Introduction
Shangri-La Travel Guide: Shangri-La city is located in Yunnan China but keep is under the management of the Diqing Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture.
Shangri-La also known as Xianggelila is the capital of the autonomous prefecture. The location of the city is often referred as heaven on earth due its marvelous nature and Alpine landscape.
Unlike most of Chinese city, Shangri-La is a small and secluded mountain town with a unique Tibetan culture.
It’s a perfect destination for nature lover that wants to experience China from another angles and escape the hustle and the crowd of the big cities
Table of Contents
Mapping the day
Getting there
The easiest way to get there is to take a bus form Lijiang to Shangri-La. The ride is about 4h with a break at the middle. The Lijiang bus station is located on the X284 road Changshui Road.
The other option is to fly from Kunming directly to Shangri-La and then take a taxi to the city center.
Moving Around
Walking is the easiest way in the ancient town, after you can also consider renting a bicycle. To get to the monastery, a city bus can be taken (Line 3).
For the remote attractions, hiring a private driver would be the best advice. They are a couples of buses but there are not easy to take. Ask your accommodations for their local recommendation once you arrived there.
When to Visit
The best time to visit Shangri-La is Spring and Summer (March to October) when there is not snow and the weather is nice and fresh. Remember though that mountain weather is unpredictable, especially that the city stands at 3 000m above sea level.
Be careful if you are subject to altitude sickness easily. There are local pharmacies there in case you are filling unwell.
Where to Stay
There aren’t tonnes of options in town but some pretty cool one can be found:
- Budget: Yi’s Hostel
- Mid-Range: House of Waking Sunlight
- Luxurious: Shangri-La Karesansui Hotel
Potatso National Park & Bita Lake
Walk through the first Chinese national park to meet international union for conversation of nature standard. The park incorporates the stunning Bita Lake Nature Reserve and the Duhu Scenic Area.
塞翁失马，焉知非福。(Sài Wēng shī mǎ, yān zhī fēi fú. ‘Sai Weng [legendary old man’s name] lost horse, how know not blessing’.) — Blessings come in disguise.
