5-Day Yunnan Tour (Xishuangbanna-Kunming) in November 2023

Number of days：5 days
Time: November
Average cost: 3000 yuan
With whom：parents and children
Updated: 2023.12.14

I took a spontaneous trip in November, taking advantage of the fact that my annual leave was about to expire and Chen Shiyi Kindergarten had no trouble asking for leave.

Before the trip, I had a general idea of the main attractions in Kunming and Xishuangbanna. The specific strategy was not arranged until I arrived at the destination, and the plan for the next day was basically done the night before. So every night after returning to the hotel, I had to drag my tired body to study the itinerary for the next day. I was free, but I was really tired every night~~

Xishuangbanna: Manting Park, Zongfo Temple, Botanical Garden of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Dai Garden, Primeval Forest Park, Wild Elephant Valley

Kunming: Haigeng Park, Stone Forest, Jiuxiang

Many "young" people like me know about Xishuangbanna through a TV series (I won't tell you, everyone who knows it knows it). Xishuangbanna is mysterious, exotic, and a little dangerous, which suits my temperament very well. So it was one of the three places I most wanted to visit when I was young (the other two are Shennongjia and Tibet).

Perhaps it was due to overly high expectations, or perhaps it was the result of homogenized economic development. There was no mystery or danger at all. While there was a hint of exotic charm, aside from the Zongfo Temple, the other attractions we visited weren't particularly appealing. Of course, it's also possible that we didn't visit the sites that truly represent Xishuangbanna.

The Botanical Garden of the Chinese Academy of Sciences is about an hour's drive from the city center. The garden is divided into the East and West sections. The West section features various plant and flower gardens and is more relaxing, with shuttle buses available. The East section, through the tropical rainforest, is accessible only on foot, though the artificial steps make it less tiring. Although the botanical garden is considered an important and well-known attraction in Xishuangbanna, it wasn't quite to my taste.

It's a well-known attraction, but it wasn't quite to my taste. Between “feeding the elephants” and “feeding the peacocks”, Chen Shiyi chose to “feed the elephants” first, so we arranged to go to the Wild Elephant Valley first. According to our travel speed, we wandered around for about 3 hours, and then we didn’t have time to go to the primeval forest to “feed the peacocks”. After a brief family meeting, we reached an agreement to visit Zongfo Temple for the second time and then head to Kunming. Kunming, a city known for its perennial spring, was surprisingly colder than Shenzhen. Our local friends were puzzled by our decision to reserve two days for our stay, but we were right. Haihong Wetland Park and the Stone Forest didn't disappoint. Haihong Wetland Park boasts a modest underwater redwood forest. You can take a transparent boat through it, which is quite captivating and photogenic. Chen Shiyi was a very enthusiastic rower. Walking along the shores of Dianchi Lake, you'll also see numerous redwood trees. Their dazzling red color makes you sigh that life is still beautiful.

From November to March every year, the most worthwhile experience in Kunming is feeding the seagulls. Most online guides recommend visiting Haigeng Dam and Haigeng Park. We visited Haigeng Dam in the morning and Haihong Wetland Park in the afternoon. Feeding is possible along the approximately one-kilometer stretch of Haigeng Dam, while Haihong Wetland Park is only about two hundred meters (the park is quite large, so it's possible we didn't make it all the way there). The timing of feeding the seagulls is crucial: before 10 a.m. or around 5 or 6 p.m. is ideal, as seagulls have feeding times.

Let's focus on the Stone Forest, an hour's drive from Kunming (two hours by bus). In the words of a local friend, it's "just a pile of rocks." We hesitated for a moment, but ultimately decided not to leave any regrets. The Stone Forest is truly worthy of its name, a "forest of stone." While some landscapes have too many artificial elements, which can ruin their original charm, others are enhanced by artificial refinement. The Stone Forest falls into the latter category. It's clear the area has undergone extensive renovations and design. Entering the Great Stone Forest area feels like being in a vast stone maze, a particular delight for my son, who rushed ahead eager to explore. It really saved Mr. Chen a lot of energy. The tour guide said the Stone Forest area would take about two and a half hours to explore, but it took us a full five. Because we were in a hurry to catch a flight, we didn't have time to go to Naigu Stone Forest. It's said that Naigu Stone Forest means black stone forest, and the stones there are all straight and towering, while the stones in Dashilin are thin at the top and thick at the bottom, with sharp points.

The stone styles of the two scenic spots are quite different. However, from the ticket price, you can tell that Naigu Stone Forest is much smaller (150 vs. 25). Finally, let’s talk about the people. Whether it’s Kunming or Xishuangbanna, the people we met are very friendly and enthusiastic. There’s also an interesting phenomenon. After conquering Hainan, the people from Northeast China are now occupying Xishuangbanna. Even the vendors in the vegetable market speak with a thick Northeastern accent.

To use Chen Shiyi’s words to summarize this trip, it was a trip of four feedings: feeding myself (with rice), feeding the seagulls, feeding the peacocks, and feeding the elephants.

This trip, we tried something new—renting a car and driving ourselves. The car rental business is booming in Xishuangbanna and Kunming. According to the MOUHAI agent, there are 7,000 MOUHAI vehicles in Kunming alone. You can pick up your car directly at the train station or airport, and there are also numerous pick-up locations throughout the city. The service is very convenient, and the roads to the scenic spots are relatively easy. While the price is comparable to a chartered car, you don't have to worry about the driver's attitude, so the experience is still good.

About the itinerary

D1 Shenzhen - Xishuangbanna

Arrived in the morning, rested, and made some travel plans.

In the afternoon, we visited Manting Park, where we could leisurely explore for two hours. The Zongfo Temple closes at 6:00 PM, so we didn't have time to just take a quick look. We returned for a second visit the following day.

D2 Botanical Garden of the Chinese Academy of Sciences

Departs at 10:00 AM, arrives at 11:00 AM, and ends at 6:00 PM. The East and West Zones each last 3 hours, and you'll need to buy a shuttle bus ticket. The East Zone is a tropical rainforest walk, while the West Zone is a large park with 7 smaller gardens.

The Dai Garden and Botanical Garden are on the same route, so if you're more on a tight schedule, you can also do it in one day.

D3 Wild Elephant Valley - Zongfo Temple - High-Speed Rail

We didn't take the cable car to Wild Elephant Valley. The walk from the North Gate to the South Gate isn't far, taking 30-40 minutes. It's quite interesting to walk and explore along the way, so you don't need to buy a cable car ticket. If you're driving, park at the North Gate; the South Gate generally only accepts buses. However, the main interactive performance area is at the South Gate.

D4 Haigeng Dam-Haihong Wetland Park

Arrived at Haigeng Dam at 10:30, feeling that the seagulls were not too hungry, took the bus and then the subway to Haihong Wetland Park. Haigeng Dam-Haigeng Park-Haihong Wetland Park are three places connected together, but because of their large area, you still have to take a car + walk. The redwood forest boating is at the northeast gate of the wetland park.

D5 Stone Forest-Shenzhen

Departed at 9 o'clock and arrived at 10:30 by car. You need to buy a transportation ticket. The visitor center is still quite a distance from the actual entrance of the scenic area, so it is best to save your energy to visit inside.

Our flight is at 8pm. If the time is tighter, Stone Forest + Jiuxiang should also be possible.

About the cost

Transportation: This time we mainly rented a car and drove ourselves. The 2-day charter price in Xishuangbanna was 548, and the taxi was 40. The 1-day charter price in Kunming was 436, and the taxi was 25, so the total was 1049 yuan.

Tickets: Chen Shiyi is free, Manting Park is 72, Botanical Garden is 360, Wild Elephant Valley is 114, Redwood Forest Boating is 90, and Stone Forest is 310, so the total was 946 yuan.

About the tickets, I’ll tell you a trick to save money. I bought tickets on a certain train app, especially for Stone Forest. One ticket can save 46 (155-109), but it needs to be booked one day in advance. I didn’t see the word “booking”, so I lost money. 😭

Accommodation: Lavande Hotel, 2 nights in Banna is 493, 2 nights in Kunming is 446, so 4 nights is 939 yuan in total.

Miscellaneous expenses: mainly meals. I had a peacock feast with hand-pulled rice in Banna, and didn't eat much in Kunming. The total cost was probably less than 1,000 yuan.

Total: 3,934 yuan

Transportation: Shenzhen to Banna 2,300 yuan, Banna to Kunming 569 yuan (I need to buy a ticket for the Chen Shiyi high-speed rail 😭), Kunming 1,724 yuan, a total of 4,593 yuan.

I hope everyone has time to experience the beauty of the motherland. I look forward to my next trip.