Guilin is about a 2 hour flight from Shanghai, and we enjoyed experiencing something quite different from the hustle and bustle of Shanghai. It is surrounded by a beautiful landscape of mountains, rivers and caves.

We think the highlight is the 3 hour boat ride down the Li River to Yangshuo. The boat takes about 100 passengers, and has an enclosed dining deck on the lower level and an open viewing deck on the upper level. The scenery along the river is quite spectacular and the karst mountains, for which this area is famous for, rise up dramatically on either side of the river.

Lunch is served on board, but we would be careful about buying lunch on the boat. We were sent with a packaged lunch, which obviously prevented any stomach upsets. We observed on other similar boats that the food was cooked at the back of the boat, out in the open, and on one occasion we saw the cook washing his dishes from the water in the river. The river is not clean, so if you are visiting this region be wary of buying food on board.

The river is a very busy one, with plenty of tourist boats doing the same journey, along with smaller craft who take only a few tourists but are quite popular. Then there are also those families who work on the river for their living. We have included one photo of the air quality in the region, and you will notice that although the landscape is quite spectacular the smog does spoil the overall beauty of the area.

Some of the other highlights of this part of the trip are:

  1. Impression Sanjie Liu – this is an open air theatre presentation, with the backdrop being the beautiful mountains and Li River. We recommend seeing this show as the colours, the music and the night sky just make it one of those wonderful experiences that you will never forget.
  2. Seven Star Caves – the caves allow you to experience another dimension of the Guilin landscape. They are quite spectacular and there is a great photo opportunity before you enter the caves to have your photos taken with the local peacocks.
  3. Sun and Moon Pagodas – located near a lovely shopping district leading to the Fir Lake the pagodas light up at night and reflect beautifully off the lake. The whole area is quite lovely and you will enjoy some shopping from the local shops.
  4. We were also treated to a night out for a dumpling dinner and show. What a spectacularly colourful and enjoyable show, with a huge range of traditional dancers and athletic performances which made you gasp on more than one occasion. These change regularly so hopefully your tour will include such a treat.

You will enjoy this part of the tour, it is something quite different and if you are fortunate enough to see Impression Sanjie Liu you will not forget such a wonderful experience.

Travel Tips

  • Don’t forget masks in this region if you have health issues. The air quality can be very poor.

Travel Alerts

  • Be very wary about eating food prepared on the tourist boats, as we don’t think there are strict hygiene controls in place.
  • China is always busy with tourists, so we would suggest keeping your valuables well protected, and we would also suggest always carrying your passport on you.

Travel Adventures

  • If your tour doesn’t include some sort of show, then please try and fit one in if you have the time. They are spectacular shows full of surprises, vibrant colours and amazing acrobatics.