Day 20 – April 30

We depart this morning from southern Yunnan for the road journey to Zhong Dian in Tibet. The drive will take around five hours and along the way we will see Yi people with their magnificent “kite” headdresses, we are climbing in altitude and the countryside is spectacular as we cut into river gorges and mountain peaks. We reach Tiger Leaping Gorge by lunch time and take an extended walk along the side of the Yangtze River. The cliffs rise, sheer from the river bank, our path cuts its way along the side leading to Tiger Leaping rock. Legend has it that a tiger, being chased by a hunter, traversed the river in two mighty leaps, using the rock as a springboard. Further on from the Gorge we notice the houses change to a more Tibetan style, with thick mud brick walls and three levels, for livestock, people and storage. We reach Zhong Zian and our hotel for the evening at the foot of the Songstam Lama Temple

Accommodation:

The Songstam Hotel

Diqing Prefecture

Tibet