Hello loveyunnan,

I've spent so much time searching but I am now still so confused about the itinerary to visit Dongchuan Red Earth. 

As you have the experience with this, pls help to advise me the following:

1.  How many days do we need in minimum to cover all the best points there (DaMaKan, GaiLiangXiaoTian, GaiShuiXiaoTian, HongTuDi, JinXiuGarden, YuePuOu, XianTangDi)?

2.  What is the best route to cover all the above?  Can we walk or we have to charter a van to visit those points?

Thank you so much for your help :).

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Hi, Bonong,

I was there last Oct. and would like to share sth with you.

1. It takes minimum 2 days to cover all the best points. But don't miss Luoxia Gou (means "sunglow valley"), which I think is the best but not in your list. Even few Chinese photographers knew this point.

Fyi, photos taken at Luoxia Gou around 4pm http://www.lonelydancer.com/gallery/main.php?g2_itemId=406,

 http://www.lonelydancer.com/gallery/main.php?g2_itemId=409

2.  Definitely you need to rent a car or van to get you around. I remember it's around RMB250 per day from sunrise to sunset last year. The rate now should still be the same as last year. Chundong Lvshe itself has a van for rent and the driver is the owner's son.

Usually the route starts from Damakan in the early morning and ends in Luoxia Gou after sunset. But you may just stay at the hostel between 10am to 3pm to avoid the strong sunlight. 

We made it as Damakan--Qicai Po--Jinxiu Yuan(JinXiuGarden)--Yuepu Ao--Dushu(Lonely tree)--Luoxia Gou last year. Morning  is the best time for shooting most points but you can't cover all of them in just one morning. If you rent the hostel's van, I guess the driver knows the route very well.

By the way, for accomodation, I paid RMB80 per day to Chundong Lvshe for a std. room and 3 meals per day. The food is so so but there are hardly any other choices there.

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Thanks Netmouse a lot for your reply :). This can be more useful for me if I have the address of this hostel.
Is there anyone kindly help me to do a Google search in Chinese and give me the address?

Thank you in advance for any help :).

Rgds,
Huong

hi, Bonong

The full Chinese address of "春冬旅社" is:

云南省 昆明市 东川区 新田乡 花沟村 花石头社 春冬旅社 (110路碑)

Zhang Kaiquan, The boss of 春冬旅社 is the most famous people in Hongtudi. so u can just say u want go to "Zhang kaiquan's hostel (110 KM road marker)  张开权家的旅馆, 春冬旅社 (110路碑) ", all the bus driver & local peolpe know that.

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@  Netmouse :  Thank you very very much indeed for your kind help :).  Surely I can find this hostel with your detailed instructions.

By the way, I would like to do a circle trip Kunming-Shilin-Jiuxiang, but I don't know if there is any buses from Shilin to Jiuxiang or I have to come back to Kunming and go to Jiuxiang later. 

In case there is no buses between Shilin and Jiuxiang, how much does it cost for a chartered van between those 2 places?

Hope to hear from you.  Thank you :).

Jiuxiang (九乡) is on the half way between Kunming (昆明) and Shilin (石林) , so I recommend you make the route as Kunming-->Jiuxiang-->Shilin.

Since there is no direct Kunming-Jiuxiang bus, you can take the Kunming-Shilin tour bus and get off at Yiliang ( 宜良) (or take the Kunming-Yiliang local bus), then change to a minibus to Jiuxiang, which takes about 1 hour to arrive. Minibuses to Shilin are available In Jiuxiang.

Netmouse: Great!  Thank you, I will follow your instructions :).  I plan to fly to Kunming in the morning, then take the bus to Yiliang, then Jiuxiang.  After visiting Jiuxiang, I will transfer to Shilin and stay overnight in Shilin town.  The next day, I will visit Shilin, then come back to Kunming, to take the sleeper bus to Lijiang.

However, I have now wondering the below two:

1.  Where can I leave our heavy luggage before visiting Jiuxiang?  Maybe there is luggage storage service in Kunming train station but it's normally within 1 day, so is 2 days possible? I don't stay overnight in Kunming, but can I find any hostels providing the storage service there?  Or anywhere in Yiliang or Jiuxiang?

2.  Are there regular buses from Jiuxiang (or Yiliang?) to Shilin?  How often are they? And do they depart from the bus station or from some hotels in Yiliang as recommended at http://www.muztagh.com/forum/post-5594.html ?

Thank you once again for your kind help :).  Hope to hear from you.

hi, Bonong

1.If Kunming train or bus station can't provide overnight luggage storage service, you can leave your luggage in "Kunming Camellia Youth Hostel  (昆明茶花国际青年旅舍)" (in downtown,tel: 0086(871)-3163000, website: http://www.yhachina.com/ls.php?id=84 ), I just called KCYH and confirmed that they provide luggage storage service for non-guests at the rate of Y10 per luggage per day.

2. I checked with Jiuxiang Scenic Area Management Office and they advised the Jiuxiang-Shilin mini buses are operated by private companies, not sure whether regular or not. But as far as I know, private buses usually leave when full.

The alternative is back to Yiliang and take a bus to Shilin. The Yiliang-Shilin buses run more frequently from Yiliang bus station.

Sorry for my late reply, I didn't realise new messages until now  .

@Amy: I just sent you my plan to your hotmail inbox.  Hope you can join us  .

@Salma:  thank you so much for your detailed instructions.  Your pictures are so impressive too.  I have only 1.5 days for Red Earth, maybe we will miss some locations, but surely spend time for Luoxiagou as your instructions. 

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hi Bonong,

so sorry, i just saw yr questions but i guess Salma had answered them all. i was there in '05, arrived at Chundong late afternoon, took Mr Zhang's vehicle to catch the sunset and then he got his friend to drive us around the next day starting before dawn till sunset for RMB200 to all the spots for photography at the best times (according to him). We left the day after. You can check with Mr Zhang for the best arrangements for the spots to go  to according to yr time available. It would be good if you can join Amy who speaks Chinese :)

Btw, Mr Zhang's place can be over booked during the weekends and peak seasons like in Nov - Feb. We called to reserve a room with bath but we only managed to get one without and that was after someone happened to check out when we arrive.  We heard some even had to camp in the courtyard when they are really full. We paid 20yuan then in Nov 05 for the room and meals were between 10-15 yuan each. Maybe they have upgraded by now. :)

Wishing you a great time at the red earth,

loveyunnan

Hello loveyunnan,

So regret that Amy cannot join us, due to timing difference in our plans  .

I would like to call Mr Zhang to reserve the room, could you please kindly give me his telephone number.

I have some Chinese friends, they can help me to communicate with Mr Zhang in Chinese  .

Thank you for your info, and hope to hear from you.

Cheers,

Bonong

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Dear loveyunnan,

You are really sooooooo kind  .  Your info helps me a lot.  I will try to stay at Chundong Lushe, where I can charter a van from Mr Zhang.  If it's fully booked, the other guesthouses seem to be equally good replacements.

So excited to think about my trip in October.  This is my third trip to China, a very beautiful country with warm-hearted people   .

Wishing you a good trip and beautiful weather in Oct. I'll be in china then too , going on the yunnan-overland- tibet  trip and i really pray for good weather.