Dali's transportation hub isXiaguan,15km (9 miles) to the south. From the Dali Airport another 15km (9 miles) northeast of Xiaguan, there are dailyflightsto Kunming (40 min.) and Xishuangbanna (50 min.). From the airport to Dali is about a 1-hour taxi ride, which will cost up to ¥100 ($13). If you need to purchase additional plane tickets, take a taxi into Xiaguan for about ¥40 to ¥50 ($5-$6) and go to theYunnan Airlinesticket office (tel]0872/231-5339), located next to the railway station across from the China Telecom building. There is another outlet in the Cang Shan Fandian at Cang Shan Lu 118. Travel agencies or your hotel concierge in Dali may be able to help you purchase airline tickets, but give them as much advance notice as possible and expect to pay a fee for the service.
A populartrainroute is the overnight sleeper from Kunming (8 hr.; ¥161/$20 soft sleeper), which leaves Kunming at 10:34pm and arrives in Xiaguan at 6:22am. A later train departs at 11:16pm and arrives at 7:30am. From the railway station, bus no. 8 (45 min.; ¥3/40¢) runs to the West Gate of the old city in Dali, while bus no. 10 runs into Xiaguan. Returning to Kunming, trains depart Xiaguan at 9pm and 10:02pm.
Travelers can still take the 9-hour bus trip on the old Burma Road between Kunming and Xiaguan, but most folks these days prefer the far quicker (4-5 hr.) and more comfortablebusesthat travel the new expressway. Coaches have free gifts for passengers, but this is little consolation for travelers leaving Kunming on the most appalling route out of town. Apart from the major construction, once past the No. 2 Sewage Treatment Plant, both sides of the roads are filled with parking lots containing bulldozers, dump trucks, and just about every other piece of earth-moving equipment imaginable. Be thankful that you are seeing Yunnan while it is still there. Most Dali-bound buses actually stop in Xiaguan, which has several bus stations, but the main one that travelers will likely use the most is the confusingly namedDali Qiche Keyun Zhan(tel.0872/218-9330) opposite Minsheng Plaza, on Jianshe Lu east of Renmin Lu. From here, luxury air-conditioned buses depart for Kunming (5 hr.; ¥104/$13) every half-hour from 7:30am to 8:30pm; for Li Jiang (3 hr.; ¥51/$6.30) at 8:30am, 2pm, 7pm, and 7:30pm; and for Xianggelila/Zhongdian (6 hr.; ¥86/$11) at 9am and 3pm. There are also regular buses to Li Jiang (3 hr.; ¥35-¥50/$4.40-$6.30) every half-hour from 7:20am to 7:30pm; to Tengchong (5-6 hr.; ¥71-¥81/$8.80-$10) at 10am and 7:30pm; to Baoshan (2-6 hr.) hourly from 8:30am to 3:30pm; to Ruili (10 hr.; ¥91/$11) at 8:30am and 8pm; and to Jinghong (22 hr.; ¥141/$18) at 7:30pm. A private bus company,YNTAC(tel.0872/212-5221), operates luxury, air-conditioned, nonsmoking buses from Xiaguan's Cang Shan Fandian (Cang Shan Lu 118). The buses go to Kunming (5 hr.; ¥103/$13) at 8:30am, 10:30am, 12:30pm, 1pm, 2:30pm, and 7:30pm; and to Li Jiang (3 hr.; ¥55/$6.90) at 8:20am, 1:40pm, 2:40pm, and 7pm. From the center of Xiaguan to Dali, take bus no. 4 for ¥2 (25¢) from the corner of Jianshe Lu and Renmin Lu.
In Dali, it's best to have a tourist cafe arrange your Dali-Kunming bus for ¥105 to ¥110 ($13-$14), as they will take care of sending you to Xiaguan for the transfer. There is usually a ¥5 (60¢) fee for this service. Buses to Li Jiang also mostly originate out of Xiaguan. Again, the most hassle-free option is to have a travel agency or cafe book your ticket.
Note:If you get stuck in Xiaguan en route to Dali, the modern four-starManwan Dajiudianat Canglang Lu (tel.0872/218-8188;fax 0872/218-1742) is the nicest place to stay in town, with large comfortable rooms and bright, clean bathrooms. Standard rooms cost ¥500 ($62); suites are ¥780 to ¥988 ($97-$123).
Getting Around
Old town Daliis currently undergoing something of a construction boom. The major new Li Jiang Highway (whose existence will soon cut the 20-hr. trip from Kunming down to 5 hr.) will bypass the West Gate, taking a lot of congestion away from the north-south running Bo'ai Lu. Still, the old town is so small that it's possible to walk from the North Gate (Bei Men) to the South Gate (Nan Men) in half an hour or less if you don't stop at the many shops along the main thoroughfare, Fuxing Lu. To explore farther afield,bikesare the best way to get around and can be rented all along Bo'ai Lu for around ¥10 ($1.25) a day. Ataxito nearby sights such as the Three Pagoda Park or the Cang Shan chairlift will run between ¥5 and ¥10 (60¢-$1.25). Bus no. 2 runs from the Yaxing (Asia Star) Hotel to the dock at CaI Cun.