Guilin City Tour
05 April 2013
Marks our wedding anniversary!
We kept the day for day tour in Guilin. Hotel arranged a english speaking taxi driver come guide. I have pre requested the places to be covered.
Prince City Solitary beauty Park
This is one of the tourist spot with “AAAAA” rating. This was a old fort which was burnt and renovated in the past and also houses some historical paintings and books. Also this is the only way to get to the solitary peak – an hill that sprouts right in the city with 300 oddly shaped steps. To be honest, this city is not prepared yet for foriegn tourists and practices shadow entrance fee. Entrance fee are not displayed anywhere, its almost impossible to get it by ourselves, and yes – obvisouly the guides get their fair share on that. Just that the practice might make tourists uncomfortable. I have read that the taxi drivers even for a full day free city tour and just from the tickets, they would earn enough to allow the free ride.
This attraction houses the chengyun palace, peace cave and fe restaurants with the beauty peak.
Anyhow, while she stayed back at the palace, I took a brisk hike to the hill using steps which in no time made me to take every step in the most cautious way. I had to hold on to the chains pinned to the rocks and hold camera on the other hand. When I reached the peak, there was a very small temple and offered almost 360 degree guilin city view. City is not only huge, but well planned. Li river was kind of hugging the city wherever possible.
right after those highrise buildings, the sprouts of those hills covered a good layer of layer pattern. Its green and the breeze was just cool and soothing. Lucky guys who stay there!.. 😛
Yaoshan gondola
It was one of the day where chinese people pray for their deceased ones which means literally everyones has to go near to the mountains to pray. That inturn hurts the heavy-traffic guilin to go worse. However, our guide called someone to find an alternative route and after many false navigations we reached there. This place was not in the plan but my wife convinced the guide to take there when I was away to climb beauty peak. And that turned out to be the best place we visited for the day and needless to say, she started boasting that came because of her nagging to the guide. Did I get chance to deny? 😛
This place right at the outskirts of guilin city which offers a spectacular view of the surroudings. Only thing to worry is that its not a cable car journey but a chair-lift like skiing resorts. Its quite safe and people would enjoy for sure after few mins. There are people go on hiking but I dont really see the ‘point’ to hike a mountain that already got options. Luckily it had hardly any tourist and we felt like visiting a place that was not only beautiful but quite.
At top, this has couple of view points and some very small tracks that take you to some places in the mountains but hardly 20 mins to cover all of them. Half way while returning we have the option to continue to descend using tobbogons just like swiss style.
Our next stop was a chinese restaurant where again I had a pale face. As usual to get the energy for the rest of the day I munched some boiled rice and some vegtables.
Liu Sanjie Landscape Garden
This is the garden that has elephant hill. Ironically this was 5 mins walk from Lijiang waterfall hotel. Am starting to think the tourism authority over there took things very seriously or mistaken and charges more than $15 (sgd) to visit a elephant looking hills that has its trunk dipped in the Li river. Fee for that doesnt justify at all no matter how bit the garden is. Another way to just get the glimpse of it is to via city tour in boat which gives the tour and view of this hill for a lesser cost.
We hardly spent 10 mins for few photos and moved on to our next destination for the day.
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