TLG

Note that this trip involves travel by public buses and hired buses on some days. We stay in a mix of 2 star hotels with attached bathrooms in bigger towns and guesthouses with common or shared bathrooms in smaller places. As with most Yongo trips, you pay for your own meals, entrance fees, bicycle hire and other activities.

This is frontierland, China ! Yunnan is like the last bastion of Han China, before merging into Tibetan China on its west, and Indo-China on its south and east. The result is a land where myriad cultures thrive; from the UNESCO World Heritage Site Lijiang, the latter marking the route proper into Tibet . But culture aside, Yunnan also abounds in adventure, with a 3 days trek onto the Tiger Leaping Gorge walk of wondrous sights, scents, and senses!

This trip involves travel by some public buses and bus or jeep hire. We stay in a mix of 2 star hotels with attached bathrooms in bigger towns and guesthouses with common or shared bathrooms in smaller places. As with most Yongo trips, you pay for your own meals, entrance fees, horse hires, bicycle hire and other activities.

Note on the TLG Trek - We leave our main luggage with the vehicles and carry only what is needed on the 3 days trek. The last group used the horses to carry the luggage at a cost of Rm30 per luggage for the duration of the trek, pay your own. This is recommended because it was much easier walking without the backpacks. We'll enjoy the scenery and photo-taking much better. Participants can also opt to ride all the way or part of the way. The cost was Rm50 for a day hire. A few past participants decided on this for the "steep" 28 bends on day 2 and all walked the rest of the way after hitting the top. Another option is for 2 pax to share one horse i.e. taking turns riding and walking.

Day 1 KLIA to Kunming: We fly Thai Airways TG420 to Bangkok at 0750AM arriving 0855AM , follow by TG616 to Kunming at 1220PM arriving 1700PM. We have a few hours to freshen up a spa, before dinner and the overnight sleeper bus 10hr to Lijiang. This overnight trip saves us precious touring time but may be uncomfortable for some. Overnight (ON) sleeper bus to Lijang.

Day 2 Lijang: We arrive in Lijiang 2400m in the early morning and spend the rest of the day exploring this UNESCO World Heritage town. In the late evening we bicycle to a nearby Baisha Naxi minority village. ON Lijiang.

Tiger Leaping Gorge/Dinner at guest house TLG/Jade Dragon Mountain

Day 3 Tiger Leaping Gorge 1: We spend the morning visiting the colourful local market. After lunch we drive on to Qiaotou 105km 2hr, the gateway to the famed Tiger Leaping Gorge or Hutiao Xia, one of the deepest gorge in the world. The whole 3 days trail is 15km and from Qiaotou, but its a short 1.5hrs level stroll to the Naxi Family Guesthouse. ON Guesthouse.

Day 4 Tiger Leaping Gorge 2: The second day includes a more difficult 900m height ascent known as the 28 bends. Without our main luggage, it is "expected" to be manageable. There is the option of riding up the bends on horses at Rm50 per horse. We overnight at the another Naxi guesthouse known as Tea Horse Trading Guesthouse.

Day 5 Tiger Leaping Gorge 3: There are some nice waterfalls on the way down Tina's Guesthouse where we lunch. We then proceed by our bus and back to Qiaotou and then Lijiang. ON Lijiang.

Day 6 Lijiang: Full day at Lijiang. We walk to a high viewpoint for a photographic view of the roofs over Old Lijiang. The rest of the day will be spent getting "lost" among the narrow streets of Lijiang. Very few Malaysians know that Lijang Old Town is a huge complex of small houses and narrow cobbled streets, where the only mode of transport is bicycles and walking. At night, group members can enjoy the famous Naxi Ancient Musical Orchestra or Dongba Cultural Performance. ON Lijiang.

Day 7 Dali: In the morning we go by bus to Dali 190km 3hr. Dali is a backpacker's haven rivaling Yangshuo in Guangxi. There is a vibrant "foreigner's street" lined with cafes and street stalls. We have a morning free to visit a well preserved old town of Xizhou 18km out of Dali with its interesting local Bai minority market. ON Dali.

Day 8 Dali Kunming: We s pend the rest of the morning at Dali. After lunch we go by public bus to Kunming 5hr. ON Kunming.

Day 9 Kunming: We have a morning for either visiting the early morning flower market, the bird market and shopping at the hypermarkets perhaps. The flight TG613 leaves for Bangkok at 1520PM arriving at 1635PM. We connect on TG419 to Kuala Lumpur leaving 1930PM arriving 2240PM.