Cycling Around Yunnan and Sichuan

[StChris]

I'm currently in Kunming and will set off on a cycling trip around Yunnan and Sichuan early next week. I have around 10 weeks before I have to go on a visa run, so I have a decent amount of time. I'd be grateful if anyone could chip in with any advice on the following:

 

1. Route

 

I was planning on taking the road west to Dali from Kunming, but reading some of abcdefg's recommendations on here has made me consider heading south to 建水 instead and then heading west from there (although if I'm heading that direction anyway it might be worth cycling further south to 元阳). Would it be worth checking out 石林 on the way?What would be the more scenic route to 建水, the G326 or the S214? I would then head north-west to 大理， 丽江，虎跳峡，香格里拉，and then further north into western Sichuan before heading west to 成都. Is there anything I'm missing? Any recommendations (places to see, scenic routes etc)? I've already spent a lot of time in south-east Asia, so I'm not so that's why I'm not too fussed about going to the far south of the province.

 

2. Accommodation

 

I wild-camped while doing a cycling trip to Sweden last summer, but it sounds as if even Yunnan and Sichuan are generally too populated to make this worthwhile. One concern I do have though is getting rejected by guesthouses for being a foreigner. Is this still common?

 

3. Tibet

 

There's a small chance I might decide to head further west all the way to 拉萨, but last time I heard foreigners weren't allowed to travel there independently. Is this still the case? I've spoken to a couple of Chinese people who have done the trip there before, and they think there wouldn't be any issue at all, but they're probably not the best people to ask. I already spent a couple of weeks in Tibet a few years back, so it's not a big deal if I can't go, but it would be nice to have the option.

 

4. Labour Day Break

 

I know Chinese people only get a couple of days off for this break now, but do things still get a little crazy? Being on bike, it's hard to judge where I'm going to be a week from now, so booking accommodation in advance is a little tricky. If I roll up in Dali around that time am I likely to have a problem?

 

I've heard that Yunnan and western Sichuan are some of the best places in Asia for cycling, so I'm pretty excited about the trip 

[889]

A few years ago I was in W Sichuan over May1, and there were no crowds, all pretty normal. Except that the Dege Printing House was closed for several days over the holiday.

 

If you can get Google Earth, it provides a great bird's-eye view of the road ahead. It also provides elevation information. Don't underestimate the passes! To Dege, the Que'er Pass peaks at 5050m.

 

My understanding is that travel by foreigners in Tibet is as strictly controlled as ever these days. Even if you get by a checkpoint at the border somehow, you'll be picked up soon enough in the next city. Sent back, perhaps with a black mark that might affect your next visa application.

 

There aren't that many settlements with lodging in W Sichuan. This is a sparsely populated area and you need to plan your day carefully so you'll end up someplace you can stay. Again, Google Earth is invaluable for this. All those tiny settlements with 10-20 houses you see scattered about are unlikely to provide a place for the night. Remember too that at times the PSB has been concerned about foreigners staying with Tibetan families in W Sichuan. (Which is a nice way of saying that if a Tibetan family happens to take you in, they might have an uncomfortable visit from the authorities later.)

[abcdefg]

5 hours ago, StChris said:

I was planning on taking the road west to Dali from Kunming, but reading some of abcdefg's recommendations on here has made me consider heading south to 建水 instead and then heading west from there (although if I'm heading that direction anyway it might be worth cycling further south to 元阳). Would it be worth checking out 石林 on the way?What would be the more scenic route to 建水, the G326 or the S214? I would then head north-west to 大理， 丽江，虎跳峡，香格里拉，and then further north into western Sichuan before heading west to 成都. Is there anything I'm missing? Any recommendations (places to see, scenic routes etc)? I've already spent a lot of time in south-east Asia, so I'm not so that's why I'm not too fussed about going to the far south of the province.

 

Disclaimer up front: I don't cycle long distances and don't know about bike routes. 

 

If you want to explore the west of Yunnan, consider Tengchong 腾冲。Everybody and his brother goes to Dali. Tengchong is much less discovered, if that is a feature which has appeal. Do a search about Heshun, which is a jewel in the crown. 腾冲和顺古镇。Going there from Kunming would probably take you through Chuxiong 楚雄, which has some Yizu 彝族 minority features, interesting landforms (Yuanmo Earth Forest 渊默土林) and even a series of dinosaur valleys 恐龙谷。

 

Shilin 石林 is east of Kunming. It's not really on the way to anywhere. Can, however, be combined with a visit to the Jiuxiang caves 九乡风景区。

 

Jianshui is real attractive. One of my favorite places. And from there Tuanshan 团山 is an easy side trip. Yuanyang 元阳 is accessible, but it's over lots of mountains. 

 

Some of the staff who produce the GoKunming weekly newsletter are avid cyclists. Might be able to get some help  or advice there. https://www.gokunming.com/en/ I've also seen blogs discussing rides connecting some of these places, but don't recall any names right now except "crazy guy on a bike." http://www.crazyguyonabike.com/ 

 

Hope you have a great trip!

[StChris]

Thanks 889, that was pretty much my understanding of the Tibet situation too. Unless I get some kind of positive indication while on the road, I will probably just stick to my original plan and head west to Chengdu.

 

The Chinese people I spoke to who had already made the trip said I definitely don't need a tent and that there is accommodation everywhere. Maybe they stayed with the locals and it wasn't such a big deal to lodge a Chinese person as it would be a foreigner. Cycling in this part of China seems to becoming more and more popular among young Chinese, so hopefully there will b some lodging options which won't get anyone into trouble. If not, then I guess I'll just have to buy a tent.

 

Those passes do sound pretty scary. I've never gotten altitude sickness before, so I'm not worried about that, but the climb up....well, at least going down is going to be a lot of fun. 

 

Thanks abcdefg. I did look into going to western Yunnan, but the problem is that it seems to be a dead end, meaning I would have to back-track. That said, it does sound really interesting and I do have plenty of time, so I could just cycle there and then get a bus back to Dali to continue my journey up north.

 

I think I'll save 石林 as a day trip from Kunming (on a bus).

 

I've been a fan of crazyguyonabike for a while now and have read a few blogs there, but I'll check out GoKunming as well.

 

Thanks again everyone. I think I have a pretty good rough plan of what I'm doing now. If I manage to survive the 5,000m+  passes, then I'll come back later with a few photos. 

[889]

Presumably you know the life-saving advice if you start developing any signs of altitude sickness: turn back and head downhill without delay.

 

No problems in the past is no guaranty of no problems in the future. Among trekkers in Nepal, it's often the young and fit who get into trouble because they can move up the trail fast but fail to recognise the need to adjust to the altitude.