Looking for some tips on getting to Kunming from Diqing on a less beaten path. Arriving the Aug 6th in the morning and then hanging around xiang ge li la for 1-2 days and hoping to be in Kunming by the 12th. After Kunming I'll be working my way towards Beihai, so all advice is welcome. Thanks!

P.S. Any cool places I can visit outside of Kunming by Subway?

If you are looking for stops in between Xianggelila and Kunming, I would recommend Baishuitai. It has nice mineral terraces and a walk in the forest above the town is breathtakingly beautiful. Since it's mushroom season the locals may take you up picking. You can climb 1000m from there, it's pristine Himalayan pine forest. From there you can continue to Tiger Leaping Gorge via Haba, and either get the ferry across the river or hike the gorge backwards (maybe even for free).

Past there, check out Shibaoshan. To get there, just get any bus headed toward Dali or Kunming from the western end of TLG, then jump off at the turnoff to Jianchuan. You want to get a bus down Jianchuan way, get a room in Jianchuan, then walk up to Shibaoshan yourself the next day. It's a fair walk but definitely doable return. Alternatively, stay in Shaxi and do it from there.

You could also look at visiting Jizushan northeast of Dali's Erhai lake, or even Chenghai or Lugu Lake (after a boat across from TLG's eastern end), instead of going to Shibaoshan.

Between any of those places and Kunming is Chuxiong, which is also a great place to be in mushroom season, and has a dinosaur theme park based on its fossil vein as well.

There are only 2 roads to choose from so I dont really know what you are looking for. If you want more specific routes you must be specific about how you will be travelling.

The main question I have is how will you be travelling? If you have your own car or bike you can choose some other roads but if you go by bus you have no choice other than where the buses go.

There are only 2 subway lines in operation and they do NOT go outside of the city. Kunming includes 5 districts - Wu Hua, Pan Long, Xi Shan, Guandu and Cheng Gong.

Since you will stay 2 days in Shan Gri La, you only have 4 days left to get to Kunming. I am sure you will stop at Lijiang and Dali - can go by bus or train. Plenty of stuff to entertain you in both places.

Tiger Leaping Gorge is really a waste of time and money - much better places to go than there.

Campo is technically right, Chenggong is indeed part of Kunming, but it's a bit different than the inner parts of the city. However, I don't find it very interesting.

"Tiger Leaping Gorge is really a waste of time and money - much better places to go than there."

Have you walked it Campo? The two days trek. Hard to believe anyone would think its waste of time and money that has walked it. Checking it with a car or bus - like Chinese do - is certainly a different thing.

The guy has 4 days to get from Shan Gri La to Kunming - I dont think he is going to go on a 2 day trek of the gorge. That is something done by people who have more time and know the area. Anyone who does this trek also needs to be familiar with where the places are along the way to get food and sleep unless he is going to go camping and has a sleeping bag or tent.

Before I give any advice, I ask questions as I did in an earlier post. I do not assume! I would never advise anyone who is new to this area to go on a 2 day trek alone during rainy season, especially in such a desolate area.

Woklikeme still has not replied to my earlier post so I do not know how he will be getting around - He certainly can NOT make this trek on a bus.

Yea, sure, in the schedule of "woklikeme" who started the thread.

Years ago, everyone was talking about Tiger leaping gorge, so, me, I decided not to go there and it sounded somehow lame when the lonelyplaneteers hyped about it. Until years later I had to go there on a mission. Worth it. Fokin loved it. If case is similar with you, you should check it out.

So not to let the thread go too much astray, the opinion from over here is Tiger leaping can be good choce if theres enough time.

90% of the people who visit TLG do so from either the Lijiang side or the Diqing side - they take the bus - look and take some pictures. Very few do the trek.

Since I have visited most of the out of the out of the way places in Yunnan, I am quite familiar with TLG - been on both sides - Lijiang and Diqing.

So put it on your itinerary, Campo. The two days walk. It can be done with mules too, and its fokin wonderful to sway on a mule there, lookin down the ravine listening to yangtze roam and looking up at the gothic spires of Jade dragon mt. This is like the essence of Yunnan, presented in a comfortable way.

Before they build the bridge and motorway there. At least, thats what Yangguiqing - the owner of Tea horse g.h. - said last autumn that they are planning to do. Something like the longest tunnel and bridge in Yunnan, through the canyon, whatever it was. After that its no point anymore, if you cant hear Yangtze roam or da birds singin da song.