Lijiang - Shangrila (Yunnan, China) is a very popular destination for Vietnamese tourists in recent years.

Lijiang is one of the most famous ancient towns in China. Each season has its own beauty, but the most attractive is in autumn, when the whole space is covered with the yellow and red colors of ginkgo and maple trees.

Meanwhile, Shangrila is located in a plateau more than 3,300m above sea level, surrounded by lush green hills, beautiful lakes, and fresh air.

Currently, Vietnamese travel agencies are offering many Lijiang - Shangrila tour products. However, many tourists choose to travel to Lijiang - Shangrila independently to have their own itinerary to explore as they wish.

Recently, Ms. Nguyet Moon (29 years old, Hanoi) posted an article sharing her experience of independent travel to Lijiang - Shangrila for 8 days and 7 nights with a cost of 13.5 million VND/person. The article received a lot of attention.

Ms. Nguyet said that she and her husband went to Lijiang - Shangrila in March. "I really wanted to explore this land in the fall, but due to time constraints, I had to go in the spring. Traveling on my own, I had more time to see the places I love," the female tourist said.

The biggest barrier for the couple was language. They were hesitant and thought a lot about whether to travel independently or go on a tour, because they did not know Chinese.

"I looked at many tours but didn't find a satisfactory schedule, so I decided to go on my own. I installed language translation apps on my phone such as Google Translate, WeChat, Xiaohongshu social network, Alipay e-wallet...", Ms. Nguyet said.

Prepare before the trip

According to Ms. Nguyet, to travel independently, the most important step is to research and plan a detailed itinerary. For nearly a month, whenever she had free time, she went online to read articles sharing experiences and filter information that suited her.

She compiled details of where to go each day, what means of transport to use, and how long it would take. "I don't want to travel and get too tired from chasing after the number of destinations. My husband and I want to enjoy the scenery more," said Ms. Nguyet.

Regarding visa, instead of spending money on a service, Ms. Nguyet prepared the procedures herself, including: Passport valid for at least 6 months; Airline ticket and hotel (photocopy); Filling out the electronic application form; Photocopy of passport with information; 2 4 x 6 photos with white background.

Ms. Nguyet submitted her application at the Chinese Visa Service Center in Hanoi. The service fee is 690,000 VND. "The process of checking documents and submitting documents is very fast. I will be notified of the date to receive the results. If the visa is granted, visitors pay an additional 1 million VND. I do not need to prove my finances or income."

Ms. Nguyet bought a Chinese tourist phone SIM card in Vietnam, booked a hotel and train tickets for the whole trip, and loaded currency into a popular e-wallet application in China... In the suitcase, in addition to clothes, there were also heat-retaining patches, medicine, and instant noodles.

Schedule

On the first day, the couple traveled from Hanoi to Lao Cai by sleeper bus, costing 600,000 VND/person/round trip. Travel time was 5 hours. From the bus station, they took the tram to the border gate, had breakfast, and lined up to do exit and entry procedures.

After entering Hekou, Nguyet and her husband had lunch and then went to the train station, taking 3 trains to Lijiang. "The journey was very long, taking 10 hours, but the Chinese train was smooth, and the couple slept well.

At 7:30 the next morning, I arrived at Lijiang station and took a bus to the hotel. This hotel is near the main road, convenient for travel, no need to drag suitcases too far. The cost is 520,000 VND/room/2 people," said Ms. Nguyet.

They spent 3 days exploring Lijiang. On the first day, the couple mainly walked around the old town, leisurely visiting cafes.

Listed as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1997, the landscape of Lijiang Old Town is still preserved authentically. This is considered one of the typical examples of harmonious and sustainable tourism development in an old town where people still live.

On the second day, Nguyet and her husband booked a local tour to Jade Dragon Snow Mountain. They chose the tour to conquer the 3,500m high point, which included jackets, personal oxygen tanks, shuttle bus, entrance tickets, lunch, and tickets to see Impression Lijiang. The cost was 460 yuan (about 1.6 million VND) per person.

The journey starts at 5am, when it is still dark and cold, but visitors have the opportunity to watch the sunrise. Arriving at the snowy mountain, visitors line up to take the cable car. From the cable car, you can see the white snowy mountain, surrounded by green vegetation with rare trees such as pine, cypress, and linden trees.

"The ideal schedule is to go to the top of the mountain, then come back for lunch, watch the Impression Lijiang show at 1 p.m., and move through Lam Nguyet Coc to see the beautiful lake. If you go in the spring like me, you should talk to the tour operator to go to Tuyet Son Lo, the road filled with cherry blossoms in Lijiang," said Ms. Nguyet.

One problem Ms. Nguyet had with this tour was that neither the tour guide nor the driver spoke Mandarin, so the software could not translate the information. Ms. Nguyet contacted the hotel owner and asked him to be an interpreter.

The next day, the couple visited Moc Phu. The Moc family's mansion covers 46 acres, with 162 large and small houses. "Coming here, I feel like I'm back in the time of Hoan Chau Cach Cach, a once famous movie," said Ms. Nguyet.

In the afternoon, they took the train to Shangrila, about 2 hours. On the first day in Shangrila, the couple encountered heavy rain, so they canceled their plan to go to Potatso Park. They wandered around to see the streets, had breakfast, and drank coffee.

"From the app, I found a restaurant next to the Napahai grassland with a view of the grassland, lake, and Mai Ly snow mountain in the distance. The view is amazing," said Ms. Nguyet.

In the afternoon, the couple went to Songzanlin Monastery, built at an altitude of over 3,300m and covering over 30ha. Through the ups and downs of history and the ravages of time, Songzanlin Monastery has been destroyed and restored many times.

The monastery is an architectural complex in the shape of a 5-storey watchtower consisting of many structures forming a unified, unique block with gold-plated tiled roofs and red walls - typical colors in ancient temple architecture. Combined with that are patterns and motifs according to culture and folk beliefs that are exquisitely carved.

"This place is very beautiful but also very crowded. It takes a whole day to visit the monastery thoroughly," said Ms. Nguyet.

The next day, the couple went to Potatso Park, the "green heart" of Shangrila, with an area of ​​over 1,300 square kilometers and a diverse and rich ecosystem. "This place is most beautiful in the fall. Visitors travel in the park by car, the roads are quite winding, and it is easy to get carsick," said Ms. Nguyet.

On the last day in Shangrila, the couple walked around the city, through the beautiful parks in the center, and wandered around to enjoy local food. After lunch and a rest, they went to the train station and traveled 5 hours to Kunming. The journey ended with a train from Kunming to Hekou.

A few notes

Ms. Nguyet booked hotels and train tickets on the Trip.com app. According to her, not all hotels here welcome foreign guests. Therefore, after booking a room, everyone should text the customer service staff to ask for detailed information. Tourists should also ask for the hotel owner's WeChat to proactively contact them.

As for train tickets, visitors can go to the train station to buy tickets, but they may be sold out or only have standing tickets left. To ensure a comfortable seat, Ms. Nguyet books tickets early. "You can book up to 5 tickets at a time, but the tickets are randomly arranged. If you book a sleeper ticket, many times each person will be assigned to a different compartment," Ms. Nguyet said.

Regarding cuisine, the couple is not very fond of Chinese food. Nguyet's favorite dish is stone-grilled Chinese sausage sprinkled with chili powder.

"Before going, I was worried because I didn't know Chinese and might encounter scams or problems. However, when I arrived in China, I was satisfied because of the beautiful scenery, fresh air, and friendly people," the female tourist shared.

In terms of cost, compared to booking a tour, the couple's independent travel expenses were only slightly cheaper (excluding shopping). However, what they were most satisfied with was being able to follow their own schedule.

Photo: NVCC

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