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Description:
Songpan is a small town on the way to Jiuzhaigou Nature Reserve. It is primarily known for horse back riding with treks ranging from 1 day to over 10 days. The main provider in town is well staffed, speaks English, and can provide English speaking guides if needed. Guides take care of horses, bring tents and sleeping bags, and cook. The town still has its city walls and contains many tourist shops. Western food restaurants can be found near the bus station.
Getting there:
Bus from Chengdu
Stephen K. says...
Added Oct 22, 2008
Songpan is very chill! Emma at Emma's Kitchen is extremely knowledgeable about the area and makes semi-decent western meals. Next door is a wonderful massage parlor and they give wonderful Tibetan massages. The horseback riding company is very friendly and fun. Each guide owns their own horses, hence owning a part of the company - great for supporting the local economy. Guides are wonderful and are awesome cooks! The hot springs are overrated and not that warm. Ice Mountain can be a fun trek, but is often crowded with foreigners. Other treks not as popular have less participants, which can be nice. Nights provide some of the best star gazing available, but can get extremely chilly even in the summer - so pack warm! It is highly recommended to wear sunscreen since you go up to elevations past 4000 meters. The old part of town has nice tea/beer houses to relax in and chincy trinkets can be bought easily. The cheapest hotel in town is in the bus station (Songzhou Jiaotong Binguan).
Anne G. says...
Added Oct 28, 2008
I loved this town! We did a horsetrek and spent a day before and a day after there. Be sure to walk into the old part of town. You can also play pool in the streets in the evenings and we took our guides out for beers and a crayfish dinner (crayfish racing is highly recommended) which is one of my favorite memories from China.
