China for 6 days - where to?

kraggy

Looking for suggestions guys and gals.

Thinking of heading over to China for 6 or 7 days at the end of July but not sure where I should go. I'm travelling from Seoul so no issues with jet lag etc.


The 4 places I have in mind are:

1. Lijiang/Tiger Leaping Gorge
2. Guilin
3. Beijing
4. Hong Kong

Where would you reccommend on the 6 day time basis alone?

Now, what I'm after...

a. Nice scenery
b. authentic Chinese experience
c. bit of history

I have a feeling that you'll tell me that all of the listed places have 1 or 2 of the criteria but that none of them have all 3?

Although they're on my list, HK and Beijing may have to be relegated as I live in the 3rd or 4th largest city in the world and maybe I could do with a break from a city.

However, I'm willing to listen to the selling points of all locations on my list.

That said, in the event that it does come down to a battle between Tiger Leaping Gorge/Lijiangg and Guilin, which do you reckon should win (again bearing in mind I have 6 days). Ideally, I'd like to fly over and not have to move too far again once I'm there.

Thanks for reading. Hope I didn't confuse you!

killbillvol2

If you live in Seoul HK won't really be that interesting. Beijing is a fascinating city with loads to do but you seem to want a break from cities.

Guilin is Chinese tourist central. There's a lot to do in the vicinity but the city itself is pretty charmless.

Lijiang wins hands down from your list. The old town is crowded with Chinese tourists but they never leave the beaten path so you can find calm within 20 metres of the main streets. Tiger Leaping Gorge is a couple of hours away so you could stay in Lijiang, hike the gorge for 3 days and spend the last night or two back in Lijiang.

As regards "authentic Chinese experience", there are different varieties. Watching them embrace mass tourism is fascinating in itself!

kraggy

Hey KillBill,

Thanks a million.

Regarding Guilin, is that the only kind of place to stay if I want to see Yangshuo? Is that the base place to stay in the area or are there other towns nearby that I could stay in? Yangshuo looks amazing to me and would the main reason for going there.

Is Tiger Leaping Gorge as nice as Yangshuo? I know they're only photos on the internet, but when I google Yangsuo and Tiger Leaping Gorge, Yangshuo wins for me.

I like the idea of cheap, nice restaurants and a kind of backpacker feel where I could sightsee one day, then read a book in a cafe the next. Which do you reckon would be best for that, Lijiang or Guilin?

Is Guilin really not great? I read that it's a great backpacker town on the web.

How about Yangshuo town? Is it big enough to stay in for a night or two? Would it be worth dividing my time between there and Guilin?

Thanks for your help.

killbillvol2

kraggy wrote: »

Hey KillBill,

Thanks a million.

Regarding Guilin, is that the only kind of place to stay if I want to see Yangshuo? Is that the base place to stay in the area or are there other towns nearby that I could stay in? Yangshuo looks amazing to me and would the main reason for going there.

Is Tiger Leaping Gorge as nice as Yangshuo? I know they're only photos on the internet, but when I google Yangsuo and Tiger Leaping Gorge, Yangshuo wins for me.

I like the idea of cheap, nice restaurants and a kind of backpacker feel where I could sightsee one day, then read a book in a cafe the next. Which do you reckon would be best for that, Lijiang or Guilin?

Is Guilin really not great? I read that it's a great backpacker town on the web.

How about Yangshuo town? Is it big enough to stay in for a night or two? Would it be worth dividing my time between there and Guilin?

Thanks for your help.

Yangshuo is a couple of hours by bus from Guilin. I went there last year for a day or two and stayed a week. It's hard to describe. There was a Chinese girl next to me on the bus and she was horrified on arrival in Yangshuo that it was pretty built up - it's pitched as a small country town.
You have to keep in mind that finding a quiet, unspoilt place in China is pretty difficult. I've been there a few times so I'm used to it.
At night there are a couple of streets with the booming music that the Chinese like but you can find nice quiet, laid-back bars around the corner.
By day I rented a motorbike and headed for the countryside, which is beautiful. If you get 20-30 km away you're really in the middle of nowhere.
The cruise on the Li river is sold as a great Chinese tourist experience. It's worth doing but it's not what you expect - I won't spoil the surprise by giving too much detail! You could also do the cruise form Guilin and continue to Yangshuo.

Judging by your post I'd say Yangshuo will suit you. It's a nice town to wander around, sip coffee, graze and read a book and you have some great scenery on your doorstep. The same could be said for Lijiang but it's a lot bigger. Tiger leaping Gorge is worth seeing but for me the second and third days there were the same as the first.

Any more questions just ask.

caoty

6 days is fairly short, don't rush yourself, stay in one place if possible, certainly no more than two. I recommend Beijing for 6 days.

kraggy wrote: »

Looking for suggestions guys and gals.

Thinking of heading over to China for 6 or 7 days at the end of July but not sure where I should go. I'm travelling from Seoul so no issues with jet lag etc.


The 4 places I have in mind are:

1. Lijiang/Tiger Leaping Gorge
2. Guilin
3. Beijing
4. Hong Kong

Where would you reccommend on the 6 day time basis alone?

Now, what I'm after...

a. Nice scenery
b. authentic Chinese experience
c. bit of history

I have a feeling that you'll tell me that all of the listed places have 1 or 2 of the criteria but that none of them have all 3?

Although they're on my list, HK and Beijing may have to be relegated as I live in the 3rd or 4th largest city in the world and maybe I could do with a break from a city.

However, I'm willing to listen to the selling points of all locations on my list.

That said, in the event that it does come down to a battle between Tiger Leaping Gorge/Lijiangg and Guilin, which do you reckon should win (again bearing in mind I have 6 days). Ideally, I'd like to fly over and not have to move too far again once I'm there.

Thanks for reading. Hope I didn't confuse you!

sarkozy

caoty wrote: »

6 days is fairly short, don't rush yourself, stay in one place if possible, certainly no more than two. I recommend Beijing for 6 days.

Same. China is HUGE. 6 days is no time to do anything. We did 3 weeks on a similar route and it wasn't enough. I was deeply disappointed with Dali and Lijiang. Beijing was cool.

If you fly into Bejing and want to go down south, then you're looking at getting a flight to either Kunming or Lijiang itself.

China is tiring, take things easy. Honestly, Beijing has a lot to keep you there for 6 days and there are some streets (e.g. 'Ghost Street') which have unbelievably good food. North of Beijing is the Great Wall with some quite pretty mountains.

kraggy

killbillvol2 wrote: »

Yangshuo is a couple of hours by bus from Guilin. I went there last year for a day or two and stayed a week. It's hard to describe. There was a Chinese girl next to me on the bus and she was horrified on arrival in Yangshuo that it was pretty built up - it's pitched as a small country town.
You have to keep in mind that finding a quiet, unspoilt place in China is pretty difficult. I've been there a few times so I'm used to it.
At night there are a couple of streets with the booming music that the Chinese like but you can find nice quiet, laid-back bars around the corner.
By day I rented a motorbike and headed for the countryside, which is beautiful. If you get 20-30 km away you're really in the middle of nowhere.
The cruise on the Li river is sold as a great Chinese tourist experience. It's worth doing but it's not what you expect - I won't spoil the surprise by giving too much detail! You could also do the cruise form Guilin and continue to Yangshuo.

Judging by your post I'd say Yangshuo will suit you. It's a nice town to wander around, sip coffee, graze and read a book and you have some great scenery on your doorstep. The same could be said for Lijiang but it's a lot bigger. Tiger leaping Gorge is worth seeing but for me the second and third days there were the same as the first.

Any more questions just ask.

Thanks again KillBill. Great info.

Some more questions if that's ok? I'm definitley leaning more towards Guilin/Yangshuo now rather than Lijiang. I'd like somewhere as small as possible with a small town feel (I know it's China so there's not really places like that but anyway...


1. Is Yangshuo nicer than Guilin?
2. Is Yangshuo big enough to enjoy a drink and maybe meet some backpackers? Not looking for nightclubs or anything but a bar or 2 would be needed at least.
3. Did you need to show a license for renting the bikes?
4. What route do the cruises usually go? I want to get on the river and see the karst mountains/scenery from the river.
5. How long does the boat trip from Guilin to Yangshuo take roughly?


That's it for now I think. Hope you don't mind all the questions!


Thanks.

caoty wrote: »

6 days is fairly short, don't rush yourself, stay in one place if possible, certainly no more than two. I recommend Beijing for 6 days.

sarkozy wrote: »

Same. China is HUGE. 6 days is no time to do anything. We did 3 weeks on a similar route and it wasn't enough. I was deeply disappointed with Dali and Lijiang. Beijing was cool.

If you fly into Bejing and want to go down south, then you're looking at getting a flight to either Kunming or Lijiang itself.

China is tiring, take things easy. Honestly, Beijing has a lot to keep you there for 6 days and there are some streets (e.g. 'Ghost Street') which have unbelievably good food. North of Beijing is the Great Wall with some quite pretty mountains.

Hey folks. Thanks for the replies. Just to clarify, I'm not looking to go to 2 places in 6 days. Just one small area. I want a stress-free time as I live in Seoul and it's tiring here at times.

sarkozy

Oh that's grand. Then just do your research on a place or two in and around the region you obviously want to see. And be sure not to go at a time that coincides with the big Chinese holiday seasons.

It'll be hard to find somewhere small and unspoilt that would have the 'luxuries' you're looking for, but I'm sure they're there.

Finding that experience is much easier if you're willing to rough it.

killbillvol2

kraggy wrote: »

Thanks again KillBill. Great info.


1. Is Yangshuo nicer than Guilin?
2. Is Yangshuo big enough to enjoy a drink and maybe meet some backpackers? Not looking for nightclubs or anything but a bar or 2 would be needed at least.
3. Did you need to show a license for renting the bikes?
4. What route do the cruises usually go? I want to get on the river and see the karst mountains/scenery from the river.
5. How long does the boat trip from Guilin to Yangshuo take roughly?

.

1. As I said, Guilin is a city - the Chinese consider it small but the population is over 5 million! Yangshuo is a country town but it's busy with tourists. Don't expect Clonakilty, it's China! Most people who go there stay longer than they intended.
2. There's plenty to do at night in Yangshuo - I met some really nice people there.
3. No! Just a deposit and your accommodation details.
4. There are different routes. You can book them in any of the hundreds of travel agents in the area. A lot of people travel from Guilin to Yangshuo by incorporating the cruise into the journey.
5. About 5 hours I think - I did the cruise from the other end.