China Guilin and Yangshou Photo Gallery by Cecil at pbase.com

China Guilin and Yangshou

Wanted to visit Guilin so googled and got this website http://www.guilinphototours.com/ and since I wanted a semi photo tour, contacted the person and was directed to this http://www.lycheetravel.com/ and we corresponded and finalised a deal for 8 days 7 nights.

The tour itinerary was:

Day 1 and 2- Guilin Bravo Hotel - very good 4 star, http://www.glbravohotel.com/
Places of interest in Guilin - Elephant Trunk Hill, 7 Stars Park, Fubo Hill but the one you shouldn't miss would be the Reed Flute Cave. For shopping - Central Square - Northern Nation Village 0773-2813279 is a great restaurant for northern chinese food - generally don't bring along the tour guide if you can help it as they would want commission for anything you eat or buy, for example if a meal cost 350 yuan, it may be 500 if the restaurant have to pay the tour guides commission.
During our trip we faced many situations like this, when you have a tour guide that is only interested in scalping you, that is what happened.
The tour company (in this case we were with Lychee Travel and they should have train or control their tour guides not to be so blatant and not seriously have the welfare of the customers the tourists at heart).
We finally ask for a replacement and was told that there were none available.

Day 3 - Longji Rice Terrace. Beware,long trek uphill 1 hour (can get a sedan chair to carry you for 200 yuan and they have potters to carry your bag - you will be advised not to bring along big bags and its good advice). But, the scenery that you'll behold is absolutely breathtaking when the sun hits the waterfilled rice terraces, 2 nights would be better).

Day 4 - Back to Guilin and take the Li River Cruise 4 hrs - this is a must - to Yangshou.
Fantastic is the word, despite the rain. Do not stop at Xing Ping the supposedly one of the top 10 ancient town in China, is like 1 lane and can be covered within half an hour and its just a few miles from Yangshou so you can drive over.
One of the major dissapointment, actual comorrant fishing is one of the highlight of this trip and at Xing Ping the tour comapany arranged a commorant fisherman with 2 commorants for photography taking but not actually fishing, when ask if we can photograph actual fishing, she said its not available and yet later we saw on many local tour agents and in big signs and pictures visits to actual commorant fishing, alas thats what you get when you are saddled with a noncaring tour company and guide.
Tour operator at West Street is Sam Zhang Uncle Sam's Travel samszhang@hotmail.com mobile:0086+13807735616

Day 5 and 6 Yangshou - West Street in Yangshou is phenominal, huge with myriads of restaurants and shops and you can easily spend a day there.

Tourist attractions in Yangshou?
West Street is a must see.
Moon hill - sucks - don't bother, its just a hill with a hole in it.
Banyan Tree Park is just a park that has a banyan tree that was planted in the 1400.
River Rafting for groups - nothing much.
Rapid river rafting is exciting.
Shangrila - worth a visit for beautiful sceneries, tour guide charge us 150 yuan, on local tourist agents 100 yuan one even offered 60 but i'm sure that is without transport.
Must see - Yang Zhimou's Lui Sangjie Impressions with 600 actors and using the hills of Guilin as backdrops, its listed as 198 yuan, the tour company charge us 168 but if you wait at the front of West Street, they have unsold tickets going for 50 yuan.
Hotel right at the entrance of West Street is Ai Yuan Hotel 2 star but nice and clean for 288 yuan twin sharing.www.aiyuanhotel.net or email: mail@aiyuanhotel.net or a ming dynasty home hotel call Morningsun Hotel 2 star at www.morningsunhotel.com or frances@morningsunhotel.com also 288 yuan twin sharing. If you want 4 star then its the New Century Hotel.
Tour agent at 42 West Street is samszhang@hotmail.com Mobile:0086+13807735616

Day 7 and 8 free and easy and day 8 we flew back home.

previous page pages 1 2 ALL next page

Elephant Trunk Hill Guilin 01
Elephant Trunk Hill Guilin 02
_M6F9664 7 Stars Park Guilin.jpg
_M6F9703 7 Stars Park.jpg
_M6F9672 7 Stars Park Guilin.jpg

_M6F9665 7 Stars Park Guilin.jpg
_M6F9670 7 Stars Park.jpg
_M6F9722 7 stars Park Lily.jpg
_M6F9856.jpg
Cave of 1000 Budhas Pano Guilin.jpg

_M6F9802 Fubo Hill.jpg
_M6F9804 Fubo Hill.jpg
_M6F9742.jpg
_M6F9906 Reed Flute Cave.jpg
_M6F9956_pp Li Li.jpg

_M6F9959_pp Li Li2.jpg
_M6F9983 Li Li.jpg
_M6F9977 Reed Flute Cave.jpg
_M6F9965 Reed Flute Cave.jpg
_M6F9961 Reed Flute Cave.jpg

_M6F9995_pp Li Li.jpg
Northern Chinese Food Central Guilin.jpg
_M6F9660 Peddle Fish live.jpg
_M6F9656 Peddle Fish cooked.jpg
_M6F9648 Pork Belly.jpg

_M6F0006 Corn with meat.jpg
_M6F0008 Local catfish.jpg
_M6F0010 Pork.jpg
_M6F0026 Longji Rice Terrace.jpg
_M6F0028 Longji Rice Terrace.jpg

_M6F0527 Huanglo Yao.jpg
_M6F0504_ppYao Maiden.jpg
_M6F0452 Huanglo Yao show.jpg
_M6F0408_pp Yao maiden.jpg
_M6F0514_pp Yao maiden.jpg

_M6F0496 Huanglo Yao show.jpg
_M6F0379 Huanglo Yao performance.jpg
_M6F0275 Yao long hairs.jpg
_M6F0063 Longji Rice Terrace.jpg
_M6F0057 Baggage Carriers.jpg

_M6F0052 Baggage carriers at 30 yuan.jpg
_M6F0060 Sedan chair at 200 yuan.jpg
_M6F0071 Longji Village and Rice Terraces .jpg
_M6F0089 Longji Rice Terraces.jpg
_M6F0091 Longji Rice Terraces.jpg

_M6F0123 Longji Rice Terraces.jpg
100Longji Rice Terrace.jpg
_M6F0652.Li River.jpg
_M6F0645 Li River.jpg
_M6F0652 Li River Cruise.jpg

_M6F0713 Li River.jpg
_M6F0809 Li River.jpg
_M6F0855 Li River Cruise.jpg
_M6F0864 Li River 9 horses hill.jpg
_M6F0783 Li River.jpg

_M6F0634 Li River.jpg
_M6F087 Li River4.jpg
_M6F2948 West Street Ai Yuan Hotel Yangshou.jpg
_M6F2892 West Street Yangshou.jpg
_M6F2889 West Street Yangshou.jpg

previous page pages 1 2 ALL next page

comment | share

Type your message and click Add Comment

It is best to login or register first but you may post as a guest.
Enter an optional name and contact email address. Name

Name Email

help private comment

Cecil 23-Sep-2011 07:12
Steffi, you'll have to fly to Kunming and then fly to Dali then take transport to Shangri La Lijiang. Deinitely cannot do within 1 day

Steffi 23-Sep-2011 03:59
Thanks for your good advise. Can you tell me how long it takes to get to Shangrila from Yangshuo? Is it just a short day trip and can be back within the day?

Type your message and click Add Comment

It is best to login or register first but you may post as a guest.
Enter an optional name and contact email address. Name

Name Email

help private comment

click on thumbnails for full image

Elephant Trunk Hill Guilin 01	Elephant Trunk Hill Guilin 02	_M6F9664 7 Stars Park Guilin.jpg	_M6F9703 7 Stars Park.jpg	_M6F9672 7 Stars Park Guilin.jpg
_M6F9665 7 Stars Park Guilin.jpg	_M6F9670 7 Stars Park.jpg	_M6F9722 7 stars Park Lily.jpg	_M6F9856.jpg	Cave of 1000 Budhas Pano Guilin.jpg
_M6F9802 Fubo Hill.jpg	_M6F9804 Fubo Hill.jpg	_M6F9742.jpg	_M6F9906 Reed Flute Cave.jpg	_M6F9956_pp Li Li.jpg
_M6F9959_pp Li Li2.jpg	_M6F9983 Li Li.jpg	_M6F9977 Reed Flute Cave.jpg	_M6F9965 Reed Flute Cave.jpg	_M6F9961 Reed Flute Cave.jpg
_M6F9995_pp Li Li.jpg	Northern Chinese Food Central Guilin.jpg	_M6F9660 Peddle Fish live.jpg	_M6F9656 Peddle Fish cooked.jpg	_M6F9648 Pork Belly.jpg
_M6F0006 Corn with meat.jpg	_M6F0008 Local catfish.jpg	_M6F0010 Pork.jpg	_M6F0026 Longji Rice Terrace.jpg	_M6F0028 Longji Rice Terrace.jpg
_M6F0527 Huanglo Yao.jpg	_M6F0504_ppYao Maiden.jpg	_M6F0452 Huanglo Yao show.jpg	_M6F0408_pp Yao maiden.jpg	_M6F0514_pp Yao maiden.jpg
_M6F0496 Huanglo Yao show.jpg	_M6F0379 Huanglo Yao performance.jpg	_M6F0275 Yao long hairs.jpg	_M6F0063 Longji Rice Terrace.jpg	_M6F0057 Baggage Carriers.jpg
_M6F0052 Baggage carriers at 30 yuan.jpg	_M6F0060 Sedan chair at 200 yuan.jpg	_M6F0071 Longji Village and Rice Terraces .jpg	_M6F0089 Longji Rice Terraces.jpg	_M6F0091 Longji Rice Terraces.jpg
_M6F0123 Longji Rice Terraces.jpg	100Longji Rice Terrace.jpg	_M6F0652.Li River.jpg	_M6F0645 Li River.jpg	_M6F0652 Li River Cruise.jpg
_M6F0713 Li River.jpg	_M6F0809 Li River.jpg	_M6F0855 Li River Cruise.jpg	_M6F0864 Li River 9 horses hill.jpg	_M6F0783 Li River.jpg
_M6F0634 Li River.jpg	_M6F087 Li River4.jpg	_M6F2948 West Street Ai Yuan Hotel Yangshou.jpg	_M6F2892 West Street Yangshou.jpg	_M6F2889 West Street Yangshou.jpg

Type your message and click Add Comment

It is best to login or register first but you may post as a guest. Enter an optional name and contact email address. Name
Name Email
help	private comment

Cecil		23-Sep-2011 07:12
Steffi, you'll have to fly to Kunming and then fly to Dali then take transport to Shangri La Lijiang. Deinitely cannot do within 1 day

Steffi		23-Sep-2011 03:59
Thanks for your good advise. Can you tell me how long it takes to get to Shangrila from Yangshuo? Is it just a short day trip and can be back within the day?