Oct 16, 2009 - Shangri-La

What can I say about Shangri-la? It was our destination after hiking Tiger Leaping Gorge and we were looking forward to spending a couple of days there.What can I say about Shangri-la? It was our destination after hiking Tiger Leaping Gorge and we were looking forward to spending a couple of days there....

May 1, 2009 - Zhongdian....aka Shangri-la

01/05/09 - 03/05/09 We really weren't sure what we'd find in Shangri-la.01/05/09 - 03/05/09 We really weren't sure what we'd find in Shangri-la....

Sep 30, 2007 - From Gorges to Meadows to Monastries: entering Shangri-la

We've left the chaos of Lijiang and have headed for the hills (or rather, more aptly termed mountains in this part of the world!). For our those hydrologists back at work, the gorge's stat's are: Average Flow - 7800 m3/sec Depth Height of gorge - 3900m Drop level of water - 213m Average depth of water - 40m From Tiger Leaping Gorge we continued up into the Himalyan foothills ending up at Shangri-la (Zhongdian). ... We've spent the last 3 days here aclimatzing to the higher altitude of 3,200m before we head on up towards the Mingyon Glacier near Deqin.We've left the chaos of Lijiang and have headed for the hills (or rather, more aptly termed mountains in this part of the world!). For our those hydrologists back at work, the gorge's stat's are: Average Flow - 7800 m3/sec Depth Height of gorge - 3900m Drop level of water - 213m Average depth of water - 40m From Tiger Leaping Gorge we continued up into the Himalyan foothills ending up at Shangri-la (Zhongdian). ... We've spent the last 3 days here aclimatzing to the higher altitude of 3,200m before we head on up towards the Mingyon Glacier near Deqin....

Sep 6, 2007 - A side-trip to Zhongdian (Shangri-La)......

Disappointed at the news on the grapevine about Tiger Leaping Gorge, we set out for Zhongdian and keep abreast of the situation on the Gorge. ... Zhongdian has done a great marketing job on itself - local officals changed the towns name to Shangri-La after some writer wrote a book of the same name here, and bingo! tourists now clock to claim they have been to Shangri-La. ... Zhongdian old town is worth a day-trip with its cobbled streets and Tibetan feel, and after a 4 hour bus journey, Claire and I take a hike around the old town and visit its monastery. ...

Oct 15, 2006 - Zhongdian - alias Shangri La

If you've ever seen the movie, Lost Horizon (copies of the book can be found at book exchanges everywhere), this place doesn't quite resemble the legend but is still beautiful and serene.we returned to Zhongdian and moved over to Wanden's. ... Tim,, Elke and Klaus (Austrians we met in Deqin), John and Tamzin (we met at Noah's Cafe in Zhongdian. ...

Sep 4, 2006 - Tiger Leaping Gorge

In Dali, I met up with a number of other solo travelers all headed in the same direction.In Dali, I met up with a number of other solo travelers all headed in the same direction....

Aug 11, 2006 - Le Yunnan, une petite introduction a notre regrette Tibet.

Nous nous infiltrons au YUNNAN par sa capitale KUNMING, perchee a 1900 m d'altitude.Nous nous infiltrons au YUNNAN par sa capitale KUNMING, perchee a 1900 m d'altitude....

Jul 31, 2006 - Zhongdian...

I arrived in Zhongdian after a bit of a sobering and painful journey there. ... I got overcharged on the bus I was on.I arrived in Zhongdian after a bit of a sobering and painful journey there. ... I got overcharged on the bus I was on....

Jul 28, 2006 - Bust a move

Okay, so I finally made it out of the overcrowded-with-umbrella-toting-Chinese-package-tourists town of Lijiang, and to the very nondescript (some would say "bland") town of Zhongdian. ... Though to be fair, there is a lovely "Old Town" to Zhongdian, albeit a replica old town built in the pst five years to replace the actual old town that was razed to make way for the nondescript bathroom tile buildings that China seems to prefer. ... Anyway, I had PLANNED (a very sketchy concept with me) to leave four days ago, but I kinda met this really cute umbrella-toting-Chinese-tourist the night before I was to depart, and well, one thing led to another, and.Okay, so I finally made it out of the overcrowded-with-umbrella-toting-Chinese-package-tourists town of Lijiang, and to the very nondescript (some would say "bland") town of Zhongdian. ... Though to be fair, there is a lovely "Old Town" to Zhongdian, albeit a replica old town built in the pst five years to replace the actual old town that was razed to make way for the nondescript bathroom tile buildings that China seems to prefer. ... Anyway, I had PLANNED (a very sketchy concept with me) to leave four days ago, but I kinda met this really cute umbrella-toting-Chinese-tourist the night before I was to depart, and well, one thing led to another, and....

Jul 27, 2006 - Zhongdian (Shangri-La)

Still Nancy for now, we got lucky once again and joined another tourist in a taxi that took us all the way to Zhongdian from Tinas guest house so we did not have to deal with buses which was fantastic and not all that much more expensive, good to not lose our relaxed state just yet. ... The ride through the mountains to Zhongdian was stunning again, and once you hit the plateau on which Zhongdian sits, you can see much more of the Tibetan lifestyle already, the houses are huge and beautiful, even the ones recently built look very old. ... Tony back -- Just to say, we really loved Zhongdian, which the Chinese now call Shangri-La. ... And Zhongdian has been our favourite of the old towns of Yunnan. ... Our only other flight was to get across the Indian Ocean to Bangkok, but this does take out a seven day journey over the Himalayas (and the chances of altitude sickness), and the only other way out of Zhongdian is to go all the ...

Jun 1, 2006 - Zhongdian - Tibetan Festival

Planned on going to Chengdu, but heard about a Tibetan festival in Zhongdian, so a detour was in order. ... The highlight of Zhongdian is the Ganden Sumtseling Gompa, a huge Tibetan monastery, built a a tiny Potala Palce. ... Located a few kilometers north of town it's easily reached by local bus (#3).Planned on going to Chengdu, but heard about a Tibetan festival in Zhongdian, so a detour was in order. ... The highlight of Zhongdian is the Ganden Sumtseling Gompa, a huge Tibetan monastery, built a a tiny Potala Palce. ... Located a few kilometers north of town it's easily reached by local bus (#3)....

Jun 1, 2006 - Zhongdian - Tibetan Festival

Planned on going to Chengdu, but heard about a Tibetan festival in Zhongdian, so a detour was in order. ... The highlight of Zhongdian is the Ganden Sumtseling Gompa, a huge Tibetan monastery, built a a tiny Potala Palce. ... Located a few kilometers north of town it's easily reached by local bus (#3).Planned on going to Chengdu, but heard about a Tibetan festival in Zhongdian, so a detour was in order. ... The highlight of Zhongdian is the Ganden Sumtseling Gompa, a huge Tibetan monastery, built a a tiny Potala Palce. ... Located a few kilometers north of town it's easily reached by local bus (#3)....