Many people think that self-driving travel must be a comfortable way for the whole family. This time, taking advantage of the holidays, they traveled from Lijiang to Xishuangbanna. Many tourists who have never been to Banna will have such a scene in their minds: a large forest full of tropical atmosphere, with a river beside the forest, bamboo beside the river, bamboo buildings in the bamboo groves, and fruit trees growing outside the bamboo buildings. Elephants are strolling, peacocks are spreading their tails, butterflies are flying, Dai girls are carrying bamboo baskets, bare waist, and they are going away...Xishuangbanna is magical and beautiful, but it should not be like the plateau snow-capped mountains in Lijiang, it is more intimate , more leisurely, is the most beautiful world.
The distance from Lijiang to Xishuangbanna is 993.8 kilometers. It takes us 13 hours and 36 minutes by car, and the toll is 390 yuan. We live in Fuxian Lake in Yuxi. Since there is no train in Xishuangbanna, except for cars, you can only fly to Xishuangbanna from Lijiang by plane. The air ticket from Lijiang to Xishuangbanna is about 500 yuan. This time we drove to Xishuangbanna by ourselves, and we also brought a dog in the trunk, which brought us too much joy along the way.
Xishuangbanna is the only oasis in the desert belt of the Tropic of Cancer on the earth. It is the most complete, typical and largest area of China's tropical rainforest ecosystem. Here, broad-leaved trees, coniferous shrubs, herbs, vines, ferns, mosses , forming a well-proportioned natural virgin forest.
Xishuangbanna, the ancient Dai language is "Mengbalanasi", which means "ideal and magical paradise". Xishuangbanna is a minority autonomous prefecture under the jurisdiction of Yunnan Province. Most of the residents here are Dai people, and it is also the area with the most complete and largest area of tropical rainforest ecosystem in China.
Xishuangbanna, on the map of China, is a pristine, uncut green emerald, shining brightly.
I always thought that Xishuangbanna was a place that I could not reach, but today, I finally set foot on this red hot land.
Some people say that Xishuangbanna is the place where dreams begin, so let my dreams start from here!
We drove a white Beijing Jeep J40. It was the first time we drove this car for two consecutive days. Let me talk about the feeling of this self-driving. The first level of comfort is really not enough, and it is uncomfortable to sit for a long time. I drove this car because the trunk is relatively large, suitable for dogs, but it really consumes too much fuel. Oil is only 400 kilometers for a dollar. The power two-wheel drive is not enough to go to Banna, and it is almost impossible to complete overtaking. It is relatively meaty, so it is recommended that you drive Lijiang to Banna by yourself. You can choose an ordinary fuel-efficient car, and the road conditions are still very good.
We set off on time in Lijiang at nine o'clock in the morning, and stayed at Fuxian Lake in Yuxi for one night on the way. Let's take a look at the scenery along the way! No wonder many people say that the most beautiful scenery is on the road, here is a video to watch.
The car carried us and embarked on a trip to Xishuangbanna. Sitting by the car window, I see an endless sea of green, rolling up and down. Hidden in the lush fruit trees are scattered Dai bamboo houses. The unique tropical scenery, rubber trees, fruit trees, banana forests, and tea mountains are like green fairy tale forests. The scenery along the way is dazzling. The mountains are magnificent and beautiful. Difficult to manage.
Xishuangbanna Travel Tips
1. In order to prevent mosquitoes and strong sunlight, it goes without saying that umbrellas are also required. Mosquito repellent and sunscreen products are also required, and anti-heat stroke medicines (such as Huoxiang Zhengqi Capsules) are indispensable.
2. When visiting, we should respect the living habits of the Dai people and other ethnic minorities. Dai people have to take off their shoes at home, and they are not allowed to peep into their bedrooms, etc. It is best to understand the folk customs of the main ethnic groups in Banna, so as to avoid unnecessary misunderstandings.
3. There are many jewelry and jade articles in Xishuangbanna area, so you need to carefully identify them when purchasing.
4. When traveling to border areas such as Myanmar, special attention must be paid to safety and hygiene. The taxis and motorcycles in Jinghong are quite overbearing, so be careful when crossing the road.
5. Xishuangbanna belongs to the tropical rainforest climate, without extreme heat in summer and severe cold in winter, and the four seasons are warm and pleasant. The best time to travel is from October to June. The annual average temperature is 21°C, and it never snows here, even in January, the daytime temperature is very high.
Preparation
1. A three-piece set for sun protection: sunscreen (I brought a small gold bottle of Anesan), a sun hat, sunglasses, and an anti-mosquito bite spray.
2. Necessary clothing: Xishuangbanna has only rainy season and sunny days throughout the year. It is a tropical city and the temperature is about 30 degrees. You can bring summer clothes. It is recommended to prepare a few colorful silk scarves for beautiful photos.
3. Prepare some medicines. When you are away from home, you will inevitably encounter headaches and dissatisfaction. So prepare some medicines in advance, in case of emergency. The amount of medicines does not need to be too much, but the types should be as complete as possible, such as antidiarrheal medicines, anti-allergy medicines, anti-inflammatory medicines, cold medicines, etc. need to be prepared. If I know myself better, I can prepare some medicines that I may need. For example, people with motion sickness prepare some motion sickness medicine, and people with a bad stomach prepare some stomach medicine, etc.
Seeing Xishuangbanna for the first time
It was already 6:00 pm on the second day when we arrived in Xishuangbanna. We were a little tired from the journey, and it was essential to find a place to eat. I had always heard that the Starlight Night Market here was very good, so we went directly to the night market by car.
The Starlight Night Market is very beautiful. As night falls, the lights flicker, forming a few star-studded streets, like the luminous tentacles of jellyfish, extending into the distance, secretly beautiful in the night. The Mekong Starlight Night Market gathers creative vendors from Yunnan, Thailand, Laos, Vietnam, Cambodia and other places in my country. All kinds of creative handicrafts are the favorite of tourists. Here you can really feel the swing culture of the Mekong River Basin.
When traveling, the feet are traveling, the eyes are traveling, and the posture of the traveler always puts the tip of the tongue in the state of travel. Mountains, rivers and scenery are the scenery for the eyes, while food is the scenery for the tip of the tongue. Enjoying the beautiful scenery with the eyes, tasting the food with the tip of the tongue, mobilizing the whole body's senses to experience places different from our daily life, it is not in vain to go out for a long trip.
There is a kind of night market that attracts taste buds and appetite instead of eyeballs. This is Gaozhuang Xishuangjing Starlight Night Market. The food in the night market is cheap and good, and diners are still crowded until late at night, and the stalls may not be closed at two or three in the morning.
These days, there are tens of thousands of delicacies, but I am afraid that there are not many that are extremely delicious. Dai flavor is one of them. What are the characteristics of the taste of Yunnan cuisine? This question is difficult to answer, but the most representative ethnic minority flavor is none other than Dai flavor. Dai flavor is inclusive, sweet, sour, bitter, spicy, salty, full of five flavors, comprehensive, neither sweet, nor numbing, spicy, it The specialty is not in a particular taste. The hand pilaf is the pinnacle of Dai flavor.
Eat and eat in Gaozhuang, all kinds of creative products, independent designers, advertising creative people, and art workers frequently appear in the streets and alleys. This city is born with a literary and artistic atmosphere, bringing a wave of literary and artistic enthusiasm to the journey.
Sunac Xishuangbanna International Resort
Xishuangbanna, this paradise that has made people infinitely reverie from the beginning of the name, under the favorable policy of the Belt and Road Initiative, the transnational high-speed rail will pass through the mysterious rainforest land, which is like Hollywood in those days. The original "variety of styles" has attracted more and more people to come here, and foreign tourists are gradually pouring in. When it comes to living in Xishuangbanna, then I highly recommend Sunac Xishuangbanna International Resort. There are three hotels here that can share the park. Transform Xishuangbanna into a dynamic center of Southeast Asia.
The first time I heard about the resort was that BMW X1 held a press conference at the Dai Show Theater. At that time, many of my idols, such as Xu Wei, Pu Shu, Dou Jingtong, Tan Weiwei, Yuan Yawei, Black Panther Band and other domestic famous singers and bands visited the resort.
This is a resort. Tropical monsoon climate, 18-21 ℃ in winter, 28-32 ℃ in summer, no severe cold in winter and no heat in summer. Attracting more and more people to spend the winter and escape the summer, the resort caters to the needs of the people and provides more convenience for the guests.
This is a pure land without pollution. The forest coverage rate is 78.4%, the negative oxygen ion is 40,000/cm³, there are 20,000 kinds of plants, 12 ethnic groups, and the birthplace of Theravada Buddhism. Here are the top 12 tourist destinations in the world. According to the selection by National Geographic Magazine, Xishuangbanna has been rated as one of the top twelve tourist destinations in the world.
This time, due to time constraints, we stayed at two hotels in Sunac Xishuangbanna International Resort, Crowne Plaza Wanda Resort and DoubleTree by Hilton Wanda Resort. It’s a little regret here, I hope we can stay in Wenhua next time , We visited Wenhua, and they are all very high-end villas.
If the three hotels must have the same feeling, then Wanda Vista has the highest comprehensive appearance. With the first Wanda Vista resort brand hotel, it occupies the deepest and commanding height of the entire resort. The guest rooms of the whole villa have refreshed the average room area of Banna, and handed over a perfect answer.
There are 100 interpretations of Dai culture in 100 hotels in Xishuangbanna. Wanda Vista uses a corridor in the shape of a stilted building to enter the home. The lotus brazier is in full bloom in the pool. The enthusiasm of ethnic minorities is ignited in Buddhist Zen. , An important interpretation of Buddhist culture, the water lilies in the waterscape on the platform, the buildings under the reflection and the Shwedagon Pagoda not far away are all a tribute to the local Theravada Buddhism. The tops of all the buildings in the hotel follow the characteristics of local houses, with sloping roofs and curved cornices pointing directly to the blue sky.
Walking in the lobby, you can always feel a peaceful and quiet Zen atmosphere, which is related to sandalwood incense, sandalwood carvings and various Buddha statues. The miniature grotto in the center of the outdoor water platform in the lobby bar combines Zen and water culture to the extreme. Ethnic colorful fabrics are used as soft decorations to make the whole space look softer and less solemn.
The hotel lobby and public areas are similar to Sanya Conrad, another resort under Wanda Group. However, Xishuangbanna Wanda Vista takes advantage of the natural geographical advantages to build all the townhouses around the mountain, and each room has a natural ladder shape; the gardens and green plants in the hotel are not like new hotels, with bougainvillea in full bloom and various flowers blooming. . With the current layout of the hotel's gardens, it will definitely look like a tropical jungle after a while.
Wanda Vista's guest rooms range from one-bedroom villas, two-bedroom villas, duplex two-bedroom villas, and Wuli Sicong's favorite single-family three-bedroom villa. It is said that every time I come, I only choose that one. The higher the room is, the better the view, and the best room type is always on the top. For family trips, multi-bedroom villas are the most suitable, with independent living spaces that do not interfere with each other.
The theme of the room can roughly know the main style of the house from the peacock or elephant handle on the outside door. The arrangement of the two gates in the guest room gives the impression of a deep courtyard. All rooms in the hotel have private swimming pools. This is the greatest boon for those who love swimming. Gazebo, garden, leisurely daze.
Tropical-style ceiling fans and home furnishings make the room very attractive, and a long series of 3D butterfly decorations on the sofa wall is the finishing touch. The ethnic style in the room is not so strong, and the decoration is mainly based on a sense of simple lines. The dark-colored furniture and light-colored furniture and soft furnishings look very harmonious. Not so ethnic style, very tropical resort atmosphere.
Breakfast is mainly Western-style dishes, and local rice noodles in Yunnan are a must. When there are not many rooms, the number of people dining in the hotel is relatively small. In order to ensure the freshness of the dishes, the dishes are not many and are updated quickly. The Chinese restaurant serves local Yunnan-style dishes. Instead of trying to find a fly restaurant outside, it would be better if the hotel is clean and delicious.
The bottom of the peacock pattern in the outdoor swimming pool is very eye-catching. Based on the fact that every room has a swimming pool, the oversized swimming pool is more like decoration. Wanda Vista Hotel is different from the two hotels in the same area. In addition to the children's entertainment room, it also includes a ball room and a spa area. The spa house under the large waterscape is full of Dai style. The half-mountain landscape platform along the road is the best viewing angle overlooking the entire resort. It is said that there are yoga classes here in the morning, and watching the sunset here in the evening is also excellent.
Crowne Plaza Resort Xishuangbanna Wanda
In the warm-toned hotel lobby, the brown vertical stripes and circular pattern wall decorations on the left are trees and annual rings; the right side is inspired by the handkerchiefs carried by Dai women. In the log-style tea art area, from the tea mats of elephant sculptures to the white oak paintings on the background walls of each room, the original and rough meaning is ready to come out. The huge outdoor swimming pool in the center of the courtyard has become a dazzling and modern landscape of Crowne Plaza.
Some people say that the upgrade of Wanda Crowne Plaza relies on Wanda's strong financial resources. In fact, it is true, and it is not entirely true. Strong financial resources are the guarantee of hardware quality. The iced cucumber mask given as a night-bed gift is detailed enough to warm people's hearts, relieve the face exposed to the sun during the day, and let the skin drink enough water. The corner of the quilt, the placement of the slippers and the remote control, the brightness of the light source in the room, everything is just right.
The semi-open bathroom is separated from the bedroom by a sliding door, but it is closely connected, which virtually expands the size of the entire room. Folk landscape patterns, Chinese-style lanterns, and rattan bed support make the room feel more like a vacation. From the holiday to the upgrade of the Crown brand, in addition to the transformation of the hardware, the details, accessories and various logos have been quietly replaced, as if it was set for the Crown from the very beginning.
The number of seats in the hotel's breakfast room is the largest among the three hotels. The three hotels all use open kitchens, and the freshness of the dishes prepared on site is guaranteed. Both Chinese and Western dishes are available. Relatively speaking, Crown's breakfast is more oriented to the taste of the public.
DoubleTree Resort by Hilton Xishuangbanna
Excellent value for money
There are not many DoubleTree by Hilton resorts in China, and the DoubleTree by Hilton in Sanya Haitang Bay Wanda is the only one. Based on the good cooperation between Wanda Group and Hilton Hotel Group, it also contributed to the fact that DoubleTree by Hilton in Xishuangbanna became the first DoubleTree by Hilton in Yunnan. hotel. The overall hardware is fully qualified even if it is linked to Hilton. If you want to choose a comprehensive and cost-effective hotel, DoubleTree by Hilton is the best choice.
The three hotels in Wanda Resort have different Dai style elements. Doubletree has a stronger sense of rainforest. The most eye-catching in the hotel lobby is the chandelier in the atrium. Lightness; the shape of the pillars in the lobby is in the shape of an elephant-footed drum, and the elephant-footed drum is also a unique intangible cultural heritage in Banna.
Doubletree's Buddhist elements and folk customs are relatively less strong. After all, it is a young route. It is just the background wall behind the front desk. The wooden murals of the Banna Zongfo Temple are used to show the local people's belief in Buddhism. The bar counter in the shape of a stilted building in the middle of the lobby bar is inlaid with traditional woodwork. Looking from the hotel courtyard, it looks more like a miniature version of the lobby. The mutual echo is another highlight.
Mr.Hotel's favorite hotel building is the fitness area. The oval top is very eye-catching, and the indoor swimming pool is also here, forming a scene with each other. The depth of the hotel's outdoor swimming pool is very suitable for families to bring children to play in the water. Of course, there is another outdoor swimming pool dedicated to children next to it.
The basic guest rooms start from more than 40 square meters, with an extremely simple bed background wall and ethnic pendants, which are extraordinarily elegant. Simple style, chandelier, ceiling fan, rattan coffee table and rest couch are all leisure and vacation style. On the sofa, have a cup of tea and look at the greenery outside the window, which is very comfortable. The bathroom is minimalist, with rough stone wall tiles and a full sense of originality.
Every time guests stay, they can always taste the cookies customized by DoubleTree by Hilton. The same familiar taste is the warmth of home. Among the welcome fruit gifts, the local specialty glutinous rice cake wrapped in banana leaves is even more special.
The western restaurant on the first floor directly below the lobby is located in an outdoor courtyard with excellent air. Dai Yunxuan Chinese restaurant specializes in local specialties. The decoration of the restaurant is also very folk-style, with woven ceilings and umbrella-like chandeliers.
What does Sunac play
First of all, when it comes to playing, you must get up early in the hotel, why please see the picture.
The morning class here is very suitable for parents and children, and you can feel the sense of ritual of the Dai people. I won’t say much here, let’s experience it with my heart.
The annual average temperature in Xishuangbanna is around 18-22°C. Even when it is cold in the north, you can still see the scene of "winter bikini" and enjoy the mild sunshine in Xishuangbanna. It is a place suitable for playing in the water all year round.
The water park is also worth experiencing. There are not only thrilling water slides in the park, but also interesting shallow water areas, a wave pool that can accommodate 3,000 people at the same time, and a leisure and health spa. Whether you are traveling with friends, or a parent-child family, you can find your own fun here.
In fact, my favorite is still with ethnic characteristics. When traveling to Xishuangbanna, the most impressive thing is the "big show" at the Wanda Theater-the Dai show.
"Dai Show" is a beautiful stage art presented by Wanda and international art master Frank Dragon, combining national art with technological lighting and sound effects, dance, acrobatics, diving, sand painting and other performance forms. .
The architectural design of the theater is an international top art master, Beijing Olympic Games, Guangzhou Asian Games, London Olympic Games, the artistic director of the opening and closing ceremonies - Mr. Mark Fisher himself.
Dai Xiu is adapted from the millennium-old narrative poem "The Peacock Princess" by the Dai people. It tells the story of a modern urban boy who strays into Mengbanzha, the kingdom of Dai people thousands of years ago, while traveling in Banna. After "crossing", the boy met the princess Lan Urona. In the process of finding true love and self, he experienced the pursuit of the bamboo army, the temptation of the braided girl, and the difficulties of the rainforest elves, and finally got the blessing of the Dai gods.
The amorous art of the Dai people, combined with technological lighting and sound effects, dancing, acrobatics, diving, sand painting and other performance forms, presents a beautiful stage art. Among them, the skills of the actors and the way of presenting the water in the middle are undoubtedly the perfect fusion of art and technology, which has become the biggest highlight of the Dai show.
What is particularly worth mentioning is the stage, which is fully integrated into the water culture of the Dai family, and the "pool" several meters deep is directly moved to the center of the theater. Therefore, skills such as diving and national culture such as water splashing can be vividly presented.
Don’t miss this performance when you come to Xishuangbanna~ The price is available on all major websites.
This trip to Banna made us feel a different style, leaving behind many scenic spots that we haven’t visited. We will go next time and recommend more interesting places around to everyone. Thank you for your support.