I?m traveling from Sapa to Kunming to catch a flight to Shanghai. I hoped on a sleeper bus once I crossed the border from Lao Cai to Hekou headed for Kunming. The road was bumpy and the sleeper was uncomfortable. The border agents at Lao Cai and Hekou were wonderfully nice and the bus station in Hekou was only a 5 minute walk once you exited immigration.
Traveling in China is tough not speaking Chinese but lucky for me I managed to meet a Singaporean who did. Anyway, while in Kunming we took a day trip to the Stone Forest in Shilin (about 2 hrs via bus from Kunming). The grey limestone pillars are unique and have been declared a national park by the Chinese. I however didn?t feel they were all that spectacular. The internet access in Kunming is ridiculously slow and overall the atmosphere is less desirable than that of Nanning. If you?re in the area drop by Shilin, otherwise I?d say it?s okay to skip it.