Exploring a driving trip to Shangri La, 香格里拉 - Yunnan China

[SVIT]

Hi all,

 

Back in Sep 2009, AA Singapore organised a 23 days driving trip into Li Jiang, Yunan.

 

I'm starting this thread to guage the interest level from like minded drivers here, looking to explore the possibility of driving our car into Yunan, China..

 

We will go slightly further than AAS...We will head into Kunming, to Li Jiang and into Shangri La..

 

Lijiang : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lijiang,_Yunnan

 

Shangri La : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zhongdian

 

You may ask, why Shangri La ? haha.. simply becos i been to both Li Jiang and Shangri La twice - i am familiar enough to bring fellow participants to the various place of interests..

 

How many days do we need ? and how much is the cost ? It probably going to take 3 weeks.. AAS took 23 days - we could skipped some of the places in Bangkok, Laos..

 

and the cost ? For the trip by AAS in 2009, each AA member has to pay $4,488 and there is a registration fee per car of $1,208... surely we dont need that much if we to plan the trip ourself.. I know in Li Jiang and Shangri La - lodging cost is only between S$20 to $30 for a decent, clean enough room.. as such, i dont think each person will have to come out with $4k plus for the trip.. .

 

I know there will be alot of hurdles/problems/issues infront of us for planning such a trip. However, like AAS's slogan then -its a "Drive of a Lifetime!".

 

if we could gather sufficient interests, we could make this driving trip a reality..

 

 

 

Below is the itinerary of AAS Drive of a Lifetime! Auto venture to China in 2009

 

There is a blog that document the trip :

 

http://journeyofgreatdiscovery.wordpress.com/

 

Happy reading

 

---------------------

 

Drive of a Lifetime!

Auto-Venture

[SVIT]

How far is the distance you may ask ?

 

From

Singapore to Bangkok : 1,816km

Bangkok to Kunming : 1,807km

Kunming to Li Jiang : 491km

Li Jiang to Shangri La : 168km

 

One way : 4,282km

two way : 8,564km

 

From Bangkok, there is a highway that link Bangkok to Kunming, Yunan. Its called the Kunming Bangkok expressway

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kunming%E2%80...gkok_Expressway

 

It starts at Kunming, the capital of Yunnan province in southwest China, and ends in Bangkok, the capital of Thailand. Totaling 1 thousand 807 kilometers in length, it traverses China, Laos and Thailand.

 

It stretches south from Kunming to Xiaomengyang （小勐养）and across the Lao border at Mohan（磨憨）, then through the jungle and highlands in Laos before entering Thailand at Chiang Khong. The Kunming-Bangkok expressway has been open to traffic since March 2008. Travel time between the two cities is now just 20 hours.

 

 

[SVIT]

here's some infos i gathered with regards to driving permit..

 

http://www.asiaone.com/print/Motoring/Driv...607-220711.html

 

 

-----------------------------------

 

Permits needed

 

No special permits are needed if you are driving from Singapore through Malaysia to Thailand.

 

Sign up for a Carnet de Passages en Douane (CPD) if you are planning to use a Singapore-registered car to travel farther than Thailand.

 

It saves the hassle of applying for temporary car importation documents at the border of each country and additional fees or guarantees.

 

You have to put down a returnable deposit of about 200 per cent of the market value of the car.

 

The CPD is valid for one year and is needed in most of Africa, Asia, the Middle East, Oceania, South America and certain countries in Europe.

 

You also need an International Driving Permit (IDP), which is valid for one year from the date of issue. For details, go to www.aas.com.sg.

 

A special vehicle permit is needed if you are driving into China, which is not covered by the CPD.

 

To apply for it, you need:

 

- a road itinerary in China, including entry and exit travel dates

 

- copies of your passport and international driving permits

 

- four passport-sized photos - photos of the car on all four sides

 

- photocopy of car documents, including engine numbers and plate numbers

 

What you will be given:

 

- a Chinese guide who will escort you throughout your journey and assist with entry and exit procedures

 

- a temporary Chinese driver's licence and licence plate

 

- insurance

 

- car inspection

 

The permit costs up to US$120 (S$168) a day. Apply at least two months before intended date of entry into China. Go to www.cits.net or e-mail support-en @cits.com.cn for details.

 

---------------------------------------------------

 

with sufficient interests, we could probably seek advise from AAS, or other related organisation on way to circumvent the costly car permits

 

 

[KaKiLang]

This trip is very tight, like traveling every day for 300 - 500 kms in the day and check in hotel, wash up, lunch or dinner like not much time at all.

 

First timer will never catch up with this kind of pace.

Edited July 25, 2011 by KaKiLang

[Dwoon]

Yah... puts the joy off a drive holiday if its just drive, drive & more driving everyday.

 

I would consider myself one that enjoys driving.... but when it becomes monotonous and a rush..... it really gets boring and becomes more of a chore to get from one rest stop to the next. Maybe going there is exciting..... then the return leg sibeh sian and even more tiring.

 

For such a trip of close to 9K kms overall ...... I'll personally prefer like 6 weeks of more manageable driving + holidaying experience. (Roughly 1.5K kms a week which might equate to 2 or 3 stop-overs locations and even this is quite strenous already)

 

 

[MG_Myvi]

Sound interesting thou kinda tough. My main worry is my car can tahan or not....lol

 

See my nick and will know what I m driving.

 

[The_Bear]

> 100 meters, Turn left into Anderson Road.

> Turn Left

> Go straight for 300 meters

> Slight Left, continue straight

> 200 meters, turn right into Orange Grove Road.

> Turn Right

> Right turn in 150 meters

> Turn Right

> You have arrive at the destination

Edited July 26, 2011 by Bavarian

[SVIT]

hihih...

 

yes...ideally we could have longer periods to spread off visiting the various places in each countries..

 

however, considering the limited amount of time-off each participants can afford to take, there will be a need to prioritize the amount of time to spend on each place and deciding on place to be dropped along the journey.

 

we can use the itinerary of AAS trip into China as a basis to plan on this driving trip.

 

cheers

[Sky_vinz]

I'm interested. Can you share with us the rough total cost etc? Thanks!

 

Limited to SUVs as well?

Edited July 26, 2011 by Sky_vinz

[SVIT]

Sound interesting thou kinda tough. My main worry is my car can tahan or not....lol

 

See my nick and will know what I m driving.

 

 

hihi.. i can't be sure if my own car can tahan the whole trip too..

 

im driving a 5 year old suzuki vitara..the whole trip will be around 9,000km.

 

but looking back at the every 10k km servicing that i did, there wasnt any problems inbetween those servicing period..

 

so maybe it can tahan this 9,000km drive..

 

 

[SVIT]

I'm interested. Can you share with us the rough total cost etc? Thanks!

 

Limited to SUVs as well?

 

 

hihi.

 

i have not come up with a detailed plan & costing yet..

 

however, just a rough guage, using the cost that i had incurred during last trip to Li Jiang & Shangri La in April 2011

 

if we take away the cost of airfares plus transportation cost and include only lodging + place of interest & entertainment, for the leg in LiJiang & Shangri La , it will probably come up to around SGD 300....

 

take a look at the below itineary for my last trip there...you will have a clearer pictures of what we can do in Li Jiang & Shangri La....

 

as to the final cost : it will have to include the various cost to be incurred in Malaysia, Thailand & Laos... petrols, lodging, foods, tolls, permits etc.

 

i guess the biggest hurdles will be finding the way to circumvent the various issues with regards to gaining the driving permits into China...

 

i know we still in a very preliminary stage of this project... if we could just garner sufficient interest, it can be a reality.. we could just be the first convoy from Singapore to drive into Shangri La, Yunan...

 

btw, Banyan Tree has a resort in Shangri La Yunnan too :

 

http://www.banyantree.com/en/ringha/lodges/ringha_lodge

 

and on my last trip there, we happened to chance upon a Singaporean who has been staying in Shangri La for the last 10 years.. He operate a restaurant there..Shangri La, Yunnan is surely no ulu place to be..

 

 

----------------------------------------------------------------------

 

the below cost is on a per pax basis.

 

Airticket - China Eastern S$701.00

 

Day 1

 

1 包车 - 机场往丽江 - RMB 60 for 4 pax - RMB 15 SGD 3.00 per pax

 

2 柔软时光客栈 - RMB 35 SGD 7.00 per pax

 

2 Single beds - RMB 70

 

 

 

Day 2

 

1 丽江古城维护费 - RMB 80 SGD 16.00

 

2 玉龙雪山进山费 - RMB 105 SGD 21.00

 

3 印象丽江 - RMB 190 SGD 38.00

 

4 蓝月谷 - RMB 50 SGD 10.00

 

5 玉水寨 - RMB 50 SGD 10.00

 

6 包车 - RMB 150 for 4 pax - RMB 37.5 SGD 7.50

 

7 柔软时光客栈 - RMB 35 SGD 7.00

 

2 Single beds - RMB 70

 

 

 

Day 3

 

1 木府 - RMB 60 SGD 12.00

 

2 狮子山公园 - 万古楼 - RMB 15 SGD 3.00

 

3 黑龙谭公园 - foc

 

4 丽水金沙 - RMB 160 SGD 32.00

 

5 柔软时光客栈 - RMB 35 SGD 7.00

 

2 Single beds - RMB 70

 

 

 

Day 4

 

1 丽江往中甸包车 - RMB 600 for 4 pax RMB 150 SGD 30.00

 

2 虎跳峡 - RMB 50 SGD 10.00

 

3 昆仑商务酒店 - RMB 40 SGD 8.00

 

2 Single beds - RMB 80

 

 

 

Day 5

 

1 普达措国家公园 - RMB 190 SGD 38.00

 

2 碧塔海景区观光船票 - RMB 50 SGD 10.00

 

3 松赞林寺 - RMB 85 SGD 17.00

 

4 包车 - RMB 180 for 4 pax RMB 45 SGD 9

 

5 国际青年路旅馆 RMB 50 SGD 10

 

2 Single beds - RMB 100

 

 

 

Day 6

 

1 龟山公园 - foc

 

2 古城 - foc

 

3 回丽江车票 - RMB 40 SGD 8

 

4 宣家大院客栈 - RMB 50 SGD 10

 

2 Single beds - RMB 100

 

 

 

Day 7

 

1 包车 - 丽江往机场 - RMB 60 for 4 pax - RMB 15 SGD 3

 

 

 

Total SGD $1,027.50

 

Updated as at : 13.5.2011

Edited July 26, 2011 by SVIT

[Kdk]

Hi Svit

Thanks for all the infor sofar,

i am likely to be visiting Yunan in Aug and those infor are useful.

Almost went with AAS to Yunan but driving kakis plan Huahin so we ended up in huahin on a 9D8N road trip last year.

If enough interest i would surely like to join in this one.keep in touch.

[SVIT]

Hi Svit

Thanks for all the infor sofar,

i am likely to be visiting Yunan in Aug and those infor are useful.

Almost went with AAS to Yunan but driving kakis plan Huahin so we ended up in huahin on a 9D8N road trip last year.

If enough interest i would surely like to join in this one.keep in touch.

 

Ur very welcome.

 

Do stay in a 客栈 in the 古城. Wonderful experience. There is a 木头人客栈 runned by a singaporean - but it's around 25 mins walk from the 四方街。I stayed there during my first visit but decided to use a 客栈nearer to the 四方街 on my second trip.

 

Go for the 印象丽江 performance. Directed by 张乙谋。Don't ever miss that. Worth every single cents.

 

I was there in April this year n dec 2010.

 

狮子山公园 is the place to see the whole view of 丽江古城。 there are benches n tables around. Order some 羊肉串 n glasses of 酶酒。enjoy the scenic view of 古城 in a 20 plus degree temperature.

Edited July 27, 2011 by SVIT

[Berncsp76]

Great info TS...seems interesting but as most of us here we wonder if our workhorse can tahan the distance?

 

Was thinking another alternative to it was lengthen the stays in between for more sightseeing, and at the end of the Shangri La trip and ship back the vehicles thus saving the driver's hassle? total trip would then be cut at least 40-50%?

 

Wah see the AA charge I straightaway for 4k plus might can buy many many air tickets and entrance fees to the stated itenararies liao...

Edited July 27, 2011 by Berncsp76

[Adrianli]

Me interested but not driving a SUV. I am also concerned with this :

 

You have to put down a returnable deposit of about 200 per cent of the market value of the car.

 

I have no cash for that.

[MG_Myvi]

It seems like a rich men thingy...no offense. But still a fun one. I have heard my client drove up to Hanoi....but Shangri La...I really can salute.

[MG_Myvi]

Great info TS...seems interesting but as most of us here we wonder if our workhorse can tahan the distance?

 

Was thinking another alternative to it was lengthen the stays in between for more sightseeing, and at the end of the Shangri La trip and ship back the vehicles thus saving the driver's hassle? total trip would then be cut at least 40-50%?

 

Wah see the AA charge I straightaway for 4k plus might can buy many many air tickets and entrance fees to the stated itenararies liao...

 

4k plus...if for the fun of driving...plus can afford...to some might be worth it. But with 4k plus.....can take flight plus stay nice hotel and go nice KTVs.....hehehe.....also not bad wor. Tabao somemore ....Just kidding.

Edited July 27, 2011 by MG_Myvi

[SVIT]

Me interested but not driving a SUV. I am also concerned with this :

 

You have to put down a returnable deposit of about 200 per cent of the market value of the car.

 

I have no cash for that.

 

Yes, I see that as the biggest hurdles...there must be way to circumvent such requirements ...maybe assistance from AAS, or even the ministry of foreign affairs ? Or maybe even seeking assistance from the Asia Development Bank, which is a major funder for the Kunming Bangkok expressway ?

 

for the AAS trip there in 2009, I see that most of the participant's vehicles are not SUV too...