Erhai Lake is the largest highland lake next to Dianchi and one of the seven biggest fresh water lakes in China. It means, 'sea shaped like an ear', in Chinese. Implying that the lake is ear shaped and as large as a sea, hence it was so named. The Erhai Lake covers an area of 250 square kilometers (96 square miles) and is located about two kilometers (1.2 miles) east of Dali. It is like a crescent lying between Cangshan and Dali city as seen from Cangshan Mountain. In a sunny day, the crystal waters of Erhai Lake and the snow mantled Cangshan Mount radiate with each other. Thus the scene was commonly described as 'Silver Cangshan and Jade Erhai'.
There are a lot of ways to tour around the Erhai Lake but I suggested you the best two ways.
Cycling/Sightseeing Car/Electric Bike/Electric Car - No matter which type of transportation you are using, you need 2 days to complete the tour around the lake. The total distance is 128km. My suggestion is you leave your big luggage at the hotel you stay near Dali Ancient City and you travel light to Shuanglang Village to overnight. The next day, you continue your journey back to your hotel.
Cruise Tour - If you have limited days like I do, just take a cruise tour. The ticket price starts at CNY142/pax. They have a lot of private rooms for you to choose from. There are karaoke system in the room too. Additional charges will be imposed depending on the size of the room. Otherwise, just find a seat under the sun which is free.
There are 3 piers departing from for Erhai Lake cruise. All 3 piers with different route. If you know where you wish to go, just make sure you go to the pier where I will be listed it below:
From Erhai Lake Pier (Xiaguan Pier) around 8.00am - 9.00am, visit Nanzhao Folk Island and enjoy Bai People's Three Courses of Tea and arrive at Taoyuan Pier.
From Longkan Pier around 9.00am - 10.00am, visit Longquan Peninsula or Jinsuo Island, enjoy Bai's three Courses of Tea and arrive at Taoyuan Pier around 12.30pm - 1.00pm
From Taoyuan Pier around 1.30pm - 2.00pm, visit Nanzhao Folk Island and enjoy Bai's Three Courses of Tea and arrive at Longkan Pier around 5.30 - 6.00pm.
I took the cruise from Taoyuan Pier which is just opposite road of Butterfly Spring. Our first stop was at Nanzhao Folk Island. We were given a very limited time to stop by which is only 1 hour. That's how inflexible it is if you are joining a group tour.
Before you get to the Nanzhao Castle, you will see this big Bodhisattva Kwan-yin where you can say your prayer.
This is the Nanzhao Kingdom's castle which is now a 4-star hotel. Honestly, this hotel is badly managed. What a pity! They could have maintain it well with such a historical site. It is now looks like a ghost castle more than a hotel. The worst part is the hotel is not cheap at all.
In order to know more about Dali, you need to the whole history of it but I don't worry, I won't give you the history lesson here. I believe Master Google will help you more with that. All I can give is just a brief timeline of the Dali history.
The History of Dali
In 738, the Nanzhao Kingdom was established with Dali as its capital.
In 937, the Kingdom of Dali emerged.
By 1000, Dali was one of the 13 largest cities in the world.
In 1253, the Mongols conquered the city and ended the Kingdom of Dali.
In the early 1400s, the old Dali City was rebuilt by the Ming Dynasty (1368–1644), and it still stands in a similar layout today.
Nanzhao Folk Island, also called Nanzhao Love Island, is one of the three islands in Erhai Lake. It is about five minutes from Shuanglang by cruise. Besides the hills, threes, beach, there are eight man-made sights to see - the Statues of "Mother Shayi", the Seascape Villas, the Guanyin Acuoye Statue on the Luck of Yunnan Square (Fuxing Square), the big hotel called the Nanzhao Summer Palace, the Square of the Patron Gods, a small amusement part on the beach, the Taihu Rocks and a View of Fishing Families. Travelers who visit Nanzhao Folk Island need to pay 50 Yuan and you'd better spend about 2 hours there. Since, I am joining the cruise tour, this fee has been included in.
Since there is still some time left, the cruise gave us a stopover for 30 minutes at Shuanglang Town. As I have mentioned before, if you are travelling using other transportation, it is recommended to stay a night at this town.
Shuanglang, the most scenic town around Erhai Lake, is located in the north of Dali and the northeast of Erhai Lake. For over a thousand years, the local Bai ethnic people here made their living fishing in the lake. And now the small tranquil village is popular with visitors unwinding and enjoying a slower tempo. Enjoy several hours or a peaceful night here to explore among the old alleys and traditional architecture or take a boat out on Erhai Lake or kick back and do very little.
For your information, the mountain behind this Shuanglang town is a graveyard for the locals here. It is kinda spooky if you think of it.
Another weird about this town there is a Jimsonweed tree which is also known as the Devil's Trumpet. Usually use in traditional medicine to relieve asthma symptoms and as an analgesic during surgery or bonesetting. All parts of Jimsonweed contain dangerous levels of the tropane alkaloids atropine, hyoscyamine, and scopolamine, which are classified as deliriants, or anticholinergics. The risk of fatal overdose is high among uninformed users, and many hospitalizations occur amongst recreational users who ingest the plant for its psychoactive effects
Dali is famous with a celebrity named Yang Liping. She is the director, choreographer and star of a performance art show called "Dynamic Yunnan" that has drawn sellout crowds all over China. She is currently a judge on So You Think You Can Dance China. Basically you will see her face all around Dali especially at Dali Ancient Town. And the picture above was her home and now is a hotel.
30 minutes is really not enough for us to do anything here. We didn't fully explore the entire place. It was a pity.
So I would highly recommend you to travel by yourself around the lake. You can see more things and will not miss all the tourist spots such as Little Putuo Island, Jinsuo Island, Luoquan Peninsula, Erhai Park, Xizhou Ancient Town and Zhoucheng.
The only advantage I can think of for taking the cruise tour is able to see the performance of Ba's Three Courses of Tea. While you were watching their dance performance, you will be served 3 cups of tea by the Bai's tribe. The teas are salty, bitter and sweet. I have editing some of their performance in the video clip below. Do enjoy.
After the show, you can take picture with the dancers there and also watching the seagulls following the cruise all the way to the Longkan pier. It was an amazing sight which I have captured them and included in this post below.
Overall, the Erhai Lake is awesome. However, the best way to enjoy this lake is not via cruise tour. You have to travel all by yourself. So if you have more people in your trip, it will be more fun!
I have been always wanted to get hold of a real gun and shoot like James Bond, Neo in Matrix and Max Payne. I have invited my buddy, Suyin who is very interested in it as well to accompany me. Thanks to ILoveDiscounts , this dream is no longer a dream and it is made possible and affordable to everyone. The link of the deal as follows: RM105 for a handgun experience + 25 Rounds of Ammo Before we attend, we are required to submit our passport photo, photocopy of our IC and filling up their Vetting form. The documents are required for a background check to eliminate those who has criminal record especially related to gun. 14 working days are required to run the check. After that, it is compulsory to attend their briefing which is lasting at most 2 hours to learn and understand the safety rules. At the same time, to learn the basic techniques in shooting. Since this is a real gun and it is not a gun we are playing in a fun fair, we must adhere to their strict rules not just for prot...
Sitigun Cafe is located at the junction between Jalan Nagor and Jalan Bawasah. Finding a parking here is a pain. Well, they do served great coffee so it is worth it. Croissant with smoked Salmon @RM16.00 Outlook: 4/5 Creativity: 4/5 Taste: 4/5 Price: 3/5 Overall: 3/5 - Their croissant are really fresh as they baked daily. The soft and fresh croissant mix with smoke salmon is truly great. If the croissant itself has the rich buttery taste, that would be perfect for me. Flourless Chocolate Cake @RM12.00 Outlook: 3/5 Creativity: 3/5 Taste: 2/5 Price: 2/5 Overall: 2/5 - Too plain for me and does not really amazed me. Not photos about their coffee but their signature is still their coffee. Do drop by just for a cup of their coffee because I saw them hand pick the coffee beans and roasted themselves. A very tedious process but brings out the best coffee taste to their customers. I like it! Another thing I like about this cafe is they have a seat facing the road. It ...
Have you ever stay in a Durian Farm before? No? At Bao Sheng Durian Farm, you can do it! This 6.7 acres durian farm has been established in Balik Pulau since 1959. It really took them full 60 years to get the fruit of their hard work. Their villa is well equipped with air-con, hot shower and LCD TV with hundreds of Blu-Ray quality movies in it! They have existing queen size or king size bed and extra bed can be requested. To get close and personal with the King of Fruit...the accommodation charges will be Deluxe Villa is charged at RM280/night and standard villa will cost you RM180/night. They only have 1 Deluxe Villa and 2 Standard Villa only. So it is very easy to be fully booked during the durian season. Advance booking is greatly recommended for at least 3 months ahead so that you will be able to choose the right schedule for the durian you wish to taste. Why stay in a durian farm? This is what you see when you open the window with all the durian trees around you. The fre...
In my experience so far, the best seafood restaurant at Bukit Tambun is Restoran How Kee Seafood Village . Surprisingly, it is not listed in "Taste with Jason" tv programme. He preferred Cia Xiang Seafood Restaurant somehow. So here I am to find out! Unlike Restoran How Kee Seafood Village , Cia Xiang Seafood Restaurant is very close to Bukit Tambun Tol Exit. While waiting for the first traffic light to turn green, you will immediately see their restaurant signboard on your north east direction. Crab Claypot Rice @RM54.00 Outlook: 4/5 Creativity: 4/5 Taste: 3/5 Price: 1/5 Overall: 3/5 - The rice in the claypot is extremely delicious with thick crab fragrance in it. However, this has caused the crab meat itself has little left taste in it because being absorbed most of it in the rice. The crab meat is fresh but very near tasteless. It is a waste. In addition, the price is just too expensive for just one crab in the pot. Fried Prawns in Coconut Gravy @RM20.00 ...
By the appearance of it, Restoran Yu Hing definitely doesn't look appealing enough to become a tourist spot for you as your dining choice. However, I am still going to introduce to you their noodle. They do serve other variety of food but something worth to be here is only their noodle which is known as Beaufort Fried Noodle. Beaufort is a name of a town in Sabah. This is their very own local delicacies which you won't find it easily at any part of Malaysia or even Sabah. You have to be either in Kota Kinabalu or Beaufort to experience it. We can even hardly able to find a table in this run-down looking restaurant which already suggest that how good they are. Beaufort Fried Noodle @RM9.70 Outlook: 3/5 Creativity: 4/5 Taste: 5/5 Price: 2/5 Overall: 3/5 - Still a common looking noodle to you which does not convince you why I am purposely creating a post just to introduce it? You have to come visit for yourself then. I think the same too when it is displayed right in f...
In 1957 which is the independence year of Malaysia, this was the palace for our Yang di-Pertuan Agong (Monarch) and Permaisuri Agong (Queen) until 2011 where they have moved to a new palace which is located in Jalan Duta. With 54 years of history and it has becomes a Muzium Diraja in 2013. Muzium Diraja is a museum where you will see how the castle exactly looks like in Malaysia. The parking in front of the castle is free but not ample. However, it is enough to accommodate the visitors as the maximum time you will be spending here is just 30 minutes top. That's the admission fee. If you are Malaysian, you are required to show your MyKad to proof. They do have caddie ride to take you from the entrance to the castle and return for just RM2.00/pax. How I wish this is the view when I am looking out through my house's window. So the caddie ride will stop you here and you will get to visit the first site of the museum. This site is strictly prohibit you fr...
Not really much entertainment in Sandakan even though they are just beside the sea. No nice beach for water activities and the nearest island like Pulau Selingan and Turtle Island are about 90 minutes away. As for the town itself, basically is this bowling centre called Champ's which has a very nice and good condition bowling alley, bowling shoes and bowling bowls if to compare with bowling centres like in KL. Not very big at all for their bowling centre which only has 12 lanes. Their shoes look so new! Here is a demonstration on how to bowl. Looks pro...I wonder how is the end result. So what do guys think? Is it a strike? They have a lounge here as well. And a cafe too! The price of the bowling is cost at RM4.80 per game per pax. We went at their most peak hours so their price basically has not much different than our KL City price. As for the bowling shoes is chargeable at RM2.00 per pax. FYI, the prices not inclusive government ta...
Tamarind Springs is a sister company with Tamarind Hills but at different location and different concept. Tamarind Springs is located inside a jungle like area. So there are no air-conditioner provided and you are surrounded by greens. Very nice atmosphere to have your meals. An exotic dining experience! Tamarind Springs serves Indochinese Cuisine so you will be expecting Laos, Vietnam, Cambodia and Thailand cuisine in their menu. To get to here is a little bit tricky. Even Google Maps and Waze failed to guide you to the right place. Basically you will only see this restaurant after you passed by the Royal Club Selangor Golf Course. For exact location, please click on the link on the word "Location" at the end of this post. There is a guarded parking lot provided which is free of charge. So do not worry about your expensive vehicle leaving in the wild and dark in the middle of the night. You have to be amazed with the landscape and design of this restaurant. Pretty...
Kuala Terengganu only famous for two things, first is their wonderful piece of landmark which is called Masjid Kristal and the other one is the keropok lekor . There are a lot of keropok lekor stalls around in Kuala Terengganu but nothing as exaggerate as this one. This stall is called Keropok Lekor B.T.B 2209 and i am not sure why they named their stall this way. I have to thank my client that for bringing us to the most popular keropok lekor in town. No specific address or coordinate for this but you can always click on my "location map" at the end of this post. Yes, you have to obtain your number here. Each purchase must not more than RM100. This is because they do not want you to ask another person who has the earliest number to purchase for them. If this happens, it will be the numbering purpose. Brilliant move but I hardly follow. LOL This is their "oven" using dry woods to boil them. I can tell you this area is super hot! So many pots and so m...
After a night at Camp 5 , finally I am here to make my finale of my Mulu trip which is to climb the Mulu Pinnacle! The above picture already telling you all the warnings and time that you will take. As early as 8.00am in the morning, we started this adventure. I have brought myself 3 liters of water, 4 chocolate bars, dozens of biscuit packs and a lunch box which is included in this tour package. If you are not signed up with any tour agency, you need to pack your own lunch box. Total distance is 2.4km, it may sound easier than 9km jungle trekking walk but you are wrong if you do think like that. Not a well made road like you can see in Mount Kinabalu (for those been there). All are rocks and roots. Actually I prefer this trail more than the ladder type of trail in Mount Kinabalu. The reason is I can adjust the height that I would like to put my step onto. For Mount Kinabalu, it is a fixed height. The terrain on this mountain is very spiky. It has a lot of spiky rocks ev...
Comments
Post a Comment