Xishuangbanna, China

China is a huge country, is basically the fourth largest land area after Russia, Canada and US.  Nearly each region offers completely different landscape, cuisine and culture although they are under the same country rule.  And it is nearly impossible to cover the whole country in one trip unless you stay there for a year or so.  

This China trip of mine is the tiniest of the tiniest.  It covers only the small bit of the southern most of China.  The trip consists of only 4 days 3 nights in Xishuangbanna (Yunna region).  The closest city from Thailand by land.  Not only their location but I found that their culture, their Buddhist temple style and some of their food is pretty similar to Thailand. 

From Thailand, we need to cross the border through the North of Lao DPR.  The driving journey took about 6 hours.  The first stop was Jinghong city in Xishuangbanna, we stayed 2 nights in here.  By the way, we booked the private tour from Thailand, which much convenient and comfortable.   

Chiang Khong in Chiang Rai, Thailand - The border to go to Lao

Private tour van

This place only for toilet stop to break the driving journey in Lao and to observe the restaurant that selling road-kill meat.  Yes, road-kill!!!  Therefore, the animal or the meat served could be vary day by day depending on the availability.   And the type of animal could be just an ordinary kind or some are too exotic and extravagant for a person like me, but not for the local apparently.

WARNING. A LITTLE TOO GRAPHIC FOR SOME. BELOW!!!!!!

Of course, we didn't eat anything from that restaurant.  It will be too extreme unless you are very adventurous.  We stopped at the proper restaurant for most of the tourists.  They served traditional Lao cuisine set, such as Lao style papaya salad, larb and oklam.

Another 2 hours drive approximately from the border area to Jinghong.  So we arrived there in the late afternoon.  And went straight to have dinner in the traditional village next to the night market.

Xishuangbanna traditional table and chairs

The food overall were good.  But I totally loved this sweet deep-fried Chinese bun and dip it into condensed milk as always.

After dinner, we briefly strolled around the night market.  Quite a few things to see with a beautiful temple on the background.  There are lots of barbecue  stuffs but we were too full after the big inner so we had to give it a miss.

Starway Hotel Xishuangbanna
4 Menghai Road, Jinghong City (Poshui Plaza)

Stay tuned for the next blog still in Xishuangbanna:
Things To Do In Xishuangbanna