All Practical Information Series | Six-Day Self-Driving Tour Diary in Xishuangbanna

Number of days：5 days
Time: June
Average cost: 4200 yuan
With whom: and friends
Updated: 2022.06.29

If it weren't for the epidemic, I would probably come to Xishuangbanna during the Water Splashing Festival this year. However, due to the epidemic, the Water Splashing Festival was cancelled, and even travel was hindered.

This travelogue is mainly to provide you with some travel tips, I hope it can help everyone who travels to Xishuangbanna.

Transportation:

Flight + car rental and self-driving. The car was picked up in advance at a certain HiGood, Gasa Airport store. It is in the airport parking lot, so it is very convenient to pick up the car. In extraordinary times, I still recommend that you rent a car and drive yourself. This way you can minimize contact with people. If you haven't used a car yet, be sure to remember to get the new user gift package before renting a car. You can reduce the rental fee by up to 100 yuan on the first day.

Itinerary:

Xishuangbanna has many scenic spots and stunning scenery. I recommend enjoying the scenery while walking. After all, the meaning of travel is to open your heart to more beauty.

Generally speaking, the Starlight Night Market, Wild Elephant Valley, the Primeval Forest Park, and the Mange Fruit Market are all worth visiting.

Other Things to Note:

1. Be sure to get a nucleic acid test in advance. You will need to check your nucleic acid test at the airport.

2. Xishuangbanna has stunning scenery. If you want to capture stunning photos, I recommend a travel photography tour. We booked one for only 199 yuan, and the photos we took were stunning. As for the shooting location, you can choose the Twin Towers. The photos taken there are super beautiful and full of exotic atmosphere. If you can't go to Thailand, you won't be able to see the Ratchada Night Market there.

If you can't go to Thailand, you won't be able to see the Ratchada Night Market there. But in fact, the Xingguang Night Market in Xishuangbanna is not inferior to the Ratchada Night Market at all. Looking at this night market from a high place, the sheds of various colors are very beautiful. As for the night market, there are more kinds of food. I have been to Ratchada Night Market before, and I still prefer the night markets in China.

This night market is open until after three in the morning. Even if you come at two in the morning, there are still many people coming and going in the night market.

In fact, due to the epidemic, the Xingguang Night Market is now in the off-season. Even so, there are many people in the night market. It is lively and bustling, this is the breath of life. There are so many things to buy in the Starlight Night Market.

There are so many things to buy in the Starlight Night Market. For example, the prices of woven bags vary greatly, ranging from around 30 yuan to over 200 yuan. In short, you must learn how to bargain. I bought a bag and the owner asked for 200 yuan, but I actually got it for 140 yuan. This shows that there is still a lot of water in it.

There are also many handicrafts here that look very ethnic minority. Some of them have no idea what they are used for.

There are also many fruits in the night market. I have to say that the prices of fruits here are really cheap. Moreover, the tropical fruits here are much more delicious than the fruits we eat in the north. The red dragon fruit is super sweet, and the bayberry is also delicious. The most important thing is that even the pineapple has a strong sweetness.

After coming out of the night market, we saw a cafe and a bar. In the end, we decided to hang out at a bar, have a drink with friends, and chat about recent events. That was probably the most relaxing thing ever.

Friendly reminder: All night markets and tourist attractions are quite expensive. When buying things, you absolutely must bargain. And be bold.

The food stalls at the night market are also quite expensive. Personally, I think it's okay to just eat whatever you want; there's no need to go all-you-can-eat.

Day 2: Depart for Manting Park

The highlight of the second day was Manting Park. Manting Park is a great place to take some stunning photos, which was the main reason I came here.

Manting Garden contains several small gardens. I really like the palace here. It looks very majestic. Unsure if it was suitable for personal photos, we simply gave up on this spot.

Next, we arrived at the Daiwangyu Garden. The name suggests this place is very important. There's an abundance of tropical plants here, including lotus ponds and lotus flowers, which look elegant and refreshing. In fact, I actually think the design is a bit too formal, lacking that wild, untamed feel. Afterwards, we went to a cafe. I’m not a big coffee drinker, but the ambiance of this cafe was so nice that I had to go in just to take a photo and check in. This cafe is a red, castle-like building, brimming with mystery from the outside. While sipping coffee, I found a seat by the lake, watching the ripples on the surface and listening to the music. It was a truly relaxing experience. After finishing our coffee, with the owner's permission, we took a bunch of photos around the area. Personally, I think it's very easy to capture those stunning photos of a goddess here. After leaving Manting Park, we went to Wat Phra Kaew. Wat Phra Kaew is very similar to Wat Phra Kaew in Thailand. I personally feel that Thailand and Xishuangbanna truly share a strong resemblance.

The Zongfo Temple is a place of pilgrimage for Buddhists from around Xishuangbanna. Moreover, of all the temples in Xishuangbanna, this is the highest-ranking one. The overall architecture is magnificent and majestic. Furthermore, the magnificent and splendid buildings look quite impressive.

The Zongfo Temple also contains many attractions. Among the main buildings are the Fushun Tower, the Bell and Drum Tower, and the Buddhist Academy teaching building. The buildings here are estimated to be over 1,300 years old, demonstrating that this is a site steeped in history. We went to the Wild Elephant Valley. It's fine if you just want to see the elephants, but there's still this elephant-raising activity going on there. It looks pretty cruel. Some people even ride on elephant trunks. I'm curious what kind of joy these people get from riding an elephant trunk. I hope everyone stops riding elephants. I even hope the local government will simply cancel elephant riding and trunk riding activities.

If you come to Wild Elephant Valley, I hope you just look at the elephants and appreciate the natural scenery here. There are also elephant performances here. Seeing that these elephants can perform so well, you know that they must have received very violent discipline. I never thought that Wild Elephant Valley now has these projects. My favorability towards this attraction has dropped a lot.

There are also various fruits to feed the elephants. Although this is also one of the brainless ways for the scenic spot to make money. But I would rather everyone choose this one. After all, in this way, the elephants can still eat delicious food.