Sapa to Guangzhou via Kunming

[Hoky]

Hi everyone,

I'm planning my next trip to Vietnam in September.
This round I will be visiting all my "girlfriends" in Sapa and I am intending to go to Guangzhou via Kunming.

I am unfamiliar with the border of China and how to get thru to Guangzhou. Anyone has experience(s)?

 

[insanne]

from Sapa, you will have to get to LaoKai, which is at the border of Vietnam and China. From LK, you cross over to the China side, which is call, HeKou. from HeKou, take a bus up to Kunming. The bus station at HeKou is very near to the border crossing, just ask around. The bus to KM takes about 8 to 10 hrs. Try to get arcoss in the morning as early as possible, so that you can get the early bus to KM, unless you want to explore HeKou.

At Kunming, you can take a train (approx a day) to GZ or a plane. Air tix can be bought at www.ctrip.com or www.eelong.com

The buses arrival times are terribly unpredictable, so you will have to add 2-3 hrs more to their ETA

 

[insanne]

The reason to get the bus early is because the journey will take almost 1/2 to 3/4 of the day, so you do not want to end up in KM in the middle of the night, esp if you have to look around for a place to stay.

 

[Zerstorer]

Yep, just get to laocai and you can basically walk across the border to Hekou in about 15mins.
The bus trip from Hekou to kunming can be rather long and tedious, also there may be delays due to mudslides or road blockages due to the construction works taking place in that area.

I took it last yr and it was a nauseating 16hr air-con smoked filled journey.