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Join Robert & Morrison to China's most beautiful province.
With some 25 ethnic minority groups living here, Yunnan
boasts the country's greatest culinary diversity, from
Tibetan yak butter tea to tropical Dai pineapple rice. |
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| Yunnan is renowned for having China's best winter weather -- crystal blue skies, no rain, and moderate temperatures. Our Globetrotting Gourmet® tour includes capital city Kunming and Shilin's "stone forest"; ancient Dali and Erhai Lake; Lijiang's three Unesco world heritage sites, plus ancient mountain villages little changed in time. Great accommodation, deli cious food, wonderful company. That's our Globetrotting Gourmet® winning recipe. |
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Kunming & Lijiang hotels are 4-5 star, and best available in country locations.
All accommodation have private bathrooms, heat and mod cons. Daily breakfast included at all hotels, plus most meals, private coach and guides. |
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Optional Extension:
Winter in Shangri-La Jan 22-25, 2010 |
| For true cold-weather lovers, join us for a blast of winter to Yunnan's Shangri-La is in high altitude Zhongdian. |
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Our Yunnan tour, January 2010, is scheduled around spring-like weather: blue skies and moderate to cooler temperatures. By contrast, our 2-night extension takes you to picturesque snow-covered peaks amidst 5-star luxury, staying in a converted Tibetan farmhouse. Tour package includes Lijiang to Shangri-La transfer by private car, steam-boat/fondue group dinner on arrival, deluxe villas and daily breakfast, half-day tour to Zhongdian village and lunch, plus a cooking class of Tibetan dishes followed by our final night dinner, and airport transfer from the hotel to Zhongdian airport. Additional days available on request. |
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Tuesday, Day 1, 12th Jan |
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O/Night Kunming |
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| Welcome to Kunming, Yunnan's capital and largest city. With day temperatures averaging between 65-72F/18-22C year-round, this is China's "eternal spring city." We can personally attest to the province having the nation's clearest blue skies in January! Better yet, January is low tourist season, ensuring you will have a great tour without tourist throngs. You will be met personally at the airport, then whisked to your deluxe hotel, and greeted with a welcome gift. For those arriving early, join us tonight as Robert & Morrison walk to nearby Jinma Biji square, a nightlife hub of tea houses, bars and assorted crafts. |
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Wednesday, Day 2, 13th Jan |
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O/Night Kunming |
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After hotel breakfast, we begin with a "disappearing Kunming walking tour" along some of the city's oldest streets. Sadly, many homes are slated for imminent demolition, but what is left is pure magic! You'll see outdoor market stalls, small song bird and aquarium fish markets, plus local crafts. Also visit Guandu and West Pagoda -- both authentic slices of ancient life in this modern city. Sample hawker delicacies, before heading to beautiful Green Lake for lunch. At this time of the year, the local park is famous for its swarms of migrating white Siberian seagulls. Afterwards, a tea ceremony at the city's best merchant. Because of its sub-tropical climate, this province is China's leading tea producer, and here you'll learn about semi-fermented and caked teas like pu-erh, and an opportunity to taste the finest.
In the evening, dine on Gi Guo Ji , Kunming's famous steaming pot chicken soup. The chicken simmers for some 8 hours in a uniquely doughnut-shaped ceramic, creating a rich stock and served with cool liang mixian noodles, plus local ginseng and mountain herbs. |
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Thursday, Day 3, 14th Jan |
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O/Night Kunming |
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Today we learn to cook like the experts at a professional cooking school. The program has been created especially for our group, including lunch. You have the afternoon free for personal exploration and great shopping, and we'll help point you on your way! Dinner is a sumptuous mushroom feast. Yunnan is home to scores of myriad fungi varieties, most foraged wild from nearby mountains, and our chosen restaurant devotes six floors entirely to mushroom dishes! Such feasts reach stratospheric cost if including rare song yong pine mushrooms, and the local truffle called gang ba jun.
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Friday, Day 4, 15th Jan |
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O/Night Kunming |
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| Today we travel far afield to Yunnan's famous Shilin stone forest. Probably the provinces most popular (and touristy) site, equivalent to America's badlands, this is a collection of limestone pillars, split and eroded by weather. We also visit local Baida village for our first view of an ethnic market, and time permitting on return, Bamboo Temple, built in the Tang dynasty, nearly destroyed in the 15th century, and restored in the late 19th. Lunch on location, then en route back, stop at scenic Qi Wiiw village to see the local embroidery. We've scheduled a delicious dinner theatre tonight, where the specialty is Across the Bridge Noodles, arguably Yunnan's best known dish. |
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Saturday, Day 5, 16th Jan |
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O/Night Dali |
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| Save room at your hotel breakfast this morning, as today we'll stop for lu ji mi xian rice thread noodles -- Kunming's most popular breakfast noodle dish. Afterwards, head to the city's vast flower market, where you will be delighted by the spectacle of dried flowers artfully arranged. The market continues through a maze of commercial shops, including one of the city's largest coffee producers, and another specializing both in dried mushrooms, local foodstuffs, and some of the cheapest (and best!) saffron -- cultivated on the nearby Tibetan plateau. This is a great opportunity to identify and ask questions about the specialty food stuffs, as well as to stock up for your larder back home. Lunch today is simple steamed noodles, Manchurian style, served from a typical shopfront eatery. |
| This afternoon head along the scenic route to Yunnan's second city, Dali, bordering picturesque Erhai Lake. It is a long drive, but through some of the province's most spectacular scenery. Although Dali is technically divided into both an ancient and modern city, the two are divided by distance. We'll be staying in the old sector in its most central property, and ultra-convenient for exploring on your own. (Our hotel is officially rated 4-star, but its closer to 3). The local ethnic culture is Bai, and its women, especially, dress in traditional white costume. We'll walk from our hotel along the ancient streets to a courtyard restaurant, where the specialty is fondue. Locally-made hand-hammered copper steamboats, or jun ho go, are uniquely constructed without solder, allowing chefs to heat the pot prior to adding liquid. Otherwise, hot stock is first poured into to the doughnut shaped basin, covered, then burning coals stacked in the chimney and ashes fall to the bottom pan. As this is communal dining, double dipping is expected! We've also included three vintages of local Meizi plum wine. |
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Sunday, Day 6, 17th Jan |
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O/Night Dali |
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| Erhai Lake is one of Yunnan's jewels. This morning boat to its Eastern shore, to Wasse, an extraordinary yet typical ethnic market. Afterwards, continue to Jinsuo island, where its stone homes are being reconstructed to create a scenic medieval village (but with affluence!). Then we drive to new Dali for lunch, and to see its thriving urban market. Tonight's dinner is typical Bai fare, served in a traditional courtyard residence. |
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Monday, Day 7, 18th Jan |
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O/Night Dali |
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| After breakfast, drive to Shaping market. During our last trip here we were so impressed by its rustic authenticity. Afterwards, head to bustling Xizhou market to taste the village's best baba, a rolled griddle cake especially popular at morning. We stop for a simple but tasty noodle lunch, before heading back via the famed Three Pagodas. (Time permitting: visit a small batik factory.) Dating from the 9th century, the Three Pagodas are among the oldest standing structures in all of southwest China, situated in the most beautiful setting. The remaining afternoon and evening are free for you to explore the old town on your own. It is dazzling by night, and there's teems of restaurants, bars and coffee shops to choose from. (dinner not included) |
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Tuesday, Day 8, 19th Jan |
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O/Night Jianchuan |
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Today we drive to the seldom-visited Shadeng and Sideng villages. Wander through ancient alleyways, and view the famous (and erotic) Shibao Shaw carvings. The area is remote, tracing the ancient Tea Horse caravan track to Lijiang, and Sideng's ancient architecture is considered "endangered". We'll also drive to Shaxi and its East Gate, Xingiao temple, Three Terraced Pavilion and Ouyang Courtyard. They include some of the best Bai stone carvings in southern China and offer insights into life at the Nanzhao court of the 9th century. Our hotel tonight is rustic 2 1/2 star, and best available. Lunch and dinner included.
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Wednesday, Day 9, 20th Jan |
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O/Night Lijiang |
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| With its lauded Unesco heritage status, Lijiang is a hot tourist spot these days. Unfortunately, with tourism comes commercialism. Hence our decision to stay in the smaller of the three designated historic sites. You will relish Loquan village (Shu He Old Town), and to help you get acquainted, after lunch we've organized horse rides through its old town, and a sampling of local Yunnan coffee; learn about its grades and qualities. Yunnan coffee reputedly has some of the world's oldest surviving coffee varieties, and its best beans are quite tiny. Our hotel is stunningly modern and extremely central, allowing for great independent wandering along its medieval streets. In the evening drive to Lijiang proper, for views of Dayan (old Lijiang) by night and a courtyard supper of Naxi favourites. |
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Thursday, Day 10, 21st Jan |
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O/Night Lijiang |
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For some three decades, from 1922-49 Joseph Rock studied local Naxi culture, and wrote widely about Yunnan for National Geographic. His residence was high in the mountain village of Yuhu/Yufu, which we visit this morning. Then off to Baisha village, the third Unesco heritage site, and home to Yunnan's most famous frescoes. The Dabaoji Palace art was saved from the Cultural Revolution by a quick thinking soldier who plastered the frescoes with newspapers featuring Chaiman Mao's image. The Red Guard were too intimidated to tear down the chairman's picture, and left the underlying art as is. Baisha was capital of ancient Naxi kingdom, but just as important to its culture is Black Dragon Pool, its museum and ancient halls. This is an exquisite park, and time permitting, a short serenade of Naxi music while visiting. This music, also Unesco heritage listed, is considered Asia's oldest.
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| We'll then re-visit old Lijiang, starting at its market (a great place to purchase hand hammered steamboat fondues and yak yogurt) then privately explore the rest of the afternoon. After returning to the hotel, and a brief break, we've scheduled a gala dinner extraordinaire! |
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Friday, Day 11, 22nd Jan |
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| Time permitting, we've included a second breakfast enroute to the airport: yak butter tea, baba rolls and fried eggs. Tibetan tea is notorious for the butter's rancidity, but local Naxi prefer a fresher spread, then froth pu-erh tea with salt and nuts to make an awakening brew. It's actually quite tasty, and one you'll never forget. |
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| We have NOT included your return Lijiang-Kunming flight sector in the cost of this tour, as the winter time table has yet to be confirmed. Please advise if you do require this, or if your on-ward travel itinerary departs directly from Lijiang. Also let us know if you would like us to assist in planning a longer China travel pre- or post-tour. If you are travelling to Yunnan via Bangkok, afternoon connections are every day except Wednesday and Saturday, but subject to change. |
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