GUILIN
Global Mark : 10.31
Ratings by criteria :
| Charm | Scenery | Parks | Culture | Minor. | Market | Relax | Fiesta |
Cost |
AVER. |
| 4 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 3 |
1 |
9.78 |
Ratings by backpackers :
| Surveyed | Liked | Comeback | Recommend | Range | AVER. |
| 20 | 50% (10) | 20% (4) | 50% (10) | 5 to 20 | 10.85 |
Description : The big, modern and expensive sister of Yangshuo
What to do : Walk around the lakes / Check out painters shops (but if you buy, bargain hard) / Climb peaks for panoramic view of this green town / Visit caves
What you may not like : The general over charging policy / Some ridiculous entrance fees / Not having spent one more day cycling around Yangshuo
How long ?
waiting for your transport out or after a visit to the
train stations to reserve a sleeper...
Where to stay ?
Hotels << Get precise info, book online and save money ! >> Hostels
Expensive /Limited choice /If you have to take an early flight or train, a few hotels at reasonable prices around the train station :
-
South Stream Hotel, opposite the train station, Small Sgle 60/ Big Sgle 100 / Dble 140
| South
Stream Hotel |
nanxi
fandian |
 |
|
Hidden Hill Hotel |
yinshan
fandian |
|
|
Jinggui Hotel |
jinggui
binguan |
Backpacker's Tips : Oren, Israel (Oct 04)
« A new Youth Hostel International just opened about 3 days
ago. Opposite to the railway station at the Cheap price of 30
rmb you get a dorm (6 beds) with attached bath, TV, Air
Conditioner and Internet access (5 rmb, much too expensive. go
along Shanghai Rd, and you'll see just before the bridge to your
left an Internet Cafe for 1.5 rmb/hr). there's also a laundrete,
10 rmb.»
Backpacker's Tips : Stef Derluyn, Belgium (April
04)
« Guilin: stayed at the
Golden Swan hotel (Tian E Binguan ) for 200 rmb pp, new3 star hotel. Guilin
became a very nice, clean, green, modern city! Try to visit Binjiang Lu early in
the morning to see the Guilin folks dancing!!
Guilin-Yangshuo: ask specifically for a zhida bus, meaning a direct one, takes
you deluxe in 1hr20min to yangshuo. Do only take a bus leaving at the bus
station, not a bus leaving at the train station, because those buses have
frequent stops. »
Bus Schedules :
| To | Price | Type | Duration | Time | Nb | Freq. |
| Yangshuo | 7.5 | minibus | 1h15 | 5:30-20:00 | ++ | when full |
| Nanning | 90 | luxe | 3 to 5 | 8:00-23:30 | 15 | hour |
| Liuzhou | 40 | luxe | 2h20 | 7:00-20:30 | ++ | 20mn |
| Beihai | 138 | luxe | 7 | 21 | 1 | na |
| Longsheng | 15 | luxe | 3 | 7:40-18:20 | 8 | hour |
| Sanjiang | 17 | ordi | 5 | 6:00-16:00 | 8 | hour |
| Wuzhou | 70 | luxe | 8 | 8:20 | 1 | na |
| Guangzhou | 100 | sleep | 13 | 15:00-18:40 | 15 | na |
Notes : For Yangshuo, also bus to Lipu from South Station / For Liuzhou, every 20mn from 8 to 17 only
Trains << Click there
The trip from Guilin to Longsheng :
Luxury Bus / SSSS / R / Y15 / 3 hrs
After your 15 minutes' walk between the bus stations in Guilin (now you can say you have visited it), board a semi-medium sized-bus for the beautiful North Guanxi. Inside, you can practice your karaoke skill, watch a movie, enjoy the scenery (especially good in the mountainous part, but only on the right side) or try to be in control of your stomach as you discover that reading subtitles are not such a good idea on a continuously curling road... If you are not found of luxury and Chinese movies ordinary buses also leave frequently from the South Station for 10Y. Note : the road was being improved in 2000. The travel time shall be shortened as soon as ready (expected 2001).
The trip to Yangshuo : Bus / SSSS / L / Y5 / 1h30
Arriving from Longsheng by an ordinary bus, you should find yourself in Guilin South Station. Buses to Lipu all go via Yangshuo : they are a bit slower as they pick up passengers on the way but they leave on schedule every 15mn and do not try to overcharge passengers as do the minibus next to the train station... Note (june 02) : the cost is now Y7.5
