Flowers of the Northwest Yunnan

Yunnan is the Kingdom of plants and flowers, everywhere you go you will see different plants and flowers, for a couple of hundreds years, flowers hunters from western countries come here over and over again just want to see the new plants. If you have the interests in flowers, these are the right places for you.

Itinerary Day 1, Arrival in Kunming Day 2, Visit Botanic Garden, and drive to Dali In the morning, visit Kunming Botanic Garden where you can see the plants and flowers of Yunnan. Four and half hours drive to Dali in the afternoon. Day 3, Visit Cangshan Mountain One-day trip in Dali to visit the Cangshan Mountain. We will drive up the hill with some stops to see the flowers of the area. The Cangshan Mountain, also known as Diancangshan, is named after its verdant forests. The Canshan Mountain is a chain of the Yunlin Mountain of the Hengduan Mountains. Starting at Eryuan in the north and ending at Xiaguan in the south, it measures 42 km in length and 25 km in width. Overlooking the Erhai Lake in the east, the Cangshan Mountain is of great splendors and the scenery is unique. The Cangshan Mountain comprises 19 peaks, the highest of which is Malong Peak at an elevation of 4122 meters above sea level. It is snow-capped all the year round with a moraine lake on the summit. There are 18 brooks running down the 19 peaks. The snow-melted water between every two peaks rushes down and converges into the Erhai Lake. Cangshan Mountain boasts of a rich vegetation of numerous rate flowers, trees, and other plants. It is called a national alpine botanical garden. You can find many alpine flowers , of which azaleas are the most famous in the Cangshan Mountain. Day 4, Drive to Mt. Laojunshan Four hours drive to Laojunshan and visit this area. It is a very scenic, and the landscape here is very beautiful. It has virtually been untouched by any urban development. This place covers an area of 2,340 square km and is approximately 93 km west of Lijiang City. This mountain has become a well-known spot in Yunnan for many species of plants like peony, rhododendron and begonia. Day 5, Drive to Tiger Leaping Gorge In the morning, spend more time in the mountain, and then drive to visit the Tiger Leaping with the drops of the 3900m from the top of the mountain to the Yangtze River. Overnight at the middle of the Gorge. Day 6, Trek to Black SeaLake Six hours trek to Black Sea Lake(4170 m) in front of the Haba Mountain, through meadows, forests and rivers. O/n Tents Day 7 & 8, Explore Haba Mountain. O/n Tents The Haba Mountain, with its main peak being 5,396 meters in height, stands 120 kilometers to the southeast of the seat of Shangri-La. And its domain of 21,908 hectares, covered with a vertical distribution of forests, is rich in wildlife and plant resources. The nature reserve extends 22 kilometers from south to north and 19 kilometers from east to west. About half of the 13,000 kinds of plants in Yunnan could be found in here. The primeval forest serves as the valuable scientific research base. In addition, there are more than 900 varieties of rare medicinal materials, more than 25 species of protect animals at the national grade and about 50 kinds of azalea. Day 9, Trek to Haba village Six hour trek down to Haba villages via the Base Camp. Day 10, Drive to Shangri-la Drive to the Baishuitai Terraces and carry on to Shangri-La via some mountain passes at 400m. We will make some stops to see different kinds of Azaleas and many other flowers on the way. Day 11, Drive and trek to Baima Nature Reserve Four hours drive to the Baima Mountain Pass, and then five hours trek to Baima Nature Reserve to start with our flower journey here. O/n Tents Day 12, 13 & 14 Baima Nature Reserve O/n Tents 4000m We spend three days here to walk up the different mountains nearby and see the flowers of the area. Between the Yangtze River and the Mekong River is the Baima Snow Mountain, with perennial snow-capped peaks. An area of 180,000 hectares around it is designated as the nature reserve, with a perfectly preserved primeval forest vertical landscape and valuable animals and plants. The Yunnan Snub - nosed Monkey, the first class protected animal in China, lives in this area. many species of plants like peony, rhododendron, and begonia that are wild ancestors of our garden plants. The Azalea Forest at Baima Mountain is regarded as one of The Top Ten Most Beautiful Forests in China ranked by China National Geography Magazine. Day 15, Trek back to the pass and drive to Shangri-La Five hours trek back to the pass to meet the bus and then drive back to Shangri-La Day 16, Shangri-La, fly to Kunming One-day trip in Shangri-La to visit the Ringsha Temple,take some walks in the area, and see the flowers there. Evening flight to Kunming. Seasonality: May & June Departure: May 15th – May 30th, 2011 Price: US$ 1,820.00  Per person US$ 390.00   Single Supplement The price includes: Flight: Shangri-La/Kunming Hotels with breakfasts Sightseeing Programs & entry fees English Speaking Guides Transfers and transportation by private vehicles Group Size: 06 - 12 You may prefer a different date and time frame for this tour, or wish to adjust the itinerary to suit your interests.  We will do all we can to meet your preferences.  Please note that tours of less than six persons may cost more per person, and other expenses may increase as a result of customization of your tour.   In all cases, however, we are committed to providing the best value for your experience.

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