The easiest and quickest way to go to Luoping is actually by train: quite a few leave throughout the day and pass through Luoping on their way to Nanning, Guangzhou and other destinations. The fast trains take about three hours. The cheapest option is the slow train which I once took for only Y 16, but it took 6+ hours as it stops everywhere and waits for lots of other trains to pass. You can buy the tickets at many outlets in KM.
For the journey back remember to note the times posted in Luoping train station when you arrive. Outside peak hours you should always get a ticket, but probably at short notice no assigned seat. Alternatively take a bus, about one every forty minutes. A time-table is here: www.yunnanexplorer.com/transport/station/luoping/
At the train station is a local bus that goes to the main bus station in Luoping, or alternatively take a taxi.
There are hotels in town (as in all Chinese cities), but the town ranks low in the list of attractive towns in Yunnan, so it might be better to stay somewhere closer to the sites.
There are a few main scenic areas, the best known Jinji 金鸡 Golden Chicken. Just north of the road is a village, which had when I stayed there at least one guest house, I think I paid Y20. While nothing fancy, it had the advantage that you can just walk out of the door and you are at the viewpoint in ten minutes for sunrise. Times in Jinji are best at sunrise and sunset.
To get to the Jiulong waterfall 九龙瀑布 catch a minibus going east and change in the next township Banqiao 板桥 for the remaining five km or so. There is an entrance fee for the waterfalls, but I thought they are quite nice.
Best time is during the later morning as you then get the sun on the waterfall, so a good option just to go there after sunrise at Jinji.
South of Luoping is the Duoyihe 多依河 scenic area, a nice river-side walk which has been tarted up with waterwheel constructions from all over the world. There is accommodation down there, I think I paid Y80 during a peak holiday time, there are cheaper guesthouse just on the road opposite to the entrance. To get to Duoyihe take a minibus from next to Luoping's busterminal (right if you are facing the bus station) to Lubuge 鲁布格. That journey takes maybe an hour. If you hire the minibus you can make them stop at viewpoint of the karst mountains somewhere along the way.
April 5 2011 is a main festival day in the area, 三月三, coinciding with Qingming this year, but if you leave it that long there will probably be little left of the rapeseed flower.
According to the website of the Kunming Busterminals, there is a daily bus from KM to Luang Prabang at 18:30: www.km-ky.com/2010/0208/108.html I have seen the bus at the southern bust terminal, so it is running. Timewise it will take about 30 hours and cost some Y400+.
Alternatively, you could catch a bus to Mohan, right on the Lao border, again according to that website a daily sleeper bus. The time table posted in Mohan says that this bus costs Y240.
From Mohan you could cross the border yourself and get onward transport (via minibus) to Luang Namtha, Udomxay and beyond. Or you can catch a bus from Mohan to Vientiane (two busses in the morning, Y200), Luang Prabang (Y100, one bus in the morning), Luang Namtha (3 busses over the day Y25), or the Thai border (billed as Golden Triangle, one morning, one afternoon bus for Y110). All this according to timetable posted in Mohan busstation.
Plenty of cheapo hotels in Mohan should you choose to stay overnight, plus at least one gigantic pink casino-style hotel (used no-doubtable only for legit pursuits) over on the Boten side.
For certain things like olive oil, cold cuts, cheese, pasta and the like try the Box. Yes, the bar on Wenhuaxiang, they also have a food import business that supplies mostly businesses, but they also do retail. They have a long catalogue from which you can order and either pick up in the bar or from 300Y they will deliver. Certain things are in stock at the bar...
I found the Walmart at Xiaoximen totally useless, they do not have anything (or just maybe I have never managed to find it in the cavernous maze. I always think about an earthquake hitting when I am inside that store.)
First of all, I do not think your dad, or anyone in your group would be allowed to drive in China, lacking a local driving permit. So your only option would be to hire a car with driver.
This should be no problem in Dali, but I hope you realize that you will need more than one day from Dali to Yuanyang if you are going through the 'countryside'. Taking the fastest road, i.e. the expressway from Dali to Kunming, then down past Yuxi to Jianshui, then to Gejiu, down to the Red River and up to Yuanyang will take no less than 10 hours, unless you are willing to break the speed limit in some major way. Going on anything other than that road will easily double the driving time.
But with that taken into account, you can certainly do a trip much more interesting than what most people do.
My suggestion for a route would be to drive from Dali to Chuxiong, where you turn south towards Shuangbai and then down to the Red River from there. The main town in that part is Yuanjiang, a relaxed county town. From there smaller roads can take you to Yuanyang, but the most direct route, along the Red River, was blocked between Yuanjiang and Honghe due to a dispute over who pays for a new road. For relaxed travel I would plan at least three days for this route.
Kunming: I had friends here stay at the Yuantong Siji Hotel, opposite Yuantong Temple on Yuantongjie. It was pretty new last year, with kind-of-stylish, if slightly small rooms. Internet in rooms. The rate last year was 288Y per night, no English spoken.
Dali: a good choice in the old town is Rainbow's Nest (?), on Guangwu Road 广武路. If you come from Xiaguan by taxi, go via Boai Lu, turn right (downhill towards the lake) on Yuer Lu and drive two or three blocks, then left. The guesthouse comes after about 50-100m on the right. Just before it is the Caotang guesthouse.
It is a quiet, undeveloped part of old Dali, within easy walking distance to the main streets. Rainbow's Nest, if I remember the name correctly, is a new building, apartment style, some of the (few) rooms come with kitchen(ette), as the original plan was to rent it out on a longer term base. I paid 100Y per night for a very large, very bright suite-style room.
Yuanyang: I have not been for a long time, but I assume the Yunti (cloud ladder) is still the swankiest place in town, with the best rooms and reliable hot water supply. In the off-season, which is March, I do not think you will pay much more than 120Y.
The old ferry stopped working sometime last year, now you will have to go quite far west to the new ferry, which is a long slog (and a little difficult to find) unless you catch a ride with a local driver (try to hail any vehicle along the road - we managed to hitch a ride with some forestry van for 10Y from the old crossing to the new).
There is no fixed time-table for the 'ferry', it is operated by a few local guys who go home when they think no-one is coming anymore.
Daju does make a very nice stop, but as of last year they try to collect the mountain fee as well as the Lijiang old town fee also at the northern park entrance (when returning from Daju to Lijiang), amounting to a whopping 220Y or so. However, the mountain fee is not payable if you do not get off the bus inside the park area and technically the Lijiang fee should not be required if you do not stop in Lijiang, but continue on to, let's say, Xiaguan. Some people have avoided paying the fees by claiming to be locals (works less well for westerners).
The totally rushed (and a bit pointless) version of TLG would be to hire a car to take you Naxi Family Guesthouse and walk from there to Halfway GH, have lunch there and walk down to the road and onto Walnut Grove. There seem to be vehicles for hire at the guesthouses, who then could take you either back to Qiaotou or to the ferry to Daju.
However, my recommendation would be to stay on night at Naxi Family GH (few people do, even though it has the nicest afternoon views of the mountains), next morning to Halfway GH for lunch and continue on a bit to one of the smaller GH along the higher trail for another night. Halfway GH has become big business in the last decade and has lost its attraction.
Beatrix Metford, the wife of a British officer, wrote in her 1935 book "Where China Meets Burma":
"About ten years ago the British Government purchased a six-acre plot and started to build a consulate. It was a lovely site, just outside the west gate, with extensive views of the hills and mountains. The house was to be a stone building, comfortable but plain. It was bigger and more costly proposition than was realized. There were no workmen, no masons or carpenters, who had even seen a European house, so they all had to be trained, and when they were trained they struck for higher wages, and so it went on. [...] All tools, all fittings had to be carried by mule or coolie from Bhamo. At last, after eight years' work and vast expenditure, far beyond the original estimate, the consulate was finished and occupied.
It is a very plain house, painfully plain, with it smooth stone walls, its tin roof, its brown woodwork. But inside it is a bit of England. It is most beautifully fitted up and well furnished — a veritable oasis in the desert of mud and wood houses of the borderland. And in its spacious gardens, surrounded by a high stone wall, one can hardly realize one is in China..."
When I first found the building a few years back, the road it was on was called Huanxilu, the western ring road, which illustrates that for a long time its location was on the western outskirts of Tengchong. Today, Tengchong has sprawled beyond it. At that time it was still possible to climb up onto the second floor, where like in any proper English house there were also fireplaces, but everything else had been stripped out.
Two years ago we spoke to a Chinese guy there who seemed to have a certain interest in the building and he told us that the building had been the headquarters of the Japanese, which would not be totally surprising if it was the best-built and best-furnished place in town.
If one travels down to Lianghe, the next county town towards the Burmese border, there is the restored tusi yamen, where some iron-cast window parts still say 'Glasgow' on it if I remember correctly.
For those who want to find Shicheng on a map: 24.803N 102.58E.
There is a bus #33 from Kunming to Haikou, but it is not very frequent. Better to take one of the minibusses that run from the corner of Chunhui Lu 春晖路 and Renmin Xilu (this is just a little east of the big flyover). The fare to Haikou is Y8. From Haikou a tuk-tuk to Shicheng is 10Y, as the article says it is about 3km along a not-too-interesting road.
The bus to Haikou also passes the Xihua Wetlands mentioned in a previous post and Guanyinshan 观音山, a Bai village with a large Guanyin temple on a rocky outcrop overlooking Dianchi.
I found a route plan here www.kmbus.com.cn/line_ssyq_68.html with the stop to get off probably 西华街, but I thought the bus to Haikou does not start at the Xiaoximen bus depot, but further down on Renmin Xilu.
It is rare to find good approximations of western food anywhere in China and their lamb-chops (listed as lamb T-bone steak or so) were the best I have found so far. They came with good fries and the beer was cold. I liked the way that they serve the gloopy 'black-pepper sauce' separately, so one can just skip it. Pleasant and quick service too.
A pleasant modern eatery. The menu claims the chef worked for a large Chinese chain of Thai restaurants, but the Thai aspect of the food is difficult to find.
I gave the 'boneless chicken feet' a miss and had some spicy beef which while not bad was closer to the usual Sichuan fare than anything Thai. A dog under the table quickly lapping up any dropped food complemented the Sichuan experience.
The spring rolls were not bad though and together with a beer the bill came to Y58.
Easily the best bread to be found in Yunnan with friendly and efficient service. I have made detours to Dali just to pick up some bread on the way back to Kunming.
Getting away: Daju Town
Posted byThe old ferry stopped working sometime last year, now you will have to go quite far west to the new ferry, which is a long slog (and a little difficult to find) unless you catch a ride with a local driver (try to hail any vehicle along the road - we managed to hitch a ride with some forestry van for 10Y from the old crossing to the new).
There is no fixed time-table for the 'ferry', it is operated by a few local guys who go home when they think no-one is coming anymore.
Daju does make a very nice stop, but as of last year they try to collect the mountain fee as well as the Lijiang old town fee also at the northern park entrance (when returning from Daju to Lijiang), amounting to a whopping 220Y or so. However, the mountain fee is not payable if you do not get off the bus inside the park area and technically the Lijiang fee should not be required if you do not stop in Lijiang, but continue on to, let's say, Xiaguan. Some people have avoided paying the fees by claiming to be locals (works less well for westerners).
The totally rushed (and a bit pointless) version of TLG would be to hire a car to take you Naxi Family Guesthouse and walk from there to Halfway GH, have lunch there and walk down to the road and onto Walnut Grove. There seem to be vehicles for hire at the guesthouses, who then could take you either back to Qiaotou or to the ferry to Daju.
However, my recommendation would be to stay on night at Naxi Family GH (few people do, even though it has the nicest afternoon views of the mountains), next morning to Halfway GH for lunch and continue on a bit to one of the smaller GH along the higher trail for another night. Halfway GH has become big business in the last decade and has lost its attraction.
Forgotten British consulate getting Chinese facelift
Posted byBeatrix Metford, the wife of a British officer, wrote in her 1935 book "Where China Meets Burma":
"About ten years ago the British Government purchased a six-acre plot and started to build a consulate. It was a lovely site, just outside the west gate, with extensive views of the hills and mountains. The house was to be a stone building, comfortable but plain. It was bigger and more costly proposition than was realized. There were no workmen, no masons or carpenters, who had even seen a European house, so they all had to be trained, and when they were trained they struck for higher wages, and so it went on. [...] All tools, all fittings had to be carried by mule or coolie from Bhamo. At last, after eight years' work and vast expenditure, far beyond the original estimate, the consulate was finished and occupied.
It is a very plain house, painfully plain, with it smooth stone walls, its tin roof, its brown woodwork. But inside it is a bit of England. It is most beautifully fitted up and well furnished — a veritable oasis in the desert of mud and wood houses of the borderland. And in its spacious gardens, surrounded by a high stone wall, one can hardly realize one is in China..."
When I first found the building a few years back, the road it was on was called Huanxilu, the western ring road, which illustrates that for a long time its location was on the western outskirts of Tengchong. Today, Tengchong has sprawled beyond it. At that time it was still possible to climb up onto the second floor, where like in any proper English house there were also fireplaces, but everything else had been stripped out.
Two years ago we spoke to a Chinese guy there who seemed to have a certain interest in the building and he told us that the building had been the headquarters of the Japanese, which would not be totally surprising if it was the best-built and best-furnished place in town.
If one travels down to Lianghe, the next county town towards the Burmese border, there is the restored tusi yamen, where some iron-cast window parts still say 'Glasgow' on it if I remember correctly.
Getting Away: Shicheng
Posted byFor those who want to find Shicheng on a map: 24.803N 102.58E.
There is a bus #33 from Kunming to Haikou, but it is not very frequent. Better to take one of the minibusses that run from the corner of Chunhui Lu 春晖路 and Renmin Xilu (this is just a little east of the big flyover). The fare to Haikou is Y8. From Haikou a tuk-tuk to Shicheng is 10Y, as the article says it is about 3km along a not-too-interesting road.
The bus to Haikou also passes the Xihua Wetlands mentioned in a previous post and Guanyinshan 观音山, a Bai village with a large Guanyin temple on a rocky outcrop overlooking Dianchi.
Around Town: Xihua Wetlands Park
Posted byI think bus #33 goes from Renmin Xilu to Haikou.
I found a route plan here www.kmbus.com.cn/line_ssyq_68.html with the stop to get off probably 西华街, but I thought the bus to Haikou does not start at the Xiaoximen bus depot, but further down on Renmin Xilu.