lp for china is long. any tourist you can spot a mile. usually good for at least an ipod, often smart phone tablet laptop or even cash. backpack easy to run off with. lp got nothing to do with it. i see chinese backpackers. they are the main target in europe as they are such rich pickings and i bet it is the same in china. niave kids who would lose theri head if it werent screwed on

Anyway, one way to be pretty sure to get in trouble is to go to these Full Moon Parties, trying mushroom milkshake in Vang Vieng, Water splashing fetsival on Khao San and that stuff. Whether its No.1 thing in LP or not, thats one travel genre sort of. When you go in that "LP genre" the freak odds triple up too, and if its not a local hitting with a brick its an englishman hitting with a bottle. To be on the safe side, any dark alley in any other areas could be considered more safe. With the exception to be among drunken tibetans, or hiking in Pakistan and that stuff. And theres no safety neurosis around here, just saying that those people seem to have encounters every week, when expats around have once ever 3 years or so. The odds just seem to go up when you go along their trail.

Unlikely in Shilin.

Alien, yea, the robbing at Shilin takes place at ticket counter. In a more civilized way.

This world is full of weird people and cheaters, there's nothing new about that?
One just can't generalize that it happens in South East Asia or any other European country.
It depends on circumstances and the smartness of a Tourist.
Fortunately I had NO such problems traveling lot of places all around China for 5+ years.
Whether its sheer luck or smartness,you can decide ...!!

I'll be staying in Spring City Star Hotel Jifeng Branch, Beijing Road but will stay 1 night in Shilin Hotel. The buses from East Bus Station will stop where in Shilin ? From the bus station, are there buses to Shilin Hotel ? Similarly, are there buses from Shilin Railway Station to Shilin Hotel ? If I take taxi in Shilin to Shilin Hotel, will the taxi use the meter - I'm scared they will rip me off.
What time is the last bus to leave Shilin back to KM?

I just did the Stone Forest trip. Taxi to the east bus station 30 yuan from near Kunming railway station on Beijing Road.

The bus station has a section to the right of the ticket office building for the luxury bus direct to the stone forest bus station. It is 34 yuan each way. It took 75 minutes.

You then walk to ticket office for the stone forest by keeping your back to the bus station, walk through the parking lot, cross the road (the drop off point for the electric cars) and turn right. Walk down to the next stop, 200m, which is the pick up point for the electric cars, cross the road and go down to the ticket office. Ticket is 175. If you are over 60 show your passport and the price is 130. Purchase the electric car at the next window, 25 yuan, and it avoids the long walk at the beginning and end as well as a convenient way to get around the stone forest itself. The car stops at the museum first, stay on to go direct to the entrance

Getting back is the reverse buses are about every 30 mins until 1800. At the east bus station catch the K9, 2 yuan, and it takes you down Remin. I got off at Beijing Road and took the 2, 1yuan, to Jinjiang hotel and Kunming Railway Station.

Paul - Nice report. If you live in Yunnan long term and have family or friends who visit often like me - then you will probably have to go to the Stone Forest a few times.

I purchased the annual pass for 200 RMB and it is a good deal. Bring your passport and they give you a 1 year card. I got my money's worth because I went a few times.

Black Stone Forest is still much better than the large Stone Forest, especially if you have guests with kids because it is not as crowded and the kids can run around.

Any place in Stone Forest to store my luggage so after exiting Stone Forest, I could directly take the bus back to Kunming ? Else I'll have to take taxi/bus back to my Shilin hotel (I'm staying a night in the hotel) to collect my luggage and then take taxi/bus back to Stone Forest to take the bus back to Kunming.
Maybe the bus station in Shilin Forest has luggage storage facilities ?

Paul, there are cheaper buses to Stone Forest, right ? Like RMB27 ?
Also have U considered taking the train from Kunming Railway to Shilin costing just RMB18.50 ?