Okay, I finally did it!
I just returned from Chengdu (成都), the Capital of Sichuan Province, China, in the recent summer of 2025. I understand my many friends are eager to find out about my 9-days experiences in Panda Land. So here is it.
Fun fact: Chengdu is the Capital of Sichuan. But Chengdu was also the Ancient Capital of the Shu-Han Kingdom during the famous 3 Kingdoms era (where we have the revered Zhuge Liang). And it was also-also the ancient capital for 9 dynasties in antiquity China (九朝古都).
I chanced upon several tour operators from mainland China online, who advertised their Chengdu packages. I chose a 7D6N route with a separate additional 2-days free-and-easy roam on our own. The extra nights of hotel stay were offered FOC by the operator. No strings attached. Sometimes, free stuff is just....free stuff.
I booked the above tour package for 4 pax directly from one tour agency (out of several) in China via WhatsApp & WeChat. Yes, they do use WhatsApp also. I transferred RMB100 (S$18) as initial booking fee (deposit), and then headed to the Land of the Pandas and Peppercorns with 3 other friends who are smarter than me but still willing to come alongside this crazy adventure.
Incidentally, we only need to pay the outstanding balance when we arrived in Chengdu. So I guess there was little financial risk involved if they don't show up for us at the airport. All the admin part will be covered & completed after we check-in to our hotel . An additional insurance was also charged by them when we signed the contract in the hotel. I will elaborate on this later below.
And yes, it's cheap, dirt cheap kind of cheap, like RMB 1,500 cheap! In our local currency, that's like S$270 cheap. Any cheaper, you are probably wondering how can they even make a profit. Initially, I had my concerns too (like my many well-intentioned friends, who thought I will be either scammed or kidnapped). Fortunately, no scammers or kidnappers presented themselves throughout the 9 days. No drama, no opera. The contract signing phase was a little unconventional though, as it was conducted in our hotel room.
From the moment we touched down in Tianfu International Airport, someone already contacted me to the proper gate where a pick-up had been arranged. After loading up the luggage, we headed to Chengdu city center, where we will be putting up. Someone greeted us when we arrived at the hotel front lobby. He was the one responsible for coordinating my entire trip for the next 9 days, kind of like our personal tour butler, minus the apron :P I will addressed him as The Coordinator.
After finishing the paperwork, we got to head out for dinner (on our own expenses cos the actual tour would only start the next day). Thankfully, we were surrounded by eating establishments and restaurants once we stepped outside the hotel. The train station was literally right next to the hotel. Food & fruits stalls were everywhere, with all types of 7-11-nish provision stores for general supplies. Not to mention many small-scale paddlers on wheels selling supper snacks and fruits, which we bought plenty every night.
So then, since the package offering was legit, what exactly is covered under this RMB 1,500 deal? Pretty much what I needed most. Here are the list of items:
1. 8 nights of hotel stay (twin sharing)
2. Airport-to-Hotel transfer on Day 1 and Hotel-to-Airport Transfer on Day 9.
3. All breakfast (provided by the hotel).
4. All pickups to major attractions (by cabs & coaches).
5. All entrance tickets to major attractions (pre-booked for us in advance so no need to queue).
6. Most lunches & dinners (but not all meals).
HOWEVER....even though I said this is not a scam. there were definitely some levels of mismatched of promises & misinformation from the operators, like the group size, type of transport & travel mate profile. I will further elaborate more below. The Tour Operator (aka the Company) was so nice that they also added extra "events" for us in case we were bored to death by the long bus ride.
Lets start with those extra "pitstops" that popped up along the trip. Insidiously, during the first 3 days, they brought us to places not mentioned in the itinerary, like a silverware factory, a jade factory, a traditional medicine factory, & some tea & spices shop. I guess such "shopping stops" were necessary to break up the long journey from Chengdu City to the northerly suburbs where the main attractions are. For example, some of us may travel from Singapore to KL (a 5.5 hrs bus ride), but get to stop at Yongpeng mid-transit for a short break, and buy some stuffs.
Personally, I don't mind having some shopping stops along the way. To me, I got to stretch my legs and ease my bladder. At these stops, they usually paddle their local indigenous products. At one point, we visited a bullhorn factory where they fashioned combs & other ornaments out of those bull horns from their special local hairy cows (Mao Niu). Strategically, did I mentioned these "pitstops" were planted along the long journey on route to our main attractions. Some of these shopping sites were even nested inside our lunch locations. What a wonderful coincidence!
To be fair & balance, I was not pressured to buy anything. Buying stuffs was not mandatory. All these merchants ever wanted was a chance to showcase their crafts & consumables. No under-the-gun type of enforced purchase. If it fits your needs, go ahead and swipe the plastic. Better still, they prefer electronic mobile payment like WeChat & AliPay.
Looking at the bright side, at least the internet & wifi signal here (and everywhere else) were super strong & stable. You got signals even in remote national parks & up on mountain peaks. They needed that cos the whole China economy thrives and traffics on electronic mobile payment. Hardly any hard cash were transacted here. The moneychangers at home must be super pissed knowing fewer & fewer Singaporeans are exchanging their SGD for RMB.
Okay, now to the meaty part of the journey. We were there from 21-29 June....which meant it was summer and the weather was warm, with some occasional showers forecasted. However, temperature do dropped drastically when it approached high altitude here in north Chengdu, especially during the nights in the mountains. During our 3rd night, temperature dropped to a mere 3 degrees, and we were giving electric blankets from the hotel. So have extra coverings with you always.
I divided these 9 days into 5 legs:
Leg 0 (1 day): 5 Hrs Flight to Tian Fu Int'l Airport (TFU), Arrival, Airport Transfer & Hotel Check-in.
Leg 1 (3 days): Huanglong National Park, Jiuzhaigou National Park, & Indigenous Tibetian Highland.
Leg 2 (1 day): Mt Emei
Leg 3 (1 day): Panda Research Base & San Xin Dui
Leg 4 (1 day): Free & Easy in the morning. Dujiangyan in the afternoon to evening.
Leg 5 (1 day): Chengdu Inner City (Free & Easy) - This part we do not follow any group. We are entirely on our own.
In case nobody told you, Huanglong, Jiuzhaigou and Mt Emei are all nested 3000m above sea-level. Some of us suffered from high altitude sickness during the 1st leg of the trip. It was like an invisible pressure squeezing you constantly. Some have headaches, others have bowel movements (squeezing the shit out of you). Some, in extreme cases, may hallucinate. For me, I just hallucinated about hallucinating. So be warned! Drop all your poops & craps in the hotel before pushing out, otherwise, the high altitude pressure will do the crapping for you :P
P.S, Oxygen canisters can be purchased along the way for those who may not respond well to these high elevations, often at an unbelievable tourist-friendly price of just RMB50 (+/-)! Yes, the thin, mountainous, high altitude air is free, but compressed and canned air is not! Make Capitalism Great Again!
In addition, there were tons of walking & steps climbing. Pls do some training at home before coming to China. I felt like I had climbed all the stairs in my entire neighborhood estate after this trip! And please have a good pair of walking shoes. You can thank me later :P
Okay, now the part on my evaluations about this Chengdu trip.
Chengdu is a great city to visit. It is clean, safe and easy to navigate. Within the city, I had never spent more than S$3 per trip via their DiDi Cab. And that's great! The city is carved out with concentric circular ring-zones: 1st Ring Rd, 2nd Outer Ring Rd, and so on. Its super easy to get around. Hence the average distance was usually under 4-5 km apart if you planned your journey well. Just avoid zig-zagging all over Chengdu.
I also had entertained the idea of cycling around the city, like many Chengdu-ers do. Sadly, after messing around with my mobile APP and their QR sign-up code, I still could not unlock any bicycle. Maybe I don't smell Mala enough to these bikes. After what looks like an eternity later, I decided to just get a DiDi....again! :) It only 3 bucks, everywhere!
Alright, enough of pleasantries and platitudes, here are some of the honest pain and problems I faced:
1. The 9-days trip is not "Quan Wan" as highlighted by the Operator
This can be frustrating, seriously. "Quan Wan" means 100% play (my bad direct translation). I was misled to believe that this whole trip was pure fun like any "No-Shopping, Attractions-only" trip. Yet, it was littered with shopping drops one after another for the initial 4 days when we headed out to the highlands. Though not too disruptive in my personal opinion, I do not appreciate the non-disclosure arrangements before we commenced. The Sales Rep from the tour agency did specifically mentioned this was a "Quan Wan" package. Nonetheless, all the main golden attractions I wanted were delivered without compromises. So, I overlooked this misrepresentation. So dear tour agency, next time don't do this to other people, okay?
2. Bus Coach Standard and Group Size
I was told by the tour Sales Rep (prior to the trip) that the group size would be kept small, between 12-15 person max. However, the reality was far from that! The bus coach was packed almost to the brim, with possibly only 1 or 2 spare seats. I was also under the impressions that the bus coach would be modern and spacious, with USB charging point, cup holders, nettings for your loose items, bathroom, sauna pod, pickleball court, full-sized fridge and coffee counter etc.....Just kidding. But in reality, the bus was dated and tightly configured (2-2 configuration). To be fair, there were journey that they offered better bus (2-1 configuration). But such upgraded buses were not that often. So it was a give-and-take here. The only saving grace was that the seats can be inclined backward for a short nap. Maybe that was just a mere mismatched of expectations on my part. I have sat in better outfitted coach around South Korea, Japan, New Zealand and Europe. But this was China, and maybe this was already their best offering, and some may even considered that a premium platform. I have no idea. After all, I only paid S$270 for accommodation, transport, food and entrance tickets. I should be be thankful, no?
Also, I was told by the Sales Rep that she will try to fit us into groups coming from similar regions, like from Singapore and Malaysia. But now I understood, the word is TRY! So far, we were the only Singaporeans in the entire trip. Nothing wrong about travelling with domestic Chinese nationals, I must add. They are nice people. I am just highlighting the discrepancies I experienced in pre-trip communications. I had made new friends during the journey, and I am thankful :)
3. Hygiene practices during meal times
When come to lunch and dinner time, it was a rude & uncomfortable awakening! Our table mates would stick their chopsticks repeatedly into every dishes, often allowing their saliva to marinate with the meat and vegetables, and by extension, sharing their precious DNA with everybody. Some even did a round of "treasure hunting" within the confine of each dish, searching for their preferred parts. After a while, every plate of food resembled a petri dish of special probiotic cultures. Maybe they really treated us like family members when come to meal times.
Yes, I was told that public common chopsticks & ladles would be provided, and THEY WERE! The problem was that nobody used them, other than me and my 3 Singaporean friends. After a while, we just resigned to scooping up enough portions as early and as fast as possible, before everybody baptized it with their saliva-rich chopsticks :) Nothing to see here..... Problem solved.
And no, they did not make me sing their National Anthem before eating. That's a myth, okay!
Granted, I understand that this was just another manifestation of cross-cultural practices, and I am not judging our Chinse friends. It was just a different table-practices that we have to acknowledge and appreciate. Fact is, I came Chengdu fully prepared, knowing that such behavior is ubiquitous in China, and I do not have any moral high grounds to claim on table etiquettes . But it is really too much to ask someone to please use that common ladle or chopsticks next time? Please? Thank you :P
4. Programs scheduled too Early
Due to the long distance from Chengdu to the various attractions (Huanglong, Jiuzhaigou etc), we were informed to be ready at the hotel lobby for pick-up by 5:30am several mornings! That means waking up at least 15-20 min earlier, say 5am! If you did not turn in before 12mn the earlier evening, prepared to be a pale & pissy zombie throughout the journey. Bring some mouthwash, cos brushing teeth takes time. Learn to sleep with your next day outfits so that you can jump right out of bed and out of the room within 5 mins :P
By this same extension, we had problem with breakfast during those early push-out days. The hotel front desk staffs prepared ahead our breakfast "care package", and handed it to us on our way out. I did not get to enjoy the wide breakfast buffet spread for the initial 3 days!
In addition, on one occasion, the hotel breakfast area was so cramped and crowded that food ran out as soon as it was dished out. I have learned to be the "Fastest Hand in the East" in order to grab some breakfast on my plate. Queuing in line was practically non-existence here. Many displayed the "I Believe in Cutting Queue" sign on their forehead. I had to push and shove my way like everybody else but in a polite and discreet manner in order to get to the food. I am now more skillful and shameless after several breakfast regime, because it was really a feeding frenzy where the only easy days were yesterday.
No prize for guessing correctly, the hotel were obviously full of guests heading out all at the same time from the same spot to the same destination. Although we belonged to different tour groups/ buses, the net effect was still the same: CLUSTER-JAMMED! Its easier to buy your own breakfast when we approached our tour bus outside the hotel. Street hawkers were everywhere, and the prices were very affordable. Give it a try! You can use the public toilets later if you are that unlucky :P
5. No Smoking Signs Do Not Work in Most Places
Apart from smoke prohibition inside bus coaches, smoking was almost a national past time everywhere else for many of my tour mates. Whenever there was a pitstop for toilet breaks or meals, our smoking pals would light up a stick or two. Some even smoke in front of a "No Smoking" Signage. So, I guessed it was normal here. No, I am not complaining. Even though I am not a smoker, I do not judge those who do. This was purely my observation, and my point was to merely highlight this aspect of their lifestyles without perjuring or prejudicing anyone. Sincerely, I like to think that the column of clean air around me was offensive to those who constantly seek a pillar of smoke around them. For that, I apologize :P
6. Less-than-Desirable Luggage Allocation during Transit.
If you think the bus were crowded, you should see how we squeezed 4 adults into the back row seats of a standard sedan car! Where was my Toyota Vellfire? Other than the first and last pick-up transit between hotels and airport, they often overlooked the luggage carrying capacity of their vehicle. How do one fit 6 medium-sized luggage into the back boot space? Or into any space in one car for that matter? Well, apparently they can! Somehow there is this "Can-Do" spirit here in Chengdu and we eventually squeezed all 6 luggages and 5 grown adults into one standard sedan car. I am officially impressed, as we got compressed side-by-side and really felt depressed during the brief transit. But well done, Driver Si-Fu!
7. Miscellaneous small expenses
For places like Huanglong, Jiuzhaigou, and Mt Emei, we had to choose how we get to the top of these attractions, which are HIGH, like over 3000m high! There were cableways available, but we had to pay for it. Fortunately, this so-called "small transportation" within the attractions were very affordable. Trust me, we got to the top faster and easier for approximately $20.
Then there was this digital mobile tour guide we could purchase (more like rentals). It was a wearable device that we put on our ears, so that we can hear the narrations of the local guide within the attractions without him/ her shouting all the time. This was also a relatively small expenses (about $10). At times, we can do without it. Just remember to stay close to the Tour Guide by following his/her long guide flag stick :P
8. The Mandatory Insurance at the beginning of the Trip
This was the only part that I cannot understand, but still went along despite my discomfort. The tour coordinator that handled our admin collected an additional RMB400 (per pax) for some sort of a "Cover-All" insurance (S$71 each). I told him that all of us had purchased our own travel insurance prior to departure. He explained that the Sichuan Government had made this compulsory for travelers due to the recent Sichuan earthquake. But I think it was just a lame excuse. In addition, he mentioned that the places we intended to visit are mostly high altitude attractions. Conventional medical evacuation can be difficult and costly, or so he claimed. Naturally, I was tentatively troubled, privately perturbed, and fleetingly flustered. There were so many shades of confusion here. So our personal travel insurance plans were not recognized? Are all tourists visiting Sichuan subjected to this mandatory "cover"? What provisions will this "insurance" plan offer?
Personally, I, me and myself felt this was really really fishy. I suspect these RMB400 was his compensation for the next 9 days of providing background support. That was just his creative way of asking for his share. Granted, the Sales Rep did mentioned that there will be some sort of insurance being arranged when we arrived. I just failed to ask her beforehand WHAT it was and HOW MUCH it cost! I felt a bit ripped-off at first, but for a mere $71, I simply let it slipped. To make me feel better, I just treated it as a "tips" to this Tour Coordinator, who will be our sole go-in contact person for all matters going forward. Silly me, rite :P
Okay.....enough of my inconsequential gripes & grumbles. These are the things I like or appreciate about our Chengdu journey:
1. The Cost
Without a doubt, this has to be the cheapest tour packages I had ever signed up since the invention of sliced bread. Period. For a mere RMB1,500 (S$270) that covered all of the hotel room stays, most meals, long-distance transportation to all attraction sites, entrance tickets, with an all-day Tour-Guide, this price was hard to beat!
2. The Accommodation
Personally, I was very satisfied with my accommodations. The rooms were clean and comfy. The bed was firm and supportive. The bathroom was adequately equipped and stocked with clean towels and toilet paper. We had free Wi-Fi, complimentary bottled waters, and good flow of running hot water if needed. Not to mention those little white disposable slippers!
3. The Food in Chengdu
All the restaurants we visited were 9/10 great. Our meals were both delicious and attractively-priced. We sampled superb local dishes (spicy and non-spicy) on the first night, and also special made-to-order dumplings and beef noodles. We savored local Sichuan dishes near the famous Kuan Jai Siang Zi, and then we had a round of authentic Sichuan Hotpot near Wuhou Ci. We dined right beside the renowned Dujiangyan river, surrounded by live performances, and then watched the stunning "Blue Tears" (Lan Yan Lei) after sunset, just few feet away from our table.
And to top it all up, there would always be a Mixue Ice Cream Joint or a Luckin Coffee outlet every 400-500m in all directions! I was officially and pleasantly overdosed with Luckin Coffee and Mixue Oreo Ice Cream Cup in Chengdu!
4. Cashless Payment Society
Even though I did not bring a single piece of cash with me, I still managed to pay for all my purchases via AliPay. It was easy, handy, and I can keep a digital record of my spending in my mobile. Just make sure your mobile phone has enough power, or your travel mate has extra power-banks :) Worst come to worst, we can always offer to bring back our trays or wash some dishes, rite?
5. Getting to the various attractions via bus coach
Places like Huanglong, Jiuzhaigou, Mt Emei can be quite far outside the City Chengdu. I am convinced that it will cost me more if I had travelled to those various attraction via their Highspeed Rail network. Yes, I may get there faster, but that's it. It will be more expensive for each one-way ticket should I choose this D-I-Y method. Online, you will find that it costs around $20-$40 one way for a second-class seat. Plus you will need to find your way from the train station to the main attractions. Our bus brought us right up to the doorstep! Or almost the doorstep. And all these under the $270 cost. Me think it was a good trade-off.
6. Affordable Cab Services
Thanks to our strong dollar, an average trip that costs around RMB15-20 will look like $3-4 after currency conversion. Its really a treat, especially if you have 4 travelers in one cab. Its cheaper than taking their trains! Plus, it is super easy to arrange for a Didi cab via my mobile APP or just use AliPay.
7. Main attractions and all entrance tickets covered
Without any doubt, I came to Chengdu for one main and major attraction: Jiuzhaigou! I am grateful I had my shot at it, and totally enjoyed the visit and the walk in this eminent National Park. Beyond that, I also checked all my boxes for Huanglong, Mt Emei, Dujiangyan, San Xin Dui Museum, and those cute Pandas, which are definitely native to China and local to Chengdu, because I realized that none of them speak English :P
And no, I still couldn't get that Panda mug I wanted, nor found any Panda Express (a fast-food franchise in the States) in Chengdu.
8. My fellow travel-mates!
If there is one thing that will make or break a travelling experience, it will be the fellows you are travelling with. I am glad to say I have 3 best travelling pals who are not only fun to be with, but also very accommodating to my shortcomings. I am very blessed by their company and friendship. Hope their life and vacation were not ruined because they chose to accompany me to Chengdu.
We don't often get what we want in life. As a result, we learned to compromise from time to time. However, I can gladly say that I get to check all my boxes, with little compromise, with my 3 dear travelling mates. They are a great blessing to me in this trip, and for that, I am eternally grateful.
I have no regrets coming to Chengdu this summer of 2025. My 9 days were not wasted. All the planned attractions were awesome. We did not fall sick. We eat good. We stay good. We travelled to places with no accidents. I felt that the time and money was well-spent. My only prayer and hope is that my 3 pals also had a trip as great as mine.
Things to Note if you are going Chengdu:
1. High Altitude Attractions.
High altitude sickness is real. They called it "Gao Fan". Just climb or walk slowly. Don't need to rush. Take a few more breaks if you must. Eventually, you will reach the top, one step at a time.
2. Rain and Protection
Yes, the raincoat sellers may tell you its raining season. Don't succumb to their scare tactics. Bring your own raincoat, poncho, waterproof jackets, umbrellas will do. Don't waste your money buying their raincoat or shoe wraps. The ground is not that wet and the floor isn't muddy. The walk ways are well maintained. Safe your money for nice food.
3. Pandas, pandas, where are you?
We reached the Panda Research Base in the late morning. The pandas will be mostly sleeping in the afternoon, so try going early in the morning.
4. That Suspicious "Insurance"
Before you book anything with them, check with the Sales Rep if this insurance is mandatory, and how much. Insist on not paying for it, or you are not signing the package with them. I think they will yield and waive the insurance required. But do this at your own volition and peril.
5. WeChat Notification Settings
Make sure you download WeChat, and turn on the notification mode. The Tour Coordinator will be constantly in touch and checking on you to make sure you got the service and support as promised. The different daily drivers will also be contacting you via WeChat. The daily Bus and Tour Guide will also remind you what time to meet and return to bus via WeChat. Stay connected & contactable.
6. No Mandatory Purchases
Remember, you don't have to buy anything at any shopping stops. you can try their free samples for taste. Free beef jerkies, spicy-ovened fish, even hot hairy-cow's milk. But at the end of the day, the decision to buy is yours and yours alone.
Final Disclaimer:
As always, my views and opinions here are over-rated and solely mine :) In standard legal mumbo-jumbo, that means "All Rights Reserved". All personal assessments may only be for reference. Some portions may also be exaggerated. Me knowing me and my allergy to B.S., I often write different than I speak in person, so I may appear a little crazy and sometimes offensive. For that, I apologize :P
All the best to those who plan to visit Chengdu in the coming near future. I am quite sure it is a city that won't disappoint. It will only overwhelm you with amazements, and overload your taste buds with their authentic Mala dishes :)
I'll be back, Chengdu :)
Bon Voyage!
Apologies: I had difficulties uploading pictures and videos here. So I may have to find another way or means to cover that.
End-of-Blog Scoreboard & Summary:
Food: 9/10
Hotel: 8/10
Transport: 7/10
Attractions: 9/10
Safety: 9/10
Walkability: 8/10
Shopping: 7/10
Value for Money: 10/10
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