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AhPek Biker - Riding Adventures
Laos & China 2025
Day 11: Pu'er City To Kunming
Laos-China 2025 Day 11: 14th December (Sunday)
This is page 11 of a 12-page blog. Click Here To Go To Title Page.
< D10: Pu'er 02 | Go to Other Days | D12: Kunming 02 >
< D10: Pu'er 02 | Go to Other Days | D12: Kunming 02 >
Route recommendations, here are some tips on travelling to and around Laos:
1. Traffic Directions!
China, is left-hand drive, and vehicles drive on the right side of the road. So do bear this in mind when crossing the road OR when sitting at the front passenger seat. I made this mistake several times and boarded the car at the driver's side with the driver giving me a surprised look 😂.
We flew AirAsia from KLIA Terminal 2 to Vientiane's Wattay International Airport; buying tickets earlier to get cheaper fares. Considering the potential difficulties with luggage storage during the later train journey in Laos, we also packed light (20kg checked-in luggage for two people). Together with carry-on luggage, we each had 17kg per person. Fare was MYR407 per pax.
We booked our train tickets from Vang Vieng to Luang Prabang to Xishuangbanna through the LCR App. For the Luang Prabang to Xishuangbanna leg, electronic train tickets need to be changed to physical paper tickets at the Luang Prabang Train Station (at a counter of the ticketing office, so arrive earlier to do this).
We booked our train tickets from Vang Vieng to Luang Prabang to Xishuangbanna through the LCR App. For the Luang Prabang to Xishuangbanna leg, electronic train tickets need to be changed to physical paper tickets at the Luang Prabang Train Station (at a counter of the ticketing office, so arrive earlier to do this).
3. Getting from town to town in China.
For China, getting between major cities is easy using the China HSR trains (for us, it's from Pu'er City to Kunming). Tickets can be booked via www.12306.cn OR Trip.com; electronic tickets need to be changed to physical paper tickets.
We took the 9:30am Kunming to Pu’er HSR Train #C382 from Pu'er HSR Station to the Kunming North HSR Station; tickets were bought through the www.12306.cn at RMB170 (ie MYR100) per pax. It's a 400km-plus train ride that takes just over four hours. At Kunming we walked to and around the places of interest.
For China, getting between major cities is easy using the China HSR trains (for us, it's from Pu'er City to Kunming). Tickets can be booked via www.12306.cn OR Trip.com; electronic tickets need to be changed to physical paper tickets.
We took the 9:30am Kunming to Pu’er HSR Train #C382 from Pu'er HSR Station to the Kunming North HSR Station; tickets were bought through the www.12306.cn at RMB170 (ie MYR100) per pax. It's a 400km-plus train ride that takes just over four hours. At Kunming we walked to and around the places of interest.
For travel between cities not served by the trains, we pre-booked a private driver contacted through WeChat - from Jinghong, Xishuangbanna to Jingmai Mountain (Wengji Village & Nougan Village) to Pu'er City).
4. Getting around towns and cities in China.
In China, install the Didi ride-hailing app, which is extremely convenient to use, especially in major cities, and English can be selected as the preferred language. Just type in the destinations in English, and a list comes out for selection. There is a need to bind the app to a credit/debit card. Rides are relatively cheap, as most riders use e-vehicles.
In China, install the Didi ride-hailing app, which is extremely convenient to use, especially in major cities, and English can be selected as the preferred language. Just type in the destinations in English, and a list comes out for selection. There is a need to bind the app to a credit/debit card. Rides are relatively cheap, as most riders use e-vehicles.
Note: Touch 'n Go e-Wallet doesn't seem to work in Laos. It works well in China and Thailand.
5. Immigration & Customs Requirements
For China, Malaysians can enter, exit, or transit the country without a visa for up to 30 days per visit, with a maximum cumulative stay of 90 days within any 180 days. Permitted purposes include tourism, business, family visits, exchanges, private affairs, medical treatment, and international transportation (such as airline crew duties). The travel passport must be valid throughout the whole period of stay or 180 days from the day of first entry.
Click here for China visa-free policy for other countries, and here for China Visa application.
Click here for the China China Arrival Card for phones. Do note some scams regarding these online forms. OR one can alternatively fill in paper forms, which are available at the train stations or during the flight.
Click here for China visa-free policy for other countries, and here for China Visa application.
Click here for the China China Arrival Card for phones. Do note some scams regarding these online forms. OR one can alternatively fill in paper forms, which are available at the train stations or during the flight.
6. Places & Things of Interests
Enroute were several places of interest, some of which we visited and others we did not for lack of time (Note: click on GPS coordinates for a directional map to respective places):
a. Chama Ancient City Travel Town (茶马古城旅游小镇) (GPS: 22.81965, 100.98833) at Pu'er City.
b. Pu'er HSR Station (GPS: 22.775580, 100.942500) at Pu'er City.
c. Kunming North HSR Station (GPS: 25.01492, 102.72159).
b. Pu'er HSR Station (GPS: 22.775580, 100.942500) at Pu'er City.
c. Kunming North HSR Station (GPS: 25.01492, 102.72159).
d. Kunming Railway Station North Square (昆明站北广场) (GPS: 25.01666, 102.72169).
e. Bread Works (河潭铺糕点) (GPS: 25.04246, 102.72218) at Panlong District, Kunming.
f. Elephant Bush Art Tianyuan Building (GPS: 25.04233, 102.71933) at Panlong District, Kunming.
e. Bread Works (河潭铺糕点) (GPS: 25.04246, 102.72218) at Panlong District, Kunming.
f. Elephant Bush Art Tianyuan Building (GPS: 25.04233, 102.71933) at Panlong District, Kunming.
h. Nanping Pedestrian Street (昆明市五华区步行街) (GPS: 25.03749, 102.71355) Wuhua District, Kunming.
i. Art Gallery at Century Square (GPS: 25.03762, 102.71257), Wuhua District, Kunming.
i. Art Gallery at Century Square (GPS: 25.03762, 102.71257), Wuhua District, Kunming.
j. Yunnan Flower Biscuits (Xianhua Bing) from Jiahua Flower Cake Shop (GPS: 25.03688, 102.71144) Wuhua District, Kunming.
l. Kunming Old Street (昆明老街) (GPS: 25.03857, 102.70927).
7. Food
a. Breakfast
b. Lunch
Noodles with confit chicken & liver at Yung Xi'an Tu Jimi Xian (哆哆客汉堡烤鸡) (GPS: 25.04292, 102.72334) at Panlong District, Kunming.
c.Tea-time
Coffee with take-away pastry (from Bread Works) at Cappa Joy Café (GPS: 25.037694, 102.711639) in Century Square (GPS: 25.03762, 102.71257) Wuhua District, Kunming.
Coffee with take-away pastry (from Bread Works) at Cappa Joy Café (GPS: 25.037694, 102.711639) in Century Square (GPS: 25.03762, 102.71257) Wuhua District, Kunming.
d. Dinner
At Yunan Eggplant Cha Cha Restaurant (Qie Zi Qia Qia) (宜良烤鸭饭店) (GPS: 25.0409, 102.71362):
1. Yiliang Roast Duck (Whole Crispy Skin Spring Duck), 2. Golden Tofu Chicken Soup, 3. Hot and Sour Eggplant, 4. Braised Sea Bass, 5. Fragrant Rice & 6. Pu'er Tea on the house.
1. Yiliang Roast Duck (Whole Crispy Skin Spring Duck), 2. Golden Tofu Chicken Soup, 3. Hot and Sour Eggplant, 4. Braised Sea Bass, 5. Fragrant Rice & 6. Pu'er Tea on the house.
8. Accommodations
One night at Kunming Moore Hotel (GPS: 25.04291, 102.72222) in Panlong District, Kunming. Two 2-pax rooms for one night at RM213.54 (No Breakfast) booked via Trip.com.
9. Communicating with Each Other
Before we left, we purchased online the Happy China Sim Card and got the 8-Day 8GB and 16GB cards for RM25.29 and RM40.03 respectively. The cards were only inserted when we entered China.
For China domestic flights, international flights from China, and connecting flights with China legs, only China 3C-certified power banks with a capacity of no more than 20,000 mAh are allowed. They must be taken out of the cabin luggage space and placed in the seat pockets. The power banks have to be switched off and cannot be used during the flight. Click here for more power-bank restrictions. Alternatively, it would be a good idea to rent a power bank in China.
For China domestic flights, international flights from China, and connecting flights with China legs, only China 3C-certified power banks with a capacity of no more than 20,000 mAh are allowed. They must be taken out of the cabin luggage space and placed in the seat pockets. The power banks have to be switched off and cannot be used during the flight. Click here for more power-bank restrictions. Alternatively, it would be a good idea to rent a power bank in China.
10. Communicating with Locals
Except for those in the travel industry, in China, most locals speak Mandarin, or the local Yunnan languages, like Dai, Naxi, Yi, and Bai, etc. To get by, it will be good to speak some basic Mandarin.
One can also use Google Translate or Papago (delivers higher accuracy and better pronunciation for East Asian content like Korean, Japanese, and Chinese).
10. Weather
The average day in Pu'er City was 21°C. The average day and night temperatures in Kunming were 17°C and 6°C.
A useful weather forecast site for China is AccuWeather. For more detailed weather, including cloud cover and wind speed, use Weatherspark and Ventusky.
11. Navigation
Geo-tagging of places of interest was via FaceBook or Google Maps.
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PRELUDE
Yesterday, we had a full day at Pu'er City, exploring remnants of the Ancient Tea Horse Road, at Chama Ancient City, and later visited another of its ancient towns at Nakeli Village.
Today, we leave Pu'er City and head north, taking a China HSR Train to Kunming, for half a day of exploring the new and old parts of the city.
Today, we leave Pu'er City and head north, taking a China HSR Train to Kunming, for half a day of exploring the new and old parts of the city.
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DAY 11: PU'ER CITY TO KUNMING
(Click here for the Laos-China Day 11: Pu'er City to Kunming Route Map. The route plotted is by road, not train).
Most of the posts below are linked to my Facebook postings during the trip and are embedded here with some comments. (NOTE: Click on respective posts to link to the FB post to read more details. If you can't see the posts, please log out of your Facebook first. FB has recently changed its approach, and as such, all relevant links are now inserted in the comments.)
Good morning.
Getting ready to leave Nanling Inn to head for Pu'er HSR Station. Taking China HSR Train #C382 Pu'er to Kunming.
8:00am - On a Didi ride-hailing car, enroute to Pu'er HSR Station along the Chacheng Boulevard. The ride will take us just twenty-five minutes with a fare of MYR9-75 for the four of us. Ride-hailing here in China is much cheaper because most drivers use e-vehicles.
At Pu'er HSR Station, we got our physical paper tickets. Need to show passports. All bags need to be screened by security.
At the train station convenience shop, getting last-minute food to eat on the train, Chinese Instant Noodles, snacks, etc.
At the huge waiting hall on the first floor of Pu'er HSR Station.
Passengers need to be here at least fifteen minutes before the train's
departure.
9:30am - On board China HSR Train #C382 on Coach 6 from Pu'er City to Kunming.
9:30am - On board China HSR Train #C382 on Coach 6 from Pu'er City to Kunming.
Morning weather is misty, transit stop at Ning Er Station.
Almost at our destination, passing by Jinning District. Train speed 134 km/h.
Transit stop at Kunmingnan (Kunming South Station). The next station is Kunming North HSR Station, the last station on this line, our stop.
Almost at our destination, passing by Jinning District. Train speed 134 km/h.
Transit stop at Kunmingnan (Kunming South Station). The next station is Kunming North HSR Station, the last station on this line, our stop.
Arrived at Kunming North HSR Station. Taking our iconic HSR Train photo!
Trying to get it as similar to the photo we took with the Indonesian Whoosh HSR Train at the Padalarang Station during our 2024 Indonesia Tour.
This station is quite big, fortunately, directional signboards are in English too.
The signs directed us to the Kunming Railway Station North Square, from there we hailed a Didi ride to Moore Hotel, our stay in Panlong District, downtown Kunming. The 22km ride cost just MYR6-41.
1:15pm - Arrived at our hotel in Moore Hotel (also known as Hotel Moi/Seven Days Inn).
1:15pm - Arrived at our hotel in Moore Hotel (also known as Hotel Moi/Seven Days Inn).
Our room #405 wss very cozy with a separate section for the bathroom and W.C. Most importantly, it did not smell of cigarettes like our rooms at Nanling Inn in Pu'er City.
2:15pm - Lunch of noodles with confit chicken & liver at the nearby (walking distance) Yung Xi'an Tu Jimi Xian. The chicken, although a bit oily, was good, and so was the liver.
Bought some preserved fruits from an old lady's mobile roadside stall at Renmin East Road. She was photo-shy as she was operating without a license.
2:15pm - Lunch of noodles with confit chicken & liver at the nearby (walking distance) Yung Xi'an Tu Jimi Xian. The chicken, although a bit oily, was good, and so was the liver.
Bought some preserved fruits from an old lady's mobile roadside stall at Renmin East Road. She was photo-shy as she was operating without a license.
Just across the road was Bread Works Bakery .....
..... where we bought Caramel & Milk Skin Croissant (which was actually cronuts).
As we walked along, we saw several interesting things, starting with these green bush sculptures at Tianyuan Building. The cutest was the baby elephant.
Then, this Qinghuaxiang Preserve Fruit Stall.
A walk along the Panlong Jiang, with a beautiful riverside view. The pedestrian walkway was easy to walk on, and the river was very clean, reflecting the adjacent buildings and sky beautifully. At some stretches, lanterns hang over the river; they would be a sight to see at night! One can take a beautiful night cruise along the river too.
From river calm to city chaos!
At Qingnian Road (青年路), motorbike traffic on the bike lane was crazily heavy, often overflowing onto the pedestrian lanes. We had to walk carefully and watch out for them!
Happiness for the girls - along the way were several shops.
This one was having a clearance sale for semi-precious stone bracelets. Buy, buy BUY!
And this Qianlixoang shop was having a sale of nuts, with a big pack for going for RMB5.
Around the corner was this stately, bright red tea house. Short of time, we did not go in for a tea-drinking session.
4:30pm - At our first destination, Nanping Pedestrian Street.
"Combining some folk art statues to promote the historical and cultural charm of Kunming, the street is a combination of tradition and modernity. While the old Nanping Street was known as the “Wall Street” in Kunming, today’s Nanping Shopping Street is praised as a busy shopping area. Walking along this street, visitors will have a feel of the mixture of Kunming’s history, culture, and present innovation."
Looking for restrooms, we went into Century Square, where there was an interesting art exhibition being held at the first floor exhibition hall.
Happiness for the girls - along the way were several shops.
This one was having a clearance sale for semi-precious stone bracelets. Buy, buy BUY!
And this Qianlixoang shop was having a sale of nuts, with a big pack for going for RMB5.
Around the corner was this stately, bright red tea house. Short of time, we did not go in for a tea-drinking session.
4:30pm - At our first destination, Nanping Pedestrian Street.
"Combining some folk art statues to promote the historical and cultural charm of Kunming, the street is a combination of tradition and modernity. While the old Nanping Street was known as the “Wall Street” in Kunming, today’s Nanping Shopping Street is praised as a busy shopping area. Walking along this street, visitors will have a feel of the mixture of Kunming’s history, culture, and present innovation."
Looking for restrooms, we went into Century Square, where there was an interesting art exhibition being held at the first floor exhibition hall.
Since we were here already, we might as well have good coffee together with our takeaway pastry at Cappa Joy Cafe while admiring the artwork.
Back at Nanping Pedestrian Street, more street art!
With huge elephant heads and a monkey hanging from a building facade, bronze statues of locals from contemporary days, brightly lit floral decor, and even a beautifully lit giant peacock!
With huge elephant heads and a monkey hanging from a building facade, bronze statues of locals from contemporary days, brightly lit floral decor, and even a beautifully lit giant peacock!
Buying Yunnan Flower Biscuits (Xianhua Bing) to take home for friends, at Jiahua Flower Cake Shop.
At Lining, window shopping for sportswear. The Lining chain of shops was founded by Olympic gymnast Li Ning in 1989, and has now thousands of outlets contributing to its multi-billion yuan business.
Trying to look Benetton Cool 😏😂🤣🤠😎
Pass?
By the way, the really cool-looking lady next to me is Li Qin, a renowned Chinese model and actress.
Health products shopping at Yunnan Baiyao Health Store. We were looking for the Chinese Bao Fu Ling miracle
cream for healing burns and scalds. But they don't have it here.
More pastry from Just Hot Bread, tis' one with a joyful Christmas Spirit.
Zhengyi Road, the food street of Kunming.
1. Yiliang Roast Duck (Whole Crispy Skin Spring Duck), 2. Golden Tofu Chicken Soup, 3. Hot and Sour Eggplant, 4. Braised Sea Bass, 5. Fragrant Rice & 6. Pu'er Tea on the house.
We highly recommend the Yiliang Roast Duck, with it crispy skin and tender, tasty meat, a bite into it and one would feel like breaking into a Cha-cha-cha dance!
漫长而充实的一天。
meaning "A long but fruitful day.")
(For more photos of Day 11, Click Here)
This is page 11 of a 12-page blog. Click Here To Go To Title Page.
< D10: Pu'er 02 | Go to Other Days | D12: Kunming 02 >
< D10: Pu'er 02 | Go to Other Days | D12: Kunming 02 >
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