Zhongdian is a hard one to pin point. Located on the southern edge of the Tibetan world, The place runs on its own time. Days run into weeks and weeks turn into season and nothing much seams to happen. But at the same time in the last couple year the Old town has seem a revival of sorts. Hang out here long enough and you’ll hear the fanatical stories of the days before. But these days it caulk a block cafes, bars and hotel’s. There are very few local who run business in the old town. Most of them are happy to collect the rent.
There is speculation of Zhongdian cashing in on the popularity of Lijaing. Most of the rosy tinted speculation is propagated by business interests. Whether the bubble bursts or the popularity continues to grow is something I’m sure will be debited for years to come. But if you’ve ever spent a winter there you’ll wonder how many of these businesses will continue to hang on.
Dali is a mixed blessing. Yunnans original backpacker haunt of the bad old days. It has suffered the fate of most old towns before the old town thing became hip. Pushed over and rebuilt. It’s easy to be cynical of the blatant café culture and hipster life style, but the relaxed atmosphere and warm winter weather keeps it a favorite stop along the Yunnan tour.
There are tons of hiking and mountain biking options to be explored for those who have a few days in the area.
It's very easy to get around in the city center of Kunming, due to its compact layout. There are a few random alleys that you can still walk through and see older housing conditions. And the city is clean and still slightly less polluted than other Chinese cities. Some travellers find this place boring, and it is, if you're doing the "checkmark" style of staying a day or two in each place. However, if you have the time to squat for a while, there's a pleasant atmosphere to be found.
A great place to re-acquaint your taste buds to Tex-Mex grub with large portions of well-prepared food, a very attentive waitstaff, and a clean pleasant environment. The desserts arereally authentic American. They really know how to make apple pie!
The Den is great to drop in with a buddy, grab a beer, and carry on... it often has a number of foreigners due perhaps to the music, and perhaps to the multitude of "Chicken Girls" willing to entertain wealthy foreigners for the evening. If you rent girlfriends, there are some here.
The music is OK, and around midnight on most party nights it's a good place to dance. The dance floor is a bit small, but it's got a dance floor, a scripted DJ (does not respond to the dancers, just plays the music) but it's danceable music with a bit of swing-ish and salsa-ish stuff. Nice little mix.
If you want more Chickengirls, go to Maggie's; it just moved, and it's open until 4.