User profile: Yuanyangren

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Forums > Living in Kunming > Can pickups enter Kunming?

Thanks for the tip. I'll take a look at that car market once I'm back in Kunming. What should I look for once I get there to recognize the market? Is it open daily?

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Forums > Living in Kunming > No laowai allowed here

@Liumingke1234, I fully agree. This is exactly what I implied in my previous post but didn't directly say. I personally would never go somewhere where I didn't feel welcome.

@chris8080, where in Kundu is this club located? Near Babi or near the back?

I'm wondering if the bouncers also prevent Thai and Lao people from entering. Of course they are also foreigners, but due to their appearence could sometimes get away with being mistaken for Chinese, particularly in Yunnan province with its many ethnic minorities. Having said that, there was a case of a Thai guy who got killed in Kundu some years back and my understanding is that there is quite a bit of tension between some local Chinese clubbers in Kundu and some of the Thais that go there.

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Forums > Living in Kunming > Can pickups enter Kunming?

Thanks for that info. Didn't know that the Fortuner was available in Kunming, as I haven't seen any. The only Fortuners I've seen at all in China were in Jinghong and Lao registered. I would however be interested in purchasing one if available (even at those prices, but I will need to confirm with my company first).

I don't want a Chinese brand, only foreign brands will be considered. I believe Great Wall had a major recall of most of its vehicles in Australia recently so I wouldn't even want to trust them at this stage.

A proper 4x4 would be best, but a soft roader like the Captiva would work, only thing is I don't think they have a 4wd, only an AWD version in China, which is probably what the definition of a soft roader is.

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Forums > Travel Yunnan > Using My Chinese Card Abroad

RMB can be exchanged in most places in Laos, Cambodia and Thailand. If no other place then exchange them immediately upon arrival at the airport at your first destination. At Bangkok airport, RMB is accepted for exchange easily and readily by every moneychanger. I wouldn't bother buying USD prior to travelling to these countries, unless Cambodia is your first destination. The USD is the main currency in Cambodia, not simply a reserve currency. ATMs in Cambodia dispense only USD and all prices are quoted in USD. The local currency, Riel, is only ever used for small transactions or in the countryside and few people ever use Riel for anything costing more than about US$5. Thai Baht is accepted in western Cambodia for all transactions.

In Laos, the Thai Baht reigns supreme although the government is trying to get all merchants to accept only Kip. USD can be used in the bigger cities but it's better just to use a combination of Baht and Kip as dollars are really only accepted in tourist related businesses such as hotels, restaurants and for large purchases.

I found that while there may be moneychangers that don't change RMB in Vientiane, there are plenty that do. I think it's more of a hassle trying to purchase foreign currency within China than trying to change RMB outside of China.

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@flengs, what do you mean by being fed up with the "foreigner-local" relations? Some of them seem quite superficial, but it depends on what level the relationship is. When both parties speak at least one of the other's languages really well, then mutual understanding will increase of course, however, this is rarely the case as few foreigners can speak Lao (except for a few words maybe) and few Laotians can speak very good English.

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An interesting read. I first came to Kunming in mid-2009 and by then the changes were already made. I actually live just off xue fu lu and everytime I'm in a car or taxi (except late at night) we have to go the long way round starting on yi er yi, passing by hongshan bei lu and finally onto xue fu lu. In the reverse direction it's a straight route direct to yi er yi that takes all of 5-6 minutes outside or rush hour; in the original direction going back home it takes about double that. Good for taxi drivers (they get more money!), good for bus patronage but a little annoying for the average commuter affected by this everyday. Anyway, nothing wrong with it, it's just the way it is now - i never realized it used to be different before!

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Geezer, where did you hear this? Would be really sad if it was true. I too have thought about such a business and indeed have also considered xishuangbanna, which is one of the nicest parts of all of China. However, all things being considered, I find it much easier to set-up something in SE Asia.

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First of all, Thais are foreign tourists too if they are outside of Thailand. Anyway, nice article, I wish these people lots of success. I think it would be nice if there were more westerners (and foreigners in general) travelling in Xishuangbanna, because right now it's a world away from neighboring Laos and Vietnam. In fact, even though it's so restrictive, I find it easier to come across other travellers in Myanmar than in Xishuangbanna...why is that? I look forward to the day you can find a central backpacker district in Jinghong that looks like its equivalent in Laos filled with hundreds of western backpackers.

Reviews

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Horrible tasteless, thick-crusted "cardboard" like pizzas that are a far cry from what they should be like. Way overpriced too. Wine may be good, but why bother when the nearby Prague Cafe makes much better pizza at a more reasonable price?

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Great Mexican food and ice cream, excellent Raspberry smoothies and an overall good atmosphere. Can't do much about the low ceilings on the second floor, but the early closing time could be adjusted, after all, the nearby French Cafe closes at 1am.