Three-person five-day, four-night Xishuangbanna free travel guide

Number of days：5 days
Time: April
Average cost: 5,000 yuan
With whom: and friends
Updated: 2023.04.14

Before departure

What to prepare:

Medicine: Antidiarrheal medicine, anti-inflammatory medicine, Band-Aids, mosquito repellent, mosquito spray

Electrical appliances: Charging cable, selfie stick

Documents: ID card, driver's license (for car rental), other valid documents

Clothing: Primarily dresses, bring fewer clothes for easy shopping

Pitfalls to avoid:

If you're booking a cheap flight, check in advance if there are any checked baggage fees.

Plans don't change quickly, so be sure to pay attention when booking.

Food reviews, recommendations from passersby or drivers are for reference only.

Day 1: Starlight Night Market

Although we flew to Xishuangbanna from three different locations, we arrived in the afternoon and evening. Our itinerary for the day was to visit the night market. Fortunately, we were staying near the Starlight Night Market.

Legendarily known as Asia's largest night market, I felt like I didn't even explore the entire place that night. Even though it wasn't even Songkran yet, the market was still packed, with a long line at the entrance.

Actually, it was quite standardized, with the prices of ethnic clothing sold by each vendor not significantly different.

Our only goal that night was to buy a set of Dai clothing and flat slippers.

The result was that we were overwhelmed by the selection. By midnight, we still hadn't decided on any clothes or shoes we liked.

The problem was, every time we left a stall, the prices were higher than the ones we'd initially visited. After finally making our way out of the night market, not wanting to go back, we finally found a similar stall and finished our outfit. It was almost 2 a.m. when we got back to the hotel.

Day 2 Dai Garden

If you have enough time, you can choose to walk, but the garden is very large and with a temperature of 36 degrees Celsius, I really don’t recommend it.

The Dai Garden also has a water splashing festival, starting at 1:30 pm. There are half-hour water splashing performances each time. You can rent a basin and follow the music and the crowd into the square, dancing and splashing water with the crowd.

After returning from the Dai Garden, we found a restaurant that served authentic local food. We went there early, and the specialties were really good. The grilled bamboo shoots and pork belly were definitely good with the wine.

I casually asked if they had rice wine, a local drink, and the owner brought us some corn wine he brewed himself, which we could try for free. I took a quick sip excitedly, and oh my god, isn't this the taste of white wine? I asked, and I was told it's over 40 degrees. I was careless~

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Day 3 Chinese Botanical Garden

For ease of travel, we chose to stay near the botanical gardens, within walking distance.

I saw online that it takes five hours to explore the entire garden, so given the scorching heat, we opted for a garden-wide electric tram. They recommended a tour of the West District and a tram, but we had all the time for that one attraction, so we opted for the entire garden.

As it turned out, the East District had few attractions and relatively basic, primarily featuring tropical rainforest landscapes. Much of the activity required walking, which was quite strenuous.

We started the morning after breakfast, walked to the attraction, bought tickets, and boarded the electric tram, taking in the sights and taking photos. The West District had far more attractions and sights, including hot air balloons, fountains, and rare plants. We refueled at a snack bar at noon and continued exploring until the afternoon, completing our tour of the entire area.

After a tiring day, we found a massage parlor near our hotel. While the exterior wasn't impressive, the massage was performed by skilled women who felt like they were cracking my bones.

Day 4 Mengyuan Wonderland

We signed up online in advance for a small group rainforest hike. We packed our bags early in the morning and drove about an hour to Mengyuan. We each bought a pair of Liberation shoes at the entrance. We were told the hike involved wading through water, crossing rivers, and stepping on rocks, but we had no idea how strenuous it would be. We all changed into camouflage shoes, long-sleeved shirts and long pants, packed mosquito repellent, water, and sunscreen, and set off in the pickup truck. The entire rainforest hike was about five kilometers long and moderately challenging. There were also parents with children. Just pay attention to the path and the trees, and you'll generally be able to make it through without a problem. Our guide was a humorous and attentive Dai man. We chatted as we walked, and before we knew it, the hike was over.

I have to mention that the three of us, being big grouchs, bought a large watermelon the night before. We had intended it as a late-night snack, but we couldn't finish it, so we packed it in the car the next day to eat during our rainforest hike. This was a real rip-off for the tour guide. Since we didn't have any children to carry, he quietly helped us carry the watermelons. We climbed the mountain and waded through the water. Finally, at a stream, while everyone happily swung on the swings, he used his massive tree-chopping machete to share the watermelons. The weather was beautiful on the day of our trek, especially since the rainforest didn't have direct sunlight. The stream water was as cold as a summer popsicle. It was already afternoon when we emerged from the jungle. We entered the jungle at 10:30 AM and emerged around 1:00 PM for our pre-booked "rainforest feast." It's a truly unique experience, surrounded by nature, with the sky and earth as our backdrop, the rocks as our dining table, and the stream as our accompaniment. The value for money is average, but there aren't many such experiences. Back in the city of Gaozhuang that evening, we found a good Thai restaurant with excellent value for money. After a hard day, we naturally opted for an authentic Thai massage at the most expensive set menu, capping off our Banna trip.

Day 5 Return

There was basically no plan for today. Everyone started to return, and I finally ordered the hot coffee I had been craving. The most popular here is Laotian iced coffee, but I am still used to getting up early to drink hot American coffee. This cup of hot American coffee with super good looks can also make me feel energetic on the way back.