Hello David,
A really nice trip! I was very impressed by how modern and clean the country is. It’s changing so fast!
Great van for our transfer from the airport to our hotel in Kunming.
Very happy with our guide in Kunming. You could tell he really enjoyed sharing places he loves himself. We enjoyed visiting the Stone Forest.
The guide in Dali spoke English a little less well, but it was still fine. His car was a bit older, but that wasn’t a major problem. He felt a bit more “business-minded” than Leo in Kunming, but that’s nothing I can hold against him. He never pressured us to buy anything. We loved the temples above Weishan and Weishan’s old town. On the other hand, old Dali and the lakeshore are really worth avoiding: nothing but shops, and not very well restored. Lijiang’s old town is magnificent! The other old towns around Lijiang are of no interest unless you want to go shopping. But the highlight of the trip was without doubt the monastery in Shangri-La! We should have spent two nights there and one less in Dali.
We had a good time at Tiger Leaping Gorge. We didn’t really feel the crowds, despite all the buses in the car park. The walk along the foothills was pleasant, and the mountains reminded me of the Dolomites. I do a lot of hiking in Nepal, the Alps and the Andes, so it’s not comparable, but it was decent and the small hotel was nice. So I’m glad we spent a little time there.
As for the golf: Kunming was very good, but one cart and a single caddie for two golfers playing from different tees (a man and a woman) just doesn’t work. I asked for a second caddie and another cart after the first hole. I realise you don’t specialise in golf, so this isn’t a complaint. It had been a long time since I’d played on a course as bad as the one in Dali! A victim of the property crisis, I think, but for the price they charge, it’s disappointing!
On the other hand, the Jade Dragon Snow Mountain course in Lijiang is simply wonderful. It’s one of the most beautiful courses I’ve ever had the chance to play! The course condition was truly world class.
Nothing to do with you, but the hotels were really top-notch! I’m an Accor Diamond member, and I was treated like royalty in Kunming and Dali: suites, dinners, complimentary cocktails. The works! The Banyan Tree in Shangri-La is in a magnificent setting, with a river running below the property.
Our next trip will probably be Shanghai and Suzhou in April, and maybe Sichuan or Guilin next September.
That’s it for my comments. We’ll probably be in touch again for our next trip.