Forums > Travel Yunnan > beihai or sanya? Stay in a highly rated hostel and dodge where the Russians hang out.
Like TICexpats noted, some tour guides are minor level thugs, so don't get between them and there clients.
It's China beaches, so forget any visions of wide open freedom. The best beaches are all controlled, and the public ones have swimming boundary areas and lifeguards who blow whistles at you.
There was a very nice hot spring in Sanya, but since Yunnan has plenty of hot springs, save it for a rainy/bad day.
Forums > Food & Drink > Wild mushrooms I remember when I was cycling through Naxi and Yi minority mountains during summer, there were lots of mushroom pickers trekking about. I stopped in a shack to have some hot instant noodles, and inside was a very large vat of boiling water with mushrooms. The water in that vat looks like it had been boiling mushrooms for a long time, very brown and thick with spores. Seems the mushroom pickers dumped the mushrooms into that vat to cook for a while, before selling them.
Why and how long, I wasn't able to figure out. They just said they did that before selling them. That leaves a lot of guessing. I thought boiling mushrooms would be considered cooking them for a meal and not some step in preparing them for sale. Of course, it was only one type of mushroom in that vat, so maybe it's specific to that mushroom.
Forums > Food & Drink > DaJiuJia 大救驾 - Where to eat in KM? Most of the chao erkuai I have had in Kunming is smothered in heavy salty sugary brown sauce and oil. The picture in the article of dajiujia looks much lighter. Your right though, cooking yourself is best.
Forums > Living in Kunming > Changing money in Kunming I have exchanged USD cash at a Bank of China teller window in Kunming. There was a lot of paperwork required, and cash rate wasn't particulary good.
The airport arrival floor has another fx currency booth at the end close to the information counter.
CRS machines have higher limits than ATM, but since foreign cards are capped at 3k or less, it usually doesn't matter, unless it's ICBC.
ATMs are the way to go for safety, and between ICBC, CCB, and BOC, you can usually find one in any town. However, many banks in the USA require you to notify them of international travel plans for security reasons, or the card could be declined. Not sure what stance NZ banks have on that.
Forums > Food & Drink > Kunming Chinese Food Spicy is ok, as long as they aren't trying to hide poor quality oil/ingredients. I'll give it a try this week. Also, going to see if the dajiujia exists in KM.
Kunming Fair again sets records
Posted byThis is becoming a major draw for locals, nearing the crowds of the auto fair. Traffic around the area was a nightmare though. Also, this fair was open to public (ticket 30rmb).
Getting away: Haba Snow Mountain
Posted by@bluppfisk
That is if you are lucky and the guard station is off eating lunch or break. Or you can show up at night. Last time I went through on the east entrance, the guards chased me down in a minivan and demanded I pay the 50rmb (now 65) entrance ticket, even though I was just planning on passing through.
No guards care if you are leaving TGL at either entrance, but if you weren't checked entering, then that's good luck.
Getting away: Haba Snow Mountain
Posted byYet another 15rmb increase. Though Tiger Leaping is one of the fees I think is well worth it.
The scenery on the East Ring that Geogramatt mentioned is wonderful. You'll need raingear cause your riding with the clouds at one point. Bit spartan on services, so bring some energy bars and extra bottle of water. If your in good shape, you can make the halfway point of 白水台 in a day by bike.
Detecting heart defects in Kunming schoolchildren
Posted byLike + bump. Good one.
Jinning county disappearances possibly linked to slave labor
Posted byWTF is all I can say. WTF WTF WTF. I will not be buying ostrich meat from any countryside farmers for like...ever.