April, a Date with Yangshuo

The trip started with a casual comment from a colleague. I randomly asked her where to go for a trip in April, and she said to go cycling in Yangshuo. Then I looked up some travel guides online, booked the flights and accommodation. Actually, my original intention was to go to Fenghuang in Hunan or Phuket in Thailand, but fate often catches you off guard, and so my date with Yangshuo began.

“Guilin’s landscape is the best under heaven, and Yangshuo’s landscape is the best in Guilin.” That saying is true. When it comes to mountains and rivers, I have something to say. Growing up in the Jiangnan region, we are not particularly interested in seeing mountains and rivers, since they are everywhere in our living environment. Instead, we are more fascinated by the grasslands and deserts of the north. But the landscape of the Li River still amazed me—mountains and waters blend into one, embracing and depending on each other, stretching endlessly.

Mountains embrace the river town like a blooming lotus—this is Yangshuo, a small town full of natural beauty and charm. I never understood why such a small mountain village attracts so many foreigners to settle here, but when you actually find yourself in it, you discover its allure. The gentle and graceful Yulong River, the majestic Li River—travelers here can set aside all thoughts and work, drifting on a bamboo raft and losing themselves in the landscape. Even immortals couldn’t be happier.

I think I’ll come again if I have the chance. This trip let me appreciate the misty rain of the Li River, but I didn’t get to see it under a blue sky and white clouds. That’s a bit of a pity, but it also gives me a reason to return. Yangshuo, see you next time!

Enough talk, here’s the travel guide for those who need it.

A charming small town

Itinerary: (April 19–23)

Day 1: Xiaoshan Airport to Guilin Liangjiang Airport, stayed at Guilin Zhengyang Inn. The hotel is brand new and located on Zhengyang Pedestrian Street, making it convenient for eating and sightseeing. Due to flight delays, I arrived in Guilin around 2 p.m., so I didn’t visit any scenic spots. I just wandered around the hotel area and had Chongshan Rice Noodles, which were delicious. In the evening, I booked a boat tour of the Two Rivers and Four Lakes. The only famous attraction in the city is Elephant Trunk Hill; the rest are not worth seeing. I recommend the Two Rivers and Four Lakes tour at night because the lighting project is well done; during the day there’s not much to see.

Day 2: Took a bus to Yangshuo, about an hour’s drive. Checked in at Yangshuo 203040 Inn. The inn is in a quiet residential area on Chengbei Road, near the Li River. It’s about a 10-minute walk to the bustling West Street, and it’s very quiet at night, ideal for staying.

From the small terrace on the top floor of the inn, you can see the Li River.

After settling in, I went out to find food. I ran into another Chongshan Rice Noodle shop and went in without hesitation. In the afternoon, I booked a trip to Silver Cave, including round-trip transfers, for 60 RMB per person.

Silver Cave is a karst cave. I’ve seen many caves of various sizes, but this one is relatively large. There is a spot called the Fairyland of Yaochi; the reflection in the water really looks like an abyss, very beautiful. The effect can’t be captured in photos; you have to experience it in person.

The main evening activity was strolling along West Street. To be honest, I didn’t find West Street particularly special—lots of people, bars, and various small shops, very similar to the bar street in Lijiang I visited before, equally bustling. I prefer quieter bars, so I picked one called Pansi Cave (Spider Cave). The live singer’s voice was captivating, so I went there two nights in a row and really enjoyed it.

Day 3: Booked a Yulong River rafting tour online. There were several route options. After reading others’ guides, I chose the route from Jinlong Bridge, upstream to Fuli Bridge, then to Jiuxian, for 105 RMB per person. Fuli Bridge is said to be over a thousand years old, a beautiful arched bridge worth seeing. The rafting took about three hours.

I suggest not joining a tour group. The typical travel agency route is from Xiatangzhai to Jiuxian, which is crowded. When there are many people on the river, not only can you not capture beautiful reflections, but it also loses the meaning of rafting. The section I chose is the upper part, with fewer people and better scenery. When we were rafting, there was only our one bamboo raft, and I really felt like I was in a fairyland, losing track of time. Wonderful.

On the way back, I rented a tandem bicycle at Jiuxian and rode back to Yangshuo town. I planned to ride back via Ten-Mile Gallery, which is said to be very scenic. But unfortunately it started drizzling, so I had to hurry back on a shorter route. I had hoped to fully enjoy cycling on this Yangshuo trip, but the weather didn’t cooperate; I didn’t get enough riding in.

Day 4: Booked a Li River highlight rafting tour online, from Yangdi to Xingping, a private raft for two people, 260 RMB. It’s better to share a raft with others; if four people share one, the cost is only 95 RMB per person. But my husband and I are used to being leisurely and didn’t want to coordinate with others, so we took a private raft and paid the empty seat fee of 35 RMB per person. Normally this rafting section takes about 1.5 to 2 hours. Our boatman was very nice; seeing that we weren’t in a hurry, he stopped and went slowly for over three hours, finding good angles for photos. We had a great time.

One of the rare reflections captured on the Li River.

20 RMB note background.

A goshawk over the Li River.

Due to the many bamboo rafts on the Li River, it’s basically impossible to get good reflections, but that doesn’t diminish the Li River’s beauty. I have to say, the mountains and rivers of Jiangnan are indeed not as grand as those of the Li River.

Day 5: Early morning return. The hotel can arrange carpool to the airport for 60 RMB per person, quite convenient.

Overall, the itinerary was very relaxed. I woke up naturally in the morning, went out in the afternoon, and strolled around the town in the evening. I don’t like rushing from one attraction to another, so I generally don’t join tours. My travel philosophy is to go with the flow.

Note: If I had one more day, I would consider visiting the Longji Rice Terraces and staying in a mountain village.

Guilin Rice Noodles: The Chongshan Rice Noodles I had were excellent. It’s a chain store with branches in both Guilin and Yangshuo, authentic flavor. But other small shops also serve very good rice noodles.

Beer Fish: Besides rice noodles, this is the most common dish in Yangshuo. I chose a small shop recommended by the inn receptionist called You Chi You He (Eat and Drink). I ordered sword-bone fish, and the taste was quite good. The two of us finished everything.

Longevity Fish: Recommended by the boatman during the rafting. It’s a grilled fish sold on the bank. Maybe I was hungry at the time, but it tasted good, and I wanted more. However, the price was a bit steep—half a fish cost 60 RMB. Probably we were overcharged. When traveling, it’s inevitable to be taken advantage of sometimes.

Green Mango: Guangxi’s green mangoes are big, sweet, and cheap. Even I, who don’t usually like mangoes, fell in love with them.

Chunji Roasted Goose: Don’t mistake this for a dish; it’s actually the name of a restaurant. It serves three meals a day, a local brand in Guilin with many chain stores in the city. The taste is somewhat like a Cantonese-style tea restaurant, with good service and tasty food.

Guilin Specialty: I recommend Songhua Candy. My colleagues all said it tastes good.

Electric Scooter Taxis: Taxis in Yangshuo don’t use meters. Anywhere within the town costs 20 RMB, a bit expensive. Actually, you don’t need to take taxis. Yangshuo town is small, and there are electric scooter taxis that cost only 1 RMB, going to the south and north bus stations. But you need to have change, as they are coin-operated.

Bicycles: Yangshuo is small, and scenic spots are concentrated, making it very suitable for self-guided travel. The most used mode of transport here is probably bicycles. Riding on country roads near the town, enjoying the scenery, stopping whenever you want, going wherever you want—how delightful.

Flight + bus: 3302 RMB, scenic spots: 970 RMB, food: 1102 RMB, accommodation: 1178 RMB, other expenses: 451 RMB, total: 7003 RMB.