Jingmai Mountain｜Yunnan's Last Secret Realm, Sea of Clouds and Ancient Villages Heal Everything

The most off-the-beaten-path and healing place I visited this year, I’m afraid it might get too popular… I’ve been to Xishuangbanna many times and thought I had explored it thoroughly, until this trip to Jingmai Mountain—a hidden gem between Xishuangbanna and Pu’er. Here, watching the sea of clouds, drinking tea, wandering through villages, and picking tea leaves by hand🍃 every day truly healed me. 🚗【How to Get to Jingmai Mountain】 ❶ Depart from Xishuangbanna, about 3.5 hours by self-driving. The latter part of the mountain road is quite challenging, and most village roads are gravel, so if you lack experience, it’s recommended to choose a chartered car or carpool. ❷ I chose a customized small group tour with everything arranged—just watching the sunrise and sea of clouds, drinking and picking tea, taking photos, and daydreaming… so relaxing! 🗺️【How to Explore Jingmai Mountain】 Tea mountains + ancient villages connected, recommended 2-3 days: Day 1: Nuogan Ancient Village—Dazhai Golden Pagoda—Guiyu Coffee☕—Princess Banyan—Wengji Ancient Village for sunset🌄 Day 2: Mengben for sunrise and sea of clouds (famous swing)—tea garden tea picking and making—tea feast tasting—return trip If you have time, add a day to Manghong, where the sunset sea of clouds and cozy bar atmosphere are amazing! 🏞️【What to Do in Jingmai Mountain】 ❶ Wengji Ancient Village: A Bulang ethnic village, the temple at the village entrance is beautiful, perfect for watching sunset, with guesthouses and cafes~ ❷ Nuogan Ancient Village: A Dai ethnic village, filming location of the movie "A Little Bit of Home." The viewing platform and high-altitude tea house are very photogenic📸 ❸ Mengben: Few tourists, the guesthouse owner took us to see the stunning sea of clouds sunrise! Also has a tea garden swing~ ❹ Manghong: Wide open views of the sunset from the mountaintop, drinking at the Jianshe Bar while watching the evening glow is super romantic✨ 🏡【Accommodation Tips】 We stayed two nights: ❶ Mengben: For the early morning sea of clouds☁️ ❷ Manghong: For sunset and starry sky🌌 It’s recommended to book in advance as rooms are tight during peak season. 💡【Travel Tips】 ✅ Mountain roads are tricky for beginners driving; joining a tour or chartering a car is easier ✅ High chance to see the sea of clouds, best views at Mengben and Manghong ✅ Don’t miss the two experiences: Manghong sunset + Wengji Ancient Village atmosphere Save this tested guide to unlock the off-the-beaten-path ways to enjoy Jingmai Mountain~ If you have the chance, who would you want to come here and daydream with?