Three weeks in Yunnan in October 2025 (page 2 of 4)

Then we visit Baoxiang Temple, perched on a cliff. Many pavilions cling to the cliffside. The stairs to get there are quite long, but it’s absolutely stunning.

Then we visit the Baoxiang Temple, perched on a cliff. Many pavilions cling to the cliffside. The stairs to get there are quite long, but it’s absolutely stunning.







View from above.

The monkeys keep a close eye on us.



Some fun representations.





Next, we head to Shaxi, a town in the plains at 2,200 meters altitude. It’s a really pretty little town on the Tea Horse Road, with beautiful wooden houses.







And a gorgeous old theater in the central square.

The theater.

After our city walk, we’ll take a little stroll along the river.



We’re staying at the Shaxi Aoding Courtyard Hotel. It’s really nice, well located, and we have a large, comfortable room.



After a good breakfast served at the table, we set off for Tiger Leaping Gorge.





It’s the Yangtze River (the "little crocodile") rushing through the gorge. The waters are tumultuous, and the noise is impressive. The site’s name comes from a legend about a tiger being chased by a hunter and leaping across the river in a single bound. But from the parking lot, you have to take a staircase with 650 steps to reach the riverbank. That means climbing back up those 650 steps to return to the parking lot. We opted for the escalator... Even though there are still a few steps at the end, it’s much faster and way less tiring.

On our way to the guesthouse where we’ll be spending the night. It’s Summer's Guesthouse in the village of Walnut Grove, above the Yangtze River. And we’re off to explore the area... on foot.

In the evening, we’re enjoying our terrace overlooking the Yangtze.





The next day, we head back up to the parking lot to meet our vehicle. The luggage is picked up by a tricycle cart.

Then we’re off to Baishuitai to see the fascinating white terraces. These natural formations are the result of water springs gushing from the Haba Mountains, which over centuries have transformed into stunning cascading white marble terraces flowing down into the valley.

We continue our journey toward Shangri-La. Along the way, we stop in the Tibetan village of Ringha to see its ancient 700-year-old monastery. Locals come here to pray for health, heal illnesses, and bless children. They hang prayer flags that dance in the wind around the monastery.





But all this beauty comes at a price... The stairs are endless....

Further on, we pass through a village and are surprised to see drying racks standing just about everywhere—in farmyards or out in the meadows.





We see our first yaks.



Our first butcher shops selling yak meat—and its genitalia.

Hi there,

Don’t you work in partnership with MyAtlas?

@Jeaaan Thanks for sharing—because of you, I’m reliving my trip! We got back from China two weeks ago. I wrote a travel journal on "MyAtlas"...

OK, thank you.

Arrived in Shangri-La, at 3,300 meters above sea level. Before exploring the city, we checked into our room at the Khimstang Hotel, well located near the heart of the city but in a quiet area.



Strolled through the old town and hiked up to Guishan Temple and its prayer wheel, the largest in the world.





Very lively streets.



Daily dances in the main square.





And for dinner, it’ll be yak fondue.

We spent an excellent night in our large, well-heated room. We didn’t expect to have heating, but it’s a really nice plus.

At 9 AM, we hit the road to Benzilan. As soon as we left the city, we stopped to watch the yaks—the herds of yaks. There are so many of them. Completely free. No fences. These massive animals even wander onto the road.





It’s impressive...

We’re also amazed by the size of the Tibetan houses. They’re enormous.



Next, we head to Napahai Lake. It’s overflowed into the meadows due to recent rains. The hay dryers are standing in water, and so are the prayer flags.





Chinese tourists are getting their photos taken on the back of a white yak—apparently, it brings good luck.

Our next stop is at the border of Yunnan and Sichuan, where we check out the footbridge over the Yangtze River. This bridge allowed Mao’s troops to cross the river during the 12,000-kilometer Long March between 1935 and 1936.

We’re having lunch at a roadside restaurant. We’re experiencing the shared restrooms.





A little later, we stop to see a spectacular bend in the Yangtze River, forming a perfect horseshoe around a pyramid-shaped rocky peak. It’s really beautiful.



When we arrive in Benzilan, we’re surprised to learn it’s a ceremony day at the monastery—the last day of rituals organized by the monks to bring health and good harvests for everyone. On this final day, the monks dress up in masks and dance for the villagers.







For us, the spectacle is everywhere—on the spectator side, only Tibetans, and on stage, it’s colorful and impressive. But as foreigners, we’re not allowed to take photos, so we ask some Tibetan spectators to take some for us. No problem.

We’re sharing an amazing moment with all these Tibetans who are happy to see us and spontaneously offer us a cushion to sit on. A lovely moment...









And when the ceremonies end, everyone heads home.





And for us, it’s back to Shangri-La.

The next day, at 8:30 AM, we leave Shangri-La to head to Lijiang. We stop to visit the Songzanlin Monastery, established in 1679 during the reign of the 5th Dalai Lama. This monastery is nicknamed the "Little Potala." It's the largest lamasery still in operation—a living place that still houses 600 monks.



We visit the three main temples. We go up to the terrace of the central temple.





A monk explains the long journey toward reincarnation, symbolized by the black elephant that turns white.



Here again, there are plenty of stairs. Visitors are numerous too, but mostly—or even exclusively—Asian.

When arriving in Lijiang, we head straight to the Dongba Museum. It’s dedicated to the Dongba culture of the Naxi people. The 1,400 characters and symbols of the Dongba script are on display there. These are ideograms still in use today.





The museum is located right across from the entrance to Black Dragon Pool Park. You could use cute little vehicles to get around, but we’ll explore it on foot.



Here, people come to stroll, dance, sing, make music, or paint.



It’s charming, floral, and zen.





Everyone stops to capture the moment and take the iconic photo of the lake, bridge, and temple with the snowy (or not) mountain backdrop. It’s the signature shot of Yunnan.

Hi Jean,

You used an agency, but do you think it's possible to manage without one, or would it be too complicated? I’m not sure if you met any travelers who did everything without an agency?

I’ve read other travel journals from people who used an agency, so I’m wondering....

Everything is doable... As far as we're concerned, we didn't meet any Westerners traveling completely independently. It can be done. Travel journals prove it. But the challenge is the language barrier. Very few Chinese people speak English. We met some French travelers who had a driver—non-French-speaking, of course. That’s actually what we did for the last week. We used translators on our phones, but I found it wasn’t enough. Personally, I need to communicate more than that; I need to learn more than that. The ideal would be to travel with a driver and have a French-speaking guide at the most interesting sites. That’s what we had in Uzbekistan. It was easier to organize because there were fewer cultural sites, though they were extremely interesting. But in China, there are many cities worth visiting. Having a guide is a plus, especially when they’re friendly... We’re not used to traveling with an agency, and we hesitated about going in a group, which was also the case for the other people traveling with us. But if we had to do it again, we’d do it without hesitation. Maybe we’re getting a little older too... And we were lucky to have a very efficient agency, a great guide, and a group that worked really well together. That’s how I feel about it. Hoping this answers your questions...

Yes, that answers my questions perfectly. I suspected the issue was the language barrier. Thanks!

Absolutely. And even beyond that, it’s not that simple... we met a woman of Chinese origin who lives in France and was traveling with her son. She told us it was complicated to travel solo...

Thanks again for this travel journal that takes me right back to my recent trip. The places in the photos feel so familiar... I’m also really surprised there aren’t more reactions from other travelers, since so many complain that VF is much less active than it used to be.

Regarding traveling in China: As I explain in my blog and on VF, it’s completely possible to travel in China without an agency. It really depends on the itinerary you have in mind. We went to Gansu with a detour to the Badain Jaran Desert without an agency and were pleasantly surprised by how easy it was to organize everything on the spot. Of course, I’d done a lot of prep work beforehand. Same thing in Hunan. For the Yunnan part, we used Ciel Yunnan to book a car with a driver for us. No guide, though. This "option" let us optimize our route. We’re planning a trip to western Sichuan. We’ll probably go for the same mode of transport. Almost 20 years ago, I traveled alone with my daughter in China, especially in eastern Sichuan. Everything was done without an agency back then, too, but those were more touristy routes.

After this lovely walk, we head to the town of Shuhe, at the gates of Lijiang. Our vehicle drops us off at the entrance to the old town, which isn’t accessible by car. Our luggage is immediately picked up and taken to our hotel.

Our hotel is right in the heart of the ancient city but quiet, with a large adjoining vegetable garden.



It’s The Bivou hotel—very modern and comfortable. We’re welcomed with tea, homemade gingerbread, and clementines.



We settle into our room—super comfortable and gorgeous.





And we don’t waste any time heading out to explore the old town’s streets. It’s charming.





Back at the hotel, which has a VPN, we can receive and open photos sent to us and also send photos to our loved ones. We really appreciate this feature—it hasn’t been possible anywhere else.

The next day after an excellent buffet breakfast, we set off to visit Lijiang, a city classified as a UNESCO World Heritage site. It's a city built around canals. We enter the city at the large noria (waterwheel).





It's beautifully flowered and superbly maintained.

To facilitate commercial exchanges, the city was never surrounded by walls. It was the women who ran the caravanserais. Among the Naxi, women do everything.... The city developed thanks to trade because the land wasn't fertile.



Today it's a tourist city, but it's quiet this morning. In the evening, the atmosphere seems to be different.

We're amazed by the beauty of the flowers.