The Beauty of Xishuangbanna: Experiencing the Hours of May

Number of days: 4 days
Average cost: 4100 yuan
With whom: and friends
Updated: 2023.05.28

It's been three years since I last traveled, and this trip brought a lot of excitement. I was supposed to go to Xishuangbanna during the Water Splashing Festival a while ago, but I was too busy with work and couldn't make it. Still, being able to visit Xishuangbanna in May was quite rewarding.

Flight prices rose significantly before May Day. Luckily, we rented a car early, so the price didn't go up much. We booked the car through a certain platform over two weeks in advance, and we picked it up at Gasa Airport.

For accommodation, we chose a hotel near Gaozhuang and Water Splashing Square. The area surrounding Xishuangbanna isn't very large, so location isn't a major consideration when choosing a hotel (this applies only to self-driving travelers).

Day 1 Tropical Botanical Garden

On our first day, we visited the Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden. This botanical garden, part of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, is well worth a visit. The garden boasts a rich variety of flowers and trees. If you're lucky, you might even spot a Rafflesia flower. This botanical garden is very large, and you must choose a sightseeing bus to visit it. Believe me, if you want to go on a wild walk, you will basically have to spend 50 yuan to get out later (too tired to walk).

The entire botanical garden is divided into two large areas, of which the east area is the rainforest area. The biggest highlight of the rainforest area is that you can experience the rainforest crossing, and you can find a tour guide to explain it, but it costs more than 200 yuan. I think everyone can definitely get a free tour, not only the tour guide but also the tour guide in the scenic area are worth it.

We played in the botanical garden for more than four hours. After coming out, we found a restaurant to eat some food. In fact, coming to the botanical garden in May itself is the time to see flowers. Of course, some of the rarer flowers are not in bloom. It was around 4 o'clock in the afternoon when we returned to the hotel. We had spent too much time wandering around the botanical garden. So, we just wandered around the hotel. There were lots of wood vendors nearby, like redwood and wood carvings. While wandering aimlessly, we suddenly stumbled upon a school. As far as we knew, schools are generally known for their delicious food. We found a small roadside stall and had some Dai-style cold dishes. There were several varieties, all delicious. I really enjoyed the cold okra; it was sticky and delicious.

Day2 Jinuo Mountain Rainforest Crossing

For me, experiencing a rainforest crossing is also a very memorable thing. We drove to Jinuo Mountain. Before that, we visited the Water Splashing Square. This massive water splashing square recently brought joy to many people. One of the square's highlights is the numerous sculptures, which perhaps represent the unity of the ethnic groups. The rainy season is about to arrive in Jinuo Mountain, but it wasn't strictly rainy when we visited. A trekking tour involves first crossing the mountain and then strolling around. We brought raincoats and rubber shoes, and we recommend wearing non-slip shoes. The whole crossing was very interesting. As soon as we crossed, we heard the sound of rushing water. The gurgling water just flows down, rumbling, isn't this the beauty of nature?

We had lunch in Jinuo Mountain. Before eating, we also tried the cliff swing and banyan tree rappelling activities. We also saw some people coming with tour groups. I still think that when traveling in China, it is best to travel independently as much as possible so that you can manage your own time.

Afterwards, we went to a tea and coffee estate. This estate seemed to be relatively new, and there were a few B&Bs here, which were relatively simple. But overall, I thought it was quite good. The owner is actually a young man. After that, we returned to the city and went to the Xingguang Night Market first. There were a lot of people at the Xingguang Night Market. My friend said that strolling around here felt like strolling through Yiwu's small market. Plus, there's so much delicious food here, it feels like a collection of food stalls. After enjoying a variety of dishes and everyone was quite full, we returned to the city. Driving, listening to the rain, was a truly relaxing experience. By the way, there's so much delicious food to eat in Xishuangbanna. I recommend visiting a variety of restaurants and choosing a variety of dishes to make your trip more layered and enriching. We had noodles for dinner. Back at the hotel, we watched a movie together, chatted for a while, and then went to bed. The next day, we checked out Manting Park.

Day 3: The Beauty of Manting Park

On the third day, we went to Manting Park. It rained almost all day, so we could just take shelter from the rain. There were so many other tourists like us. Whenever the rain stopped, we'd snap some photos of the scenery, and then quickly take shelter when it started to rain again.

Manting Park is also home to quite a few restaurants. We ate at Leo, a restaurant with a wide variety of dishes, which I loved. The desserts were especially delicious.

After dinner, we found another massage parlor. Many people say that a visit to Xishuangbanna requires a massage, just like getting one in Thailand. The massage technician at the place we found was truly exceptional—painless and incredibly relaxing.

Upon arrival, the technician noticed I'd been caught in the rain and quickly grabbed a hairdryer to dry me off. This small touch really touched me, even though she wasn't obligated to do it.

By the end of the massage, I was convinced it was the most satisfying part of my entire trip to Xishuangbanna. After the massage, we returned to the riverside. Actually, we walked the same route as yesterday, but the scenery was different every day. That's the benefit of traveling: your focus changes, so every day feels new and exciting.

The night market also boasts a plethora of snack and fruit shops. If you enjoy tropical fruits, I highly recommend trying them here. For example, the mangoes, dragon fruit, and wax apples are all excellent. Wax apples are especially sour. Wax apples grown in northern China tend to be more sour (after all, they're picked when they're still raw), while local varieties have a sweeter texture.

Day4 Pu'er Sun River Forest Park

This day we went to Pu'er Sun River Forest Park. There is a red panda manor here, which I like very much. You can just park your car in the parking lot and take the battery car in the scenic area. I am very satisfied with the battery car here. They stop at any time and the service is very good.