Kunming - Dali - Lijiang Trip - Lonely Planet travel forum

Kunming - Dali - Lijiang Trip

Replies: 6 - Last Post: 11-Jul-2007 01:50 Last Post By: strawberita

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achen

10-Jul-2007 01:23
Posts: 35

Kunming - Dali - Lijiang Trip

Hi all!

I'm planning to visit Yunnan for about 6 days in early August. I intend to cover Kunming and Lijiang, and also do a half day sightseeing at Dali on my way from Kunming to Lijiang.

I have several questions that I hope someone can help me with:

1. What will the weather be like in early August? Will it rain a lot?
2. Is it the peak season in Kunming and Lijiang during this period?
3. What is the type of electrical socket used? Like is it a 3 pin plug or a 2 pin plug?
4. I've heard something about an overnight train from Kunming to Dali, and also an overnight bus/train(?) that runs from Lijiang to Kunming. Does anyone knows if one has to book in advance (via phone, or internet) for these trains/buses, or can one get tickets for them a day or 2 before? Also, do the overnight trains still have the soft sleeper (ruan wo) option?
5. Can anyone recommend good local guides for Kunming and Lijiang? Chinese-speaking guides are fine. I'm not looking for elaborate explanation of the sights, basically someone who can drive us to where we wanna go without detours. I'm travelling in a group of 4.

Any suggestions at all would be very much appreciated! Thanks! :)

lagiselle

10-Jul-2007 02:29
Posts: 76

my girlfriend and i did a trip in north-western yunnan near the tibetan border over the new year. the trip was amazing and perfect for anyone wanting to travel off the beaten path, see some amazing wilderness, and to get a real insight into tibetan culture without having to cross the border. all the info is at the link below...

A World Less Travelled...

westwood

10-Jul-2007 13:30
Posts: 10,544

#!, how about you answer OP's questions a bit more helpfully instead of just using the same old phrases.
For Lijiang to Kunming, we didnt go that way but to Chengdu. We took a bus from Lijiang to Panzihua (sp??) then got our train tickets there at the railway station. Cant remember if anyone in Lijiang itself was an agent selling tickets.
In Lijiang, you can book tours where the driver acts as a guide. Where we stayed offered tours to specific places but we only chose to do one to an old city with a link to the ancient tea routes. There, look around, back home.

We never really grow up, we only learn how to act in public.

sanalbers

10-Jul-2007 14:46
Posts: 54

Weather: you can expect a few rainy days, but not solid periods of rain.
yes, peak season; Kunming is so huge you won't notice an increase in population, but Lijiang will be horrifyingly overrun with Chinese tourists. Prices will be uniquely high. Locals will be delighted to see your wallet, not quite so excited to meet you in person.
Dali is not as bad as Lijiang, if you need refuge from that.
Elec sockets looked adaptable to many types.
Train Kunming to Dali is much slower (20-24 hrs) than bus. No need book buses in advance. There are lots of buses every day between these three cities, sometimes one an hour. You can literally go the the bus station and buy your ticket and get on.
In Kunming, Camellia Hotel has an excellent, very professional tour agent near the front gate. In Lijiang and Dali, your guesthouse and many other tourist places on the main streets can get you a driver/guide, especially if you dont' need English translation.
Avoid Lijiang, go to Disneyland instead, at least it's not pretending to be something other than what it is--commerciality in its purest form.
Just one person's experience, from last week.

achen

10-Jul-2007 19:14
Posts: 35

Hey thanks for all the helpful tips :)

Is Lijiang really that bad? The Tiger Leaping Gorge and Jade Dragon Mountain look breathtaking in photos (but that's also because I hardly do the mountains thing when I travel), and we were thinking of doing a day trip to these 2 places - it is possible right? (Will probably not do the 2 day hike - I'm not that fit! :p)

That leaves us with another day at Lijiang, which I originally intend to hang out at Lijiang Old Town and the nearby attractions (like the Black Dragon Pool), but I've read other threads on Thorn Tree about what a rip-off those places are. Would you recommend a day trip to nearby villages/agricultural fields as an alternative? Any particular place you would recommend? And is it difficult to get a guide with a car to take us there?

Actually, talking about the Black Dragon Pool, can I confirm that there are 2 different places - one in Kunming and one in Lijiang - with this same name? I was searching through various sites and that's the impression I get. Or I could be confused..

sanalbers

11-Jul-2007 00:51
Posts: 54

Achen,
what are the goals of your trip? knowing that clearly will help you decide how much b-s you are willing to stand in order to see something you've heard about.
If you're interested in Buddhism, Buddhist art, the way Tibetan & S.E. Asian & "Han" Buddhism interact in this most interesting region, go to Lijiang, rent bikes and go out to Baisha to see the frescoes. This is also a vivid reminder of the ravages and sadnesses and waste of the Cultural Revolution (which nobody in China seems to remember nowadays).
As I stated above, Dali is less touristy, less expensive, less exploitative, and easier to get around in.
Lijiang has a Black Dragon Pool that recently raised its gate price so high that only old retired Chinese men (who get in free) go there.

strawberita

11-Jul-2007 01:50
Posts: 2,314

I really liked Lijiang. Okay, it's touristy but I think it would be a pity to miss it.

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