The most CHILLED. Shaxi and Shibaoshan.

Shaxi is commercial, but still in a nice way. People are relaxed and happy. Nice restaurants and small bars abound. Of course there are handicraft shops, but there seems to be no connection with local crafts people. The streets are small and car free. There’s a river and water area. For foreigners and locals alike, there’s Peter’s Kitchen - an absolute gem of a bakery, that was always jam packed when I visited. Hungry Buddha is a super vegan option, near the large tree. Be careful, the pizzas are quite large. The trip recommended to me was Shibaoshan temples and grottoes. Again, I recommend Komoot hiking maps and further, to do my route in reverse. Start near Shaxi and hike steeply upwards, marvelling at the rock formations and occasional sculptures until you reach the temple and grottoes. From there, cross the valley to more sculptures and rock features. Then find the paths towards Jinding temple area with craggy grottoes and a lot of monkeys. Down the road to the exit, the nunnery up to the side provides food by donation. It was pretty tasty too! Overall Shaxi, is a fantastic place to chill and hike for a couple of nights. Highly recommended! #yunnan #grottoes #chilled #relaxed