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Yunnan tailor made holidays

country:China
location:Yunnan 
departures:This trip can be tailor made throughout the year and can be adapted to suit your interests, budget and requirements as necessary
price:From US $1700 (10 days) excluding flights based on 4 people travelling. From US $2352 ex flights based on 2 people travelling. Price includes activities, accommodation based on twin sharing, all meals, local transport, airport transfers and English-speaking guide
vouchers:Gift vouchers can be used with this holiday
 
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the amazing things you'll be doing
Yunnan literally means "South of the Clouds", due to the region’s magnificent weather that is equally impressive year round. The combination of perfect weather, rugged mountainous terrain, and its geographical positioning at the crossroads of Southeast Asia, Tibet, and the rest of China, make Yunnan, botanically and ethnically, the richest and most varied of all of China's provinces.

The “Beyond the Clouds” trip will guide you through spectacular mountainous scenery, and immerse you into the lives of Bai, Naxi, Mosuo, Tibetan, and a variety of other ethnic groups, as well as introducing you to Yunnan’s botanical glories. Throughout this journey, you’ll wander through the Bai town of Dali, the Naxi town of Lijiang (a UNESCO World Heritage Site) , the sacred Lugu Lake, and Shangari-la, which was described by British writer James Hilton in his 1939 novel Lost Horizon.

Featured activities:
  • Cruising on Erhai Lake
  • Lugu Lake and Mosuo matriarchal culture
  • National park, hiking, adventure

    Best time to go:
    Spring (Mar to May) and Autumn (Sep to Nov) are the best time to visit. The rainy season starts from June till August. The winter is chilly and dry, but it is a good photography opportunity.
  • day-by-day itinerary
    Day 1:Kunming to Dali: Take flight from Kunming to Dali. Boat cruise on Erhai Lake. Overnight at Dali.
    Day 2:Dali: Take a horse ride to the Zhonghe Temple, bird-eye view of the Erhai and Dali old town; visit Xizhou ancient town. Overnight at Dali.
    Day 3:Dali to Shaxi: Drive from Dali to Shaxi ancient town, the only preserved trade town along the Tea and Horse Trail; continue drive to Lijiang after the Shaxi visit. Overnight at Tibetan style bouquet hotel.
    Day 4:Shaxi: Watch the sunrise at Black Dragon Pool park; explore the old town; visit the Yak Meadow and Yulong Snow Mountain. Overnight at Tibetan style bouquet hotel.
    Day 5:Lugu Lake: Watch the sunrise at Black Dragon Pool park; explore the old town; visit the Yak Meadow and Yulong Snow Mountain. Overnight at Tibetan style bouquet hotel.
    Day 6:Lige Village: Watch sunrise while enjoying the breakfast; bike around the Lugu Lake, visit the remote villages; overnight at Lige village.
    Day 7:Lugu to Shangri-La: Drive from Lugu Lake to Shangri-la; stop at the First Bend of Yangtze River and Tiger Leaping Gorge; overnight at Shangri-la town.
    Day 8:Shangri-La: Join the morning ceremony at Songzanlin Monastery; visit Potatso National Park, and stop off at a hot spring on the way back to Shangri-la; overnight in Shangri-la town.
    Day 9:Shangri-La: Visit Nxi village and take a short hike in Shangri-la Valley; learn about how WWF helped this village to develop the eco-tourism; bonfire party with villagers. Overnight at Shangri-la town.
    Day 10:Departure: Flight to Kunming. Trip ends.
    how this holiday makes a difference
    Environment
    In Shangri-la, we will visit the Potatso National Park, which is considered a great example of a nature reserve and tourism development. With the high altitude environment, the ecology system at Potatso is very fragile, the plants take much longer to grow comparatively. The admission will be used to help the nature reserve: e.g. build wooden footpaths so we can enjoy the remote beauty without harm coming to the plants; pay allowance to local villages to encourage them to stop hunting wild animals etc.

    In Shangri-la, we will visit Nixi village, which has turned to eco-tourism as an alternative source of income to logging, with the help of the World Wildlife Fund for Nature. We take a horse-ride along the gorge which will be a direct income for local villagers. Nixi is also famed for its pottery making art, we have the opportunity to learn pottery making with local villagers; you can also take some works back home as a souvenir.

    During the trip, we will prepare reusable forks or chopsticks instead of using throwaway chopsticks. Our tour manager will bring along trash bags to make sure no littering happens on the journey.

    Our tour leaders will give detailed briefings to our clients, as well as our local staff on our policy of respecting the local culture and environment; the different practices in each destination, so that clients will be able to adjust their behaviour accordingly.

    Community
    On this trip, we stay at local hotels at each stop. We hire local guides and drivers in each destination we travel to, especially those belonging to local minority groups.

    During this trip, we will have plenty of opportunities to visit local families and understand their local customs or tradition. We encourage our clients to bring some meaningful gifts to thank the hosts, like books and stationeries.

    Tourism can be good and bad for destinations & local people.

    We carefully screen every holiday against our criteria for responsible travel.

    'Look behind the brochure' to find how each holiday makes a difference (see left).

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