by Geoff Paul

Created on: December 03, 2010

Yunnan has it all: tropical rain forests, snow capped peaks, ethnic cultures, historical monuments, gorgeous scenery, delicious food. The only surprise is that it is not a more popular travel destination.

The reason for this lies with its relative remoteness. Up until the 1950s, much of the province was only accessible by mule train, and the whole of China was basically closed to outsiders during the Cultural Revolution. Even after that, certain parts were off limits to foreigners and after they opened up in the 1980s, they were still hard to get to. All that has changed in the new China. Every prefecture now has an airport, railways have been extended, and motorways built by teams of labourers even along the sides of mountain gorges. Furthermore, the province itself is easily reached by air from anywhere in China and from major cities such as Singapore, Hong Kong and Bangkok. New routes open each year: you can now fly in from Myanmar, Bangladesh and Vietnam.

Now is the best time to take a trip to Yunnan: it is easy to reach but not yet totally commercialised. The starting point will be Kunming, the capital city of around four million people. Not far from Kunming is the Stone Forest, a spectacular karst formation, resembling thousands of giant trees emerging from the ground. This is an outstanding feature of the geography, well worth a visit.

Down in the south of the province is Jinghong, the main city of Xishuangbanna prefecture. It enjoys a hot and humid climate all year round; rubber and tea plantations abound, mangoes and bananas, even avocadoes are sold in the markets. There are still elephants in the jungles too. The local Dai minority people live in thatched bamboo houses on stilts, and celebrate the Water Splashing Festival roughly every April.

At the other extreme is Shangri-la, a Tibetan town up in the foothills of the Himalayas. The name was changed from Zhongdian to attract tourists, who come in increasing numbers each year to sample yak butter tea, spin prayer wheels and visit monasteries. In short, this is a way to experience Tibet without the complications of actually travelling to Lhasa. Outside the town, you can stroll through lush pasturelands where yaks graze, and examine the huge thick-walled Tibetan houses.

In-between these two highlights are two other places not to be missed. Lijiang old town is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and home to the Naxi people, whom some believe to have had a matriarchal society. Wander the winding stream-lined

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