Bad Experience in Dali

Hi, July 2026: I’m writing to you from Dali. First, I got scammed on Booking—AI-retouched photos. No tourists at this hotel (Yishanju Designer Hotel), and the reality was horrible: dirty, with a disgusting breakfast. It’s better to use Trip.com here. Next, the old town was an infernal cacophony, packed with tourists who shoved past without a care. Some vendors harassed you to buy things. All the stalls sold the same cheap plastic junk or other uninteresting stuff. The beautiful scenery was ruined by vendors lining 100% of the alleys. Impossible to walk, crushing heat, nothing good to eat except fresh fruit. Horrible experience. Day 2: We went to Cangshan Mountain by cable car—the ride was short and nothing spectacular. We were at 2,600 m. My plan was to see Erhai Lake. Unfortunately, I followed the advice of an AI chatbot: take the boat at Langkan Dock. The Didi dropped us off in the nearest area, which was full of charming little alleys but packed with Chinese tourists. The three-wheeled yellow cabs zoomed through the narrow streets, forcing you to hug the walls, on top of the scooters and other pedestrians to deal with. Crossing the neighborhood was hellish and suffocating. Once out, we hit the "corniche," which was also packed with Chinese tourists. The lake’s edge was all pebbles, and everyone was standing around taking photos. I was with my 5-year-old son. I would’ve liked to sit down and let him play with stones by the water, but it was clear we didn’t belong. They were even shoving each other for a shot! There were no boats in sight. In short, we’d had enough, and there was nothing interesting there either. On the way back, we had to cross that maze again under the scorching sun. My son was braver than me—I even had a little dizzy spell from all the chaos. Add to that Dali’s altitude (2,200 m), so altitude insomnia, fatigue, and vulnerability during the day... The restaurants weren’t inviting—the staff served sticky rice in a little bucket. The dishes were wrapped, and you had to figure it out yourself. After that, they ignored you completely, even if you were the only tourist. On the 3rd day, it was time to leave for Shaxi. I hope to see beautiful villages. But honestly, I’m exhausted by this atmosphere where everything is complicated, communication is never smooth, noise is everywhere, and the behavior of some Chinese people is abusive... Silver lining: not a drop of rain in 4 days and blue skies.

I couldn’t visit the villages in southern Yunnan because of rain and storms there... But I was expecting to see a few more tourists.

Add to that the fact that Dali is at 2,200 m altitude, so altitude insomnia, fatigue, and vulnerability during the day...

Hi, At 2,000 m, you can suffer from altitude sickness?! Good thing you didn’t go to the Tibetan Plateau! I went to Dali in 1986—it’s one of the places in China I loved most for its tranquility (outside the city, of course, since I don’t like cities), along with Lijiang and Tiger Leaping Gorge, and also Xishuangbanna (near Laos). Back then, there wasn’t a single tourist.

the staff serves you sticky rice in a small bcowl

At least it’s authentic! 😏

Apart from these somewhat remote places (at the time), I didn’t really like China. We were constantly hassled by the authorities, and almost everything was forbidden. With the rise of local tourism, mass tourism, and everything being so organized and controlled, I think I’d still prefer the China of old—when shopkeepers used abacuses and toilets (outside soulless big hotels) were communal!

Hi,

"2000m and you can suffer from altitude?! Lucky you didn’t go to the Tibetan Plateau!"

I think everyone reacts differently. Personally, it was the crowds and noise in Dali that made me dizzy. Your experience of Dali is 40 years old. This city is extreme, and I feel the need to warn potential visitors because the stay can seriously turn into a nightmare. Don’t believe the guides who recommend 2 nights in Dali.

I arrived in Shaxi (pronounced *cha-shi*) today, and it’s absolutely stunning. You can wander peacefully through a pedestrian village that’s super photogenic. I can breathe again here. Still, I plan to push on to Tibet—I’m joking—just to Shangri-La with my 5-year-old son. I don’t want to sleep in Lijiang either. Without being racist: I can’t stand the crowds of Chinese tourists with their absurd behavior anymore. Some are really open and welcoming, though.

This afternoon, my son did a craft activity in a shop in Shaxi. The young girl who initially offered to help us completely ignored my son. We were the only Western tourists. She preferred to do the activity with the group of Chinese visitors in their twenties. After an hour, I still pointed it out because we were becoming invisible, and the activity required guidance... but despite my remark, she continued to ignore us. It’s just one example of the Chinese rudeness I deplore with sadness. China was a poor country before its rapid rise, and sometimes people think that’s the reason. But I don’t believe it. There are many poor countries that are very hospitable, like pre-war Syria or Iran.

Dali is a dump, Lijiang too, and you’ll find the same thing in Shangri-La since everyone follows the same path. It’s really beautiful, but there are way too many people. What surprises me is that you still went there. It’s beyond Shangri-La that it gets interesting. On the other hand, I completely disagree with your take on the Chinese—sure, they’re loud, but they’re incredibly kind and always ready to help. And I didn’t just travel there for a few days; it was more like a few months.

Hi Paragino,

I can’t stand crowds either, so I totally agree with you. It’s mass tourism, and you end up paying to come back exhausted—it’s just not worth it.

Where did you go beyond Shangri-La? I’m just looking for a bit of peace, authenticity, and beautiful nature, but not somewhere completely remote either, since I still care about comfort and decent food.

I have a 5-year-old who’s very (too) adventurous :)

Thanks

Beyond Shangri-La lies the Tibetan plateau: Litang, Garze, Tagong... A bit more tranquility and breathtaking landscapes. But it's at 4,000m.

I just got back from Jade Dragon Snow Mountain. I stayed at the ticket office level at 3,400 m, and I felt it: a headache and a bit short of breath. So I bought a bottle of oxygen for 25 CNY. My son was running around like nothing was wrong... there were no tickets left. I knew we should’ve booked in advance. Oh well, the cable car goes up to 4,500 m. The mountain is stunning.

We took a bus down to Blue Moon Valley. There was still a crowd, but it’s incredibly beautiful. We were lucky—it was sunny. I visited Lijiang after Dali, Shaxi, and Shuhe, and all these little shops are starting to feel repetitive. I much prefer Shaxi. Dali is the worst in terms of noise and crowds. If you’ve been to Shaxi or Shuhe, I don’t think Lijiang is worth it.

You can guess I won’t be going beyond Shangri-La. PS: Yes, the Chinese are always ready to help if needed and don’t mean any harm. Some just lack manners.

Just to clarify, I wasn’t talking about Lijiang but about Litang!

hi, so about that bad experience... is it true that people in the "Celestial Dragon" make noise while eating?

hello, bad experience then... is it true that the people of the Celestial Dragon make noise while eating?

Not just while eating :)

July isn’t the best time to visit Yunnan. It’s packed. In October, we didn’t run into any of these issues.