Crossing the Border from Laos to China + China Travel Tips, July 12 2015

Luang Namtha, Laos >> Jinghong, China

we booked a bus with an agency in Luang Namtha (100,000 Kip per ticket)  scheduled to leave at 7:30 am , and the price was supposed to include pick up to the bus station. When we showed up for pick up we saw the place was closed and no one in sight to help us. After much stress and commotion we were finally able to board another pick-up from another agency for no extra charge, so everything worked out but I would not recommend booking your bus with this agency:

The bus drops you off at the Boten border crossing and you go through the border control by yourself and then board the same bus again into China. Of course you need to have your Chinese visa ahead of time, for more information on how to do that click here. It's a good idea to change some money at the border (we didn't because we thought they were ripping us off) because the bus stops for lunch and you'll need Chinese money if you want to buy anything. We were lucky to be joined by a friendly Japanese guy (who also spoke Chinese) who took us under his wing and helped us find food and also generously paid for us. We reached Jinghong around 3 pm.

Jinghong>> Kunming

At Jinghong bus station we booked a night bus to Kunming (238 RMB per ticket), the capital of Yunnan province. VERY IMPORTANT: there is a one hour time difference between Laos and China, don't forget to change the time! We missed our bus because we totally forgot about it, but luckily we managed to board the next bus with the help of the friendly station workers.

We ended up boarding the sleeper bus at 8:30 pm, until then we walked around town and grabbed some food. There is not much to see in Jinghong but it was our first taste of China so it was nice to just absorb the new sights and smells. 

The bus was comfortable and air-conditioned but around 1:30 am it stopped for what we thought was a short food break but turned out to be a 4 hour stop! Apparently it's common in China for the night buses to stop so the driver can rest ( there were lots of buses parked next to us). It was impossible to sleep because the bus was turned off and so was the AC so we hung out outside, sitting on the curb and trying to chat with curious locals who didn't speak English at all. The most successful interaction we had was with a deaf mute guy who I guess is used to finding alternative ways of communication and we were able to "talk" to him and actually understand a lot through hand gestures, drawings and writings (he knew a little bit of English). The bus started driving again around 5:30 and we reached Kunming by 8:30 am.

Kunming>> Dali

We originally planned to spend at least a night in Kunming before heading northeast, but somewhere along the drive we decided we'll head straight to Dali once we reach Kunming. If we planned it ahead we could have saved some time and hassle because there is a direct night bus (about 16 hours) from Jinghong to Dali. Oh well. In Kunming we took a local bus C143 (10 RMB per ticket) to another bus station and then boarded a bus to Dali (117 RMB per ticket, 5 hours). This is the time to say that we do not speak any Mandarin and were worried about how we'll be able to get by in China, but so far it worked out. When we wanted to buy a bus ticket we showed the name of the town in Chinese characters (the Lonely Planet has all the names written both in Chinese and in English). We very quickly found out that although most people don't speak much English they are very willing and happy to help. So around 4 pm we finally reached Dali after about 30 hours on the road...

Helpful Tips for Travelling in China

• Buy a guide book. In some countries it may be possible and even easy to travel without a guide book and rely solely on online information and tips from friends or other travelers, In China we found it very helpful to have the Lonely Planet with us, mainly for the transport advice and for having names and addresses of places in Chinese characters next to the English.
• Get a VPN for your smart phone/computer. Facebook, Google and all its associated sites/apps (including google maps) are blocked in China. Though you can manage without these, it is pretty tedious and frustrating searching for information on Yahoo, for instance. Plus it's super easy and free (there's also paid ones which probably work better but for us the free ones were good enough). Try betternet (unlimited) and SurfEasy VPN (500mb free). 
• Download translator and dictionary apps for your phone. You will not believe how helpful this is and how much we used this during our travels in China. Its great for communicating with cab drivers, waiters and friendly strangers. Try Pleco, Baidu translate, and Youdao dictionary. Most of them work offline too.
• Get a Chinese sim card. We got ours at China Mobile in Lijiang (Yunnan), we had to go through a few branches until they agreed to do it. You need to find the main branch in town and bring your passport. It cost us about 100 RMB and was very useful, for calling and for data usage when wi-fi is not available.
• Bring you student ID/ get one (even if you're not a student). This will save you up to 50% on entry fees to sites, parks etc. Even if you don't have a student ID (or if you're not technically eligible for one but can pass for a student age-wise) bring any photo ID from your country in a language other than English and it will usually work. 
• Book your hostels/hotels on booking.com ahead of time. It's a good idea to book in advance in peak season because popular hostels fill up quickly, especially the budget rooms and dorm beds. Even if you're used to being more spontaneous we recommend booking in China, even if you do it the night before you arrive somewhere. Unlike other place in SE Asia or India, just showing up doesn't really work because often the hostels are spread out around town and not located in one area. When you book on booking.com you get a confirmation with the name and address of the place written in Chinese so you can show it to cab/bus drivers or to helpful strangers in case you get lost. Also the cancellation is usually free up to the day of arrival so it's not a problem booking ahead and cancelling later if your plans change.
• Book trains in advance. The railway system in China is very extensive and convenient, with many new and fast "bullet" trains as well as normal trains which are slower (and cheaper). Tickets sell out quickly, especially the more expensive hard and soft sleeper. The cheapest way is of course to book in the station but it is a time-consuming hassle. Most hostels will book you a ticket for a fee of about 20-40 RMB. We found that the easiest way for us was to book online through the Ctrip app, it is a bit more expensive (about 30 RMB extra per ticket). You get the ticket info on your phone (English and Chinese) and you show it  with your passport at the counter at the station to pick up your ticket. Keep in mind that the hard seat ticket (cheapest option) is very uncomfortable and not optimal for long rides, we did it for a 12 hour journey and it was rough. The seats on the newer trains (C, G, D trains) are comfier and are fine for an overnight journey.
• Try to avoid popular sites and national parks on national holidays and in peak season (July-August). Popular tourist spots tend to be over-crowded with local tour groups during these months, making these otherwise beautiful places hard to enjoy and sometimes unbearable. Entry fees are also higher. Of course sometime you have no choice but just keep in mind these places will be super super busy and expect long lines. If you do decide to go and brave the crowds, go as early in the morning as possible!