SACRED PATHS
VISITOR INFORMATION
The easiest way to get to the Tibetan regions of northern Yunnan is to fly first to Kunming, the capital of Yunnan Province, then fly from Kunming to Gyalthang (also known as Zhongdian and Shangri-La.) A full-fare one-way flight currently costs 900 yuan ($128.57 at 7 yuan to the dollar), according to english.ctrip.com, a popular travel site in China. A ticket from Beijing to Kunming is 1,810 yuan.
To make the six-hour journey from Gyalthang to Deqin or Feilaisi, one can hire a car for about 450 yuan one way or catch a public bus, which is only a small fraction of that cost. From Feilaisi, taxis for a one-way trip to the towns of Mingyong and Xidang in the Mekong River valley cost about 150 yuan a leg.
WHERE TO STAY
In Gyalthang, I stayed at the Gyalthang Dzong Hotel, a boutique Tibetan-style courtyard hotel on the edge of town (86-887-822-3646; www.angsana.com). A deluxe double room costs about 1,000 yuan a night.
In Lower Yubeng, all the guesthouses are bare-bones. Mystic Waterfall Lodge (86-887-841-1082) is an old favorite among backpackers and has one of the best views. It is the last guesthouse in Lower Yubeng. A double room with hot shower costs 150 yuan.
WHERE TO EAT
Compass Café at 8 Beimen Jie in the old quarter of Gyalthang (86-887-822-3638; www.the-compass.cn) has a good atmosphere if you don't mind eating alongside other tourists. It also has small suites for 450 yuan per night.
In Upper and Lower Yubeng, travelers eat at their guesthouses. A basic Chinese dish costs 20 yuan.
GUIDES
Lonely Planet publishes "China's Southwest" ($24.99; www.lonelyplanet.com), which has information on northern Yunnan and treks in the region.
At Xidang, I paid 225 yuan to have two backpacks carried by horse to Lower Yubeng. Aqinbu, the owner of the Mystic Waterfall Lodge in Lower Yubeng, can find guides for hikes in the valley. Our guide charged us 150 yuan for the round trip to Mystic Lake, which can take 10 hours.
EDWARD WONG is a correspondent in the Beijing bureau of The New York Times.
(New York Times April 7, 2009)
