Transport information:
Olive Plain(Gan Lan Ba ) is in the southwest Xishuangbanna.It takes 1 hour by public bus go there.When you sit on the public bus you can watch the landscapde along Mekong River.

Olive Plain is on the east side of Lancang(Mekong) River. There is a saying that one's visit to Xishuangbanna is not complete without visiting Olive Plain. Though it has a little exaggeration to say that, there are some reasons for it. Its name derives form the olive-shaped land covered with a dense forest. The land is low, rich and beautiful, and the weather is hot and wet, and the plain is level and expansive. Betalpalms, coconut palms, oil palms and banana trees make it green all the year round. Bamboo houses on stilts and Buddhist pagodas hide behind coconut palms and other trees.It is an example of the Dai houses and tropical scenery in Xishuangbanna. Slim and graceful Dai girls in colourful traditional ankle-length sarongs and woven bamboo hats carry their split-bamboo baskets to sell sweet fruits and melons, and self-made local products. Olive Plain is a natural, simple and peaceful place. One will find the scenery here pleasing to both the eye and the mind.

In the dense forest by Lancang(Mekong) River, you might see green peacocks and many other rare animals and birds. Someone compares Xishuangbanna to a feathered green peacock. So Olive Plain has got another name, "the Tail of the Peacock".

You can go Olive Plain by public bus or by bike.It is 27 km away from Jinghong. When you walk into there, you will find many coconut trees growing along street , some nature Dai people's wooden housees were embedded in the edge of the town. In this small zone, many Dai people still live in their villages. They live on rubber plantation, banana fields, rice fields and etc. There is a daily beautiful market behind the bus station.The local Dai people will sell vegetables, fishes, fruits and everything they produce on the market.

With the development of rubber plantation, a Dai family could be quiet rich. Some of them started to have a private car and small villa, but most people still live in a traditional wooden house. I like the wooden house much better than the concret house, because the wooden house have better air circulation, feel cooler and more comfortable inside. But the fact is that wood is more expensive then concret and normaly can not last over 30 years. So, the local people can not keep their traditional house easily. Concret house should be more and more in the future.

There is beautiful Dai style temple in a scenic spot called "Dai Garden".A meditation center was set up in the temple since 2009. In Dai Garden, there are 6 nature Dai villages inside. Some people complained the expensive entrance fee.If you only buy basic ticket without other tour programs for practicing meditation or live in a Dai family for a few day, maybe it is still a good option.

Because Ganlanba is a popular place for cicling, so we offer this free English Ganlanba map for you. Ganlanba is very small town, it is easy to find where you are.

Open Ganlanba map in a new window

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