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.

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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?

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_M6F2883 West Street Yangshou.jpg	_M6F2636 Shangrila.jpg	Shangrila Yangshou Pano.jpg	_M6F2850 Shangrila Yangshou.jpg	_M6F2831 Shangrila Yangshou.jpg
_M6F2789 Shangrila Yangshou.jpg	_M6F2765 Shangrila Yangshou.jpg	_M6F2716 ShangrilaYangshou.jpg	_M6F2677Shangrila Yangshou.jpg	_M6F2664 Shangrila Yangshou.jpg
_M6F2649 Shangrila Yangshou.jpg	_M6F1126 Xing Ping Yangshou.jpg	_M6F1105 Xing Ping.jpg	_M6F1094 Xing Ping.jpg	_M6F1093 Xing Ping.jpg
_M6F1087 Xing Ping.jpg	_M6F1055 Xing Ping.jpg	_M6F0999 Xing Ping.jpg	_M6F0978 Xing Ping.jpg	_M6F0021.jpg
_M6F1034_pp Li Li.jpg	_M6F1046 Li Li.jpg	_M6F1177 Xing Ping.jpg	_M6F1226 Xing Ping.jpg	_M6F1236 Xing Ping.jpg
_M6F1251 Xing Ping.jpg	_M6F1265_pp Xing Ping.jpg	_M6F1287_pp ing Ping.jpg	_M6F1704.jpg	_M6F1934_pp Banyan Tree Park Yangshou.jpg
_M6F1948a Banyan Tree Park.jpg	_M6F2103_pp Banyan Tree Park.jpg	_M6F2124_pp Banyan Tree Park.jpg	_M6F2130_pp Banyan Tree Park.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
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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?