Gastronomic Yunnan with Fuchsia Dunlop

Enjoy a taste of Yunnan breakfast with a plate of lu-ersi, a lightly fried rice noodle dish lathered in sweet and salty brown sauce • Head the small town of Mengzi, the home of Yunnan’s famous ‘Across the Bridge’ noodles • On the way, stop by Stone Forest to try the spicy and pickled flavors of Yunnan cuisine and Yi minority dishes at a local restaurant • Continue your way along Yunnan’s picturesque roads to Mengzi • Dig into a spread of Mengzi classics, such as tubawan, an assortment of eight meat and vegetables dishes.

After a refreshing breakfast, visit South Lake, another important setting in the story of the ‘Across the Bridge’ noodles • Create and eat your very own ‘Across the Bridge’ noodles for lunch • Depart for Jianshui, a historical transportation hub with a history dating back some 1,200 years • Stop at the Bisezhai Train Station, a charming French colonial building from the 1800s that was part of the old Yunnan-Vietnam railway • After arriving in Jianshui, enjoy the herb-infused, delicately steamed ‘steam pot chicken’ for dinner.

Peruse the fresh morning produce of bustling Xinjie Market, where ethnic minority members hawk their wares • Visit the second-largest Confucian temple in China • After lunch at a local restaurant, wander through the Zhu Gardens, a masterpiece of Chinese horticulture and landscaping dating back to the Ming and Qing Dynasties • Immerse yourself in Jianshui nightlife with a barbecue dinner and mounds of local snacks.

En route back to Kunming, walk upon the majestic Double Dragon Bridge, an ancient structural masterpiece • Explore Ming and Qing architecture in the ancient town of Tuanshan • Travel to Jiangchuan village for a lunch of copper-pot fish • Admire the lush scenery during a drive along Fuxian Lake • Spend the rest of the day at your leisure.

Smell the scent of orchids, roses, and camellias as you listen to the song of cuckoos and chatter of parrots at the Bird and Flower Market • Stroll through Kunming’s city center for a fusion of modern malls and ancient city gates • Let the citrusy and spicy flavors of Dai cuisine tantalize your taste buds • Admire the intricate Buddhist décor of Yuantong Temple • Try a Kunming favorite, mushroom hotpot, a make-your-own mushroom stew adventure with a selection of fungi.

Transfer to the railway station for a 2-hour ride on the high-speed train to Dali •Enjoy a welcome lunch and afternoon visit to a tea plantation nestled within Cang Mountain, looking upon spectacular views of the Three Pagodas of Dali • Learn the entire process of making tea, from pluck to sip! • Travel back in time by walking around Dali’s picturesque Old Town, a mixture of pagodas, red lanterns, and mountains • Tuck into Dali classics at a dinner in Dali Old Town.

Spend the morning immersing yourself in the traditional Bai architecture of Xizhou, characterized by ornate gateways and honeycomb patterns • Visit the lively market and learn the secrets of making rushan, a local semi-dried grilled cheese • Hone your cooking skills in a cooking lesson at Linden Center • Bike through lakeside Bai minority villages •  Spend the evening at your leisure

Depart for a day trip to Taoist Weibaoshan, which literally means ‘Magnificent Treasure Mountain’, a former stop on the Tea and Horse Road • Watch locals prepare a bowl of ‘one-noodle soup’ for you • Sweat off the past week’s meals with a hike up the temple-strewn Weibaoshan • Learn about ‘the way’ from a Taoist master during lunch • Find your inner zen with a round of meditation or tai chi • Return to Xizhou and rest up for your farewell dinner • Attend a home-cooked farewell dinner with Fuchsia in Xishou.

Your gastronomic journey across Yunnan has come to an end, but will live on in your photos and tales • Your WildChina team will transfer you to the airport for your next adventure.