Xishuangbanna Family Tour

Number of days：5 days
Time: February
Average cost: 3500 yuan
With whom：parents and children
Updated: 2023.02.10

A trip to Xishuangbanna

February 1st - February 5th, 2023

At the end of 2022, my friend asked me to go out and play together. After thinking about it for more than a day, the air tickets and other things were finalized. From then on, I will slowly look at some guides, maps, and attractions to arrange the trip.

This trip brought my 8-year-old son, and she brought her 14-year-old daughter. We were both, well, a little bit strong, but a little short on cash... After we got back, many friends asked me about my trip and how they wanted to spend a few days there. I love traveling, but I'm getting lazy these days, and even typing is hard to muster. No itinerary is exactly the same; everyone has their own needs and preferences. I'll write a travelogue as a keepsake for myself, and maybe sharing one with you might be helpful.

D1. I drove to the Wuhu Wuxuan Airport parking lot, which took about 2 hours and 20 minutes. My flight departed at 12:40 PM and arrived at Xishuangbanna Gasa Airport at 4:25 PM. Why didn't I go to the nearest airport? After comparing flights, Wuhu and Xuanwu were the cheapest, both outbound and return. Frankly, it was because we were broke! When we left Gasa Airport, the sky was still bright, the sun was blazing, and the temperature was warm. My son, stripped down to his sweater, was still sweating. I rented a Toyota Corolla on Qunar.com, picking it up at 5:30 PM and returning it three days later for 892 yuan. The driver drove us to the airport, had us take photos, and then drove off in his folding electric scooter. The transfer took 16 minutes, and the airport parking fee was 6 yuan. After loading our luggage into the car, we all packed our summer clothes and drove straight to the Xingguang Night Market in Gaozhuang Xishuangjing. There was a bit of traffic near the night market, but we parked in the parking lot without any problems. The car in front of us stopped, leaving us no space. The vendor next to us said, "Park behind him and leave your number to move your car." Seeing everyone else parked like that, we decided to flash our phone to the guy in the car in front of us. Around 6:30 p.m., we squeezed into the night market. Both adults and children were hungry. After walking a bit, we saw a stall with nicely displayed fish, so we put our child inside and sat down. We ordered a variety of dishes and pounded chicken feet and noodles at the entrance, then went to the beverage stand next door to grab some takeaway coconut drinks. Luckily, this place has excellent food. The pounded chicken feet were delicious, a completely new taste experience. The grilled fish was so popular with my friend's daughter that she ordered another. My son was blown away by the grilled meat skewers, chicken wings, and other dishes. He can't handle spicy food, so I had to give him what I could eat. I also ordered a strange three-dimensional vegetable dish, but no one else ate it, so I took a few bites. I also ordered pineapple sticky rice, which was also good.

After dinner, we wandered around the night market again. We each bought a set of Tai clothing for our children, but it was too crowded, so we couldn't buy anything for the adults. After some shopping and photos, we were ready to head to the hotel. As we entered the parking lot, my friend in front of me called out, "Oh my god, where's our car? It's gone!" He then asked the people at the door if they had seen it. I was so scared that I quickly unpacked my bag and squatted on the ground, searching for my car keys. I checked, and the car keys were there... It was so crowded, there was no way a tow truck was coming. I quickly searched for the car, and then I heard my friend yell from a distance, "Oops, sorry, I misread the parking spot! We parked inside, near the shops..." After several attempts to find the car and directions, I concluded that none of us had a good sense of direction or could remember the way. I didn't know if it was thanks to all the navigation maps or if they had made us so clueless. We got in the car and headed to our hotel: the Jinghong Daijiangnan Business Hotel. It's across the river from the night market, just across the Xishuangbanna Bridge, a 15-minute drive away. For three nights, it cost 640 yuan. Cons: The facilities were definitely limited, with a squat toilet, a half-height wall outside the window, a drafty but no view, and a long way from the night market. Pros: The beds in the standard rooms were 1.35 meters long, perfect for those of us with children, with plenty of room to roll around, hot water, and free parking! And most importantly, it was affordable! When you're poor, you have to endure some hardships, and this isn't that much hardship. I put on the disposable sheets, washed up, checked my phone, and went to sleep.

D2, we asked the owner where the locals went for breakfast. He pointed to a small alley and told us to walk through it and go where the crowds were. We ended up at Jinghong Weizhidao, a local snack shop, and had four bowls of beef rice noodles. The shop was full of locals eating inside and outside. The owner cooked quickly, but you had to put the ingredients in yourself. There were all kinds of pots and pans on the small round table, so it was up to you to adjust the taste. It tasted good that day, but when we went back the next day, I don't know if it was because they had dried rice, the seasoning was not good enough, or the freshness had worn off, but it wasn't as good as it was that day. After breakfast, we drove to Mandiu, a Dai village near the airport, about half an hour's drive away. At the village gate, there were stalls selling strange vegetables. Not far from the entrance, to the right, there are shops selling fruit, dried fruit, local specialties, and more. Since I was new there, I bought a lot: papayas, bananas, golden apples, and sugar apples. I couldn't finish them and put them in the car. I couldn't carry them with me when I went out to play in the afternoon, so they just spoiled. After leaving the shops, I walked around and saw a small museum with a guide. I listened as he explained: In Dai culture, women are the breadwinners and men the homemakers, but the Dai writing system is passed down only to men, not women. At a certain age, boys are sent to temples to study for three to five years before returning home. There's also a well in the village, which holds a very important place in Dai culture. Next to the well is a shop selling silver jewelry. I know it's not real silver, but the prices are quite high. There's a sign posted on the door: "Guide tours prohibited." Just then, a guide shouted, "This isn't real silver!"

For lunch, I went back to the night market to eat at the internet-famous restaurant: Thai Coconut Sky · Six Countries Cuisine. I dropped them off and went to queue for parking, but when I got back, there was still a line. It was so noisy! There was an alpaca tied up at the entrance, and waiting customers could pet, feed, and take photos with it. After a short wait, I was finally in. I ordered a large grilled seafood platter, Tom Yum Goong soup, seafood and pineapple fried rice, lime and lychee, and sago. The meat on the large platter was quite good, and the seafood was poached, especially the large squid, which was bland even with the sauce. The Tom Yum Goong soup was poor; the ingredients weren't fresh, and the small shells were fishy, and the broth wasn't as good as the ones we have here. The pineapple rice was good. The lime and lychee were refreshing and unique. The sago was melt-in-your-mouth delicious, with much less gelatin than here. The total bill was 400 yuan, which was just average.

After eating, we drove to Manting Park. The road was really congested. It was past 2 pm and we finally got to the shutter door. We saw the internet-famous restaurant: Wan Tai Laos Iced Coffee Shop, and asked my friend in the passenger seat to get out of the car to queue up. Then, when I reached the entrance to Manting, there were no parking spaces. I followed the signs to the street behind the park. The traffic police directed me to pull over. I kept driving forward, through endless traffic, turning back and forth, and finally parked on a slightly closer side of the road. Oh my god, I walked the kids for another ten minutes to meet up with a friend. On the way, I bought a bunch of baby corn for ten yuan. They were tiny when peeled, but tender and the meat wasn't loose. Good. By the time we met up with my friend, she hadn't gotten a spot yet. Haha...hahaha... I thought the Wantai restaurant was just average; the flavors are pretty similar, but the prices are a bit high. I grabbed my drink, bought my ticket, and headed into Manting Park. Honestly, I didn't really get to experience the Dai King's Royal Garden. I was exhausted from the sun, so I took a quick tour and left.

Then we went to Walmart. Actually, I'd said I'd really rather go to the farmers' market and the fruit wholesale market, but Walmart was the closest, so we went anyway. There's underground parking, and there wasn't much to buy at Walmart. After we left, we found a specialty shop called Green Orchard. We bought some dried jackfruit, Yunnan 19-odd items, dried pineapples, and other things to take home as gifts. We packed them up and mailed them back. Then we noticed their durians, their flesh was golden brown. I asked the owner, and he said 58 yuan per pound. I hesitated, thinking it was only 38 yuan per pound in our area during this season. So, I bought one for 385 yuan, and it wasn't very good. The owner said, "Oh, it's different. Ours has a smaller core and a thinner skin..." Unable to resist, I picked one for 319 yuan. After peeling it, it was truly delicious. Later, when I ate it, I was truly moved. It was so delicious. The last time I had durian this good was in Kuala Lumpur. After finishing our shopping, we found our car in the underground and drove out without a destination in mind. Unexpectedly, after driving a few hundred meters, we looked up and saw the Riverside Night Market. Without further ado, we, the foodies, decided to park the car back in the underground and walk to the market. The Riverside Night Market was still quite crowded and lacked the atmosphere of the Starlight Night Market. The items were similar, but the prices were cheaper than the Starlight. My two adults each bought a set of Tai clothing for 40 yuan each. We also had dinner there, which was the specialty barbecue, which was good. We also tried bamboo rice, which was just okay. After eating, we went back to the hotel. Everyone else just took a light bite of the durian, but I almost finished it. I was so satisfied!

D3. I slept until I woke up naturally, packed up, and went out at about 9:30. I drove to MaMaLao Laos BBQ sticky rice. When the navigation said we were there, I asked my friend to take the kids out of the car and order first. Then, after I parked the car and went over, I was shocked to see that they were lined up behind dozens of people. They lined up around 9:45 and ordered at 11:04. Haha, this is the longest breakfast I have ever queued for. However, I really recommend it. I like spicy food very much. My friend and kids who can't eat spicy food also enjoyed it. They even ordered 2 more meals and were very satisfied. I highly recommend it and it's worth queuing in.

At this time, my son's gaming addiction kicked in. He insisted on playing. When I refused, he threw his hands in anger and refused to eat. Finally, I got angry too and asked my friend to take her daughter to the river while I took my son back to the car to wait. I tried to reason with him, but he just wanted to play. I was so angry that I yelled at him and beat him up late at night in a hotel with such poor soundproofing. It was the worst beating he'd ever received. It's really hard to reason with him afterward! Finally, he tearfully declared he would never play again, begged for food, and went to bed. It seems sometimes, the ultimate weapon is needed to cleanse the world! D4. Saturday. Another late night, only to be woken up by a friend. He has a biological clock and can't sleep in. He'd been staying awake for the past few mornings, waiting for us to wake up. This morning, we went to the rice noodle shop we'd been to the day before, each having a bowl and filling up. Afterward, we drove to Ganlanba as planned. There's a market there on Saturday mornings. We originally had the navigation set for Ganlanba, but I wanted to get to a specific location to avoid being directed to a side gate like I did the day before at the Botanical Garden. I asked a friend to look up the exact location. They looked up the Ganlanba Bridge on TikTok, but I ended up being directed to the highway entrance. I quickly turned around, but ended up being directed to Ganlanba again. I finally found the location. What a shame! Actually, the Ganlanba market is about a kilometer from the Dai Garden. It was past midnight when we arrived, but that was okay. Based on my experience from the previous few days, this time is considered morning in Xishuangbanna! Sure enough, the bridge was lined with vendors. We got off the bus and had another meal: three-color glutinous rice, tapioca pearls, hot milk tea, milk tea, and fried potatoes. The fried potatoes were delicious. The wolf-tooth potatoes, fried in oil, were packed with tender mint tips and shredded carrots (I didn't want the watercress, not the watercress, not the watercress). Tossed with the seasoning, it was a true Michelin-starred dish. Potatoes are truly a world delicacy! The enthusiastic woman selling potatoes told me that their stall is open every day. The stalls on the road below are people from the countryside who come to the market, and they're only open on Saturday and Sunday mornings. The stalls at the rural market sell a lot of strange and unusual things, mostly catering to locals. I bought some figs, 5 yuan a pound, and they were super fresh and sweet. They cost 6 yuan and were a feast.

After eating and shopping, we went into the Dai Garden. The sightseeing bus took us directly to the Water Splashing Square because the water splashing session was about to start at 13:30. My son was the only one who wanted to play, and we didn't prepare anything, not even a change of clean clothes. We rented a set of clothes, slippers, and a basin for 50 yuan. It seems even with spare clothes and a basin, you'd still have to rent the park's slippers. We also bought a towel for 10 yuan, which wasn't too expensive. The boy splashed around in the water and had a blast. He had been having fun for almost an hour until his friends called him out, but he ignored my calls. A quick commercial for that genius watch. I forgot to take it off before going in the water. After I got out, I regretfully told him it was doomed and might break. The guy said it didn't matter, and then, with a click of a button, the watch actually plopped out a lot of water. The watch was saved, haha. There's also a stall selling dried fruit in the square. I bought the boy a Dai silver elephant necklace, which was reduced from 40 yuan to 25 yuan. The park also has a lot of dried mangoes and jackfruits, all 10 yuan a bag, which is quite good. There are many spots in the park where you can take sightseeing buses to and from the border pier. If you have money, you can take a speedboat. It seems to be 160 to 170 people, and 100 for children. There are local women selling tickets there. After a few rounds, you can get out.

D5. Wake up at 7:00 am, wash up, pack, walk 5 minutes to the airport, 8:55-11:50 Xishuangbanna to Wuhu, drive home in our own car, and the trip ends.

Summary of expenses for Xishuangbanna trip

1. Transportation fee:

1.1 Air ticket:

February 1st: Wuhu (Wuhu Xuancheng Airport)☞Xishuangbanna (Gasa Airport) 3202 yuan

February 5th: Xishuangbanna (Gasa Airport)☞Wuhu (Wuhu Xuancheng Airport) 4843 yuan

&nbs p; ; Total 8045 yuan/4022.5 yuan per household

1.2 Toll: 78.41 yuan going there

79.78 yuan returning

25+25=50 yuan to and from Botanical Garden Expressway

&nbs p; ; Total 208.19 yuan/104 yuan per household

2.Accommodation fee:

2.1 Jinghong Daijiangnan Business Hotel 3 nights totaling RMB 640

2.2 Huasheng Business Hotel (Xishuangbanna High-speed Railway Airport Branch) 1 night RMB 147

3. Car rental fee: 892 yuan for 3 days, 203 yuan for fuel

&nbs p; ; Total 1095 yuan/547.5 yuan per household

4.Parking fee: 6 yuan at the airport on February 1st

...

Walmart parking fee is 6.5 yuan

Wuhan Airport parking fee is 135 yuan on February 5

&n bsp;& Total 162.5 yuan/81 yuan per family

5.Clothing expenses: 80 yuan for buying Dai clothes on February 2.

&nbs p; &n bsp;/40 yuan per household

6. Ticket fees: Manting Park ticket: 40+40+20=100 Yuan. Botanical Garden of Chinese Academy of Sciences ticket: 80+80+40+50*3=350 Yuan. Dai Garden ticket: 45+45+22.5=112.5 Yuan.

The Dai Garden transportation fee is 40*3=120 yuan

&nbs p; & nbsp;Total 682.5 yuan/My family’s 255 yuan, my friend’s 427.5 yuan

7.Meal expenses:

February 1: Ayu's Dessert Shop 24 yuan

;Tai Mei Tavern's Pounded Chicken Feet 35 yuan

Tai Mei Tavern's Pounded Noodles 20 yuan

Laos iced coffee 60 yuan

Thai Mei Tavern BBQ 295 yuan

Tropical fruit 10 yuan

Total 444 yuan/222 yuan per family

February 2: Breakfast 4 nights beef rice noodles 48 yuan

Mandiu papaya 13 yuan

What kind of fruit: 41.7 yuan

Lunch: Thai Coconut Tianxiang 400 yuan

A handful of small corn: 10 yuan

Wan Tai Laos Iced Coffee 116 yuan

Specialties from the specialty store department: 110 yuan

Dinner: Riverside Night Market BBQ 150 yuan

Bamboo tube rice 16 yuan

Soy milk + drink 24 yuan

&nbs p;Total 928.7 yuan/464 yuan per household

February 3: Breakfast MaMalao 65 yuan.

Black-skinned peanuts: 35 yuan

Jinghong Tianshu Baiwu Restaurant: 367 yuan

Total 467 yuan/233.5 yuan per family

February 4: Breakfast rice noodles and dry noodles: 40 yuan

Glutinous rice, tapioca pearls, hot milk, etc. at the market are 47 yuan

Milk tea is 22 yuan

Drinks in Dai Garden are 28 yuan

Sugar cane 10 yuan

Dinner package grilled fish + pounded chicken feet + drink 105+40+35 yuan

26 yuan at the airport supermarket

nbsp;Total 353 yuan/176.5 per household

February 5: Breakfast 2 burgers 76 yuan

Meals in the Chinese food service area are 100 yuan

Total 176 yuan/88 yuan per household

In addition, my son's Dai clothes cost 50 yuan, Dai silver jewelry cost 25 yuan, water splashing clothing rental, etc. cost 50 yuan, I bought a towel for 10 yuan, my durian cost 319 yuan, the local specialties I bought cost 104 yuan, my son played darts and shot guns at the night market for 65 yuan, and I bought some snacks and dried fruits for about 30 yuan.

Summary: My family’s budget is about 7,280 yuan

& nbsp;Youjia 6800+ yuan