Trekking in Yunnan, Minority people of south China

Active Adventure

Trekking in Yunnan, Minority people of south China, backpackers accommodation and jungle tours guided by a Chinese native guide: Sara. Visit her small inner city Cafe in Jinghong Xishuangbanna district at the Mekong River to relax and plan your daytrips to the Dai, Aini, Bulang, and Ake hilltribes. See villages with tea, pineapple, rubber plantations.Guiding trekking groups to all parts of the Xishuangbanna region.
1. Ethnic culture one day tour
Time: 8:30 A.M. start from Jinghong to a modern Dai village, 1.5 hours on the highway by mini-bus. After the Dai village we continue the trip to a moderately sized Aini village, a 15 minutes bus ride on a bumpy road. We visit the Aini village, take a walk in the jungle to a typical, fairly traditional Bulang village which takes around 40 minutes. After the Bulang village we walk down the hill crossing a huge tea plantation. Along the way you ?ll enjoy breathtaking views of valleys studded with rice fields.
Around 5 P.M. we ?ll be back in Jinghong.

Option: If the day of your choice is Sunday, we can visit the Sunday Market.If you like we can also visit a small home-style tea factory, JingEn temple or the 300 years old Jingzhen temple.

2. Easy tropical rainforest day trek
This trek starts with a 1.5 hours long bumpy road journey by mini-bus to a big Dai village north of Jinghong. From there there ?s a jungle footpath parallel to a small mountain river that we will follow for about 1.5 hours. We'll have a break midway and then continue to the waterfall where you will encounter a lot of ancient trees and fascinating rainforest plant species. This trip s particularly worthwhile during the rainy season (May to October). Afterwards we walk downhill along the rocks (in the dry season) back to the Dai village and get the bus back to Jinghong. The whole experience lasts about 5 to 6 hours.

3. Mengkuan one day trek
We'll leave Jinghong around 8:30 AM by public bus. After 1,5 hours we get off in Mengkuan and walk for about 5 hours along a track that allows for beautiful views of rice paddies, pineapple and tea plantations. Along the way we'll cross six different villages populate by Ake, Aini and Dai tribes. There will be a steep uphill climb at the beginning that might be a little demanding, but later the track is fairly easy to walk. Only the last 40 minutes are more taxing, because the path leads steeply downhill. We return to Jinghong in the late afternoon.

4. Easy 2 days trek
This trek kicks off with a 1 hour public bus ride to a Dai village , followed by 5 hours walking along the bank of the Mekong ­- a lot of up & down walking to be more precise! The second day also demands 4 to 5 hours of walking, albeit at a much more relaxed pace and less uphill. The path we follow on both days allows us beautiful views of the Mekong river and the stunning mountain panoramas of the China - Burma border region. We'll see many rubber and tea plantations as well as mountain rice fields. Ethnic groups that settle in the area include Dai ,Aini and Ake people.
The night will be spent in a 600 years old Dai village that is brimming with atmosphere!

5. Moderate level 4days (Noverber -May )
At 8:30 AM we take a minibus to Galanba .The drive takes approximately 1 and a half hours, our destination is a medium-sized Dai village. From there it's a beautiful 4 hours walk along a small trail to an small Aini village inhabited by only 17 families. The first night we will rest in the traditional home of a very hospitable Dai family.
2nd and 3rd day: On both days we face uphill and downhill 5 or 6 hours walks through dense forests, rubber plantations and mountain rice fields. The night of the third day will be spent in a hillside Aini village that offers ravishingly beautiful views down into misty valleys. Before reaching our overnight destination we'll cross the Mekong by ferry boat and then walk along the confluence of the Mekong and Luoshuo rivers.
4th day: An easy 3 hours walk downhill to a riverside Dai village. From there we'll get a private ferry boat for a 3 hours upstream ride on the Mekong to Ganlanba. Our journey ends with a 1 hour drive by public bus back to Jinghong.
Overnight village. ethnic groups: Dai ,Aini ,Ake

6. Moderate level trek 3 days (Noverber -May )
This trek begins with a 1.5 hour bus ride to Mengkuan. From there its a 3 hours walk to a 600 years old Dai village where we spent the night with a hospitable family. Our accommodation includes hot water shower and toilet (something that can not always be taken for granted on treks like this!).
The second day we'll walk along a small, winding forest path following a small stream. There's a lot of up and downhill climbing involed! The night will be spent in a small Aini village that houses 11 families.
On the third day our track leads us downhill for about 2 hours. There's some vantage points where we can enjoy truly breathtaking views of the rolling Xishuangbanna mountainscape. After that the terrain is more even and we'll walk for another two hours until we reach the Ake village where a mini-van will come to pick us up and takes us back to Mengkuan. From there's its a 1.5 hour bus ride back to Jinghong.
Ethnic groups: Dai ,Aini ,Ake

7. Thursdays 2 days trek
Time : leave 8:30am ,2.5hr bus ride to the place begin trek, 4--5hrs walk through Bulang ,Dai,Aini villages .
Thursday : visit colourful market ,then 4--5hrs walk plus break .
Terrain:some up and down hill ,great view of biggest valley in Xishuangbanna ,tea processing factory .
Ethnic groups :Aini ,Dai ,Bulang (very old temple ,nice atmosphere)
Overnight :guesthouse .

8. 3 days hard forest & jungle trekking tour
Time : leave 8:30am ,3.5hr bus ride to the place start trek
1th Day : 1 hour walking in a cave, the cave with a river and interesting limestone.2 hours is hard up and down walk through the forest.
2th Day : 6 hours hard walking on small parth in the forest&jungles, top three high mountains, cross one river.highest mountain is about 1200 meters.
3th Day : 4 hours up and down walking on small parth in the forest&jungles
Note: the 2th day & 3th day , maybe can see wild animals in the forest but can not garantee
Ethnic groups :Yao , Dai
Overnight :Yao village.

9.Bus tour in xishuangbanna
A.Sunday market ,Aini, Dai village ,octagon temple ,small tea process factory .sugarcane plantation .
B.Thursday market ,Bulang ,Aini ethnic (2 branches ), Aini village ,very nice surroundings .

Typical Day

1. Ethnic culture one day tour
2. easy tropical rainforest day trek
3. mengkuan one day trek
4. easy 2 days trek
5. moderate level 4days (Noverber -May )
6. Moderate level trek 3 days (Noverber -May )
7. Thursdays 2 days trek
8. 3 days hard forest & jungle trekking tour
9. Bus tour in xishuangbanna

Sleeping and meals

When we do trekking in mountain area, we stay in the local ethnic family and the food is vegetable and mountain rice.