Hot Spring Trip with Kids in a Rainstorm! 3 Pitfalls That Made Me Want to Disappear

Just returned from Tengchong with my 7-year-old! Totally fooled by the "Rainforest Hot Spring" 😭 The scenery was heavenly, but the traps were deadly! My kid performed a "drenched chicken dive" in the stormy hot spring. A tearful mom's survival guide—read this before you go!

🚗【Transportation Nightmare】
Don't believe the "leisurely ancient town" hype! The cobblestone paths in Heshun Ancient Town made the stroller rattle like a vibrator 📳 Driving was worse—the winding mountain road to Volcanic Geopark made my kid carsick, ruining her new Dai skirt 💸

🗺️【3-Day Survival Itinerary】
Day1: Heshun Ancient Town stroll → Coffee shop chill
Day2: Volcanic Geopark → Rehai Hot Springs → Dongshan Hot Springs
Day3: 10km Gaoligong Mountain hike → Return

⚠️【3 Deadly Traps】
1️⃣ Dongshan Hot Springs storm horror! Promised "rainforest vibes," but lightning forced us out (changing rooms packed like sardines 😱)
2️⃣ Volcanic Park horse scam! Quoted 80¥/lap, then hit with "insurance" and "guide fees" (kid cried too scared to move)
3️⃣ Gaoligong hike lie! Guide called it "kid-friendly," but it was a 400m climb (child became my neck accessory)

📸【Photo Hacks】
✔️ Hot spring sunbeams: Post-storm light rays—kid pretended to catch them (soaked but epic shots ✨)
✔️ Volcano drone pose: Held kid near edge (5m from cliff) for "conquering the crater" look 🌋
✔️ Heshun laundry pavilion: Taught kid to pound clothes like villagers—ended up smashing flip-flops
✔️ Rehai boiling pot: Telephoto shot of kid "cooking eggs"—borrowed eggs from a vendor 🥚

👶【Survival Kit】
✅ Two pairs of water shoes! For hot springs & hiking streams
✅ Waterproof phone pouch! For stormy hot spring photos
✅ Collapsible trekking pole! Gaoligong trails were ice-slick
✅ Sealed snacks! Kid started eating leaves mid-hike

🍜【Dining Disasters】
▪️ Minga Laba’s Thai-Myanmar food was fire! Kid chugged 3 avocado smoothies
▪️ Xunwei Soup King’s wild mushroom soup took 40 mins! Starving kid ate half a plate of sunflower seeds
▪️ Caixiangyuan near Volcanic Park charged 48¥ for scrambled eggs with 3 slices

🌈【Happy Accidents】
▪️ Tomato Tree Hostel angel! Beijing artist helped kids paint rocks
▪️ Volcanic rock souvenirs—added 2kg to luggage
▪️ Sketching grandpa at a café gifted us ink paintings

Despite feeling like *Survivor* daily, seeing my kid splashing in hot springs and chasing geese in the ancient town made it all worth it! Final advice: Don’t trust "kid-friendly" labels! Pack raincoats! Bring snacks! And...never let kids see the peacock at Volcanic Park 🦚!