Bordering on Laos, Burma, and Vietnam – and only a short boat ride from Thailand – Yunnan is one of the most ethnically diverse and geographically stunning areas of the world.
Twenty-six of China’s fifty-six ethnic minorities reside in Yunnan, and The Hutong’s Yunnan Bike Journey gives riders the opportunity to experience the variety in Chinese culture while taking a challenging, yet fun, ride through remote mountain villages and verdant tea forests.
This 385km ride takes us through Xishuangbanna, the southernmost prefecture of Yunnan Province – China’s most southwestern province. Renowned for its tropical climate and lush rainforests, the region is teeming with wildlife, rare plants, and historical and cultural significance. Xishuangbanna is the birthplace of tea cultivation, and is home to the Pu』er tea industry.
Each day, adventurers meet a different ethnicity and savor their unique specialties. The secluded villages bring new flavors, new recipes, new stories, and new friends. From the area’s most populous minority, the Dai, to the region’s most remote ethnic groups like the Jinuo or the Hani, The Hutong’s Bike Journey explores one of the last virgin lands where one can find undisturbed but welcoming cultures.
With us, you'll ring in a New Year unlike any other - in one of Xishuangbanna's beautiful mountain villages, under an endless night sky.
Our 2020 Winter Yunnan Bike Journey will run from Saturday December 26th to Sunday January 3rd.Travel day - December 26
Arrive in Jinghong
We will organize pick-ups upon arrival and a hearty local welcome dinner for the group, where we'll get acquainted and get ready for the journey ahead.
Day 1 - December 27
Jinghong - Manzhang Village - 48km
A quick bike fit and exploratory ride around Jinghong before taking off past rubber plantations and over the hills and towards Manzhang Village. Here we will learn to make Dai cuisine, experience Dai Village life and enjoy a bonfire as we wrap up our first day on the road!
Day 2 - December 28
Manzhang Village - Kunge - Jinuo Mountain - 60km
We start our day biking from Manzhang village, passing Kunge and continuing towrads Jinuo mountain ( total distance 60km). We'll pass tropical of Kunge Mountain area, biking through fields of dragon fruit, Chinese dates and rice paddies. We will finish the day with a traditional Jinuo style dinner.
Day 3 - December 29
Jinuo Mountain - Menglun Village - 45km
Today, we will begin with a visit to a tea plantation on Jinuo mountain where we will get a chance to make our own pu』er tea cakes, and sample different types of pu』er tea. An early lunch, then back on the road as we continue cycling past tea plantations and through a tropical rain forest. Our destination today will be the Dai village of Menglun, where we will stay with local families and experience Dai Minority life!
Day 4 - December 30
Menglun Village - Ganlanba - 45km
Today will be a more relaxing day, with a shorter distance and less hills. Stopping for a quick temple visit and another Dai style 『peacock』 lunch, we will reach Ganlanba in the early afternoon, check into our hotel, rest or enjoy a swim in the hotel pool and an optional massage in town before celebrating New Year's Eve together.
Day 5 - December 31
Ganlanba - Nannuo Mountain - 50km
After a good rest, we 'll jump on the bus in the morning as we circle back around Jinghong city, and follow the Mekong River towards Nannuoshan. Arriving at the bottom of the beautiful climb up to our mountain top guesthouse, there will be a chance to challenge ourselves on this steep climb. For the riders who want to push themselves, we'll see who can top the Strava segment! For the rest of us, it's as nice a hill as any to push our bikes up!
After a rolling into our guesthouse mid-morning, we』ll check-in, take a short rest, eat, and get ready for an afternoon hike past ancient tea trees, with views across the mountains villages and stunning valleys.
Day 6 - January 1
Nannuo Mountain - Menghun - 6km
One of the most spectacular days of biking sees us pass villages of the Hani and Lahu Minorities, expect some steep hills and magical scenery as we pass fields of corn, rice paddies, tea, fruit and pine tree plantations. After a Hani style lunch, we will decend towards Menghun, and Manzhao village where we will get a chance to make our own paper and experience village life in one of the more 『well-to-do』 villages in the area.
Day 7 - January 2
Menghun Village - Jinghong - 80km
A tougher last day, if for nothing else than the longest distance we manage on the trip. The good news is most of the day is spent on flat or descending roads as we trace our way back to Jinghong city, past small towns and villages, including to small towns whose residents converted to Islam in the 1930s. Arriving back to the Ramada Plaza there』ll be a chance to rest our weary legs in the hotel pool, before heading out for our final dinner and visit to the bustling Jinghong night market.
Trave day - January 3
Depart Jinghong
Sign off on the bike ride of a lifetime, sharing your stories with new friends, Flights depart out of Jingjong for Kunming, or anywhere else your travel plans may take you.
Cycling Info
During the course of 7 days of cycling, we will complete 385km (give or take) of cycling – give or take, because our itineraries often vary slightly, given the tendency of serendipity to provide extra opportunities for exploration and discovery.
Biking Difficulty
3.5 out of 5 (you do not need to be a Tour de France rider, but you will need to be able to take on some hills).
9,900 RMB per person; does not include airfare Saturday December 26th, 2020Cultural Tidbits:
China is a country home to 55 unique ethnic minorities. Yunnan China’s most culturally diverse province, with 26 of the nation’s 55 ethnicities. 13 of these ethnicities call Xishuangbanna home.
Tea was first cultivated in Yunnan, before India or anywhere else in China. Many of Xishuangbanna’s ethnicities still consume teas in ways we might find strange – scrambled into eggs, mixed into salads, or cooked into soups.
Though Xishuangbanna is now officially Chinese, it was once ruled as a part of the Thai Kingdom. The tribal leaders in this are paid tribute to Bermese Kings, Thai Royalty, or the Chinese Emperor - as opportunity saw fit.
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