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Mengla is a city in Xishuangbanna. It is located near the China-Laos border in Southern Yunnan.

[edit] Get in

Buses from Jinghong usually take around 2.5 to 3 hours. Buses leave Jinghong between 7AM and 6PM and cost 38 RMB (Feb 2009)

This is the fist town/city for travelers arriving from Laos. Buses from Luang Namtha in Laos take around 4 hours. You will usually need at least an hour at the Chinese/Laos border to deal with visa issues etc.

[edit] Get around

There are taxis and tuk-tuks that will take you around town for 5 yuan.

[edit][add listing] See

There is not a great deal to see in Mengla. It is a typical border town in China. However, there are local ethnic villages around the area. If you have the time and are not in a hurry to leave they may be worth visiting.

[edit][add listing] Do

Mengla is a typical border town. Pretty run down and prostitutes and their pimps wait on every street corner offering their services. There is a market in the mornings that runs parallel behind the main street. The place is quite surreal so you might be interested in simply walking around the place for a couple of hours.

[edit][add listing] Buy

There is nothing really to buy here other than the usual Chinese brick-a-brac. You may have the opportunity to purchase some locally made items.

[edit][add listing] Eat

There are some restaurants in the main shopping area in town. The restaurants all sell Yunnan and typical Chinese dishes but don't expect a very high standard. Meals should cost around 30-40 Yuan per person.

[edit][add listing] Drink

There is a decent cafe/bar that is the only place that sells chilled beer and is a great spot to see locals catching up over an iced coffee. If you are walking into town from the bus station it is located just after a small bridge on the left hand side.

• Lao Cafe. This small establishment lies really close to the bus station and is the perfect place for a cold (and very cheap) beer. Just recently opened by a local guy called Peter this is the only English speaking bar in town.  edit

[edit][add listing] Sleep

Jin Qiao Hotel (金桥大酒店): Right inside the bus station with good rooms. Most rooms go for 50 RMB, rooms on higher floors 30 RMB and larger rooms with telephone 80 RMB. Free domestic calls can be made at the reception and third floor.

As you leave the bus station and turn right, walk approx 50 metres and there is a guest house on the right hand side. This place has no English name but is a pretty run down establishment. They have rooms for around 25 Yuan per night.

If you want to stay somewhere much cleaner for a slightly higher price, there is a Chinese run hotel for 40-50 Yuan per night. Turn left out of the bus station and it is on the opposite side of the road.

[edit] Contact

As you get off the bus in Mengla, there is a very helpful man who will exchange money, advice you on accommodation, help you with directions and even offer his daughter to you (if you are single, male and western). He obviously takes a commission from places but his advice is invaluable if you do not know where you are going. Just remember to be very specific about what you want and how much you want to pay. His exchange rates are poor but if you are in need of some Laos Kip just to be safe, it is worth exchanging some euros/dollars/Thai baht or anything else if you need to. He has a very wide range of currencies and is keen to show them off. His English is also pretty good compared to other locals.

[edit] Get out

Buses depart to Louang Namtha in Laos at around 9AM and take around 4 hours. The border crossing takes around an hour. Expect a bumpy and hair raising journey during the rainy season. Cost is around 40 Yuan. There are loads of buses to Jinghong, the capital of Xishuangbanna. Cost is around 40 Yuan. There are also 4 or 5 buses a day that leave for Kunming. Cost is about 250 Yuan.