17 Days Kunming Yuanyang Puer Xishuangbanna Bike Tour

Transfer via: International flight on your own arrangements.
Upon arrival in Kunming, our national guide and local guide will meet you at the airport and help you transfer to the Hotel, after a little rest, you will have your dinner at the hotel restaurant. A small briefing will then be given during your dinner by the group leader, your national guide and the local guide.

The rest of the time is left for you to explore the city on your own.
Kunming: the capital of Yunnan Province, Kunming is a famous historical and cultural city. Living in the city are many nationalities including the Han, Yi, Miao, Bai, Hui, Naxi and Hani. With mild climate in four seasons, it is known as “Spring City”.

After breakfast at the rotating restaurant on the 23rd floor, take the bus to the stone forest, where you can see the Karst formation landscape and many costumed ethnic minorities. Later, coach to Tonghai where you are going to stay overnight and where you can get your bike ready for the next day’s cycling.

Stone Forest: belong to surface karst landscape, acknowledged as “World Karst Landscape Museum”, the Stone Forest shows a variety of unique shapes such as sword, mushrooms, tower, pillar, castle representing the greatest miracle the nature can present to human beings.

Cycling 105km from Tonghai to Shiping
Today, you will enjoy a very easy ride at the beginning. After riding 2 km, you will come to the road leading you out of the town. Overcoming a very gentle uphill for about 1 km, you will enjoy a 5 km gentle downhill followed by a 10 km downhill with consecutive bends and a gorge by your left side. The road is asphalted, well-paved with occasional patches on it. After riding 59 km, you will come to a very steep 2 km uphill with many sharp bends. Along the way, you can see fish ponds, tobacco fields, sweet potato fields, tea plantations, reservoirs and pomegranate trees.

Shiping County: situated 240km south of Kunming, Shiping, a historical and cultural town of provincial level, is inhabited by Han, Hani, Yi, Dai, Hui, etc ethnic groups with a population of over 300,000, of which Yi people consists of 150,000. It boasts to be the hometown of Tofu, tangerines, waxberry, orchid and folk songs and dances.
0 km    Tonghai – 1820m altitude
7 km    Lishan Village
22km   Junction (turn right)
31km   Lunan Village  (Coffee Break)
51km   Longpeng  (Lunch Stop)
105km  Shiping – 1420m altitude

Cycling 61km from Shipin to Jianshui
A very lovely day today given good weather. After riding 5 km, you will have a 1 km uphill followed by a 2 km downhill and then very gentle uphill until you pass by a village called Dazhai at 24km. There you can see fish ponds, rice paddies and water buffaloes. At 43km and 46 km respectively, two small sections of pebbled roads can be found, where you need pay attention to. Then at 48 km, there is a road on the right leading you to Zhang’s House, traditional Chinese residence with a garden, where has become a tourist attraction, which you can choose to visit on your own for ten yuan, otherwise, go straight on till a roundabout comes into your sight. Your hotel is on your left side. In the afternoon, you can go to the Zhu’s Garden, the ancient town of Jianshui or the Confucius temple by bike or simply wonder around the lovely town on your own if you feel like.

—Zhu’s Garden: started to be built in 1880s during the reign of Emporor Guangxu in Qing Dynasty, and was completed in 1909, the Garden took over 30 years to complete and has a history of more than 100 years. It is the residence and ancestral hall of the Qing Dynasty’s rich offical Zhu’s family. The upturned eaves, the carved poles and beams, the exquisitely designed patterns will tell you what traditional Chinese residential arthitecture is like and will reveal the ups and downs of the Zhu’s family duiring the 100 years.
–Confucius Temple: first built in Yuan Dynasty in 1285, the temple has been through extensions and renovations for over 50 times in over 700 years. The temple, covering an area of 76000 m2, is built after the style of Confucius Temple in Qufu, Shandong Province and boast the second largest confucius temple in China, and in the world.
0km     Shiping – 1420m altitude
24km    Dazhai Village
30km    Laojie Market (Coffee Break)
34km    Baxin Town
34.5km   Junction (turn left)
47km    Tuanshan Village ( Snack Stop)
48km    Intersection to Zhang’s House
61km    Jianshui – 1313m altitude

Cycling 86km from Jianshui to the new town of Yuanyang
In the morning, we will bring you to visit the Tofu workshop to see the process of making Tofu. Later, after riding 6km, you will be out of town. There will be 4km uphill with pour condition and heavy traffic. Then the road becomes better while you can enjoy a 7km pleasant downhill. After cycling 41km, you will come to Potou where there will be a regular market on Sundays. There is a bad section for 2km in between. From 57km, you will enjoy a downhill all the way to our final destination today – the new town of Yuanyang. Generally speaking, today’s ride is quite easy. Along the way, the lovely rice fields, the red soil, the bamboo forest, the banana trees and the red river will definitely give you a very deep impression.
–Yuanyang: covering an area of 2292 square km, Yuanyang County inhabites 7 ethnic groups, namely, Hani, Yi, Han, Zhuang, Miao, Yao and Dai, with a population of more than 400,000, of which ethnic minorities take up 87.5 per cent.
0km    Jianshui- 1313m altitude
19km   Dog street
24km   junction (turn left)
38km   a small village
41km   Potou (Lunch Stop)
86km   The new town of Yuanyang- 257m altitude

Cycling 56km from the new town of Yuanyang to Panzhihua
Today is one of the hardest days. A 30km steep uphill is waiting for you at the very beginning. After riding 4km, you will pass a platform where you can get a birds’-eye view of the new town of Yuanyang. Accompanying you will be bunches of banana trees and tropical castor-oil plants along the first section of your cycling. At 32km the old city of Yuanyang will come into your sight.

At 39km, take the road on the right at the junction which will lead you to a village of Hani ethnic group where you might get surrounded by local people who offer to be your guide (for money) taking you down to a very good spot to view the rice terraces. Note: please not to give anything to those kids who might surround you for food, money and so on in case you not be able to move on.

–Yuanyang Rice Terraces: the world famous rice terraces initially devoloped by the ansestors of Hani minority people. As early as 200 BC, Hani people began to lead a resident and farming life. In Sui and Tang Dynasties, Hanis began to devolope the rice terraces. The whole rice terraces covers an area of roughly 67,000 hectares and the most spetacular sections are rice terraces at Qingkou, Duoyi Shu, Bada and Laohu Zui.
0km    the new town of Yuanyang- 257m altitude
2km    junction (turn left)
19km   a small village (Coffee break)
32km   the old city of Yuanyang (Lunch stop) – 1540m altitude
39km   junction (turn right)
50km   Hani village
56km   Panzhihua

A rest day. Free on you own today. You can cycle to nearby local villages or the rice terraces to enjoy the view there.

–Panzhihua (Chinese: ÅÊÖ¦»¨; pinyin: P¨¡nzh¨©h¨±a) is a township (ÅÊÖ¦»¨Ïç) located in Yuanyang County, Honghe Prefecture, Yunnan Province in southwestern China.The name is same to Panzhihua city in Sichuan Province, but totally different two places, it is confused by western tourists.

Cycling 98km from Panzhihua to Lüchun
A very pleasant day today. The road condition is good with little traffic but many bends. The view is great with rice terraces all along the way. The ride is not so difficult with more downhill than uphill. Beside the rice terraces, the gorge, the river, the tropical papaya trees and the castor-oil trees will also give you a lasting memory.
–Lüchun:  meaning “Green Spring”, Lüchun, though lies in tropical region but is cool all year round due to its high altitude, enjoys the fame “Little Spring City in Southern Yunnnan.” On this beautiful land of 3097 sqare km, there inhabites mainly Hani people, accounting for 86.68% of the whole population.
0km       Panzhihua
16km      Huangmao Ling
18km      Jinping River comes into your sight
45km      Duotiehe
51km      Huangcao Ling (Lunch stop)
68km      Boha Village
91km      a board indicating you are entering Lüchun
98km      Lüchun -1640m altitude

Cycling 112km from Lüchun to Daheishan
After going out of town, you will enjoy 1 km concrete road with very good condition, then a 12km downhill asphalted road will lead you to the down of Daxing, where you can see small rivers and a small brick workshop. At 38km, you will come across 1km very muddy road given it is raining, or a dusty road if it is dry, which you should pay attention to. After riding 51km, a 20km uphill with consecutive bends is for you to overcome. Compensation is the tea gardens and occasional water buffaloes.
0km    Lüchun -1640m altitude
12km   Daxing Town
34km   Niukong Village
41km   a small village (Coffee Break)
42km   junction (turn right)
73km   Dashuigou (Lunch Stop)
84km   junction (turn right)
112km  Daheishan – 600m altitude

Cycling 65km from Daheishan to Jiangcheng
Today’s ride begins with 28km road with gravels and earth, which is very dusty. A facial mask or a scarf is recommended. After riding 7km, you will go across a bridge under which there runs Lixian River. At 38km, you will come to a 8km very steep uphill followed by a 11km downhill. The later part of the road is chiefly paved with asphalt but some parts of the road are paved with gravels or simply muddy, which adds difficulty to your riding. The tea terraces along the way will definitely impress you a lot.
0km  Daheishan- 600m altitude
7km  the Bridge and Lixian River
28km  Jiahe village (Lunch Stop)
65km  Jiangcheng

Cycling 70km from Jiangcheng to Kangping
The road today is mostly flat, with some gentle uphills and downhills. The road is mainly paved with asphalt. There are many bends at the first part of the road. At 32km when you pass by Jiangcheng Farm, the road becomes bumpy but it doesn’t last long. It is an enjoyable day for you can enjoy the rice paddies, the rivers, the tea plantations, the sugar cane fields and lush bamboos on the way.
0km     Jiangcheng
23km    Jiangcheng Farm
32km    Heping Village (Coffee Break)
50km    a town (Lunch Stop)
70km    Kangping Village

Cycling 80km from Kangping to Simao.
After going uphill for 2km, you will come to a 4km downhill. The road is good with a small river called Xiaohei Jiang running by your left side. At 30km, you have to overcome a 9km steep uphill and then enjoy a 6km down the hill all the way to the place for lunch stop. The most impressive views are the banana fields and rice terraces.
0km    Kangping
18km   Zhenlao Village
49km   Yingtao Yuan (Lunch Stop)
62km   Banpo
77km   Yixiang town (city entrance)
80km   Simao -1360m altitude

Cycling 84km from Simao to Dadugang
Today’s road is mostly flat with a few gentle ups and downs in between. At 30km, the road becomes pretty damaged due to the coming-and-going heavy trucks. Followed is a small section of muddy road. At 36km, the border of Xishuangbanna Dai Autonomous Prefecture, there will be a checkpoint. A Chinese army man will ask you to show your passport and examine it. Don’t be afraid but just follow the army men’s instruction. Along the way, the virgin forest, and fish ponds, the remote small villages will catch your eyes. And you can see the obvious change from the ordinary trees to tropical oil palm trees after entering Xishuangbanna.

–Xishuangbanna: the full name is Xishuangbanna Dai Autonomous Prefecture. Located in Yunnan Province in southwestern part of China, Xishuangbanna is famous for its mysterious tropical rainforests, wild animals and minority customs. Xishuangbanna is an area of China that few travelers afford themselves the time to see. Yet it is a mysterious paradise.
0km    Simao-1360m altitude
27km   Nandaohe Town
33km   a small village (Coffee Break)
46km   Puwen town (Lunch Stop)
54km   junction (turn left)
81km   junction (turn right)
84km   Dadugang

Cycling 85km from Dadugang to Jinghong
After riding 6km, you will come to a junction. You could first go left to view the so called “Ten thousand acres of Tea Garden”, where the terraced tea plantation is really eye catchy. Then continue your ride on the main road. At about 36km, you will pass by a junction, the right road leads you to the Wild Elephant Valley. At 54km, you will come to a town called Mengyang.

Go on cycling and you will find the road becomes narrow and very winding. It is said that the 30 km road has 306 bends. The first 10km is uphill and the latter 20 is mostly down or flat. The road is very narrow with little traffic but occasional fast motorcycles, which you need to pay attention to. The most impressive view today is the rubber trees forest. When you get on the very top, you can get a bird’s-eye view of the remote continuous mountains with white clouds floating among them.

–Jinghong:  meaning “the city of dawn” in the language of local Dai ethnic group, Jinghong city is situated in the South of Yunnan Province and in the center of Xishuangbanna Dai Autonomous Prefecture. With moderate climate all the year round, Jinghong enjoys the perfect climate for various tropical fruits. Here, the various ethnic groups, the tropical scenery, the abundant fruits will make your mouth watered and the pleasant climate will for sure give you an unforgettable memory.
0km   Dadugang
6km   junction  Left — tea garden
Right — road leading to destination
35km  junction  (take the left road)
50km  junction  (turn right)
54km  Mengyang(Lunch Stop)
55km  beginning of the “306 bends”
65km  downhill
85km  junction to city of Jinghong

Sightseeing: the Menglun Tropical Botanical Garden, Olive Basin (Gan Lan Ba).
In the morning, you will transfer to visit the Tropical Botanical Garden in Menglun, which is famous in Asia with its various plants in tropical area. Menglun Botanical Garden: situated in Menglun town, Mengla County 70km away from Jinghong city, the Menglun Botanical Garden is the biggest Botanical Garden with the richest botanical species in China. Covering an area of 900 hectares, this tropical garden is definitely a green world that makes you feel reluctant to leave.

On the way back, pay a visit to Olive Basin (Gan Lan Ba) where you will be impressed by the view of tropical scenery and the bamboo houses of Dai ethnic group set each other off harmoniously.

Sightseeing: the Wild Elephant Valley, Jinuo Ethnic group’s villages
Transfer to Sanchahe to explore the Wild Elephant Valley, which is a nature reserve for wild elephants. Take the chair lift to enjoy the overview, pay a visit to the Peacock Garden, Butterfly Garden, and Snake Garden, enjoy the Elephant show afterwards.

In the afternoon, visit Jinuo Ethnic group’s villages. The Jinuo (also Jino) ethnic groups, with a total population of 18,021, reside primarily in Jinghong County of Xishuangbanna Dai Autonomous Prefecture in Yunnan Province. Named after the Jinuo Mountain in Xishuangbanna, their name means “Descendants of uncle” or “ethnic group which respects the uncle”. Among all the 55 ethnic groups in China, Jinuo was the last one to be classified as an independent nationality by the Chinese government in 1979.
In the evening, strolling on the Manjinglan Walking Street of ethnic group, enjoy the night view with Skew Bridge on Mekong River.

Transfer via: Internal flight from Jinghong to Kunming on our arrangement and then international flights on your own arrangement.
Drive to Jinghong airport for your flight to Kunming. And change the international flight for returning.
Service ends.