5 days in yunnan. my favorite part was the small towns.

Sarah

spent 5 days in yunnan last month. everyone talks about dali and lijiang but my favorite was a small town called shaxi.

it's about 3 hours from dali by bus. the old town is small but quiet. no big crowds. just locals and a few guesthouses.

stayed in a guesthouse run by a local family. they made me dinner and we sat outside and talked. best meal of my trip.

dali is nice but crowded. the lake is beautiful. rent a bike and ride around.

lijiang was too touristy for me. but if you go, stay in shuhe old town instead. less crowded.

yunnan is worth the trip. the food is different from other parts of china. try the cheese thing. it sounds weird but it's good.