Hi Folks! Feztus is organising a trip to Yunnan on 26 Feb. Please register your interest with him directly.
South West China, Yunnan 10 days Health Rejuvenation Trip
Registration/Deposit of $110 (non-refundable if self initiated cancellation) must be paid by 20 January 2009 or before registration close, whichever comes first. Maximum 20 Persons. Overland Cost: $500($110 registration included), personal expenses, opted out expenses and shopping not included. Kunming return airfare (Estimate $550) is also not included, depending on which airline and fuel tax. Those who will be getting your own mileage ticket, please arrange to arrive earlier.
Itinery:
Program
Day 1 Thurs 26 Feb
Depart Singapore at 8am. Arrive Kunming at 12pm and transfer into Sea Gulls hotel. Walk around Green Lake and watch the Siberian Sea Gulls flying around the lake. (They fly here every year in December and back to Siberia in March). Dinner at “Cross The Bridge Noodle” Restaurant. After dinner free and easy.
Day 2 Fri 27 Feb
Breakfast at hotel. Check out of hotel and proceed to Dali, transfer to 5 hours coach bus to go to Dali. Lunch on the road. Arrive Dali and transfer to ethnic Bai Guesthouse inside the old city. Walk around the Dali Old City, “The Great Walls of Yunnan”, eat and shop around “Foreigner’s Street”. Visit 2 old churches in Dali old city. The catholic church is built in the shape like an Ark, Noah’s Ark! Dinner at local ethnic Bai restaurant.
Day 3 Sat 28 Feb
Breakfast at local café. Last minute shopping at old city. After lunch, transfer to coach to go to Lijiang, 3 hours journey. Check into guesthouse and visit Lijiang Original Ancient Town. For dinner, eat Salmon grown in Lijiang and many other exotic herbal local dishes. After dinner continue to tour Lijiang Old City. You can shop for many herbal products here. Home of the ethnic Naxi folks.
Day 4 Sun 1 Mar
Breakfast at local cafe, roam around Lijiang old city and then go for Hot Spring Spa. It is more natural and has a bit of the sulphuric content. Lunch here. Those who don’t want to go for the spa can opt for going to Jade Snow Mountain a whole day trip as your own expense, rejoining group for dinner. Night free and easy.
Day 5 Mon 2 Mar
After local breakfast, check out of hotel and fly back to Kunming. Transfer to hotel. Walk around Flower Bird Street
Lunch at Chairman Mao Restaurant. Free and easy. Steamboat dinner.
Day 6 – 8, 3 to 5 Mar Tue to Thurs
Local noodle breakfast, check out and transfer to Olive Farm 3 nights Home Stay. Managed by 2 Singaporean couples who will be hosting and cooking for us. We have a Singapore certified nutritionist coming for the whole 3 days of our health rejuvenation program here. Great place for relaxation, reflection and rejuvenation! Program includes harvesting and eating fresh and nutritional vegetables grown at the farm with no pesticides, no chemicals, all natural vegetables, honey and fruits. There will be 3 short talks over the 3 mornings on Anti Aging Process With Healthy Lifestyle. Anyone who want to have half an hour of private consultation (chargeable) with him for personal dietary program therapy; Iridology can be arrange anytime during these 3 days stay with nutritionist.
On the final night we can have BBQ session on the open mountain, cold weather, gazing the millions of stars of the clear sky! We will organize some farming activities on the 10,000 olive trees farm during the 3 days stay!
The types of no pesticide vegetables grown and available on the farm are spinach, beet, radish, chards, beans, squashes, egg plant, basil, aragula, zucchini, chilies, herbs, cabbage, endives, lettuce of many varieties, cucumber, corn, broccoli, tomatoes, asparagus.
Day 9 Fri 6 Mar
After breakfast, return to Kunming city hotel. Check out Singapore’s very own “BreadTalk” in Kunming. Eat lunch at “Porridge Queen” restaurant. Free and easy. Dinner.
Day 10 Sat 7 Mar
Breakfast at nearby café. Free and easy, after lunch check out and flight return to Singapore
hi folks, this promise to be a very different type of trip, no going to the usual factories and appointed shops where the tour guide gets all the kidbacks. It will be pretty nature farms and nurseries, unique sceneries, gastronomical tastings, cool weather, good walkings, all around good health and nutritious eating lifestyle etc…
general queries can be posted here and i, or anyone will respond. personal type questions, please email me at ethniceast@gmail.com
so far we have tian soo, charles chua, pauline confirmed. the rest still considering. We will need around 10 pax with indicated interest from shc preferably by 20 January 2009 to maximise the effects, after that we will “recuit soldiers and buy horses” as the chinese will say.
Have a great new year!
Hi Terence – I must say thank you for your help in putting up this post! It looks very nice, now. I think I’m begining to understand what was the problem! After I’ve copied and pasted the lengthy text into the dialogue box, I click the “save button” too quick, and before the system has time to save all those text, I clicked “review”, too quick also. Alamak! That was why the dialogue box was blank. hHhahahhah. Thanks again for your help.
BTW Terence, are you joining us for this trip? So far, 4 confirmed going. Tickets booked already, by Feztus on TG. Thanks for your help, Fez.
Hi Jacquelin #2,
Unable to join this trip, as I would have just return from HK and TW. But, have fun. The itinery looks very attractive.
Terence Seah
Hi Jacquelin,
In your earlier post, I did expressed my keen interest in this trip this year. Due to many reasons, like company shutdown end of the year, Chinese New Year shutdown and also stranded in Chiangmai, really eat into my this yr AL, and also spoilt for choice, now that Terence has posted trip to Perth, really really have to think think very hard.
Anyway, will give this a miss.
Thank you for your posting. Very well planned holiday.
susan tan
Hi Susan!
I remembered you were very “keen to go” on this trip last year. And I was watching out for you to register your interest, but did not hear from you.
Some of my “Keen-to-go” friends also have the same situation as you: used up all their annual leave!
Anyways – I look forward to meet up with you, again, on one of the “travel group”. Take care.
Hi Jacqueline,
Very sorry as the situation is different.
Even now, I am still contemplating whether to follow SHC group to Perth in April or later part of the yr to visit my niece in Melbourne. Is still a question mark.
Anyway, yeah yeah, hope to meet you.
Wishing you and your family a
Happy, Healthy & Prosper 2009!
susan tan
hi fellow shc nature lovers, healthy food lovers, folks with an eye(or two or four) for cultural and ethnic beauties, I have no idea how to post photos here for you to see more of the places and people of yunnan. so i thought if you email me, i will email you the photos for you to see and consider regarding the coming trip.
I have at least 6 now and would love to have few more coming along.
Hi Feztus,
I just realised this post was up. Must have missed it.
Look forward to the trip.
To all Shc members,
Here is a good opportunity to travel to Kunming and Yunnan with our own English speaking guide.
The trip will be structured but flexible enough for us to absorb the atmosphere and relish the experience, unlike the usual crammed tourist itinerary of shopping in pre-arranged tourist rip-offs.
Weather will be cold to excellent or refreshing and I assume there will be a certain amount of walking and exercise. Couple this with detoxing, chemical free meals and I should expect come out of this experience refreshed, detoxed an renewed
Hi Feztus Lim / Jassmine Teo,( see last para )
I hope the registration is NOT closed yet. I am V.interested to join others and you. However, I need more details from you.
This time I can sit back and relax for the entire journey unlike being an EO for Vietnam trip for the 1st. time where a very enthusiatic airline manager, a SHC member was aggressively pushing his sale of tickets and itineraries to me when I had already done a thorough “research” where I could get the best discounts and good itineraries from other reputable travel agencies around Chinatown and Toa Payoh offering the same kind of itinerary. And to add fuel to fire with his unethical practice he NEVER give up till the last minute.
I heard a lot of Yunnan from friends and relatives and this is an excellent trip for nature lovers,—> ( It will be pretty nature farms and nurseries, unique sceneries, gastronomical tastings, cool weather, good walkings, all around good health and nutritious eating lifestyle etc… ) ya lah not just shopping,shopping.- A holiday with a great difference esp. for nature lovers.
What I like best is that in this trip we are promised of an ENGLISH speaking guide and that makes a world of difference. Often most China trips are conducted by Mandarin speaking guide and I often lost interest as he/she babbled away to the extent I got so BORED and feel asleep. ( I had not study Mandarin before in Malaysia as it was not a compulsory language unlike Bahasa Malaysia. ) and my dad being a busy man had not much time to take interest in our studies. Otherwise, I would have taken Mandarin as an optional subject.
I will not be so “handicapped” as now. I realised I lost a lot by not learning Mandarin esp. in Singapore. Even the markets/food courts/shopping centres in Vivo city etc.. are manned by mostly Chinese nationals who could hardly speak English and it can be quite frustrating when the salesperson can’t hardly communicate.
**** What is the name of the airline and the schedule of time and day departing and arriving Spore.
I prefer normal airlines if possible not budget airline as sometimes their time of departure and arriving to Spore can be way past midnight and when you reach the destination ,your eyes are still 1/2 opened and this affects the mood too. ( I heard from friends too as I had not had not tried taking budget airlines before. )
Btw, Feztus, can you pls. summarise these vital info on your main post
i) who are the SHcians confirm going ?
ii) the schedule departure and arrival dates and time ?
iii) the breakdown of the airline fare charges including
airfuel and security tax ?
Hi Jassmine Teo,
Instead of asking me to organise the North Vietnam trip, why not join Feztus , me and others in this Yunnan Shangri La paradise and be “Rejuvenated” again.
Hi Feztus,
Can you pls reply to my comment ASAP ?
Are we CONFIRMED ? going as there is NOT much time left as I need to inform my students ASAP whom I had private tuition assignments with ?
Thanks and looking forward to your comment ASAP.
Steven CHAN ( not Steven NG – another SHC member )
Hi Steven
Re. N Vietnam -didn’t ask you to organise leh, – just wondering if you had the intention to visit N Vietnam.
FYI. The info on Yunnan rejuvenation trip is comprehensive. Maybe you didn’t receive some of it. Eg The trip does not include Shangrila.
hi steven and jasmine, the trip is confirmed.
1. the airticket is $530 for no change dates on Thai airways. if you like to have the one that can change, it will be $640. It leaves on 26 feb at 8.20am on TG402 and return on 8 march TG401 around 10.30pm.
2. at the moment there are at least 7 going but only 3 are pure shc folks. I think 10 should be good number. Yes, i am still waiting for few to confirm. as long as there are seats on the flight, i will take anyone.
3. about shangrila, I didn’t include because of few reasons, but ifyou are keen to go, I am flexible to arrange, so either you extend till 10 march or forego dali or lijiang one day. It is possible to go but have a to make a few changes!
4. I will be the english speaking guide and there some singaporeans in Yunnan you will meet along the way from kunming to dali to lijiang and even shangrila. singaporeans are there.
5. For folks working around blue helmet and 2dots.com business networking and searching for products and opportunities, I can only show what are the opportunities when you are in yunnan. China has a good business opportunities for educational services, childcare centres, teaching english and family enrichments type of training and other business opportunities. Those interested should also come and check it out.
6. I am pretty flexible on the itinerary as i don’t want to disappoint any but i do have the few destinations i must go. I will accomodate changes if possible.
feztus
Hi Fez,
Can you tell uss who are currently going? Aside from Tian Soo, who else? Also interested in your other friends going, perhaps some of us here may know them, unless it’s confidential and borders on “Top Secret”
BTW do we need shoes for this trip or are sandals sufficient? Is is so cold our toes will freeze? This is a serious question. Thanks
Cheers
Hi Charles,
I am guessing that the three “pure SHC folks” that Feztus mentioned are: you, Tian Soo and I. I don’t know Fez’s other friends who are going, too.
Although it is ending of winter, I believe it is still cold for tropical folks like us. Don’t wear sandals, toes will freeze. Wear socks and comfortable walking shoes. Bring warm clothings.
Feztus,
Please correct my comments in #14, as you deemed fit. Please also let us know – should we change RMB cash here locally, and how much RMB cash to bring with us, ahgak ahgak? I’m not interested to shop for jades/gems/herbs.
And for those joining us, they may want to know that the power point outlet is 3pin socket? They may want to bring bring water heating appliance or hair dryer.
Hi Feztus,Jacqueline Han,
….. ( Don’t wear sandals, toes will freeze. ) as this trip involves a lot of outdoors to farms/nurseries etc.., I will be exposed to a lot of cold.
Mamamia ,so it is BITTERLY cold at this season.
Thanks. I will not go now but I would like to join all of you somewhere around April and pls.include Lijang ( Shangri La ).
Why ? Chang Cheng Pun, one of my ex-Vietnam companion last yr and an avid nature lover traveler also a SHC member has been to Shangri la paradise “TWICE” to take videos and scenery photography. Surely, there must be something v.good abt this place that makes him go back again.
Hi Jacqui,
Thanks for the tip. Might as well leave my sandals at home.
Do you know the temp there? PRC uses both 2 and 3 pin plugs but they are the flat type, not like ours here so you will need an adaptor for any electrical items you bring.
Are you going for the CNY lunch tomorrow? Will look out for you then.
Happy New Year to you also.
Charles
IN Yunnan , u can actually experience 4 seasons in just a day …this is what the tour guide told us when we were there few year back… In the morning , very cold, by noon it will be as hot as Singapore..evening time , nice weather ..cooling but at night is freezing and we actually went up to the snow mountain and it was snowing..
Sooooo is worst it to pay for one trip and experience 4 seasons
karen
Hi Karen T,
Thanks for the tip. Melbourne is also like that. You have to pack a pullover or worse, raincoat everytime you go out.
Anyway we will have Feztus to advise us so we should be well taken care off. This is my first trip to Yunnan, so should be quite exciting.
Don’t understand your last para tho’. Who or what are you referring to?
Karen – thank you for the brief on Yunnan climate! Yes – that’s right! that was what the travel brochure says!
Steveh – no – the weather is NOT “bitterly cold” end of Feb/early March. It was “bitterly cold” in December and January. I had used Charles Chua’s funny expression “toes will freeze” if you wear sandals. BUT – far from it! Your toes and nothing else on your body “will freeze” lah. I hate “bitter cold”, too. No worries. Pack your bags and come along! And bring your wife and sisters, too.
Hi Charles!
Thanks much. You are right about the 2 and 3 pin plug. As for the temperature end Feb, no, I do not know the actual number. I’m guessing Fez will let us know soon.
You are also right about Yunnan’s weather being similar to the Melbourne weather. We should be well prepared for the unexpected and sudden change of temperature during the day.
I’m not attending tomorrow’s gathering. I look forward to meet you soon. A Happy and Prosperous New Year to you and your family.
Charles
I mean to pay for just one trip to Yunnan and u experience 4 season.. another word , u don need to tour 4 places to experience Winter, Summer , Spring & Autumn…
I enjoyed the whole trip very much even thought we spent alot of time travelling on the bus… the scenery is so beautiful…
karen
Hi Jacqui and Karen,
Thanks for your comments. You are right, experience 4 seasons in 1 trip. Not forgetting our buying power is also increased many times. Maybe we can experience Shangrila without going to Zhong Dian.
I wish you a Happy and Prosperous Lunar New Year too, one such that you will prosper many times so you can make many trips to many interesting trips around the world.
May your dreams come true.
hey charles and jac, i will arrange a time for us to get together like one week before departure to go through some details and meet each other. anyway…
1. don’t bring slippers,sandals. no change to use. bring walking/jogging shoes. lots of walking around.
2. will need to bring warm clothings and dust them and use them this trip, but not too many. you won’t perspire at all. so can bring lesser. kunming is spring city, so it is always spring not winter. it will not be freezing cold. anyway, we can always eat more hotpots. day temperature will be around 17 to 23 deg C and night temperature will be around 15 deg C. which is alright.
3. bring a multiple socket adaptor.
4. as most of your expenses will already be paid through me, so depending on what you are shopping for, that will decide how much yuan you need to bring. credit card is only usable with banks and some big hotels. change your yuan in singapore first. but lately there are lots of counterfeit 100 yuan bills so, get your bills from the bank. if from money changer, make sure you check every piece.
steven, I don’t think i can or will do april trip/ shangrila. anway the idea of going to shangrila is always winter where you can snow ski and enjoy the cold. april, you will be playing with ice and water. better do it this trip to properly experience shangrila. you guys are the ones asking for shangrila, not me. It is not the shangrila we all have in mind. Just lots of tibetan themes, yaks and temples. april visiting shangrila is not fun. day time can be very hot.
Kunming, Dali and Lijiang will give the a good idea of Yunnan and its colorful ethnicity and cultures. I will show as we go. Very hard to explain to you on the forum.
Hi Steven, Tian Soo, Kristin and Festuz
I was in Yuman (Kunning, Dali, Lijiang and Shanglila) in Oct 08. The iteninary was quite similar. The Jade Hill excursion is excellent. The Zhiang Yumou’s Impression Lijiang was spectacular. I will be revisiting Lijiang and Kunning in Apr 09 (This time on F & E).
Tian Soo, do not give the beautiful high-altitude golf range at Lijiang a miss.
I had developed a DVD Clip on the tour. If you like I would be glad to show you using my laptop at your pre-departure gathering or at a mutually convenient time. You can reach me at chiangcp@hotmail.com.
Have a pleasant trip.
Chengpun
Hi Feztus Lim,
I will confirm in a day or two on Yunnan Tour.
Thanks for your info.
i am sure some of you have been to the golf course just outside kunming. there is indeed a great golf place in lijiang, it is good and very relaxing. the chalets are on the hillslopes and a lake in front with the course around the lake. i need to get “local member” to sign us in(cheaper) otherwise the green fee can be around 1000 plus yuans. I might have wait for you at the driving range,if we can loan the clubs.
Hi Fez –
Thank you for leading this tour! And thank you for all the information that you have provided.
Regarding your intended pre-travel meeting “one week before departure”? How about 16 Feb (mon) or 18 Feb (wed)? Tuesdays I have the laughter exercise and other errands. Or – the other travelers prefer the weekend? say 15 Feb (Sun)?
Also – pardon me for being suah-ku, I would like to check if Yunnan has easy access to internet, and mobile phone coverage. If no, it’s OK. Just need the info to let my family know I cannot be contacted during the trip.
Hi Feztus,
Thanks for your info, emails and photos attachments.
I regret to inform you that I need to go back to KL on 23/02/09 to 4/03/09 due to personal commitments.
I wish all of you had an enjoyable time “rejuvenating” yourselves.
Hi Feztus @ 29,
Amended :- Sorry, saw wrong month, I regret to inform you that I need to go back to KL and later to Penang from
23/02/09 to 8/03/09 due to personal commitments.
I will be back latest hopefully by 9/03/09.
No regrets steven. You are fine wherever you go. All will be well with you.
Thanks Feztus Lim for your well wishes.
Hope more SHCians can join all of you in this in a one in a lifetime experience and I am sure Tian Soo will be
“bubbling ” happily with joy .
He can tapped some new ideas on how to turn his organic farm into a “rejuvenating” or hydroponics farm.
Thankyou Feztus Lim for making the nec arrangements for us to be included for the trip to Yunnan. Humble request to all SHCian’s joining this tour, do help us if need be (main problem – language only) or else we will land up in the ” Lost and Found Sector “. Thanking you all in advance.
Sekaran and Gengha Dhevi
Welcome on board! Sekaran and Gengha Dhevi!
No worries! There are at least 4 Chinese speaking ppl in this tour group. Any one of us would be pleased to be “translator”! I look forward to meet you both.
On the trip, I will be your tour guide, translator, money changer, counselor, hotspring spa companion, etc., because i am also going for the trip to relax and rejuvenate myself in colorful and wonderful yunnan.
by the way, this is the last call as it is not easy to get seat now on the special ticket fare. anyway, come when you can, even if you can make it for part of the trip.
Sekaran and Gangha
Nice to hear you folks are joining us.
I am Chinese but shamefully ignorant of the Chinese language. I think Charles Chua may be worst than me. So the 4 of us will enjoy or suffer together as Singaporeans.
Thanks to all of you. We are already getting into the comfort zone in advance to our trip. Hope to meet up with all of you on the eve of our trip (25 Feb – SHC Monthly Gathering) or on a earlier date to finalise our trip. Till then bye……
Sekaran and Gengha Dhevi