200908 Hiking from Bada to Xiding in the west of Xishuangbanna

Heard that some local cafes do hiking in very west part of Xishuangbanna, across a traditional residential area of Bulang and Aini ethnic people from Bada to Xiding,  and there was a small exotic market on Monday in Bada, I got interested, and eager to know how this tour could be. With several guides, Ian, Stef, Emma, Billy, we set out for border, and planned to catch Monday Market on border as the beginning of our scouting trip.

DAY 01

We started at noon from Jinghong, changed bus and mini vans several times, via Menghai and Mengzhe, finally arrived at Bada at about 18:30. It's a quite small place close to boundary between China and Myanmar, check-point was at the end of one street.
　
Drove on bad road to Bada from Mengzhe 　 Bada, check-point for crossing border was in front of us
　 　 　

DAY 02

Monday Market was pretty exotic and ethnic, it's right in front of border check-point, mostly Aini and Bulang people. After we hiked around 3 hours to a Bulang village, decided to stay instead of going on, in order to explore the village and local life.
　
Monday Market of Bada, mostly Bulang and Aini 　 Monk was quite curious about us, why walking?
　
The Bulang Village where we stayed, many cows 　 Bulang woman carrying things on forehead
　
Theravada Buddhism Temple of the village 　 Villager's preparing dinner for us, we were watching
　 　 　

DAY 03

Harder and longer than previous day, to summarize it, 2 long descents and 2 long ascents, across two valleys and lot of forest. We started at 9:00 and arrived in Xiding around 17:30, maybe because we were slow walkers, and came across a downfall.
　
Grand mother of host family, she's working on fiber 　 Walking across forest in team, long descent
　
Met with some Bulang woman pasturing buffalo 　 Zhang Lang Village of Bulang, traditional houses
　
It's Ian, walking while collecting mushrooms in forest 　 We would take this truck back to town, bumpy ride!

Nice walk, traditional villages of Bulang people, border market, and a lot of forest on the way, the most important, people living along this route are still free from tourism pollution, remain still very friendly and hospitable. Good weather may make you feel this walk nicer, if not, it can be tough and tiring, in addition, it's a little far and inconvenient to go to Bada. RELATED TOUR.