I was in Dali last weekend, on Cangshan Azaleas and Rhododenros have blossomed already, really beautiful!

I have a spare mattress and I am trying to sell it, it's second hand, but it's a spare mattress and we haven't used it much, only a few times when we had guests. It's comfortable! PM for more details!

in Dali, rent a bicycle and cycle along Erhai lake. You can visit Xizhou and other small villages on a day trip, orcycle around the whole lake in 2 days, spending a night on the north shore around Shuanglang (which used to be very interesting but has become a bit of a tourist trap - still the scenery around is great!). Go up the city walls for nice views. avoid the Pagodas, and maybe check out some of the markets nearby.

In Lijiang, get up early to see the Old Town and then explore villages in the surrounding countryside. Halfway between Dali and Lijiang is Shaxi, a quiet small village worth a visit especially on Fridays when a weekly market is held.

Yuanyang is worth a visit, but a long bus ride to get there. Stay in a guesthouse in Duoyishu village. Stop in Jianshui, it's halfway between Kunming and Yuanyang

I think every single hotel has to have its own permit, even if it is part of a chain. I was in Chengdu 2 years ago, and we tried to stay at one HomeInn Rujia hotel, but they told me they couldn't have foreign guests, and gave me the address of another HomeInn hotel which had the permit.

@amnesia, right if you can't catch the 12.30 bus you can take one to Jianshui (from south bus station) or to Gejiu (from east bus station). Both run frequently. And then change to a bus to Xinjie. Would be great to know about the trip from there to Jinghong, please share updates about it when u come back!