The weather in Kunming at this time of the year is very much similar to Singapore (hot!) but is less humid. We went for a morning stroll near our hotel and had a breakfast of noodles (CNY 4), fried dough sticks and some local snacks, washed down with a cup of soya milk.

Our plan for this morning was to take a taxi to one of the flower markets Kunming is known for. However, while on the taxi the driver told us that shops at the flower markets don’t open so early (it was about 8.30am)… so she suggested we drop off at a nearby mall (WalMart!) for some shopping before we head to the market. As we had a flight to catch at midday, we only had enough time for WalMart… actually I like strolling through markets and supermarkets when I go on trips – one gets to see (and feel) how locals live – the food they eat, the things they buy, etc.

After WalMart it was back to our hotel to check out, get a taxi to the airport and check in for our 45 minutes flight to Lijiang. We arrived in Lijiang shortly after noon, found the minivan we booked for airport transfer, and checked in at the Tea Galleria inn which is situated on Lion’s Hill, overlooking Lijiang ancient town.

View from The Tea Galleria, Lijiang

We paid CNY 200 a night for a room on the second floor. The room itself was quite comfortable and the lady boss Jenny made us feel at home. Our airport transfers, Naxi ancient music concert and bus tickets to Lugu lake were handled by her, and she took no payment from us until our last day in Lijiang. Our room door opens out onto a corridor where there are tables and chairs where guests can just sit around, have some snacks and enjoy the scenery and fresh air.

Our small but cosy room

Tables and chairs are provided outside the rooms for guests to lounge around and relax

This is the inn's front gate

I only have two grouses about the room. First, the room door was only secured by a tiny little lock about 2 or 3cm wide (the type people use to lock their bag zippers) – it feels a bit insecure especially since the room door cannot be shut completely – it’s hard to explain but thats the way it was. However I have to say that security shouldn’t be much of an issue since the inn is situated in a residential area where there isn’t much human traffic, and it would not be possible for strangers to walk in unnoticed – Jenny has 5 cute dogs keeping watch all day (3 pugs and 2 puppies). Second grouse is about the lack of sound-proofing. We can hear every small movement the people in the next room makes… that’s how bad it was.

These small issues aside, we would recommend the Tea Galleria to everyone for its price, location, service and its 5 cute dogs.

One of the 3 pugs at the inn

Looking tired and grouchy

Aren't they cute?

Lazy afternoon for the dogs

The puppies were having their lunch while mummy seemed kinda impatient

Anyway, after checking in and resting for a while, we spent the rest of the day wandering around the old town. Lijiang ancient town is a UNESCO World Heritage site… however, over-exploitation and commercialization has made it into a Disneyland of minority cultures – all the shops, restaurants and businesses are there to cater for tourists… and at night the town becomes somewhat like Patpong in Bangkok with clubs playing booming dance music and girls dancing on bartops, minus the sleaze. I find it a pity, because with a little bit more control the local government could have made it into a nicer place with modern amenities but still preserving an authentic atmosphere of the ancient town and culture of the Naxi minority. The music from the clubs got so loud at night that we could hear the thumping beats from our inn up on Lion Hill.

There are lots of small canals like this in Lijiang Ancient Town - the townspeople wash everything (laundry, food, dirty dishes) with the water

Yak yogurt tastes really awesome. We had a bottle (CNY 4 each) every day while in Lijiang

Making ginger candy the traditional way

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