended is the platter of do-it-yourself fresh spring rolls. It's cheap, and it comes with pineapple, baked tofu, basil, lettuce, cold mixian, and other herbs. It's also unlimited supply.
No results found.
Geogramatt
This guesthouse no longer exists.
Geogramatt
This is a really nice new restaurant in Dali. High quality vegetarian and vegan food, varied menu, daily specials. They make their own kombucha, too. The environment is very chill...multiple layers, floor seating, an outdoor courtyard and terrace balcony overlooking the the roofs of the neighbors in old Dali
Geogramatt
Serendipity is an honest-to-gosh American style diner, a concept I don't think I've ever really seen before in China.
They do salads, burgers, and pasta dishes, but the true stars of the menu are the breakfasts, which are served all day.
No measly hostel breakfast sets, these ones come with heaping servings of bacon and eggs and bottomless coffee.
No table seating. Everyone sits around the counter, where you can see what's going on in the kitchen and chat with the friendly staff.
The fresh donuts are the best I've had in China
Geogramatt
The 68 kuai Saturday night all-you-can-eat buffet is a terrific deal.
Steak, pork loin, chicken schnitzel, pizza, two kinds of salad, creme de caramel, cheesecake, and lots of other stuff.
Geogramatt
Recently experienced both very early morning departure and very late night arrival at Changshui. Was worried about making the connection to and from the airport, but both turned out well.
First, the departure. It was 7:30 am. I arranged a taxi to pick me up at 5:00. That he did. Cost: 100 yuan.
The departure was scheduled for 12:30 am, was delayed, and didn't get in until 2:30 am. I was sure I'd have to find a black cab, and wasn't even sure if I would find that. Instead, I was delighted to discover that the Airport Express Bus was still running! For 25 yuan it took me to the train station, where I then caught a cab for the short ride the rest of the way home. I was very impressed by this late night bus. I'd thought the buses only ran till around 11 pm-midnight. I don't know if this is a regular occurrence or not. Maybe, knowing my flight was delayed and there would be hundreds of passengers looking for a ride home, the airport dispatched an extra bus. If so, kudos to whoever was responsible!
Getting Away: Sapa
发布者@bluppfisk
I grew up in California, where we say hiking, too. But when I started spending time in Europe and Asia I quickly learned that "trekking" and hiking are synonymous. You're inventing a difference that doesn't exist in popular use. Yes, I found that same definition that you give when I googled the definition of trekking. But just because it's in a dictionary doesn't mean it's true. Languages are living things, and words mean what people accept them to mean. Therefore, trekking means what you and I call hiking. There's not much use arguing over semantics.
Interview: Ecologist Robbie Hart
发布者Great interview. I'm guessing Robbie's research is located away from the throngs of tourists taking the cable cars up Yulong. But I wonder how much of the glacial retreat and ecological change is due to tourism.
Green Lake to get wetter, brighter, noisier
发布者Puzhehei's got one too
The Box says goodbye
发布者I echo all the comments here. These rents are out of control. Wenhua Xiang in general has become out of control. The cars, and the car-based night market have done the most to make the street undesirable. I've nothing against street vendors, and nothing against crowds. Hell, I wouldn't live in China if I did, the vibrant street life is one of the joys of living here. But when street vendors commandeer an already narrow roadway with their car-cum-storefronts, and other drivers try to use what roadway remains as a thoroughfare—in both directions—it's a disaster.
Wenhua Xiang should at the very least be made a one way street. Even better, cars should be banned altogether (with exceptions for deliveries for the shops and for residents inside Wenhua Xiang). And those vendors who sell out of their cars? They don't do that anywhere else. Why do they get away with it here? Let them park outside Wenhua Xiang and carry their goods in by foot or bicycle like the rest of street vendors in China.
I'm sorry to see the Box go. I can't really comprehend how many of the businesses on Wenhua Xiang these days can justify rent when its pushing 30K.
What do ya'll think are some other neighborhoods in Kunming that could potentially become the new, less gentrified, less uptight Wenhua Xiang?
Yunnan's largest hydroelectric dam goes online
发布者it's located at 22°39′22″N 100°25′06″E, near where the highway from Simao (思茅) to Lancang (澜沧) crosses the Mekong