Travel Journal - 28 Days in China in August 2026 (page 3 of 3)

August 27

Woke up at 8:30 AM like every day here in Shangri-La, thanks to the *really* loud garbage truck that parks right in front of the hotel for 10 minutes every morning. We managed to fall back asleep afterward.

For our last day in Shangri-La, we’d considered Potatso Park or Napahai Lake, which is much closer. Logistically, it seemed like a hassle because of the lack of Didi rides. Getting there would’ve been fine, but the return trip apparently turns into a nightmare if you haven’t arranged a taxi in advance. That discouraged us. We looked for alternatives but weren’t super excited about any of them. We also had to factor in the weather—it was cold when I stepped outside to drink my breakfast tea on the terrace. Maybe we could just head up to the Temple of 100 Chickens (Baiji Temple)? But today, even talking or eating leaves us out of breath, so climbing that hill...

Anyway, we took our time and went out to eat. Over the meal, we decided on the Temple of 100 Chickens. The weather was beautiful and really warm by then. We crossed Dukezong to reach one of the paths leading up to the temple. We stopped during a quick rain shower in front of a bar with three adorable little lambs. They *love* using cats, lambs, and even alpacas to attract people into shops. We stayed there until the rain passed, petting them and feeding them rose petals.





The rain stopped, so we continued on our way and reached the start of the path up the temple hill. It was steep, and we climbed very slowly. We were surrounded by greenery. And what did I see just 10 meters away? A huge yak. We didn’t immediately realize we weren’t exactly safe next to it—shock took over. A Chinese guy on a scooter showed up and said something to us. I pulled out the translator: "Careful, it’s got the temper of a rooster." His girlfriend quickly added, "Be careful, it’s very dangerous." We got out of there fast. Well, not *fast*—this slope was steep—but we did our best to move away without lingering.



A little further on, we came across two pigs rolling in the mud, but they got scared and ran off. Then came a series of steps. There was only about 120 meters of elevation gain, but at 3,400 meters above sea level, every step was noticeable. It took us 35 minutes to climb.

There was a kind of shelter before the temple with *tons* of prayer flags fluttering in the wind. I loved this spot. We had a view of the whole city and the mountains in the background. On the other side, we could see the airport and Napahai Lake. We didn’t regret skipping it at all. It’s not really a lake but a big marshy area with a road circling it. The landscapes might be stunning when you’re there, but they’re just as beautiful where we were. Plus, we saw a *huge* yak!









We stayed there for a while, soaking it all in, then pushed on to the temple, just a little further. The temple itself wasn’t all that exciting, and the view wasn’t any better since the vegetation blocked everything. We did spot a cute rabbit in the greenery, but no chickens—just a rooster. I’d read that the temple got its name (100 Chickens) from people releasing their chickens here as offerings.

We went back down via a less steep path, keeping an eye out for the yak. Then we stopped at a café before heading back to the hotel. On the way, we popped into a *Busy for You* to stock up on snacks for tomorrow’s train ride. We dropped everything off in the room and headed to the big supermarket near the central square to finish our shopping. After that, we went back to the Tibetan hot pot place from the other night—we were happy to eat there again. We got there early, around 7 PM, and headed back early too, so we could pack our bags in peace and go to bed earlier than usual for once!

I’d imagined I’d be whisked straight to the far reaches of Tibet, but not really.

All the more reason to go—"to the far reaches of Tibet." Shangri-La is just the gateway; everything begins beyond that...

The bucket list is endless :)

August 28

Early wake-up to be ready by 9 AM to order a Didi to the train station. We arrive around 9:20. Our train to Kunming leaves at 10:05. It’s packed—lots of people traveling standing up for the entire 6-hour journey. We arrive in Kunming at 4 PM, where it’s sunny, hot, and humid. Two metro stops later, we’re back at the same hotel from the start of our trip, but this time on the 22nd floor.



We drop off our stuff and head to the shopping district for our end-of-trip purchases. We stop at Mixue for jasmine tea and a mango tapioca pearl ice cream. We spent a month searching for jasmine tea at every Mixue, but it was always sold out—except today and the day before yesterday in Shangri-La.



In the evening, while looking for a place to eat, we stumble upon a small crowd. We watch as people wait for a dancer on a building’s upper floor to toss lucky-charm pendants. We join the group under the window, arms raised, trying to catch one—but the crowd is intense, everyone lunging to snatch the trinkets. A guy with a microphone in front of us asks the dancer to send one his way and hands it to me. I step back with my lucky charm and give the man a big thank-you. D stays to try his luck and eventually catches one. As we leave, we pick up a third one off the ground! So much happiness ahead!





We head to a small Yunnan specialty restaurant with our trophies, sticking to classics: rice with porcini mushrooms, delicious pu’er tea and mushroom rice, and spring rolls—76 yuan. Then, since it’s our last night in China, we go for a drink at Sankouzu, a classy bar in the old town. We spend 2.5 hours listening to the singers on stage. They have a great cocktail menu and can make anything you ask for. The drinks come with homemade sweet potato chips. The service is attentive and English-speaking. We pay 156 yuan for our two drinks—mine was huge. And we head back to bed for the last time before returning to France... though we still have one more day left!

August 29th and 30th

Last day in China. We set the alarm—otherwise, we know we’d sleep till noon or even later. We leave our bags at the front desk and head out to finish our shopping and hit the last bookstores for D.



We discover even more alleyways in the old town and stumble upon an animal market where poor cats are crammed six or seven to a cage, right on the wire mesh. Same goes for the chicks, rabbits, birds, turtles...

We leave that neighborhood and have our last meal late—a classic fried rice with beef for D, seafood and fried egg for me.



It starts raining as we leave the table. We walk to our last bookstore near Beijing Road, and it’s already time to pick up our bags. Just enough time to pack everything up, and we head to the subway around 4:30 PM, which takes us to the airport in about forty minutes.

There’s no wait at check-in, where we have a dedicated counter for domestic flights followed by an international one. Barely any wait at security either. Our first flight leaves for Beijing at 7:55 PM, and the next one to Paris at 1:55 AM, arriving around 6:30 AM.

It was another great trip, but if I had to choose, I wouldn’t come back to this region. I was expecting way more breathtaking landscapes, but apart from Tiger Leaping Gorge—which was truly stunning (my photos don’t do it justice)—I wasn’t blown away.

Budget-wise, I listed a lot of prices so you can get an idea. For the whole trip, we spent 471 € on accommodation and 162 € on TGV.