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Unknown Face of Yunnan |
10 Days / 09 Nights from $1940USD |
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| Kunming ~ Gongshan ~ Demalo ~ Cizhong ~ Deqin ~ Zhongdian
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| This hike, the original route taken by the French missionaries in the 1900s, will take you to meet the Catholic Tibetan communities along the Salween and Mekong rivers. The roads are long and the hike can at times be demanding, but this trip would surely give you a rare chance of exploring the unknown face of Yunnan.
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2005 Departure dates
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10 Days / 09 Nights from $1,940USD
Begins and Ends Kunming (Yunnan Province)
June 01, 10
July 05, 15, 27
Aug 09, 19, 31
Sep 06, 16, 28
Oct 01, 11, 21, 28
Nov 15, 26
Additional departure dates may become available as these sell out or you can choose your own departure date.
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Full itinerary |
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Day 1 Kunming
You will be met at the airport in Kunming. There will be no plans in the afternoon, so you could either take a rest to fight off your jetlag or stroll around the Green Lake, a charming area sounded by little tea houses and cafes as well as small shops selling souvenirs and paintings. Kunming, despite being the capital of Yunnan province, is a laid-back city. It is an ideal place to relax and prepare for the coming days of traveling and hiking.
Day 2 Kunming to Gongshan via Baoshan
We will take an early morning flight to Baoshan, a typical Chinese border town whose claim to fame is having been the site of numerous battles between the Japanese and Nationalists. We will directly take a 8-9 hour drive to Gongshan, the northernmost town along the Salween valley. We will drive along the Salween River, also known as the Nu River, or 'angry river' in Chinese. The name makes sense when you get a glimpse of how the river water roars down the valley. Liuku and Gongshan are drastically different from Kunming -- they are typical frontier towns, rough and wild.
Day 3 Gongshan to Demalo / Baihanluo Village
After breakfast we will drive from Gongshan to Demalo, where the hike starts from 1,800 m (5,904 ft). We take a steep 2-hour ascent to the village of Baihanluo (2,500m/8,200 ft). The village is one of the most beautiful Catholic villages in the Salween River valley and the site of a 124-year-old church. We will arrive just in time for the choral service, which starts from 11:30 am. This magical experience would certainly make up for our early start. We will enjoy a leisurely lunch at the village to leave plenty of time to chat with the villagers or even shoot a few hoops with the local women's team on a clay basketball court. After lunch, we will hike for 2 hours to 3, 000 m (9,843 ft), where we will set up camp. We recommend you to make a quick acclimatization hike up to a 3,200 m (10,499 ft) before returning to the campsite for dinner.
Day 4 Hiking
Today, we will go over the 3,900-meter-high (12,795 ft) pass of Biluo Mountain and then descend to around 3,200 m (10,499 ft) to reach a small valley by the stream. This is a grazing ground of the Demalo villagers set in a beautiful lush valley bisected by a gurgling stream that is ideal for camping and relaxing.
Day 5 Hiking
Be prepared for some serious hiking today - we will pass the 4,200 m (13,780 ft) mark into the Mekong valley. The first section of the hike will be strenuous, but once we are over the exposed terrain, the shaded forests will make the initial pain and struggle worthwhile. We will descend to around 3,500 m(11,483 ft), where we will camp by the stream.
Day 6 Hiking
This will be our last day of long walking. Descending to 2,500 m (8,202 ft), we will re-ascend to a small pass at 3,000 m (3,300 ft), and then make a steep 3-hour descent to reach a small Tibetan village. A minibus will pick us from the foot of the mountain to reach the beautiful village of Cizhong, where we will spend the night. We will spend a quiet evening visiting the village church, built of stone in the early 20th century, or just relaxing.
Day 7 Cizhong to Deqin
We will have a late start today to recover from the hike. After breakfast, we will go back to the village church for mass with the local church goers. You will have the rest of the morning to walk around the village, chat with villagers and observe their way of living. In the afternoon, we will take a 4- hour drive to reach Deqin. You might even want to sample the local wine -- brewed from grape vines first planted by the French.
Day 8 Deqin to Zhongdian
After breakfast we will drive for 7 hours to reach Zhongdian. This drive will take you through beautiful gorges and valleys with the breathtaking sight of Mt. Meilixue in the backdrop. If time allows, we will visit a Tibetan nunnery along the way. We will stay the night in Zhongdian.
Day 9 Zhongdian
Today we will visit Ganden Sumsanlin monastery, the largest monastery in Yunnan, built in the 17th century. This impressive monastery was established under the instruction of the 5th Dalai Lama, and is home to over 700 monks. .
Day 10 Kunming
We will take an early morning flight back to Kunming.
Day 11 Kunming Exit
Ending of the Trekking tour to Unknown Face of Yunnan
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| 2005 Prices |
| Land Price Per Person |
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Group Size
Minimum Size: 02persons
Double: $ 1,940
Single: $ 2,180
Group Size
Minimum Size: 06persons
Double: $ 1,550
Single: $ 2,090
TOUR COST INCLUDES
All accommodations ?
All meals ?
All entrance fee where applicable ?
English speaking guide ?
Travel insurance inside mainland China ?
Transfers from airport to hotel and private vehicles to sightseeing spots mentioned in the itinerary
All necessary permits
All camping gear, cooking gear, and cook
Airfares and airport taxes as Kunming/Baoshan and Zhongdian/Kunming
TOUR COST EXCLUDES
Sleeping bags
Tipping or gratuities to guides and drivers
International air transfers
Excursions other than those specified in trips
All transportation fees on entering and exiting Kunming
All personal expenses such as extra drinks, laundry, telephone calls, excess baggage charges |
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