2024 Xishuangbanna & Pu'er 10-day free travel tour - Pu'er

Number of days: 10 days
Time: January
Average cost: 7600 yuan
With whom: and friends
Updated: 2024.02.20

DAY7: Visiting the red pandas and white rhinoceros.

Today was a long drive, so we woke up at 7:30 AM to pack and set off at 9 AM. It took nearly four hours to reach the Pu'er Red Panda Manor. We had planned to have lunch right after getting off the highway, but we missed the village and ended up missing the next shop. Upon arrival at the Red Panda Manor, our room wasn't ready yet, so we checked our luggage in and headed to Sun River Forest Park. It's a large forest park, and getting around requires an electric shuttle. The hotel shuttle runs every half hour, so you can explore the park on foot. The animals are free-range, and the park's bulletin board specifically advises against holding food while visiting, as it could lead to accidents.

Pu'er Sun River Forest Park

Pu'er Sun River Forest Park Pu'er Sun River Forest Park

This is home to red pandas and white rhinos, two of the most anticipated animals. The white rhinos are so large that they seem to struggle to stand up, perhaps due to their obesity. The red pandas, on the other hand, are naturally the children's favorites, with people lining up to pet, feed, and take photos with them. Although red pandas are usually docile, they can be quite aggressive if provoked.

Pu'er Sun River Forest Park

Maybe there are too many tourists. There are not many animals in the park, and there are few places to replenish energy. We only saw one station that sold food and drinks, so we quickly bought some grilled sausages, corn and cheese sticks to fill our stomachs, otherwise we would have starved to death in the forest park. Although this place is only more than 100 kilometers away from Xishuangbanna, the temperature is obviously much lower, so I can finally wear the thick clothes I brought from home.

Pu'er Sun River Forest Park

Pu'er Sun River Forest Park Pu'er Sun River Forest Park

Pu'er Sun River Forest Park

We booked two family rooms in Phase 1 of the manor, each including tickets for three adults and an electric car. The rooms are independent forest cabins with ample space and complete facilities. The balcony and bathroom both face the forest, providing excellent privacy and a particularly quiet rest here. The room was stocked with children's toiletries, slippers, toothbrushes, and more. There was also an instant electric water heater, a steam eye mask, drip coffee, Yunnan black tea, and a small refrigerator stocked with pastries, fruit, milk, and drinks—a real surprise at every turn. We later explored Phase 2, which felt too modern. I still preferred the cabins in Phase 1. Rooms are limited. During the Lunar New Year holiday, the cheapest double room was over 1,800 yuan. I booked a family room for over 2,100 yuan. Fortunately, I booked early, as it was completely sold out later. The price quoted at the front desk was similar. The staff, quite impressively, explained that they don't work with travel agencies and only book online and offline, so they're always fully booked. So, if you're traveling with children and want to stay at the Red Panda Manor, be sure to book in advance.

Red Panda Manor Single Family Forest Cabin

Red Panda Manor Single Family Forest Cabin Family Room

Red Panda Manor Standalone Forest Cabin

As for dinner, I checked and the nearest one is 14 kilometers away. Then I will bear the pain and have the buffet hot pot in the manor. Adults are 168 per person, children 1.2-1.4 meters tall are 88 per person, and children under 1.2 meters tall are free, but the inspection is not very strict. The restaurant is in a great location, and we ate all three meals there. The large floor-to-ceiling windows offer a view of the distant mountains, clouds, and nearby, a variety of waterfowl leisurely strolling. However, the food was quite average. After a child spilled the watermelon juice, they said there was no more. It was a bit stingy. Today, Qingqing and I were feeling a bit cold, perhaps from a cold, so we retired to our room early after dinner. The electric blanket on the bed was already warm, and the mountain chill was completely gone. Let's sleep in. For such an expensive hotel, we should enjoy ourselves.

Red Panda Manor Hot Pot Buffet

Water birds strolling leisurely outside the Red Panda Manor Wetland Restaurant

Red Panda Manor Wetland Restaurant

Red Panda Manor Buffet Hot Pot

Red Panda Manor Children's Playground

DAY8: Picking and sipping tea on the ten thousand mu tea mountain.

The bed in the cabin was incredibly hot, probably because I took medicine for a cold. I sweated profusely all night. The tour leader had left the electric blanket on and the air conditioner on, so he rolled around in the bed in the heat. I slept until I woke naturally this morning, then took an electric cart to breakfast. At the entrance to the restaurant, I stumbled upon three sika deer. Even though they were only a few months old, they were incredibly energetic when drinking milk. Red Panda Manor Red Panda Manor

After breakfast, I took a stroll around the Red Panda Manor, breathing deeply in this vast forest oxygen bar. We had rooms 516 and 517, which were in a great location. Right outside our doors was the children's playground, where the kids were so engrossed in their play that they refused to leave. As for us, we sat on the balcony, doing nothing but daydreaming and letting go of everything—that's the life we long for.

Red Panda Manor

We checked out before 12:00 PM and then visited the nearby China Pu'er Tea Expo Park. This is a niche attraction with few visitors. Admission is 30 yuan per person, 15 yuan for seniors and students, and 50 yuan per person for electric bikes, which we didn't buy. We walked along, taking in the sights. The scenic area includes a Pu'er Tea Museum, villages of various ethnic groups, a large tea plantation, and a place where you can make your own Pu'er tea cakes. The most remarkable feature is the park's treasure: a fossilized ancient tea tree, over 100 million years old, called "Stone Brings Fortune."

China Pu'er Tea Expo Park

In the afternoon, we arrived in Simao District, Pu'er City, and checked in. We passed by Xima River Park. I remember there was a large river in the city center, with sculptures of horses bathing on the riverbank. Tonight, we stayed at the Pu'er Zhixi Boutique Hotel (Simao Airport Branch). This hotel has an unassuming facade, but it offers good value for money, good room facilities, and includes free fruit, milk, and breakfast. It is highly recommended.

Pu'er Zhixi Boutique Hotel (Simao Airport Branch)

For dinner, we found a mushroom hotpot restaurant. The set meal for less than 300 yuan allowed everyone to have a delicious meal.

Mushroom Hot Pot

After dinner, my group leader and I wanted to explore the ancient Tea Horse Town near the hotel, but we found nothing but tea shops, so we headed back to our rooms for the night. Qingqing and I both had nasty colds and were like two snotty dogs. God bless us, and may we both get better soon.

DAY9: Savor everything slowly in Pu'er.

After being out for so many days, everyone was exhausted. Add in two people with nasty colds, and our already tight schedule became even tighter. The hotel's free breakfast was excellent, and we lingered until 10:00 before leaving. We made a last-minute decision to head to Nakeli Ancient Town this morning. The drive took about 30 minutes, but it was all winding around the mountains. Qingqing was still feeling a bit under the weather, so she didn't get off the bus upon arrival and rested in the car. We strolled around the village and found it to be a lovely old town. While not large, it was clean and tidy, not overly commercialized. It was definitely better than Lijiang, and the prices were also quite affordable. There were all sorts of hipster-style cafes and teahouses everywhere, perfect for a stroll and some photo ops.

Na Keli Ancient Town

Nakri Ancient Town

Nakeri Ancient Town

At noon, we had some horse-riding dishes at the village gate. However, I didn't have a good appetite, or maybe it was because I was too full from the passion fruit water I just bought. I couldn't eat anything and just ate a few mouthfuls.

Tonight we booked a 18:30 train to Kunming. We still had plenty of time after lunch, so we just wandered around. We first went to Daijia Lane. What a rip-off! An ancient building complex? There were only a few old houses and a few coffee shops, so we left immediately. We then headed to the Tea Horse Ancient Town scenic area, which felt completely deserted. It was definitely not the kind of place where Pu'er locals gather at night. We walked in, flanked by jade shops on both sides. We climbed a few steps and met a woman who had just come down. She told us the entire walk would take four or five hours, and without the electric car or cable car, it would be all stairs up and down. We left immediately, terrified. Furthermore, it was a man-made attraction, and it was a rip-off.

Ancient Tea Horse Road Scenic Area

After coming out, we drove all the way to Pu'er Station. On the way, we saw Judian Coffee, a local coffee shop in Pu'er. We went in and sat for a while, ordered coffee and snacks, and stayed until it was almost time to leave.

Pu'er Torch Coffee

Pu'er Torch Coffee Pu'er Torch Coffee

Pu'er Torch Coffee

After arriving at Pu'er Station, the first thing we had to do was return the car. Unexpectedly, after contacting customer service, we were told to just park in the parking lot, leave the keys in the car, grab our belongings, and go. Was that really that hasty? Anyway, we had purchased the all-inclusive insurance, so it was incredibly convenient. This six-and-a-half-day rental car self-drive tour covered a total of 626 kilometers, with Congtou behind the wheel the entire time, while we simply enjoyed the scenery.

Today marks the beginning of spring. In the evening, we boarded the high-speed train to Kunming, the City of Spring. We'll be heading home tomorrow, so let's hope the return trip goes smoothly.

DAY 10: Home for the Lunar New Year!

The southwest gate of the Dounan Flower Market is just across the road from the hotel. This morning, we left our luggage at the front desk and headed to the flower market for some fun. Dounan Flower Market Dounan Flower Market Dounan Flower MarketMaybe it was early in the morning, so not many flower shops were open, but there was still enough for us to browse. We bought American teff, wintersweets, dried flowers, preserved flowers, and more, but we were completely overwhelmed and had to give up. In the end, we decided to take a taxi, each carrying a bunch of flowers and a suitcase. Kunming Changshui Airport was filled with the festive atmosphere before the Lunar New Year, and there were many flower stalls selling flowers.

Kunming Changshui Airport

We were very lucky. The Spring Airlines flight we took on our return trip was not only very close to the terminal, but also took off on time and landed early, which gave me a positive impression of Spring Airlines, which I have always had a bad impression of. The Congtou family and we had a different return flight, so we went home separately. After we arrived at Hongqiao Airport, the ride we booked in advance also picked us up on time, so we could be taken directly to our doorstep.

Looking back on this trip, I had a very flexible schedule. Although it was before the New Year, the travel experience was very average. Firstly, Xishuangbanna is already a tourist hotspot in winter, and this small border town's reception capacity is limited. The beautiful Xishuangbanna I once imagined has become a crowded, dirty, and shabby place, which I can't really give a good review. Secondly, the prices for tickets, transportation, and performances at various scenic spots are not cheap, and the scenic spots' organizational, operational, and management capabilities are very limited. Therefore, faced with inflated prices, the experience is greatly compromised.

In recent years, our group has traveled two routes in Gansu and two routes in Yunnan. Comparing them, the Gansu travel experience is clearly superior to the Yunnan one. Yunnan, a major tourist province, is truly a bit disappointing. However, Yunnan is rich in tourism resources, and there are still many places we haven't visited, such as Tengchong, Lugu Lake, the Nujiang River, Jingmai Mountain, and the Border Triangle. Let's measure it with our feet, discover it with our eyes, and feel it with our bodies and minds, the magnificent rivers and mountains of our beautiful motherland!