Yunnan small group vacation, China

The Impacts of this Trip

Local Craft and Culture:
Yunnan Province is home to over fifty ethnic minorities, easily distinguishable by their different style of traditional dress or headwear – Lijiang is home to the Naxi people, Dali – the Bai people, and in Yuangyang Country we’re sure to encounter Hani and Yi minorities (particularly if your visit coincides with market day). In Black Dragon Pool Park (Lijiang), perhaps join in with the locals as they go about their morning exercise and dance classes. This vacation is packed with culture, historic and UNESCO World Heritage Sites and awe-inspiring landscapes – from Lijiang’s waterways to the walled town of Dali, the Zhu Family Garden in Tuanshan, a daywalk through Tiger Leaping Gorge, the ancient rice terraces in Yuangyang Country and intriguing rock formations of Shillin Stone Forest. For those who are interested, there is the option to attend a cultural impressionist show in Kunming, or to see a Naxi orchestra in Lijiang. There are plenty of opportunities to barter with vendors and buy crafts or traditional souvenirs. Leaders will be able to advise on where the best places to shop are and what should be avoided e.g. traditional medicine made from endangered animals.

A Fair Deal:
We work closely with our local operator and ensure that all of our guides are local and that in exchange for their expertise that they are paid and treated fairly. Often people can experience quite a culture shock when traveling in China, so our local guides are always keen to act as an ‘experience translator’, to help clients understand local culture better and to connect more genuinely with local communities. The leaders will give a briefing on responsible tourism issues to help you understand how you can help reduce your impact and maximise the benefits to the local community from your visit. We also hire a local guide for the Tiger leaping Gorge walk and for the walk through the rice terraces in Yuangyang Country.

Accommodation and Meals:
We spend several nights in locally owned and staffed hotels and two nights in family-owned guesthouses in Tiger Leaping Gorge. Some accommodation is in beautifully restored historic buildings in the old towns, such as in Lijiang and Dali. Yunnan is renowned for being a culinary destination, taking flavours from the neighbouring countries of Tibet, Laos, Burma and Vietnam. We’ll sample some street food on our walking tour in Lijiang and try some delicacies at the produce market in Dali where you’ll find a cacophony of sights, sounds and smells. Main meals will generally be in local restaurants which serve up a selection of authentic sharing dishes made from locally sourced produce. In Yuanyang there is an included ‘farmer’s style’ lunch where the husband and wife team cook up a feast to behold!