Yunnan · Xishuangbanna · 3 Days 3 Nights Tropical Style Journey

3 days and 3 nights, I ventured into the dreamlike tropical rainforest of Xishuangbanna. With a budget of 3,000 RMB per person, I stayed in Dai bamboo houses, visited the Starlight Night Market, fed Asian elephants, soaked in hot springs, unlocking China’s only tropical secret realm. This is not Southeast Asia, yet it is China’s only tropical rainforest home: In the early morning, I woke up in a Dai village bamboo house, outside the window palm trees swayed and roosters crowed; In the afternoon, I explored the Chinese Academy of Sciences Tropical Botanical Garden, where giant water lilies floated like plates and giant python vines wrapped around trees; At dusk, I walked barefoot through the Starlight Night Market, with over a thousand stalls shining brightly and the smoke of Dai-style barbecue rising; And when I fed bananas to an Asian elephant with my own hands, and it gently touched my palm with its trunk—that moment I suddenly understood: The beauty of Banna is the coexistence of wildness and gentleness, a green dream in the tropical monsoon that never wakes. I spent 3 days and 3 nights turning Banna into an immersive journey of “rainforest exploration + Dai culture + night market carnival + ecological healing,” all within a budget of 3,000 RMB per person. This guide is for everyone who wants to escape the cold winter and embrace the tropics. 📍 Travel Theme: Yunnan · Xishuangbanna · 3 Days 3 Nights Tropical Style Journey 📍 Best Time: November to April (dry season, cool climate, no rain) 📍 Budget: 3,000 RMB/person (including transportation, accommodation, tickets, meals, experiences) 📍 Suitable For: Couples, families with children, nature lovers, photographers, those who dislike cold ⚠️ UV rays are very strong, mosquito repellent and sunscreen are essential; respect ethnic minority customs 📅 Day 1: Arrive in Jinghong → Dai Ethnic Garden + Starlight Night Market ✈️ Transportation (about 1,400 RMB) Recommended to fly from Chengdu/Chongqing/Kunming to Xishuangbanna Gasa Airport: Chengdu → Banna: direct flight 2 hours, early booking can keep it under 600 RMB ✅ Round-trip major transportation controlled within 1,400 RMB 🚌 Airport → City: airport shuttle 15 RMB or taxi 40 RMB (20 minutes) 🏡 Afternoon: Check in at Gaozhuang Xishuangjing Boutique Homestay or Dai bamboo house (about 400 RMB/night × 3 nights = 1,200 RMB) ✅ Recommended: “Mekong Jinglan Hotel” (high-end) or “Rainforest Secret · Dai Style Homestay” (cost-effective) 🌴 Evening: Dai Ethnic Garden (Manting Park + Zongfo Temple) Ticket: 65 RMB (half price for students) Manting Park: once the Dai king’s royal garden, ancient trees towering, peacocks flying together Zongfo Temple: golden roof shining, Southeast Asian style, perfect for ethnic style photos Experiences: wear Dai costumes for photos (50 RMB/set), listen to palm leaf scripture chanting 🌙 Night: Gaozhuang Starlight Night Market (free entry) China’s largest Dai-Thai style night market, over 2,000 stalls Must-try: Dai-style barbecue (lemongrass grilled fish, grilled pig brain) Wear flower garlands + feather headpieces (within 30 RMB) Take photos with starry reflection lights (popular check-in spot) Drink Laotian iced coffee + coconut water 🍽️ Dinner: night market snacks (about 60 RMB per person) 📅 Day 2: Wild Elephant Valley + Tropical Botanical Garden 🚗 All day: charter a car or join a small day tour (about 200 RMB/person including car) 🐘 Morning: Wild Elephant Valley (Asian Elephant Breeding Center) Ticket: 60 RMB Must-experience: Elephant feeding (30 RMB/portion, bananas + sugarcane) Watch elephant shows (eco-friendly, no riding) Walk the elevated elephant observation walkway, explore rainforest secrets Visit the elephant museum to learn conservation stories 🌿 Afternoon: Chinese Academy of Sciences Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden (Menglun Botanical Garden) Ticket: 80 RMB (optional electric cart 40 RMB) China’s largest tropical botanical garden, over 5,000 species Must-visit: Giant water lily pond: leaves can hold weight, children can sit (seasonal) Rare flower garden: see bloodroot tree, dancing grass, strangler fig Palm garden: feels like being in the Maldives Hundred flowers garden: tropical flowers spread like a rainbow 🍽️ Lunch: simple meal inside the botanical garden or ethnic restaurant (about 50 RMB per person) 🏡 Evening: return to Gaozhuang accommodation 🎨 Optional experience: Dai pottery making or peacock dance learning (80 RMB/person) 📅 Day 3: Manyuan Village or Tropical Rainforest Hiking + Return 🌅 Morning option A (cultural experience): Manyuan Village (filming location of “Back to Field”) Ticket: 35 RMB (including guide) Pristine Dai village, century-old houses, bamboo weaving crafts Experiences: bamboo tube rice making, fabric dyeing (Dai tie-dye), drink bamboo tube tea 🌧️ Morning option B (light adventure): Tropical rainforest hiking (Nanla River wild fun) Small group experience (about 150 RMB/person) Wading, vine climbing, bird watching, medicinal plant identification Guide explains Dai medicine culture 🛁 Afternoon: Menglun or Jinghong hot springs relaxation (optional) Banna hot springs contain sulfur, relieve fatigue Recommended: “Sheraton Hot Springs” or “Menglun Kangteng Oasis Tent Camp” Single soak about 120 RMB, can skip to save budget ✈️ Evening: Gaozhuang → Airport (taxi 60 RMB or airport shuttle 20 RMB) Return trip 💰 Total Budget Breakdown (per person) Transportation: major transport 1,400 + city taxi/charter 200 = 1,600 RMB Accommodation: 400 × 3 = 1,200 RMB Meals: 60 + 50 + breakfast = 110 RMB Tickets & Experiences: Dai Ethnic Garden 65 RMB Wild Elephant Valley 60 RMB + elephant feeding 30 RMB = 90 RMB Botanical Garden 80 RMB Manyuan Village 35 RMB (or rainforest hiking 150 RMB) ✅ Subtotal: 270 RMB (basic version) or 380 RMB (in-depth version) Emergency + medicine + sunscreen: about 100 RMB Souvenirs: Tamarind/mango dried fruit (50 RMB) Dai brocade handkerchief (30 RMB) Small coffee beans (60 RMB) ✅ Subtotal: 140 RMB ✅ Total: about 2,920 RMB (precisely controlled within 3,000 RMB) 🌟 Practical Tips: Starlight Night Market is liveliest after 7 PM, recommended to enter at 8 PM Wild Elephant Valley does not recommend elephant riding, choose eco-friendly observation Dai costume photos best taken early morning or dusk for soft light Respect Dai beliefs, no noise or pointing at Buddha statues inside temples Rainforest is humid, bring waterproof bags to protect cameras The beauty of Xishuangbanna is the breath of the tropical monsoon. It tells you with a leaf, a scent, a trumpet call of elephants: The true faraway place is not at the end of the map, but the moment you walk barefoot into the rainforest, your heartbeat syncing with nature.