Kyle Jones
Moderator
Notes from a couple of trips I took a few years ago...
Yangshuo, China
Getting There
China Southern Airlines has direct flights from the Shenzhen Airport to Guilin. The flight takes about an hour and I’ve been able to get round trip tickets for under $250 US. I’ve had success flying from Shenzhen Friday night at about 8:30PM and then returning from Guilin Sunday night – giving me two full days to explore. Yangshuo is about a 90 minute drive from Guilin. I have pre-arranged a guide and driver for my trips and they have met me at the airport for the trip to Yangshuo.
Guide Services
I have made two trips to Yangshuo and on both occasions used “Jack’s Private Tours” to arrange everything. In preparation for the trip, I sent Jack an email with the dates and my interests. He responded very quickly with a proposed itinerary (including pictures) and quote. He arranges transportation, hotels, and activities and doesn’t ask for any money up front. He speaks English reasonably well. Contact information is:
Jack Zhou
Jack's Private Tours
E-mail: jackprivatetours@163.com
Skype: iamjackboy
Mobile: +86 134 7139 9655
Website: http://www.yangshuoprivatetours.com
In general, the fee for a guide, car, and driver is about 1000 RMB per day, which can be split across the members of your party.
Accommodations
Aiyuan Hotel
No.115 West Street, Yangshuo County 541900, China
http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Re...uan_Hotel-Yangshuo_County_Guangxi_Zhuang.html
This is located right on West Street – the main tourist strip through town. If you want convenience and activity this is the right place. If you want quiet, not so much… I thought it was just OK. The lobby floor and stairs were damp with condensation (not unusual for China) but the room was clean and well furnished with a Western toilet.
Mini Inn
This is a small hotel off of the main strip in Yangshuo. The rooms are clean (if somewhat spartan) and there is a nice outdoor bar next door for an afternoon drink. I enjoyed it more than the Aiyuan.
Xianggong Guesthouse
The only reason I would stay here would be to hike up to Xianggong Hill for sunrise. The beds are hard and not all rooms have a western toilet, but it is a great “Chinese” experience! OK for one night. The photo below explains why…
Activities/Sights
Li River Cruise
This is the classic activity for the area. We used bamboo boats (which are smaller and more flexible than the big cruise ships). A nice cruise is from Yangdi to XingPing to see much of the best scenery. It is a more pleasant cruise going downriver. It can be noisy going upriver! XingPing is the location depicted on the back of the 20 RMB note. The cost is about 150 RMB per person.
Cycling Tour
We had a great time on the cycling tour, starting from Yangshuo and riding through the back country on mountain bikes along the Yulong river. We saw great scenery, water buffalo, small towns, and attracted surprised looks from lots of people. The tour took several hours and included a stop for lunch along the way. We payed 30 RMB per person for bicycles and the guide was 200 RMB.
Silver Cave
This was better than I expected. The cave itself is about 2 miles long. The path is paved and the formations are colorfully lit up – don’t expect a natural experience! The cost is about 80 RMB per person.
Karst Peaks
There are various locations for hiking and viewing the scenery that Yangshuo is famous for. The below pictures were taken from bridges near town. We hiked to Xianggong hill for sunrise (pictures above). This is relatively short but steep with a nice view of the river and surrounding peaks. We also did a 3 hour hike through the country side down to the Li river for lunch in XingPing. There are plenty of places to hike and you can ask your guide for advice.
West Street
West Street is the main tourist strip in Yangshuo. It is a pedestrian-only street with shops and restaurants on both sides.
Yulong River and Bridges
There are boat trips on the Yulong River, hiking paths, and you can visit villages by car. There are also farmer’s markets that are an interesting experience if taking place while you are there.
Costs
Airport pick up service by MPV: 450RMB in total
English speaking tour guide service: 300RMB per day
Private Car and Driver: 600RMB per day
Room cost in Xianggong hill: 150RMB per room, one room for the tour guide: 100RMB
Xianggong hill entrance tickets: 20RMB per person
Take the Li river cruise from Yangdi to Xingping by motorized bamboo boat: 150RMB per person
Yangshuo Mini Inn: 200RMB per room per night
Mountain bikes for rent: 30RMB per person
Tour guide service for guiding the cycling tour: 200RMB in total
Silver cave entrance tickets: 80RMB per person
Yangshuo, China
Getting There
China Southern Airlines has direct flights from the Shenzhen Airport to Guilin. The flight takes about an hour and I’ve been able to get round trip tickets for under $250 US. I’ve had success flying from Shenzhen Friday night at about 8:30PM and then returning from Guilin Sunday night – giving me two full days to explore. Yangshuo is about a 90 minute drive from Guilin. I have pre-arranged a guide and driver for my trips and they have met me at the airport for the trip to Yangshuo.
Guide Services
I have made two trips to Yangshuo and on both occasions used “Jack’s Private Tours” to arrange everything. In preparation for the trip, I sent Jack an email with the dates and my interests. He responded very quickly with a proposed itinerary (including pictures) and quote. He arranges transportation, hotels, and activities and doesn’t ask for any money up front. He speaks English reasonably well. Contact information is:
Jack Zhou
Jack's Private Tours
E-mail: jackprivatetours@163.com
Skype: iamjackboy
Mobile: +86 134 7139 9655
Website: http://www.yangshuoprivatetours.com
In general, the fee for a guide, car, and driver is about 1000 RMB per day, which can be split across the members of your party.
Accommodations
Aiyuan Hotel
No.115 West Street, Yangshuo County 541900, China
http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Re...uan_Hotel-Yangshuo_County_Guangxi_Zhuang.html
This is located right on West Street – the main tourist strip through town. If you want convenience and activity this is the right place. If you want quiet, not so much… I thought it was just OK. The lobby floor and stairs were damp with condensation (not unusual for China) but the room was clean and well furnished with a Western toilet.
Mini Inn
This is a small hotel off of the main strip in Yangshuo. The rooms are clean (if somewhat spartan) and there is a nice outdoor bar next door for an afternoon drink. I enjoyed it more than the Aiyuan.
Xianggong Guesthouse
The only reason I would stay here would be to hike up to Xianggong Hill for sunrise. The beds are hard and not all rooms have a western toilet, but it is a great “Chinese” experience! OK for one night. The photo below explains why…
Activities/Sights
Li River Cruise
This is the classic activity for the area. We used bamboo boats (which are smaller and more flexible than the big cruise ships). A nice cruise is from Yangdi to XingPing to see much of the best scenery. It is a more pleasant cruise going downriver. It can be noisy going upriver! XingPing is the location depicted on the back of the 20 RMB note. The cost is about 150 RMB per person.
Cycling Tour
We had a great time on the cycling tour, starting from Yangshuo and riding through the back country on mountain bikes along the Yulong river. We saw great scenery, water buffalo, small towns, and attracted surprised looks from lots of people. The tour took several hours and included a stop for lunch along the way. We payed 30 RMB per person for bicycles and the guide was 200 RMB.
Silver Cave
This was better than I expected. The cave itself is about 2 miles long. The path is paved and the formations are colorfully lit up – don’t expect a natural experience! The cost is about 80 RMB per person.
Karst Peaks
There are various locations for hiking and viewing the scenery that Yangshuo is famous for. The below pictures were taken from bridges near town. We hiked to Xianggong hill for sunrise (pictures above). This is relatively short but steep with a nice view of the river and surrounding peaks. We also did a 3 hour hike through the country side down to the Li river for lunch in XingPing. There are plenty of places to hike and you can ask your guide for advice.
West Street
West Street is the main tourist strip in Yangshuo. It is a pedestrian-only street with shops and restaurants on both sides.
Yulong River and Bridges
There are boat trips on the Yulong River, hiking paths, and you can visit villages by car. There are also farmer’s markets that are an interesting experience if taking place while you are there.
Costs
Airport pick up service by MPV: 450RMB in total
English speaking tour guide service: 300RMB per day
Private Car and Driver: 600RMB per day
Room cost in Xianggong hill: 150RMB per room, one room for the tour guide: 100RMB
Xianggong hill entrance tickets: 20RMB per person
Take the Li river cruise from Yangdi to Xingping by motorized bamboo boat: 150RMB per person
Yangshuo Mini Inn: 200RMB per room per night
Mountain bikes for rent: 30RMB per person
Tour guide service for guiding the cycling tour: 200RMB in total
Silver cave entrance tickets: 80RMB per person
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