Jinghong Transportation

Super cheap, if you want to rent bicycles, at the bus station, near the toilet, a young man rent bicycles at less than 10yuan. Just grab one and you can explore the city, not really that big, bicycles are more than enough.

There are two bus stations here in Jinghong, south and north. I have been to both, to north Dali and south Mengla. Bus fares are super cheap but ermm..the way local passengers spittings are beyong your imagination, but that's okay, small matter.

There are plenty of buses heading for Jinghong from the Long Distance Bus Station on Beijing Road.

The journey takes about 12 hours, because of multiple stops (including a dinner stop at Yuxi, about 1 1/2 hours away). And the road towards the end is quite bad, so prepare for bumps. Suggest go at about 5pm, you'll get there at about 7:30am the next morning.

Bring your ID with you, as at the border point
(not sure where because it was in the middle of the night), some uniformed guy came to request for ID's.

The bus is usually a sleeper bus (RMB 149), get a "window seat" if you want some fresh air. The bunk comes with a small luggage compartment (for hand luggage), a pillow and a blanket. It measures about 2 1/2 feet by 5 1/2 feet, so if you are taller, or broader, then it may not be so comfortable.

There are also air-cond buses(RMB 169).

The airport is described as Xishuangbanna or Banna on the destination boards at Kunming Airport.
It is very close to Jinghong, and only takes about 10 minutes by taxi from the centre of town.
You go through immigration and security *by flight number* so line up for the right flight. The check-in desks are in a darker corner to the right!

The #2 bus station in Jinghong is very easy for foreigners to use. Although we suspect the ticket counter staff don't speak any English the process is very simple, and the building is well laid-out.
The destinations are written up on the wall above the ticket counter in Pinyin and Chinese. Mention the destination and the number of people (the measure word for tickets is "-piao"...."yipiao, liangpiao, sanpiao, etc".
The ticket shows a seat number and also the registration number of the bus. You go to the waiting hall and the buses appear at the doorway alongside a board with the destination and departure time. E-----a-----s-----y!!!