- Arrive in Kunming
- Walking tour of the city, includes visit to the Flower and Bird Markets, count red-beaked sea gulls at Green Lake
- Overnight train to Dali
- Overnight Train
Tel: +86 (0)10 8519 8999 Fax: +86 (0)10 6517 1033 Email: private-tours@tui.cn Hotline: 400 650 8855
Just the word "Shangri-La" in most people's minds conjures up images of a pristine Utopia. Indeed, this longing to escape to paradise is deeply rooted in Chinese as well as Western culture. This paradise is best described by the Medieval Chinese tale of The Record of the Peach Blossom Spring, which, just like James Hilton's Lost Horizon, tells of an intrepid explorer who unwittingly stumbles upon the legendary Shangri-La. What awaits today's adventurers is a landscape of snowcapped mountains, alpine meadows, and deep river gorges, truly some of China's most breathtaking scenery. In addition to this, Yunnan is China's most ethnically and culturally diverse province. Among the cultures found here are the Bai with their distinct white homes, the matriarchal Naxi, and the Dai, a people closely related to Thais. Remarkably, each group has managed to retain much of its individual identify, including customs, dialects, and distinct ethnic costumes. In this program, we'll explore China's diverse ethnic cultures and people, discover the ancient trading towns of Yunnan, and experience Yunnan's stunning nature