# Six family members, two weeks in Yunnan, and one thing saved for next time A private 12-day Yunnan trip for six vegetarian family members from Indonesia in September 2026, arranged around non-smoking drivers and guides, a roomy vehicle and as many flowers as the route allowed. It went smoothly, with one regret: no big flower garden. Read what we changed and why. 6 travellers · Indonesia · Sep 2026 · 12 days > "Everything went smoothly, thank you. The only regret is that we did not get to a flower garden, but that can wait for next time." ## Their worry Six family members, all vegetarians for most of their lives, and all of them sensitive to cigarette smoke. - They asked for drivers and guides who do not smoke, and for an honest answer each time we could not promise it. - They had six large suitcases and wanted a car with real legroom. - They wanted three rooms that were new rather than merely high-starred. - They wanted a careful hand with the altitude in Shangri-La. - And above all, they came for the flowers. ## What we changed - They had already been to Shilin, so that day came out. - Shangri-La got a second night, with Songzanlin Monastery and a slow look at the plateau. - The vehicle was a 9-seat van; on the last day a bigger car was arranged because six large suitcases plus hand luggage no longer fitted. - The Kunming day was built around flowers instead: the flower market, the old street, Green Lake, and the wet market at Xizhou on the Erhai side. ## On the trip They walked Kunming on their own on the first free day, then moved through Dali, Lijiang, two nights in Shangri-La and Lugu Lake, with the last days back in Kunming. What they had underestimated was how much of Yunnan in that season is lakes and old towns rather than gardens, and they asked us twice on the road where the flowers were. We pointed them to the market and the garden stops we could reach, but the big flower gardens stayed off the plan, and they later said it was the one thing missing. ## How they felt The night before they flew home they wrote "非常感恩🙏🙏" and wished us well. After landing they wrote: "一切都順利，謝謝您". Two weeks later, still: "只有遺憾沒有去看花". They asked which months the flowers are still out, and said the flower gardens could wait for the next trip. Shared with the travellers' written permission. ## Want a trip like this? Replies 08:30–22:00 your time · Free to ask. See [Licence & payment](https://unclepandatravel.com/licence-payment), and more [travel stories](https://unclepandatravel.com/stories) from other travellers. --- - Source page: https://unclepandatravel.com/stories/six-family-members-yunnan-flowers - Language: English · Updated: 2026-10-29 - Operator: Hunan Panda International Travel Service Co., Ltd. (Uncle Panda Travel), licensed China travel agency, licence L-HUN-304745 - Contact: service@unclepandatravel.com · WhatsApp +8615580812229 - Site index for AI: https://unclepandatravel.com/llms.txt