@tiger a nice little trip to start from Kunming: cycle via Bamboo temple to Fumin (visit Lion Mountain?), then continue following the Tanglang river via Qinglongzhen to Anning and back to KM (the last bit is not so nice, the busy road on the west side of Dianchi). Fairly easy three days, some beautiful scenery and close to home. Have fun :-)
@tiger the distance really depends on elevation, usually I plan for 60km to be on the safe side, and if I do more I can earn rest days. My last trip I did almost 100km a day with lots of climbing, so I ended up spending a rest day in Mangshi (lovely) and a day in Lincang (not really recommended, it's super boring)
Trucker hotels are fine, I sleep with ear plugs so I never hear the working girls knocking on my door, and I always unplug the phone before I go to sleep. The rate is usually under 100 kuai, the cheapest I've found was 50 kuai. Some rooms are less well maintained and can smell badly of smoke, but usually the bed is comfortable with clean sheets and the shower hot, and that's all I need really. I always put the bike inside the room.
Also, it's easy to hitch hike or take a bus (even with a bicycle), so if you really run into a situation where you can't find accommodation, the road is horrible or whatever, go to the next place that is better suited to your needs.
Hi Tiger, I'm just back from a week cycling between Tengchong and Lincang and have cycled on other corners of Yunnan as well.
There are hotels in almost every small town (even during Spring Festival I had no problem finding accommodation). If they can't register you they will take you to the police station, always very friendly and only a minor hassle. I carried a tent and camped one night, but more because I like than because I had to for lack of accommodation. If you want to be sure you can look at Amap or Ctrip and book ahead or put pins on some hotels once you know which town will be your destination for the day, it will save you time looking when you roll into town at the end of the day.
The roads are generally very good: I especially love the Chinese gradients, meaning you never have to push your bicycle uphill. The only exception being if you run into roadworks, which can be quite bad (muddy or dusty) and can be for pretty long distances so ruin a day or two. I would opt to jump on a bus if that were the case, and continue after the road works. But you certainly don't need mountain bike tires or suspension to cycle comfortably in Yunnan. Roads can be bad for cars and still very good for cycling as you can swerve around potholes easily.
Yunnan is perfect for bike travel, enjoy!
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Disclaimer: manager/chef/decorator Pat & Sarah are my friends. Apart from running a lovely and affordable guesthouse, they are also working insanely hard at serving delicious tacos and cocktails and more home-cooked goodness, organising community events at all hours (from craft markets to USA sports events to film nights to debates). The rooftop is a sunny roost where you can often find Kunmings finest chatting an afternoon or evening away. Thanks for creating this wonderful place Pat & Sarah! You're superstars.
During my last trip to Lijiang I joined Carol, the lovely Singaporean owner of Jayden Lodge, for a Kundalini yoga class. The traditional wooden and stone guesthouse and yoga studio are grouped around a small and quiet courtyard, right at the edge of Shuhe and the hills, so it's very quiet and peaceful. Carol and her husband and small son live here too so it's bit like a homestay. There are only a few spacious rooms for guests. Carol and her husband are excellent hosts, serving breakfast, coffee and tea in the courtyard. They also organize small group tours around Yunnan.
I went for an old ankle/foot injury that was playing up. The problem was thoroughly checked with ultrasound. I got a good diagnosis, advice regarding exercise and stretching and a plan for treatment, a combination of high-tech and TCM. It's not cheap but well worth it. Very friendly and great translation service too.
This is a special place! A bit hard to find since it's tucked away in an upper floor of a shopping mall, but well worth it for the amazing food. The focus is on quality, health and well-being and the extensive organic menu has something for everyone, including juices, good coffee, a lot of vegetarian and gluten free options. Nicole (one of the owners) is a wonderful host, she speaks English and is happy to talk about the philosophy behind the menu.
Hands down the best bike shop in town.
They are experts at repairs and usually do it on the spot. They have helped out a lot of my bike touring friends who would arrive without notice and were good to go in no time.
They are super friendly and organize weekly bike rides.
They also sell all kinds of good brand bikes: kids, touring, MTB, road. Also very well stocked for high quality accessories, tools, spare parts and bike clothes.
Not the cheapest but well worth it as they always do a great job.
Snapshot: SheLeads summer meetup
Posted byThank you! I've found it an interesting and enlightening experience. Much love to all of the (Go)Kunming community and I'm looking forward to connecting with you in new and different ways. I'll continue to contribute articles but will focus on my own cultural exchange projects. Thanks again for the well-wishes.
Going with the flow: Cycling the Nujiang
Posted byHi @pjn54, I've done a fair bit of cycling (and taking buses with bicycles) around Yunnan. I don't know if there is such a thing as an official policy on taking bicycles on buses. Usually, when you show up at a bus station or wave a bus down, you can take it with you. Either in the hold or on the rooftop, depending on how much space there is and what kind of bus it is. Travelling around national holidays will make this more difficult, but outside holidays I've never had a problem. It helps if you show you are accommodating, by taking the panniers off and maybe even the pedals and twisting the handlebars so it takes up less space. It also helps to keep your bike in one piece, if you are helping with putting it in the hold or on the roof.
Going with the flow: Cycling the Pijiang
Posted byGood call. We'll update shortly. Thanks!
Cycling in Yunnan: From Tengchong to Lincang
Posted byHi @kc430 I always have a few reusable bottles with me that fit in the bottle holders on my frame or I stick them under the bungee traps at the back. I try not to buy bottled water for the plastic waste but fill up whenever I can at restaurants etc. Next to that I have a UV water purifier so I can drink water from streams if need be, but this is hardly an issue in China since there are villages and towns everywhere where you can fill up.