3-Day Tour | Shangri-La and Shaxi Ancient Town

"Aruna is from Horqin Right Middle Banner, Inner Mongolia. She travels by motorcycle, runs a roadside coffee stand, and bakes in her own restaurant. She is a free-spirited, kind, passionate, innocent, and independent girl. When you see her working, she is full of energy and focus, which is very contagious to others. Guests call her "Aruna, the one who can do it all". She drives a white camper van. Main activities: making and baking bagels, camping, creek hikes, and easy hikes in Cangshan, Eryuan Village, and Huoshan. She speaks Mongolian and English."

"Everyone knows Shangri-La, but few seem to actually go there. The car takes you to a completely newly built town, and apart from the attractions and temples, you can't get to Shangri-La from there."

The soul of Tibet is in the grasslands. The beauty of the grasslands cannot be felt by walking through them. Walking into the grasslands, feeling the golden dusk, the starry night, the misty morning, the beautiful sunrise, seeing the horses walking or running freely, and the cattle and sheep grazing leisurely, it will be a wonderful journey. This camping trip is our own experience that we want to share with you. "

Shangri-La has Dukezong, Shaxi has Yujin Bridge, each has its own beauty. But in addition, if you go deep into the life outside the scenic area, you will encounter more moving scenery.

spring

summer

autumn

winter

This trip is for three days and two nights, with two people per trip and a maximum of three people per vehicle. You will visit scenic spots, but not for long; the focus is on local herder areas and villages. You will go to local markets to buy ingredients and even cook your own meals. It feels like traveling with friends on a comfortable, slow-paced trip.

24.12.15/16 Records:

On the riverside of the pasture, women carried baskets and shoveled cow dung to prepare fuel for the winter. The frost flowers sparkled in the sun. Our activities followed the yaks, from camping in the pasture in the summer to cooking over the fire in the winter. We participated more in Their Daily life.

In the early morning, the windows of Tashi's house were covered with a layer of mist. Ajie had already lit the stove, and the house was filled with warm steam. It was more than ten degrees below zero outside, and the yaks had gone out to graze. There were still a few calves in the pen, playing and waiting for the sun to rise. Ajie prepared butter tea and tsampa, and in case we were not used to it, he also made eggs and flower rolls. Minmin smiled and said gently in not very fluent Chinese: "Eat slowly." Then she wrapped her headscarf and covered her face: "I'm going out to chop wood."

For breakfast, we have butter tea and tsampa.

Shaxi Zidan, like Ajie, collected a lot of firewood for us. He is from Guangdong and moved to Shaxi to open a homestay. The homestay is the last house on the mountain. There is a secluded path behind it. In the early morning, you can see the smoke from the kitchen in the valley. His yard is very large. When he is not going down the mountain, he eats the vegetables he grows. He piles up wet garbage to make organic fertilizer. Everyone wants to have their own vegetable garden, but few can be completely self-sufficient. Most people just pull weeds and give up. But his small yard is clean and tidy.

We had an unforgettable time here last time

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journey:

Day 1:
10:00 Depart from Dali to Dukezong, Shangri-La.
14:00 Tibetan lunch - visit the old town and the Big Buddha Temple.
16:30 Go to the local market to buy ingredients.
18:00 Have dinner at Ajie’s house in Xiaozhongdian.
19:00 Dinner (yak beef hotpot bought at the market).

Dukezong Ancient Town and prayer flags under the sun
Yak skulls and tails hang in the market.

the next day:
9:00 Finish breakfast.
12:00 Enjoy a homemade lunch with coffee by the river.
Visit Moon Lake (Jade Dragon Snow Mountain can be seen from the ranch).
15:00 Depart for Shaxi.
17:30 Visit Shaxi Ancient Town and have dinner.
18:30 Arrive at Bullet’s home in Jingshuhe Village and stay overnight.

In the pastoral area, Bullet's home and the Jade Dragon Snow Mountain in the distance.

Day 3:
9:00 Have breakfast.
10:30 Take a walk in the village.
12:30 Lunch.
14:00 Return to Dali.
16:30 The trip ends.

Morning, on the second floor of Bullet's house.

November is the season when persimmons ripen in Shaxi.

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Activity fee includes:
Three days of travel expenses (fuel and highway tolls).
Day 1: Lunch, dinner and accommodation.
the next day: Breakfast, lunch, dinner and accommodation.
Day 3: Breakfast and lunch.

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stay:
Each standard room can accommodate 2 people. It is also possible to stay in a separate room at an additional cost. The accommodation is simple but clean and equipped with electric blankets.

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FOOD:
We choose cheaper local restaurants or small restaurants, where the average consumption per person is about 40-50 yuan. These are places we often go to.