A Trip to Xishuangbanna

Number of days: 4 days
Time: August
Average cost: 1,000 yuan
With whom：parents and children
Updated: 2023.08.10

Xishuangbanna Dai Autonomous Prefecture is one of Yunnan Province's eight autonomous prefectures, with Jinghong City as its capital. Located on the northern edge of the tropics south of the Tropic of Cancer, it borders Laos and Myanmar. A river connects six countries. It enjoys a tropical monsoon climate, with the Dai ethnic group as the primary inhabitant. It is also my country's second-largest natural rubber production base and the birthplace of Pu'er tea. Xishuangbanna is renowned for its tropical rainforest landscapes and ethnic minority customs.

Clothing:

Renting or purchasing a Dai costume for photo opportunities is a must when visiting this area. You can purchase them at the Riverside Night Market or the Xingguang Night Market, or rent them in the Gaozhuang area for travel photography. You can also choose to take photos at Manting Park or the Xingguang Night Market. Alternatively, you can choose to photograph in an ancient village such as Mandiu Village, Manzhang Village, or the Dai Garden. The above photos were taken during a one-night stay at Manmanglai Inn, near the airport. The owners are all Dai, and the location is very close to Mandiu Village and the airport, giving me exclusive photo opportunities. Food: A must-try when visiting Banna is Dai barbecue. The Dai truly grill everything. They have a wide variety of barbecue ingredients and sauces. You can even visit the riverside night market to experience it. Also, because it's close to Laos and Myanmar, you can enjoy authentic Southeast Asian cuisine. There's also a wide variety of dishes you can cook.

The coconut milk mango rice and pineapple rice are both slightly sweet, perfect for children. The barbecue here doesn't come with any sauce; you have to choose your own dipping sauce, which is very child-friendly. Xishuangbanna is a tropical region, with abundant and affordable tropical fruits. A glass of freshly squeezed orange juice, mango juice, or pineapple juice is very affordable and delicious. Recommended here are Laotian iced coffee and pau ruta. Pau ruta is coconut milk with various fruits and crisp bread, similar to Hainan's qingbuliang, which I personally enjoyed.

Accommodation:

It's recommended to stay one night in the Gaozhuang area. Because Banna's scenery is quite scattered, major attractions are dozens of kilometers apart. For example, a night tour of the Tropical Botanical Garden is a must with children, which requires a night stay in Menglun Town. Admission to the Botanical Garden of the Chinese Academy of Sciences is 80 yuan per person, with children paying half price. This full-time admission includes both night and daytime admission. Therefore, staying overnight near the Chinese Academy of Sciences is essential. Wild Elephant Valley is also over 40 kilometers from the city center, requiring at least a day's visit. Therefore, when visiting Banna, you can either choose to change accommodations daily or stay in the city and charter a car to these destinations. If staying in the city, I strongly recommend not staying in the Gaozhuang area, as it's packed with tourists and prices are high. Any area outside of Gaozhuang is fine. Travel: The distance from Jinghong City to scenic spots in the surrounding counties is quite long. Shuttle buses are available, but they're inconvenient. Chartering a car is the best way to get around, but you can rent an electric scooter in the Gaozhuang area of Jinghong City. You need a two-wheeled electric scooter to leave Gaozhuang; three-wheeled scooters with buckets aren't practical.

What to Do: If you don't want to visit the Wild Elephant Valley, visit the Jinghong Wildlife Park in downtown. Combine the park and Manting Park on one route. Also, visit the Chinese Academy of Sciences Botanical Garden and the Dai Garden on another. At night, enjoy the night view of the Xingguang Night Market, Zongfo Temple, and Liuguo Floating Market. You can also visit the Xishuangbanna Bridge to see the night view of both sides of the Lancang River. In addition, there is also the Jinuo Rainforest Adventure, which is suitable for taking older children. It is not recommended for children under third grade to go on the rainforest adventure. It is full of mud and steep slopes, and the road is too difficult to walk.