Next trip: 2-10 April 2016
Stunning cycling on quiet country roads (supported); Bajiao Zhai Pink Danxia Karst forms; Yantai temple in the clouds; Colourful minority markets in Chetian and Longsheng; Outdoor bathing in Longsheng Natural Hot Springs; The famous Longji Rice Terraces; Yao, Miao and Dong minority villages, river rafting; charming homestays; Guilin noodles and delicious rice wine.
Cost: RMB 8800
Day 1 – Guilin
Guilin is a beautiful city named for the sweet Osmanthus flower trees that perfume the town. The town center where our hotel is located is surrounded by two rivers, four lakes and studded with sheer sided karst mountains – a little harder to see as Guilin continues to grow. After your airport pick up, take a stroll along the Li River or through the manicured lake side gardens nearby the old city walls. There are plenty of cafes and restaurants where tourists and Guilin locals come to relax. Meet your group for a run down on the upcoming trip, then head out for a banquet dinner of Guilin specialties.
Dinner
Day 2 – Bajiaozhai National Park
Famed for its pink sandstone “Danxia” karst formations, Bajiaozhai consists of eight sprawling ‘dragonhead’ peaks straddling the Hunan Guangxi border. Hike to Yantai Buddhist Temple on the highest peak top for stunning views over the mountains which we later hike through to our home-stay and a rustic and hearty peasant dinner hosted by a friendly local family.
Breakfast Lunch Dinner
Day 3 – Chetian
Warming into ride with a hill climb, your reward is spectacular views through saw-tooth mountain ranges followed by a long and winding descent. Or make the ride an easy one by starting your ride at the top of the first hill. Forested ravines, traditional wooden Miao villages atop steeply terraced rice terraces, are a slice of old China elsewhere disappeared. Our lunch at a small school house is as entertaining for the school kids as it is for us
Minority tribes living in the hills all come to Chetian to trade in the local market. Our guesthouse is 5 km beyond this bustling market town Chetian Town, by a small stream in a secluded valley that boasts spectacular rock formations. Take a walk to a nearby waterfall,and cool off in the rock pools that have formed below it.
Cycle: 60 km, sealed roads, little traffic.
Breakfast Lunch Dinner
Day 4 – Longsheng Hot Springs
Today’s ride is spectacular. Starting with a 4 km climb, the rest of the day is all descent, with plenty of time to visit the fascinating Dong, Miao and Yao minority villages along the way. These villages see few tourists, and locals are proud to show off their traditional homes. Longsheng Hot Springs is a great finish to the day, the warm spring water baths perfect for relaxing your muscles. Our small family run guesthouse is in a narrow gorge with its own outdoor hot spring. There’s a great hike along the gorge to a local Miao village for those that need more action.
Cycle: 42 Km’s. Sealed road, little traffic.
Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Day 5 – Ping’an
En route to the famous Longji Rice Terraces, we pass through the county capital, Longsheng, with one of our favourite markets in all of China. Strange and exotic products from the mountains, tools, bamboo work and cloth of the many minority tribes are just some of the colourful and fascinating wares for sale. Make sure you have a camera on hand.
Todays terrain is flat or undulating but with a challenging 6 km climb to the Longji Rice Terraces at the end. We arrive in Ping’an, a village right in the middle of the rice fields enjoy the sun setting over the cascading rice terraces in a traditionally built Zhuang guesthouse. Cold beers make the view that much sweeter. Keyin and Lily, always make us feel at home and may offer up their home made sweet rice wine!
Cycle: 67 Km’s.
Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Day 6 – Ping’an
A free day to spend at your leisure, we highly recommend taking a hike to Naiwan village which will take you through villages only accessible by foot and through some of the most beautiful scenery in the area. Ping’an is equally interesting, with cafes, local handicrafts and viewing points that attract many photographers waiting for the perfect light to hit the ziggurat like terraces.
No meals included today but many cafes with English menus
Day 7 – Shiertan
A fantastic downhill through dozens of switchbacks, mellows to undulations on comfortable sealed roads through pine and bamboo forests. Hillsides are dotted with Miao and Yao villages tucked into the forests and rice terraces.
Guilin-style rice noodles stalls line a section of our ride. Widely regarded as the most delicious noodles in China, and you’ll want to try them numerous times to sample all the combinations of pickles and chillies that are used to dress this simple dish.
We enter a wide valley in the afternoon, then cut back into a narrow gorge where our hotel is located in a picturesque rural setting. There is an option to take a rafting trip after lunch (at about the 30 km mark) directly to the hotel for those who want a change of pace. With several rapid sections, be prepared to get wet.
Cycle: 58 Km.
Lunch and Dinner
Day 8 – Guilin Level cycling through ancient water canal villages, and small farmers trails through orchards and farmland lead us back toward the famous limestone karst landscape of Guilin. We pass through Wuteng town with its busy market before heading on to a tea plantation for lunch. Here you can try locally grown tea whilst we pack up the bikes before we drive the last (busy) stretch back in to Guilin.
Cycle: 40 Km’ sealed roads and unsealed farmers trails
Breakfast Lunch Dinner