During this period, the weather is relatively cool and pleasant with moderate temperatures and less rainfall, making it very suitable for outdoor activities and sightseeing. Among them, the period around the Spring Festival is the peak tourist season, and you can experience grand ethnic festivals such as the Dai Water-Sprinkling Festival (usually in mid-April).
Rainy Season (May October)
The temperature is a bit higher and the air humidity is relatively large. However, at this time, the vegetation is lush and green, and you can see unique tropical rainforest landscapes. Moreover, there are fewer tourists, allowing you to enjoy a relatively quiet travel time.
Must-Visit Attractions
Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences
Features: It is the largest botanical garden in China in terms of area, with the richest collection of species and the most botanical special gardens, and is known as the “epitome of the plant kingdom”.
Tour Guide: Allocate at least half a day for the visit. You can take a sightseeing bus to visit each garden in turn, such as the tropical rainforest area, the palm garden, the exotic flower garden, etc., to view various rare plants, such as the Victoria amazonica, the dancing grass, etc. Remember to participate in the popular science explanation activities in the garden to gain a deeper understanding of plant knowledge.
Xishuangbanna Dai Ethnic Park
Features: It centrally displays the history, culture, religion, sports, architecture, and living customs of the Dai ethnic group, and there are five well-preserved Dai natural villages.
Tour Guide: In the morning, you can visit traditional Dai buildings, such as bamboo houses; at noon, taste Dai ethnic cuisine; in the afternoon, participate in the Water-Sprinkling Festival activities and experience the joy of splashing water; in the evening, you can watch Dai ethnic song and dance performances.
Wild Elephant Valley
Features: It is the only habitat of wild Asian elephants in China, where you can observe the life of wild Asian elephants up close.
Tour Guide: Enter the scenic area early in the morning and go to the elephant observation platform first to wait for the wild elephants to appear; take a break and have lunch in the scenic area at noon; in the afternoon, you can visit the performance of the elephant school and have close interactions with elephants, such as riding elephants and feeding elephants.
Manting Park
Features: It was once the imperial garden of the Dai king, with strong ethnic customs and exquisite garden architecture.
Tour Guide: During the day, you can enjoy the tropical plants and ancient buildings in the park, such as the General Buddhist Temple; in the evening, watch the bonfire party, taste Dai ethnic barbecue, and participate in activities such as floating water lanterns.
Special Cuisines
Grilled Fish with Lemongrass
Features and Where to Taste: Tilapia and other fish are tied and marinated with lemongrass and then grilled. The fish meat is tender and has a unique lemongrass fragrance. You can taste it at barbecue stalls in places like the Gaozhuang Night Market.
Dai Ethnic Wrapped Cooking
Features and Where to Taste: Ingredients are wrapped in banana leaves and then cooked, retaining the original flavor of the ingredients. You can taste various wrapped dishes, such as wrapped enoki mushrooms and wrapped meat, in Dai ethnic flavor restaurants.
Purple Rice with Pineapple
Features and Where to Taste: Purple glutinous rice and pineapple are steamed together, sweet and glutinous. It is sold in local Dai ethnic restaurants or night markets.
Dai Ethnic Barbecue
Features and Where to Taste: It has a rich variety, including grilled chicken, grilled pig’s trotters, grilled various vegetables, etc., with special dipping sauces and a unique flavor. The Gaozhuang Night Market and the Riverside Night Market are good places to taste Dai ethnic barbecue.
Accommodation Recommendations
Gaozhuang Xishuangjing
Features: It is the most prosperous tourist resort area in Xishuangbanna, with a large number of surrounding cuisines and night markets, convenient transportation, and buildings with strong Southeast Asian styles.
Suitable for: Tourists who like liveliness, shopping, and tasting cuisine.
Jinghong Downtown
Features: There are diverse accommodation options with a wide price range, relatively close to some attractions in the city such as Manting Park, and convenient transportation.
Suitable for: Tourists who pursue cost performance and travel convenience.
Transportation Guide
External Transportation
Airplane: Xishuangbanna Gasa International Airport is about 5 kilometers away from Jinghong downtown. There are flights to many domestic cities, and there are airport buses, taxis, etc. to the downtown area.
Bus: You can take a long-distance bus from cities like Kunming to Jinghong Bus Station, but the journey is long and time-consuming.
Internal Transportation
Bus: There are several bus routes in Jinghong city that can go to the main attractions, but the number of buses is small and the waiting time may be long.
Taxi/Online Car-Hailing: It is more convenient for travel, but it may be difficult to get a taxi during the peak tourist season. It is recommended to make an appointment in advance.
Direct Shuttle Bus to Scenic Spots: There are direct shuttle buses to various main scenic spots, and you can book tickets on platforms such as WeChat official accounts, which is convenient and fast.
Travel Precautions
Climate-related
Xishuangbanna has a tropical climate with strong ultraviolet rays. You need to bring sunscreen products, sunglasses, sun hats and other sun protection supplies. At the same time, prepare rain gear because the weather is changeable and it may rain suddenly.
Culture-related
Respect the customs of ethnic minorities such as the Dai ethnic group. For example, you need to take off your shoes when entering a Dai bamboo house, and you should not touch the head of a young monk.
Safety-related
When participating in activities such as the Water-Sprinkling Festival, pay attention to protecting your property and personal belongings; when in contact with wild animals, follow the guidance of the staff to ensure your own safety.
