Yunnan self-guided tour: Kunming – Stone Forest – Yuanyang – Duoyishu – Jianshui – Kunming – Dali – Xizhou – Shaxi – Shangri-La – Benzilan – Shuhe – Baoshan – Wumu – Lijiang – Kunming – Lexiaguo
Hello Paul,
First of all, our most sincere congratulations on organising the magnificent trip we have just taken, exactly the kind we had wanted for a long time. Everything was perfect. The small incident was quickly resolved and forgotten, though perhaps with some difficulty for your team, and if so, we’re sorry.
All the hotels were very different but all excellent, for their welcome, décor and comfort alike, and we especially loved the Songtsam hotel at the foot of the monastery in Shangri-La.
Our free days were perfectly placed. We always made the most of them with very long hikes on foot or by bike, thanks to the maps.me app, which is very useful in China.
Our drivers were always good and careful. Despite the occasional language barrier, they always paid close attention to taking us exactly to the places we were visiting, especially during the first week, which we did without a guide.
A successful trip also means wonderful encounters, and this one was rich in them. We’ll mention just a few.
Our stay began with a delightful day with Lili in the Western Hills. In the rice terraces, we went on magnificent hikes, sometimes alone, but also with a young woman from Shanghai who was very open to our ideas.
Our visit to the monastery in Shangri-La, despite our only rainy day of the trip, was thorough and full of reverence, thanks to Tashi, our second guide.
In Wumu, perhaps our favourite place in Yunnan, we really appreciated Windy’s welcome, the lovely day we spent with her, and her wonderful idea of a boat trip on the Yangtze to reach Baoshan village. Thank you for covering the cost.
We ended on a high note at the Red Lands, less for the scenery than for Léa, who very kindly agreed to our ideas for long hikes, and above all for our very enriching conversations about China today.
The most surprising encounter, and one that will surely stay with us, was with a villager near Wumu who jumped for joy when he saw us racing down a very steep, dusty track at sunset as we walked back to the village alone. We finished the walk with him.
Our only regret is leaving Wumu far too soon. We had lots of ideas for hikes.
Thank you also for agreeing last year, after my wife’s accident, to postpone the trip to this year.
See you very soon for a new trip planned by you, combining northern Vietnam and Yunnan, and perhaps Tibet.
Catherine and Alain