Originally Posted by
moondog
IIRC, you managed to tag SHA-LJG onto your CO awards... ~$350 value/ticket.
Yeah, the cost of buying that ticket always kept me out of "the west" on previous trips. Folks redeeming mileage for China these days need to think not only of getting to the entry cities, but what internal travel they can also get for free. The Star Alliance is still pretty generous with the free stopover and open jaw.
Originally Posted by
jbalmuth
My wife and I travelled to Yunnan in April, 2008, and found the drive between Lijiang and Shangri-La to be both very beautiful and easy driving (much of it on new, well-engineered, smooth roads). Our hotel in Lijiang hailed a regular taxi for us, negotiated enroute stops and a low price, and off we went (the driver returned back to Lijiang later that day, either by himself or after picking up a tourist for the trip back....). We stayed in Shangri-La at the Songtsam Hotel, which is brilliantly located directly beside the Songtsam Lama temple.
Good to know, thanks. Still trying to figure out the best transport method between Lijiang and Shangri-la, but I think I want to do something like you did. About how much should I pay for a taxi one-way with stops?
We'll probably stay at the Songstam Resort in Shangri-la, which is the sister hotel to the Songstam. Frankly, I might prefer the original, but there I just have to pay the regular rates. At the Resort, which is affiliated with Accor, I can use various discounts.