My five-day self-drive tour of Xishuangbanna before National Day

Number of days：5 days
Time: September
Average cost: 4200 yuan
With whom: and friends
Updated: 2021.10.30

I have always longed for Xishuangbanna since I was very young, and always felt that there was the most mysterious tropical kingdom there. Finally, when I was 25 years old, I really came to Xishuangbanna. I spent five days witnessing many beautiful things in Xishuangbanna.

We drove all five days in Xishuangbanna. We rented a car on a certain platform before leaving. We used their new user gift package and got 100 yuan off the rental fee on the first day, which was really a good deal.

After arriving at Gasa Airport, we contacted a certain platform staff to pick us up and went to a nearby store to pick up the car. This time we rented a Sagitar, which was quite new and in good condition.

Xishuangbanna at night, the city looks particularly different from a high vantage point. The buildings here are not very high, so you can almost have a panoramic view of Xishuangbanna from a high vantage point. From a high vantage point, you will find that Xishuangbanna is really full of water, which is very beautiful. This is the meal we had at Lan Chung Thai. The dishes here are quite rich. I really like their Pao Lu Da, it tastes really good. The Tom Yum Goong soup was just average. I'd had it before in Thailand, and it was truly delicious.

Experiencing the Beauty of Xishuangbanna

It was already quite late when we landed in Xishuangbanna, so after picking up the car, we drove straight to Gaozhuang Night Market. It was my first time to see Xishuangbanna at night, and I was very happy. When we went to the night market, we first passed by the Shwedagon Pagoda. This temple was golden and looked very high-end. After passing through the temple, we arrived at the Gaozhuang Night Market. This night market gave people the feeling that it was a super high-end market. There was everything in it, and it was so lively.

Standing on the stairs and looking at the scenery of Gaozhuang Night Market, the Mekong River quietly guards this city. Some people took a cruise to see the scenery on both sides of the river, while others walked along the shore, holding snacks, taking photos with cameras, or carrying newly bought gifts. As a tourist, I truly felt the atmosphere of life here.

Let's talk snacks first. There are tons of night market stalls here. They really have everything! Honestly, Thailand's night markets can't even compare to Xishuangbanna's, whether in terms of cleanliness or size.

While walking, I came across a large stage. There were singers performing constantly on stage. It was quite nice to listen to the music and take in the scenery.

Xishuangbanna is a place rich in exotic customs. If you want to capture some ethnic-inspired photos, the best way is to buy an outfit from a clothing store and take photos wearing it. This truly immerses you in the local culture and makes for a beautiful experience.

A Day of Natural Awakening

The previous night, we wandered around Gaozhuang Night Market until nearly 11 p.m. Back at the hotel, we chatted and ate takeout until late at night, so we woke up naturally the next day. We grabbed a bite to eat at a small shop downstairs from the hotel, and then headed to Mengle Grand Buddha Temple.

The Mengle Grand Buddha Temple is a famous local temple. The entrance fee is a bit expensive, 60 yuan per person. I heard that this is half-price. It used to be 120 yuan per ticket, probably because of the half-price during the epidemic.

By the way, after we came to Xishuangbanna, we found that all the attractions here are half-price. So it seems like a good way to save money. There are guided tours inside the temple, but they require an additional fee. We didn't want to pay, so we just listened to the official audio guide. The audio guide is definitely not as vivid as the tour guide, but I think it is enough for tourists like me.

We also encountered people playing water splashing games in the square. Tourists can join in, but they need to rent their costumes, so we gave up. Manting Park is very big and the environment inside is also pretty good. As we were walking, we saw this elephant riding area. The elephants must be unhappy. I really hope that one day domestic zoos can achieve zero animal performances. I also hope that more and more tourists will not watch animal performances and will not participate in any paid activities that interact with animals. There are indeed a lot of people here in Manting Park. I really like the atmosphere here. It feels like I’ve been to Thailand.

Tourists would kneel down and worship almost every Buddha statue they saw. I heard someone explaining the different "projects" that different Buddha statues were responsible for, but for someone like me who doesn't believe in Buddhism, it was completely confusing.

Xishuangbanna’s bar street is also great. You can go to a bar for fun or choose a quiet bar. We randomly visited a hotel to get a feel for the atmosphere. The prices were quite high, so we each ordered a beer, drank it, soaked up the atmosphere, and then left.

Start your tour at the Botanical Garden of the Chinese Academy of Sciences

The Botanical Garden of the Chinese Academy of Sciences in Xishuangbanna is a must-see. The plant species here are incredibly diverse. The sheer variety of tropical plants I've seen here has truly enriched my biological knowledge. I've seen so many plants I've never seen or heard of before.

The Chinese Academy of Sciences Botanical Garden is quite large, and there are electric carts throughout the area. I highly recommend riding them, especially in the East Garden, which is incredibly large. Without them, you won't be able to finish exploring the gardens until closing time. By the way, the electric cart costs 100 RMB for both the East and West Gardens, so if you choose to ride them for both, it's 140 RMB. After arriving at the botanical garden, the first scenery we went to see was the Victoria amazonica pond. The Royal Lotus Pond is the most iconic attraction in the botanical garden. You can take photos inside for 10 yuan. The photos are indeed beautiful, but the management of the area is quite poor. Some people even took photos there for two hours straight, while others were waiting in line behind them. I think it would be better if there were a manager to control the time. There is a hot air balloon ride in the scenic area, which costs 280 yuan per person, but the hot air balloon here only flies about 50 meters in the air before coming down. The hot air balloons in many areas have a flying process. Personally, I think the 280 yuan is really not worth it. Note that the hot air balloon is in the West Park, and you can walk from the East Park to the West Park.

This is what a pristine Dai village looks like

We went to Mandiu Village. Many people go to Jiluo Village, but that village is so popular and definitely heavily commercialized. Mandiu Village is different. The local customs and culture are clearly visible. Plus, there are definitely fewer tourists here.

The village is huge, and there's even a morning market. Unfortunately, it was almost noon when we arrived, and the market stalls had already closed.

There are several ponds in front of the village, filled with koi fish swimming around. There are also beautiful banana trees lining the road, each loaded with plump bananas.