When we first decided to go to Shangri-la, we discover that there is very little information about the place so we hope this additional page will help anyone who is curious.
Shangri-la
Located in Yunnan Province of South East China. Check out the below link for information about history, places to visit, and write up from others
http://www.chinatour.com/attraction/shangri-la.htm
http://treehouse.ofb.net/go/en/place/%E9%A6%99%E6%A0%BC%E9%87%8C%E6%8B%89
http://www.drmartinwilliams.com/travel-tales/shangri-la.html
Weather and Altitude
We were there in late June 2010 for 1 week - the weather was hot and dry with occasion rain showers. The mornings and evenings were a little chilly. Temperatures range between 11 to 19 degrees in the summer - very pleasant. Depending on your tolerance for cold, bring a light jacket and something with long sleeves for chilly starts and the end of the day. Otherwise, bring comfortable summer wear.
We then returned and stayed in Shangri La for November and most of December 2010 and that got pretty cold - about -12 degrees Celsius when we headed back down to the warmer climes of Lijang. At that time of the year you need lots of winter wear which can be easily purchased in the old and new parts of town. The winters are generally very clear and sunny though - you can be in a T shirt in the sun but in need of a heavy thermal coat in the shade, a quirk of the altitude... It gets cold at night though and heating is mainly wood burning stoves (which are pretty good) or small electric heaters which are okay provided the power stays on. Be sure to check that your accommodation has 24 hour hot water - that makes a big difference in the winter.
We had some concern about altitude sickness being 3,400+ m above sea level, especially with the children. However, we did not have too many problems- a little dizziness, headaches at night and generally out of breath, especially when climbing steps or walking up hill. Otherwise, it's just a case of taking it easy and avoiding vigorous exercise. The shops in the Old Town sell oxygen for those really out of breath. :)
The kids concern was the toilets and its probably crossed you mind. Our experience there was overall very positive. Everywhere we stayed had good western style flushing sit down loos - no problem. Only thing is that the plumbing is not so good so the toilets cannot take much toilet paper, if any. Bins and baskets are provided for toiler paper. Public toilets can be quite exciting - most being squat loos with no doors or partitions (if you are shy, take an umbrella to give yourself some privacy although after a while you stop worrying about it...)
Do drop us a note if you have any questions about the place - we would be happy to talk you through our experience there.
