16Day Yunnan-Laos Mekong Speed Boat Cruise

1. Altitude Sickness:

Yunnan is a mountainous Province with high elevation. Sometimes people maybe suffer from the altitude sickness, you should drink much water,walk slowly and have much more rest. The elevations of Yunnan are as follows: Kunming(1895M),Dali(1976M),Lijiang(2416M),Shangrila(3280M).

2. Ethnic Folk Customs:

Please respect the local ethnic culture when you visit China. There are 55 ethnic minorities in China, you can find 52 of them in Yunnan Province. In this tour, you will experience Bai, Yi, Naxi, Tibetan,Mosuo minorities. You can learn more information about them from "Yunnan Ethnic Minorities".

3. Service Tipping
Giving a tip to someone who serves is a token of gratitude for a job well done.For the person who provides the service, their tip is often a large part of their income.Therefore, it is assumed they will do their best job to get the best tip possible.Unfortunately service tends to fall short quite often and then servers become insulted when the tip does not measure up to their expectations.

As the time flies to 21 century, tipping is no longer illegal in China since 1980s. Tipping for tour guides and drivers in recognition of their good service has become a common practice. Hotel bellboys and house keepers expect your tips as well. It is not customary to leave tips at hotel or local restaurants as the bill usually includes 10-15% service charge. 

.Yunnan Adventure Travel does not include tipping in our quotation as tipping is a personal matter. If you don't know what the proper amount for tipping would be, the following standard is for your reference:

•If you are traveling in a small party like 2 to 5 members, We suggest approximately US $8 to US $10 /per guest per day as tips for tour guide and US $4 to US $6 for the driver and about US $2 to US $3 for hotel bellboys as a gratitude for their service.

For example, if 2 of you are traveling together and will stay in Beijing for 3 nights, the tip from both of you may be from US$48 to US$60 for the tour guide, US$24 to US$36 for the driver. But, for active tours like hiking, biking, rafting, we suggest you double the tipping.

•If you are traveling in a party like 6 to 9 members, We suggest US $6 to US $8 /per guest per day as tips for the tour guide and US $3 to US $5 for the driver and about US $1 to US $2 for hotel bellboys as a gratitude for their service.

•If you are traveling in a group with more than 10 people, We suggest US $3 to US $5 /per guest per day as tips for the tour guide and US $2 to US $3 for the driver and about US $3 to US $5 for hotel bellboys as a gratitude for their service.

The above is for your reference only, again tipping is a personal matter, you can always adjust the amount based on your satisfaction with the service you get from your tour guides, drivers, bellboys and so on.

4. Weather and Climate:

Yunnan is very nice to travel all the year around. From Kunmin to Shangri-La, you will experience different climate from 1900 to 3400meters above the sea level.

5.Tips for Photography fans
The unique high attitude, exotic culture, highland landscapes and friendly people in Tibet and Yunnan offer perfect photo oppotunities to all those foreign tourists. Here are some helpful tips for travelers with a hope of photography.

Take necessary technical precautions to protect your camera in case of extreme temperatures due to the harsh climate. It's a good idea to take enough film and batteries. Photographing in monasteries is generally allowed; however taking pictures inside the chapels is forbidden or usually charged at extremely high rates to prevent photography. However, Drepung Monastery allows inside photography and charges no fee.

Respect the person you invite to take picture and avoid to disturb them. If it is necessary, you can send them some tiny presents, which is much better than giving them money.If there are some avaricious guys asking you for money when you take pictures in public places. You can refuse to pay money strictly. To take pictures in the hall of the monastery, do remember to ask the lama or monks for permit.

About the meals by Yunnan Adventure Travel

We Yunnan Adventure Travel will do our best to provide our clients with well-arranged dinners when traveling. We do hope you can enjoy Chinese delicacies during the tour.

If you have any specific dietary requirements (vegetarian, vegan, food allergies) please inform us on the inquiry form so that we can provide advance notice about any special accommodations that may be necessary for you. If you are a food lover, Yunnan Adventure can be your culinary guide and provide you the opportunity to savor tempting local food and world-famous dishes.

Most meals are included as specified in the itinerary. Meal codes are: B=Breakfast, L=Lunch, D=Dinner.

Breakfast - Each breakfast will be served in your hotel. Breakfast selections include both Chinese and Western dishes to meet every diner's taste.

Lunch - Lunches are normally arranged at the Chinese restaurants near the scenic spots. Your tour guides will order food according to your appetite. Most are Chinese dishes, and some are modified to fit westerners' tastes. A complimentary glass of beer or soft drink is served with lunch.

Dinner - Same as lunch. If you prefer to not eat Chinese food, China Odyssey Tours suggests you have dinner on your own. Your local tour guide can recommend some good western restaurants in the area.

Some Question and Answers about Meals in China:

Are the meals shown in the itinerary pre-arranged or could we make our own orders when we sit down at the table?

Answer: To guarantee the hygiene and quality, most of the meals are pre-arranged in the government approved restaurants, which are all set-menu meals. You can not make your own orders at this point. We also arrange a la carte meals in some restaurants, which have been inspected by the management of our company. If you have special requirements for meals, please inform us before the tour starts so we can make relevant arrangements.

What kind of meals will be available on tour?

Answer: All breakfasts are served at your hotel with western style buffet including fruits, cold and hot cereals, Chinese dim sum etc. Lunch and dinner are usually Chinese food. Each lunch and dinner will be offered with two cups of soft drink free of charge.

Do you provide vegetarian (including no chicken or seafood) meals?

Answer: Yes, we do provide vegetarian meals if required. We always respect the clients' dietetic habits and try our best to cater to their needs. But we would like to explain that if you are not on a private tour, you will have to share the vegetarian dishes with other members of the group.

Do we share large tables with other people?

Answer: If you are on a private tour, you will have your own table, but if you join in a group tour you will have to share a large table with other members of your group.

Can I arrange my own meals rather than the pre-arranged restaurants in the tours?

Answer: Yes, you can but we do not suggest you do so.

Firstly the restaurants we arrange are all approved by the national tourism administration or local tourism bureau and therefore are reliable in terms of hygiene and quality. Secondly, we arrange good restaurants located the closest to the place you will visit, that is to say, we will save time spent in transit and allow you the maximum time to enjoy your sightseeing as well as your meal. If you prefer to find a restaurant yourselves, you might not be able to find a reliable one with good quality because you are not familiar with local area. You might also sacrifice valuable eating and sightseeing time searching for a restaurant.

What are the suggestions for dinners that are not included in the program?

Answer: Besides some unique meals, like roast duck, we leave almost all dinners to discover for yourselves. You do not need to worry, however, about where or what to have for dinner. In each city, there are good things to eat and you only need to ask for suggestions from your local guide. Please always remember to choose a restaurant respected for its hygiene and quality.

China is a country of good food and there are eight main cuisines. Make sure to try some of these typical dishes when you have time.

Can you give us an idea of how much Chinese Yuan we will need for meals during our tour? Do they accept credit cards?

Answer: The meal price depends on the grade of the restaurant you choose and the dishes you order. Credit cards are only accepted in large hotels. In most of the restaurants in China, Chinese Yuan is more popular. In order to avoid embarrassment, we advise you to ask whether credit card is accepted before making an order.

Our food and menu in Yunnan

We do arrange the featured Chinese food and local Yunnan food  as well as the local ethnic food and snack. Please click the Yunnan Restaurant and Food to get the menu.

Transfer and Transport Service
Yunnan Adventure has received wide recognition for its transfer service. We provide different vans with good aircondition and skilled driver according the number of clients. With our on-time service, you will never feel alone while traveling through China. We work hard to live up to the slogan's promise "You are not alone in China".

With our private small group tours, you can feel safe in the knowledge that you will enjoy flexible tour arrangements and you will have your own tour guide, car and driver in each destination, exclusive to your own group of friends or family. The driver is very skilled and familiar with street in every city as well as excellent service to the clients. You will feel you are at home with our guide and driver.

Our Luxury Car for Families
Yunnan Adventure use only modern air-conditioned luxury cars, vans and small buses on all tours. The comfort and safety of our customers is of utmost importance, so we ensure that all of the vehicles that we use are well-maintained and always very clean.
Groups of 1-2 persons: 5 seats car
Groups of 3-5 persons: 11seats van
Groups of 6-10 persons: 19seats van
Groups of 11-20 persons: 35seats van

Black Taxis and Vans
Probably the first scam you will face begins at the airport or train station with the black taxi drivers - people with unlicensed vehicles that will offer to take you to your destination. Anyone with a Western face will almost certainly be approached by someone coming up to you and saying Taxi! - do not even talk to these people. At the train station, follow the Taxi signs outside to find a line of legal taxis, and make sure that they start the meter when you begin your journey.

At the airport, directly outside of the arrival terminal you will find a line of legal taxis to take for the 30-45 minute trip into the city of Beijing. If you have any doubt as to whether it is a legal taxi or not, check the license plate on the back of the taxi. Around some hotels, airports, bus stations, railway station, you will find some drivers can speak a little English and let you take their cars with lower price, because they  use the "Black Cars"（黑车） in Chinese. Do not take these cheap cars, they do not buy any insurance for the illeagle vans and not get the certificate of tourist van from the goverment, especially you can not get a good service from them.