Beguiling Guilin: Li River Bamboo Rafting to Yangshuo, China

I’d always pictured myself touring the Li River at sunrise. In my head was a photo of me, rafting with the mist that hugged the cliffs that increased from the banks while a cold, purplish blue light covered the scene. That picture, for the longest time, had been framed and nailed to the walls of my mind. If I would ever discover myself in Guilin, that scene would have to happen. Flod. Cliffs. Gryning. Fulländning. It had to happen.

But I am not a morning person. absolutely not a morning person.

So when I was asked what time I wished to see the river, I foolishly and nonchalantly chosen a twisted number that rhymes with hate. “Eight o’clock, it is,” stated the confused hotel receptionist, who looked at me judgingly. “I believed you stated the earlier the better?”

I did state that. however that was before I had tried getting swallowed by their beds. After nearly a full day of being on my feet on the train to Guilin from Zhangjiajie, I wished to marry the very first mattress I’d see and spend the rest of my life in its soft, comfortable embrace. I was intent on making sure that the aching temple of my spirit would have the rest it deserved.

Vad behandlas i den här guiden?

Yangdi Village
Li River
Xingping Village
Yangshuo

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Yangdi Village

So there I was, basking in the severe mid-morning sun in the quaint village of Yangdi. a long time during the 90-minute bus ride, our guide explained what to expect from the tour. He spoke English however I still might not comprehend anything, partly since I was on the far end of the bus and partly since the guide was just challenging to understand. The only bit of info I was able to pick up was that one of the views that awaited us was depicted on the 20-yuan note.

When we reached the village, we were greeted by a soft strike of a crisp, awesome wind, as if ushering us to the river. We walked down a concrete, waterward street that ended at a wharf where lots of motorized bamboo rafts were docked. The rafts complied with the conventional design, with its front end somewhat skewed upward. When I hopped onto one, I understood immediately that they were not truly made from bamboo however most likely painted PVC pipes. Each might fit as much as six passengers (not including the boatman), however there were only four of us at the time. I sat in the rear row, put on a life vest, and heard the roar of the engine drown the gentle splashes of the river, signaling the begin of our journey.

The day might not get any clearer: no mist to block the view and no clouds to block the sun. The raft had a roof, however the sides and the front were broad open for a full, unobstructed vista. That is, up until a cruise ship overtook, building a fantastic wall between us and the cliffs.

The wharf at Yangdi village marks the begin of the bamboo raft trail.

Li River

Seeing the famed Li River can be performed in three ways: on a raft, on a cruise, or on foot. Hiking is a fantastic choice for the fit, adventurous traveler. The trip from Yangdi to Xingping, about 22 kilometers, takes four to five hours. The path is quite simple and never strays as well far from the river. It’s totally free and you have full manage of everything.

You also have great manage of your time when rafting. You can ask the boatman to stop at any point along the way, something that I did when I found tents lined up on a flat area of the river and other tourists roaming about. I hopped off of the raft to discover nothing really, just a few vendors and a guy with a cormorant bird enticing people to have pictures taken with him. Upon dawning on me that we stopped for nothing, I did a 180 and was amazed by an assemblage of peaks that towered before me, begging for an unlimited succession of snaps. This is most likely one of the sites that I needed to view out for. They most likely developed an picture that was worth noting. however without any guide or regional in tow and bereft of imagination, I most likely missed out on something fantastic there.

The river cruise begins at Zhujiang Pier
A quick stopover.
Forgive me for a short moment of vanity.
Which is most likely why the river cruiser makes sense to some people. Not only are they comfortable, they are also the only appropriate choice during summertime and winter season as they safeguard tourists from heavy downpours and biting cold. and they have restrooms, which is an important for a four- to five-hour trip.

Xingping Village

Traffic soon developed up, and much more and much more rafts came into view. I looked back and my eyes satisfied a trio of peaks standing close to every other. together they type an picture that ended up being familiar to any individual costs time in China: the scene on the 20-yuan bill. I fished one from my purse and, as though paying tribute to the place, increased it to match the actual mountains.

Li River on the 20-yuan anteckning
20-yuan-bill-scenen i äkta liv.
När vi gick bort samlades alla på vår resa nära en långvarig plattform, en mycket mycket bättre utsiktspunkt för den 20-yuanska utgiftsscenen. Härifrån åkte vi direkt till bussen, som tar oss till Yangshuo, en liten stad som har slutat vara synonymt med turism i denna del av världen. När vi sökte efter vår åktur såg jag en bra titt på omgivningen. Medan många avvisar xing som James Marsden från den kinesiska resenären stannar – du vet, ett innebär ett slut – det har faktiskt sitt eget överklagande om du betalar ränta (ja, som James Marsden). De mest filmiska delarna av Li River’s Karst Landscape är faktiskt här i Xingping, och dess gator är flankerade av historiska byggnader.

Yangshuo

Om resan var ett samlag, skulle xing vara orgasmen och Yangshuo eftersexen. (Ja, jag sade det.) Yangshuo är där människor som gör Li -floden är många troligt att hamna i, oavsett var och exakt hur de började. De som tog flodkryssningen från Zhujiang kommer att upptäcka sig att dela utrymmet med dem som vandrade och raftade från Yangdi, många troligen i en av stadens många restauranger, snabbmat, barer eller kaféer.

Yangshuo
Du kommer att upptäcka alla slags kök i Yangshuo
Medan vissa skulle säga att stadens äkthet har gått förlorad på sin metod för att hamna som det är – en (över) utvecklad resenärstad – finns det fortfarande något så vackert med den. Övergången är hyperkommersialiserad, men landsbygden förtjänar fortfarande ett besök. Bergsklättring är en framträdande aktivitet bland resenärer, och om din tidpunkt är rätt, kan du flotta igen fredligt, den här gången längs Yulong River. Många hotell och vandrarhem erbjuder ett brett utbud av boende och motiverar en mycket längre vistelse.

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