YUNNAN
CHINA'S LAND OF THE BLUE POPPY
Silvery beads of dew shine on the papery petals of the incomparable Blue Poppy high in the mountains of Yunnan and Sichuan. These mountains, bejewelled with so many choice and coveted flowers, including of course several species of Meconopsis in blue or yellow. So rich and diverse is the flora that some of the greatest plant hunters spent season after season finding a seemingly endless array of plants. Yunnan alone boasts a flora of over fifteen thousand species!
We will see at least six species of slipper orchid, among them colonies of greenish-yellow Cypripedium flavum and big maroon-pouched Cypripedium tibeticum. Light woodlands are full of the stunning pink saucers of Nomocharis aperta. Tucked in among dwarf rhododendrons are two charming lilies, souliei and lophophorum. The cries of Tibetan Snowcock echo across fabulous mountains where we'll find sky-blue Corydalis pachycentra and the various shades of Corydalis melanochlora. Rich alpine turf has pink cushions of Diapensia purpurea and carpets of deep purple Primula amethystina. Primulas are a major component of the flora and we'll see at least twenty-five species - delicate dryadifolia, impressive swathes of sikkimensis and secundiflora along rushing streams, and acres of the dazzling magenta Primula bulleyana around highland lakes.
White-tailed Rubythroats and Red-faced Rosefinch feed quietly among this floral feast whilst Choughs wheel over high passes in wonderful remote mountains or 'Shans'. The stark landscape of Haizi Shan has colonies of Ruddy Shelduck nesting on lakes that dot the granite boulder landscape where golden mats of Androsace bisulca colour the ground. Woodlands have Pleione bulbocodoides and blankets of Androsace rigida in various shades of pink. Along the scenic Mekong Valley we'll visit the former haunt of George Forrest, that most determined of plant hunters, and learn of his breathtaking escape from Tibetan warriors a century ago.
INFORMATION
Focus
Flowers. Also Birds and Culture.
Leaders
Walking
Easy to occasionally moderate. Always at a relaxed pace and usually two to four miles in a day, occasionally up to eight miles. Please note that the tour averages an altitude of over 10,000 feet and we will regularly reach 13,000 14,000 feet. The first few days are at the lower end of this scale allowing time to acclimatise to the altitude.
Included in the Price
All flights. All transport, meals and accommodation in China. Services of your leaders. Please note: drinks, tips, and items of a personal nature including insurance, are not included.
Group Size
The minimum is 5 and the maximum is 15. Only one leader will accompany a group of 7 or less.
Accommodation
Most 'new hotels' in China are quite generic, with wall to wall carpets, en suite marble bathrooms and two beds, together with some peculiar light switch arrangements and usually tea/coffee making facilities. So, clean and comfortable, but not over-endowed with character. However, some offer a bit more, such as the Ji Quan Hui in Lijiang old town which has carved wooden panels and rooms set around a neat cobbled courtyard with baskets of orchids. The Shuhe Naxi Yuan, also near Lijiang, has a large pool surrounded by plants and carved granite ornaments, and magnificent views of the Yulong Shan. The Gyelthang Zhong in Zhongdian and all of the other hotels fit into the 'new clean and comfortable hotel' category, with the Ba Mu Shan at Dechen having great views of Kawa Karpo on a clear day. Our only departures from this standard are on the Sichaun Loop where we have one night in the Naolao Chang Khezan cheese factory which is in a very simple two-storey wooden guesthouse whose rooms have little more than two beds, a light and somewhere to hang some clothes, with simple shared bathrooms outside and one night at the more comfortable Desha Hotel, built in Tibetan style, but with only Asian style toilets in the en suite bathrooms.
Climate
This tour is to a high mountain area so we can expect a variety of conditions from strong alpine sunshine to wind, rain or hail at times. It will never be excessively hot on the tour as we dont descend below six thousand feet, but it can still get quite warm.
How To Book
Download a booking form (or contact us and we will send one to you)from the Booking Information section. Complete and send to us. You will receive confirmation of your place and then a detailed information pack will be dispatched to you about twelve weeks before departure. This will contain up-to-date health information. Bird, mammal and flower checklists are available.
