Adventures in (10 Days) We love road journeys. They are by far our favourite way of traveling. We think the world of western and the countries that border on this region – think Vietnam, Lao, , , for example.

On the Road Experiences is all about sharing with like-minded travelers just how beautiful a road journey in these varied lands can be. Now turn the page to find out what we’ve come to love so much…

p2 p3 Itinerary Map …where you will travel… p. 006 Yes, it is possible… p. 008 Journey of Discovery… p. 010 Day-by-day… p. 048

In closing... Any car you like, so long as it is an SUV… p. 063 Adventures and discoveries in local cuisines p. 064 What’s included/Best Months to Go... p. 066 Photo credits p. 069 p5 Itinerary Map Day1 Day6 Arrival in – In Tacheng – Preparing for your journey Walking with the monkeys and a day off the road Day2 Dali and Xizhou – Day7 To the heart of the Nanzhao Tacheng to Shangri-La – Kingdom Up and up to the edge of

Day3 Day8 In Xizhou – Shangri-La to Lijiang – Explore pretty Xizhou and Dali On to the Naxi Kingdom

Day4 Day9 Xizhou to Shaxi – In and around Lijiang – Across the hills to Shaxi and back Exploring the Land of the Jade in time Dragon

Day5 Day10 Shaxi to Tacheng – Departure – Along the Yangtse into the Three Life goes on... Parallel Rivers Region

p6 p7 Yes, it is possible...

A driving holiday in this part of the world is indeed possible. We take care of everything. All you need to do is come, drive and enjoy a rare adventure!

Adventures in Yunnan will take you and your family through some of Yunnan’s best loved destinations like Dali, Lijiang and Shangri-La and via some little-known gems on an itinerary designed specifically for families to enjoy together.

On this leisurely itinerary you and your children will join a range of fun activities and share new experiences. Explore markets, wonder through Shaxi’s cobbled streets, watch endangered monkeys in Tacheng and visit a lively Tibetan monastery in Shangri-La.

The basic itinerary is eight days long with an optional extension to Lijiang for those who are able to take a ten-day holiday.

There will be opportunities to interact with the region’s colourful minorities and try delicious local foods throughout the journey, which we hope will give your family a wonderful opportunity to experience a new, beautiful and unexpected side of China together.

With comfortable accommodation throughout, travelling in our spacious cars and supported by On the Road Experiences’ friendly and professional team, you will enjoy a comfortable and stress-free holiday on this self-driving journey.

On the Road Experiences has paved the way for you to drive in your own properly insured SUV, so that you can enjoy the romance of a classic overland journey without any of the logistical headaches that typically accompany such journeys...

p8 p9 p11 Awaking in China’s RURAL COUNTRYSIDE…”

Xizhou, taken by an 11 year old p13 Take a lake shore DRIVE and enjoy the BEAUTIFUL sunset reflections…”

Lake Erhai, Xizhou, near Dali p15 Stepping BACK in TIME...”

A Bai minority village near Shaxi p17p17 Explore SHAXI’s beautiful old town - much of which dates from the ...”

Beautiful old town of Shaxi p19p19 A small section of the ANCIENT TEA HORSE TRAIL…”

In Shaxi… p21 CHINA as in TIMES GONE BY...”

Cobbler and artist in Shaxi... p23 Your JOURNEY in the region...”

The ’s upper reaches p25 Lunch in THE MIDDLE OF NOWHERE…”

In the Tacheng lodge p27 SLEEPING WELL while FAR AWAY from anywhere...”

In the Tacheng lodge p29 Visiting the CUTEST MONKEYS in the world…”

Yunnan Snub-Nosed monkeys p31 A colourful WELCOME as you APPROACH TIBET...”

Tibetan prayer flags p33 Along the way, one of the LARGEST MONASTERIES in SOUTH-WEST China…”

Shangri-La’s Ganden Sumtseling Monastery p35 RED-ROBED MONKS in Shangri-La...”

At the Ganden Sumtseling Monastery p37 A chance to PURIFY YOUR MIND?”

Prayer Session at Ganden Sumtseling Monastery p39 The TIGER LEAPING GORGE… where the YANGTZE makes you TREMBLE!”

Tiger Leaping Gorge p41 LIJIANG is touristy, but there ARE HIDDEN GEMS to DISCOVER…”

Jade Lake not far from Lijiang...

Jade Dragon Snow Mountain seen from the Black Dragon Pool, Lijiang… p43 The lovely winding alleys of LIJIANG’S OLD TOWN are a UNESCO World Heritage site...”

Lijiang Old Town p45 Where DR. Joseph Rock lived and worked to INTRODUCE northwest YUNNAN to the outside word…”

Naxi minority lady in Yuhu, near Lijiang p47 p49 Day 1 Day 2 the traditional Bai headdress all over Dali. Tourism is now the Arriving in Kunming To the heart of the mainstay of Dali’s economy, but and preparing for your Driving Distance & Duration Nanzhao Kingdom in years gone by the city was the Driving Distance & Duration Distance: NA capital of the Nanzhao Kingdom, Distance: 360 km journey Today you will drive to Dali and which ruled a swathe of what Duration: NA Duration: 4.5-5.5 hours on to Xizhou, home of the Linden is today Yunnan Province and Arrive in Kunming according to In the evening, enjoy a group Centre – a lovingly converted Bai northern Burma between the 8th Elevation and 9th centuries AD. your own arrangements. dinner together in a lovely, minority mansion, where you will Elevation local restaurant near your Highest Daytime: 1850m stay for the next two nights. From Dali it is only a short drive Highest Daytime: 2000m We will meet you at the airport hotel and attend our staff’s Overnight: 1850m north Xizhou, where you will Today’s route is designed to ease Overnight: 2000m and transfer you to your hotel. safety briefing. you into driving in mainland stay for two nights in the award- winning Linden Centre. The If you require a temporary Hotel China…mostly on a wonderful Dinner will be an opportunity to Centre comes complete with a Chinese driving license, we Greenlake Hotel, Kunming highway that allows us to gain Hotel will take you to the hotel via begin to acquaint yourself with distance from Kunming, the playroom, a fleet of bicycles, a (*****) roof terrace and a well-stocked Linden Centre, Xizhou (****) the Vehicle Licensing Bureau. the many flavours of Yunnan’s capital of Yunnan province. cuisine and to meet your fellow bar—something for everyone! All the documents for your Yunnan has one of the best road temporary license will be travellers. networks in China, as today’s Slowly, we’re sure, you will feel prepared; you will just need to drive will demonstrate. As you your workday stresses ebb as you take a simple eye test and sign leave the big city behind you ease into the rhythm of travelling. the forms. will soon see small villages beside the highway nestled into After settling into the hotel, the landscape. Many of these houses belong to the Yi minority, you may want to go for a stroll recognizable on the paintings of along the city-center Green the sun on their houses, as the Yi Lake where many locals enjoy worships the sun. relaxing hours. The vicinity of the lake bustles with people After a lunch in nearby Chuxiong young and old and throughout we will drive on the same superb much of the year is lush green. modern expressway that we used earlier today to Dali – formerly Depending on the season, the capital of Yunnan’s Nanzhao energetic migratory birds make Kingdom. the lake their temporary home. Dali, the population of the region is predominantly the Bai minority p50 and you will see ladies wearing p51 Day 3 we will return to the hotel for Day 4 opportunities and a picnic a short rest. The afternoon lunch. Explore pretty Xizhou can be spent riding around Across the hills to Driving Distance & Duration Driving Distance & Duration and Dali Xizhou by bicycle ride or horse- Shaxi is an incredibly well Distance: 0-20 km Shaxi and back in time drawn cart. Other activities are preserved caravan town. Distance: 150 km Today we will arrange a Duration: 0-30 mins, Spend the remainder of the available (including cooking or Today you will make the Duration: 3-5 hours variety of activities for you to depending on your chosen afternoon after your arrival calligraphy classes). Please let short drive from Xizhou to experience the interesting area activity wandering its cobbled streets, us know what you’re interested Shaxi, crossing the Cangshan around Xizhou. Your day could exploring further afield on Elevation be spent like the following: in! Elevation Mountains that loom to the bike, or relaxing at the hote – a Highest Daytime: 3000m After visiting a nearby market in Please note, breakfast and dinner Highest Daytime: 2000m west of Lake Erhai. former Ming dynasty coaching the morning, where you can try are included, lunch and activities Overnight: 2000m Overnight: 2470m The drive may be short, but inn – imagining that you are local snacks and practice your are on your account. Hotel about to set out on the long Chinese you will drive to a Batik it often takes longer than Linden Centre, Xizhou (****) road to Lhasa as countless Hotel factory in a nearby village and expected after stopping en tea caravans have done before have a hand’s on Batik learning route to explore villages and Laomadian Inn, Shaxi (***) experience. After a local lunch markets, as well as for photo you…

p52 p53 Day 5 you will find a beautiful lodge fertile valleys in Yunnan with Tacheng lies in the “Three Rivers Along the Yangtze into set in one of Yunnan’s loveliest two crops of rice annually and Region”, where the Yangtze, the regions. fruit trees. The semi-wild boars Mekong and the Salween Rivers Driving Distance & Duration the Three Parallel of the area, which feed on wild flow within a hundred kilometers Distance: 210 km The lodge is located between nuts before winter, make the of each other. The three valleys Rivers region… Duration: 4 hours the Yangtze and Mekong rivers, best ham in the world. Tacheng are home to one of China’s We will start the day with where some of the best old- is also famous for Naxi and richest natural habitats, as we Elevation growth forests in the world Lisu villages with charming will discover on tomorrow’s a short trip to a local Highest Daytime: 2470m can be found. This region distinctive black-roofed outing... kindergarten in Shaxi, and a Overnight: 2000m chance for your children to also harbors one of the most farmhouses. experience a very different kind Hotel of school day (not possible on Songtsam Lodge, Tacheng weekends). From Shaxi, we will (****) set out for Tacheng.

While the first part of the drive is on a busy road, the last half is on a beautiful road that runs alongside the upper reaches of the Yangtze, here known as the Jinshajiang, or ‘River of Golden Sand’.

You will drive along the Yangtze in a broad, but gradually narrowing valley, more or less level with the river. In a tiny village called Qi Zhong, you will turn west, leaving the Yangtze behind, and drive a little distance further until you come to the idyllic hamlet of Hada where, to your great surprise, p55 Day 6 Day 7 outside the town itself. If you need to rush home, we Walking with Up and up to the edge can book an evening flight to Driving Distance & Duration Driving Distance & Duration monkeys and a day of Tibet… Kunming for you. Please contact Distance: very little us to make the arrangements. Distance: 125 km off the road Duration: 1 hour Duration: 3 hours Today’s drive is short, all the Note: This is the highest stop on Elevation Elevation better to enjoy some more the your journey with us. Please be We will take a break from your balcony, take a dip in the Tacheng region after breakfast Highest Daytime: 3300m Highest Daytime: 2000m prepared to take everything more long-distance driving today and hotel’s small swimming pool and then one of the largest slowly to help your body adjust to Overnight: 3300m or stroll through the vineyards Overnight: 2000m start the day with a visit to the Tibetan monasteries (the the altitude – and ask us for details Hotel Baima Snow Mountain Nature that surround the hotel to a Ganden Sumtseling) in Shangri- of what else you can do to prevent Hotel Songtsam Retreat, Shangri-La Reserve, where it’s possible nearby Naxi village, the choice La in the lovely afternoon light, altitude sickness from impacting (*****) Songtsam Lodge, Tacheng bright and crisp as it is at this to watch the wild Yunnanese is yours. your holiday. (****) altitude. While Shangri-La is snub-nosed monkeys that far from Lhasa, this region gather on the hillside to is nonetheless imbued with breakfast on the moss and Tibetan “flavours”, from the lichen that park rangers hang red-robbed monks to the from the trees – a great outing golden-roofed temples, from for budding naturalists! The the weather-beaten faces of the Tibetan people to the colourful rare species of Yunnan Golden prayer flags, from the white monkey (Rhinopithecus biteti), stupas that protect the region is one of the world’s most to robust houses that dot the endangered primates: less landscape. While Shangri-La’s than 2000 can be now found atmospheric old town was in the wild. They live at the tragically destroyed by a large fire in January 2014, it’s still highest altitude (3,000-4,500m) possible to get a taste of the of any primate, except for region’s Tibetan culture in the humans. area surrounding the imposing Songzanlin Monastery. After a morning walk through In the evening we will enjoy the nature reserve, we will dinner together in the hotel return to the hotel for lunch restaurant. Your hotel in and an afternoon at leisure. Shangri-La overlooks the Sit and relax in the sun on monastery, located slightly p56 p57p57 Day 8 a fantastic hotel that echoes Day 9 pretty Naxi minority village the architecture of the old very close to Jade Dragon To the Naxi Kingdom Exploring the Land Snow Mountain. It feels a few town—itself a UNESCO Driving Distance & Duration Driving Distance & Duration World Heritage Site and of the Jade Dragon decades away from Lijiang’s Today’s drive will take you to Distance: 105 km Depending on your chosen one of Yunnan’s most well- (Lijiang Extension busy old town thanks to the activity Lijiang, at the heart of a Naxi known destinations. Spend Duration: 3 hours fact that it remains more minority region, stopping the remainder of the afternoon only) or less undiscovered. For Elevation en route at Tiger Leaping exploring the old town those who want to explore Elevation Highest Daytime: 2470m Gorge (weather permitting), (make sure to take a map!) This morning we suggest an the village on a horseback, Overnight: 2470m where the Yangtze River and shopping for souvenirs or Highest Daytime: 2470m early-morning walk through we will be happy to make the is funneled through a even splashing around in the Overnight: 2470m Lijiang’s quaint old town. Best arrangements. deep, narrow canyon. hotel’s indoor swimming pool. explored in the morning before Hotel Travellers who opt for the the tourist buses arrive, you In the evening, we will get InterContinental Lijiang (*****) Guests who need to depart Hotel Lijiang Extension will stay today will fly out from Shangri-la at will see old Lijiang at its best. together for a final night at the edge of Lijiang’s old any time convenient for them. InterContinental Lijiang (*****) After lunch visit the tiny village dinner, time to share memories town in the Intercontinental, of Yuhu, Joseph Rock’s home and smiles from our journey while he was stationed in together… the Yunnan region. Yuhu is a

p58 p58 p59 Day 10 Life goes on...

Today you will start your journey home. After breakfast at the hotel, you will be taken to Lijiang Airport to catch a flight back to Kunming (50 minutes, the one-way economy class ticket is included in your journey). You will be free to start your onward journey from Kunming any time after 1pm today (but check with us before you make your flight bookings). We hope that you will all return home with many beautiful new memories from your adventures in Yunnan!

p60 p61p61 Choice of Cars

We include in the package price good-and-bad-weather gear. an SUV we procure from Avis Also, they reinforce the feeling or Hertz or another reputable of adventure, exploration and car rental company. Most discovery…which is, in the of the SUVs are Toyotas, but end, the mood of journeys in on occasion Mitsubishis or this region, no matter how other brands may also make comfortable or even luxurious an appearance. For some the night’s hotel may be. itineraries, we are able to offer you an option to upgrade your What’s more, they offer car to the new models from sufficient clearance when Audi. required and thus add a sense of safety and all-round ability. We wish the car rental markets (4-wheel drive capability is of China would be more hardly needed in China these developed and we could give days since all roads are either you more choice, but this is not very well-paved or, with good so: since we want to provide gravel, offer solid support.) well-maintained and well- insured cars, the choice is And so SUVs from reputable rather limited. brands are our car of choice!

But SUVs are in fact the right choice for driving journeys in ANY car, this part of the world because they are spacious enough to as long as accommodate a lot of luggage, photography equipment, and it is an SUV” p62 p63 Adventures and Discoveries in Local Cuisines

While this itinerary is not one of to enjoy. (When we travel into our ‘Foodie’-themed journeys, high-altitude, we suggest we do believe that each one of moderation!) our journeys should introduce you not only to hidden gems of Finally, if you have special cultural and scenic beauty, but dietary requirements are that sampling local cuisines is particularly interested in the also a must. culinary aspect of one of our journeys, please let us know. Wherever you travel with us, we will order, with very few For private journeys, we can, exceptions, dishes fresh and of course, tailor the meal on location with an emphasis experience to your taste (and on local produce. It is not budget). uncommon for our guides to venture into the kitchen to pick this, that or the other vegetable and to ask the cook to prepare them in the finest possible way. (On occasion we do pre- order a meal: this will normally be the case only for special occasions!)

Wine and beer is always included in our meals for you p64 What’s Included / Best Months to Go...

Generally speaking, our journey packages and • Travel Insurance – including 24-hour medical prices are all-inclusive. Once you’ve paid and assistance, evacuation and repatriation you arrive at the starting point, you really won’t emergency service have to take out your wallet again. • Tips & Entrance Fees – basic tips and • Cars – a modern SUV is provided for all entrance fees for jointly attended activities are driving days, expertly maintained and included serviced by Avis, Hertz, or other reputable car rental companies, and covered by the • Activities, Meals, Transport during ‘free times’ best insurance available, and hire car return as indicated in this Journey Dossier from Lijiang to Kunming is also included • Top-up Collision Damage Waiver insurance • International Journey Host, Guide and Support Vehicle – you will be accompanied by a registered Chinese tour guide, an On the Road in China host and a fully equipped What’s Not Included lead car with a local support driver The only items not included in our prices are • Routes – we provide an extensively researched your flights to and from Kunming, your China and carefully designed itinerary and “state-of- visa, and personal purchases (e.g., gifts, the-art” satellite navigation system with a • Flight – Your flight from Lijiang to Kunming Meals on non-driving days as specified above. souvenirs). pre-programmed route for the journey. You Prepare for a culinary adventure! will also receive a detailed pre-departure pack • Airport Transfers – all airport transfers are and route book for the journey included • Goodies – you will enjoy an On the Road Home- Away-from-Home Kit containing wet towels, • Hotels – the best available or five-star • Driving License – You will need a temporary anti-bacterial gel and basic toiletries, and a accommodation is included in each overnight Chinese driving license for which all daily picnic basket containing fresh fruit, fruit stop arrangements and fees are included. juice, water, and a mixture of sweets and • Meals – breakfast (a choice of Western and nibbles • Fuel & Tolls – we provide petrol for the car Local is provided), and lunch and dinner are throughout the journey and pay all tolls • Other Essentials – we provide each car with included on all driving days, as are drinks. walky-talkies p66 p67 Photo Credits

© Alvin - page 22 © Andy - page 50 © Anne Adams – page 50(left) © Frog – page 10 © Jackson – pages 26, 55, 64(left), 65 © Jennifer – pages 11(bottom), 56(right) © Peter Schindler - pages 2, 4, 8, 20(top), 24, 28, 32, 36, 54, 60, 61, 62, 66, 70 © Ron Yue– Front & Back cover and pages 11(top), 14- 15, 16-17, 18-19, 21(bottom), 30, 34, 42, 44, 46, 48, 52, 57, 58, 59, 63, 64(right), 72, 75 © Tacheng Lodge - pages 38, 40 © Zoe - page 21(top) Unknown - 12, 20(bottom), 68-69

p68 p69 Contact Us

E-mail [email protected]

Main office Telephone: +852 3106 4839 Fax: +852 3012 1251

Overseas Taiwan: +886 978 317 465 +886 921 162 079 Australia: +61 2 8003 5317 Switzerland: +41 (44) 586 58 43 UK: +44 121 288 6879 Germany: +49 160 9622 2506

A picture is worth a thousand words. True, but when it comes to a road journey, moving images are priceless. Please visit : http://www.ontheroadexperiences.com/en/video-gallery” p70 p71