The Kunman Expressway is the only tropical rainforest self driving route in China, spanning three countries: China, Laos, and Thailand. The self driving tour departs from Kunming, Yunnan, with beautiful scenery along the way. Below, the editor recommends a self driving tour route for everyone
Recommended Route
Route: Kunming Yuxi Pu'er Jinghong Mohan Huisun Qingkong Chiang Rai Chiang Mai Dacheng Bangkok
Section 1: Kunming Mohan Port
The beauty of Yunnan, I think it goes without saying that the diverse landforms and architectural styles are astonishing
From rapeseed fields, to soil forests, to terraced fields, tea mountains, bamboo forests, banana fields, scattered valleys, and elephants walking on highways...
In Kunming, you can drive to Xishan early in the morning and overlook Dianchi Lake from Xishan
You can also walk to Nanping Street to eat the Crossing the bridge noodles in Qiaoxiangyuan
The Stone Forest National Geopark features a forest of strange rocks, steep cliffs, and rugged rocks
Yuxi, a high-altitude water town city, offers a picturesque view of the Yunhai Terraced Fields and the crystal clear Fuxian Lake, as well as a glimpse into the customs of ethnic minorities such as Hani and Huayao Dai
Passing through Yuxi, a land of water spirits, you enter Pu'er, known as the "Pearl of the Green Sea" and "Natural Oxygen Bar". The sky like water and lake colors turn into tea green hills
In the boundless tea sea, scattered are the intertwined "Tea Horse Ancient Road" and small villages with rich folk customs, with elegant ancient charm and ingenious shapes
Next, you will arrive at the "Sixiao (Simao to Xiaomengyang)" highway, which is known as the "most beautiful highway in China". The Sixiao Expressway is the only highway in China that passes through tropical rainforests
The most amazing thing is that wild elephants often visit this section of the road. Encountering a wild elephant while driving on the highway is such an unforgettable experience
Along the way, the trees are lush and the air is fresh and cool. Opening the car window, you can see your most loyal travel companions: blue sky and white clouds
The only national level port from China to Laos - Mohan
Second paragraph: Mohan Port - Huisun
Laos is not a popular tourist destination, but it attracts people to explore it due to its peaceful, primitive living atmosphere, curious religious beliefs, and temples. For tourists, the main destinations are Luang Prabang, Wanrong, Vientiane, and the southern four thousand islands
Along the way, we saw freight vehicles from Laos and Thailand shuttling back and forth. Laotian houses with bamboo stilts were built along the street, and local residents walking or cycling could be seen at any time. When encountering incoming vehicles, they would smile and wave to show friendliness
Luang Prabang is a quiet small town and a world cultural heritage site. It can be seen that bamboo stilts are built along the street, and the mountains along the Mekong River surround this valley in the distance
The Puxi Mountain Golden Pagoda is faintly visible, with ancient buildings with red roofs and white walls intertwined with lush forests, creating a peaceful and charming atmosphere in the air
PS: Laos time is 1 hour later than Beijing time; To transit through Mohan Port, one must exit and enter the country separately, and prepare a driver's license, driving permit, passport, and visa. The person driving out and entering the country must be the same person
Third paragraph: Huisun Chiang Mai Bangkok
Thailand is renowned as the "Country of a Thousand" and is known as the "Yellow Robe Country". It is an ancient civilization with a history of over two thousand years
90% of Thailand's residents believe in * *, and its folk art is rich and colorful, making it a leading tourist destination in Southeast Asia
Having seen enough of the beautiful exotic scenery along the way, why not take a break in the border town of Qingkong
Located on the border between Thailand and Laos, Qingkong is a peaceful small town as its name suggests. The Mekong River flows slowly under its feet, and clouds swirl overhead on every clear day
The Bai Temple is entirely white, shimmering with silver light. The eaves are adorned with flying divine birds, the top is adorned with statues of gods, the pillars are adorned with divine turtles, and the flags are adorned with flowing clouds, arranged in a staggered manner. This is known as the purest temple in the world
The Black Temple is not a * temple, but more like a museum with the theme of hell and death, with long spires, large eaves, thin high columns, * carved flowers, and bird phoenix necks, which is extremely shocking
Meisi Le Village is a descendant of the 93rd Division of the Kuomintang Fifth Army. The villagers have preserved a strong Chinese Han ethnic lifestyle and style, making it the largest Chinese village in northern Thailand
In Meihongshun Town, there lives a special group of girls, who are a branch of the Badong ethnic group of the Karen ethnic minority. The girls here have several or even dozens of copper rings around their necks
Great city. Entering Dachengfu, the scenery changes its style. Driving through it feels like traveling through history, where the cultural rupture is profound and heavy
As the capital of the Great City era, the culture, art, and international trade of this prefecture were very developed. Later, it was completely destroyed by arson, and now only some palace ruins, precious statues, and exquisite carvings remain
And there is also a wonder in Dachengfu - "Tree Hugging Head": the head is perfectly embedded under a Bodhi tree, seamlessly integrated with the root, imitating its natural growth on the tree, which is breathtaking
Continue south through Nambang and arrive at the final destination of this trip - Bangkok, the capital of Thailand. Bangkok, also known as the "City of Angels", is the largest city in Thailand and the center of politics, economy, culture, religion, and other aspects of Thailand Thus, the journey along the beautiful Kunman Highway came to an end. Self driving can continue south, passing through Chun Pong, Penang, Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia, entering Singapore, or exploring Thailand's Phuket, Pattaya, Krabi, Koh Samui, and more; If time is tight, you can return directly from Bangkok and take a detour through the Laotian capital Vientiane and Luang Prabang 1. The Mohan Customs in China starts work at 8:30 in the morning. It is recommended to queue up early, apply for a health certificate (40 yuan per person), and then obtain a Chinese outbound vehicle pass according to the procedure. There is an international travel sign with CHN characters printed on it, a transport pass with Mohan Huisun and Wanxiang written in Chinese and Old Chinese, and a Yunnan Public Security permit for vehicles to enter and exit the border 2. The Huisun Port in Laos and the Qingkong Port in Thailand are separated by the Mekong River, and entry and exit procedures are handled at their respective riverbank docks 3. If you have not obtained a Thai visa in advance, you can apply for a visa on arrival at the Qing Kong Customs at a rate of 200 Thai baht per person. A driver's passport, driver's license, driving permit, and photocopy are required for vehicle entry, with a fee of 400 Thai baht and an additional insurance fee of 300 Thai baht 1. Restrictions on self driving into Thailand require a self driving club or travel agency recognized by both Thailand and China to enter Thailand as a team 2. After entering Thailand, one must undergo training and physical examination to obtain a temporary driver's license and driving permit before driving on the road 3. Before entering Thailand, we must conduct international fairness on our vehicle license and driver's license domestically. 4. We must declare our travel itinerary in advance and cannot engage in tourism activities beyond the declared scope.Self driving precautions
Policies for Self driving into Thailand