Super VIP Trip to Guilin in August 2021

In mid-July, we started considering summer plans. Since tutoring classes were not allowed in August, all courses were scheduled in July, and we finally set the dates for early August. First, we looked at Zhangjiajie, but by some strange twist, we didn't choose it, just because my workplace might go there, so we chose Guilin instead, after all, the saying 'Guilin's landscape is the best under heaven' is well-known. Trip.com's self-operated 5-day-4-night package basically covered all the attractions around Guilin, so there wasn't much to choose from.

On August 1st, the domestic epidemic suddenly changed dramatically, with panic everywhere. After much deliberation, we still stubbornly set off, after all, we had been cooped up at home for the past year, and there were no confirmed cases in Guilin. The flight to Guilin on the 4th had about 70% occupancy, and the airport was indeed nearly empty, with only two or three people in line at security. After landing, we prepared the Guangxi health code and travel card. Everything went smoothly except that we had to go to Guilin People's Hospital for a nucleic acid test.

On the 5th, we met the tour guide and learned that our group was originally 28 people, but only 6 actually arrived, two families of three. The original regular group tour turned into a fine VIP small group. On the first day's itinerary, Li River - Yangshuo, there were only a few dozen tourists at the dock, no need to queue at all. Only two three-star cruise ships on the river drifted slowly for four and a half hours.

To be fair, the scenery along the Li River lives up to its reputation, no wonder it appears on the background of the 20-yuan note.

There was a lunch on board, average taste, most didn't finish.

After disembarking, we went to Yulong River for bamboo rafting. A large number of bamboo rafts were idle by the river. We went and left immediately. With few people, the river was very serene, giving a feeling of a private charter.

The rafting lasted about 30 minutes, then we went to Silver Rock Cave to explore the cavern. The paths in the cave were very narrow and damp. Fortunately, there were few people inside, otherwise the temperature in the cave would have been unbearably hot. However, the stalactites formed over millions of years were breathtaking, an eye-opener, definitely worth a visit.

The cave was huge, the highest point reaching 70-80 meters, full of natural wonders.

We walked through the cave quickly because there were very few people along the way. In the peak season, it would have been a completely different scene. Leaving Silver Rock Cave and returning to Yangshuo, the epidemic prevention policy in Yangshuo was surprisingly strict: a 48-hour nucleic acid test was required, otherwise you'd be advised to return or quarantined. Fortunately, the guide had reminded us and we did it in advance. The scheduled Impression Liu Sanjie performance was canceled that day, which I had been looking forward to for a long time. What a pity! It was still performed on the 4th. In the evening, the entire West Street was full of shops, but tourists were sparse; only the supermarket had some people.

On the 6th, we went to Longji Rice Terraces. The huge parking lot had only two buses. That day, the scenic area received three tour groups: 6, 9, and 12 people respectively. Huangluo Yao Village had nothing special, and the long hair show cost 80 yuan, very low value for money. At Ping'an Rice Terraces, it was strongly recommended to take the electric car up the mountain, otherwise climbing under 38°C heat would surely lead to heatstroke.

Ping'an Rice Terraces were covered with green rice paddies layer by layer. The terraced fields all over the mountains were indeed unique. I heard that in spring the terraces are filled with water, which should be even more beautiful. Between the two viewing platforms was a quiet mountain path, with occasional raindrops.

We walked alone, with no one ahead or behind, and could sing out loud. We descended via Ping'an Zhuang Village. The winding paths in the village tested our sense of direction. I heard there was a quick way down, but walking through the village also had its own charm.

On the 7th, we visited Elephant Trunk Hill - Solitary Beauty Peak - Gudong Waterfall. Elephant Trunk Hill was basically just for taking photos and checking in, done in 20 minutes. 90 yuan was really expensive, indeed not worth it. Locals with ID cards enter for free.

Prince City - Solitary Beauty Peak was somewhat interesting. As a tourist attraction, it designed a set of experiences: visiting, hands-on activities, learning to make hand-printed '福' (blessing) characters, sitting in small cubicles to take the provincial examination, then experiencing passing the exam, receiving an imperial edict, and getting a surprise. It was commendable. If physically able, you could also climb Solitary Beauty Peak. Although only over 60 meters high, it was still a bit strenuous under 39°C heat. At the top, you could see the whole city of Guilin. It seemed that Guilin's urban planning did not allow buildings taller than Solitary Beauty Peak. Gudong Waterfall's parking lot had almost no cars. Only a few of us were at the waterfall group. Since it hadn't rained for a long time, the waterfall had little water, but a raincoat was still necessary, otherwise you'd definitely get wet. Climbing the waterfall with little water was not difficult. In the rainy season, it would probably be thrilling. The pool under the waterfall was clear and green, looking harmless but actually over 20 meters deep. The guide repeatedly warned us not to get close. The evening night cruise on the Two Rivers and Four Lakes was actually mediocre. The lighting was messy, colors were randomly placed, lacking variation. The light show at Mulong Lake had insufficient projector brightness, failing to achieve the desired effect. The night cruise cost 180 yuan, really not cheap. The Guilin Grand Hotel at night was indeed nice, with super large rooms, truly deserving its name.

On the 8th, the flights back to Xi'an by Air China and Capital Airlines were both canceled one after another. We had no choice but to change to Tianjin Airlines for the third time. Then at 7 a.m. on the 8th, I received a text message saying that Shaanxi required a negative nucleic acid test result within 48 hours for flights returning to Xi'an that day. We were stunned. We rushed to Guilin People's Hospital for the test; the earliest result would be out at 4 p.m. Then we braced ourselves and went to the airport. It turned out that more than 100 people on this flight basically had no test reports. Probably the notice was too late. The airline had no choice but to compromise and only required a green health code. Later I saw a notice saying that the 8th was a trial run, and it was likely that all flights to Shaanxi that day had this problem. They couldn't just turn everyone away. Starting from the 9th, test reports were required.

Although there were twists and turns, we finally completed this VIP trip under special circumstances safely. It was truly a rare experience, especially the private 'booking' of every scenic spot, absolutely unique. I sincerely hope the epidemic ends soon, because queuing at scenic spots is the norm and also the reassuring travel experience.