Like most buses to Dali (大理) from Kunming the bus we were on was actually going to Xiàguān (下关,) also known as Dali New City, while where you will probably want to stay and spend most of your time is in Dali Old Town (古城, Gǔchéng). On the bus we met some nice Chinese youngsters from Guizhou province who were also visiting Dali and graciously invited us to share a cab with them to the old town. From that moment on they didn't leave our side, helping us get a room where they stayed (100 RMB), taking us out to dinner and drinks and being perfect hosts. Despite the language barrier (only one of them sort of spoke English) and age difference (they were about 10 years younger than us!) we had a great time with them and it was a nice welcome into China.