Yangshuo

Yangshuo (阳朔) is a popular tourist town located in the Guangxi province in Southern China. Yangshuo is known for the dramatic Karst mountains and the Li River that surround it. The first time I went to Yangshuo was in July 2017. Unfortunately, it was hit with one of the worst floodings in recent memory, and we had to evacuate. I tried again in late November, 2019, during the dry season. This turned out to be a much better time to visit Yangshuo and the Guilin area.

The easiest way to get to Yangshuo is by taking a flight to Guilin, the capital of Guangxi. From Guilin, you can hire a taxi/DiDi to take you directly into town. Your hotel or hostel might also be able to arrange transportation for you direclty from the airport.

Had a bit of jetlag. Instead of trying to sleep, I went for a run instead. Yangshuo at sunrise.
Food stalls were abndant all over Yangshuo, you won't go hungry here thats for sure.
This was our go-to breakfast shop. Its within walking distance from our hostel, and the food is cheap and tasty. We can even order double stuffed meat buns here to bring to the crag.
Hazy view of the karst formations (Karst is a topography formed from the dissolution of soluble rocks such as limestone - Wiki) in Xingping, a town just up the river from Yangshuo. These sheer limestone walls is what makes Yangshuo one of the best climbing destinations in the world.
Sunset view from the top of Laozhai mountain, in Xingping. It's a short but steep hike to the top, with stunning views of the surrounding mountains and the Li River.

Getting around town is pretty easy, most things are within walking distance in Yangshuo. I highly recommend renting a scooter, its a ton of fun to zip around town with your crew in a bunch of scooters. You can park them pretty much anywhere, and they are easy to ride. It's not for the faint of heart however, traffic in China can get pretty crazy. Just take it at your own pace, and enjoy the ride!

Scooters was our main mode of transportation. After careful deliberation, I selected the pink hello kitty scooter to ensure maximum visibility and style.
Unfortunately, due to popular demand, hello kitty is not always available. But as you can see, each ride is still very enjoyable.
Eating hot pot with the crew. Unfortunately, the 'mountains of meat' is only surface level, below the single layer of meat is just ice. 🙁
Enjoying some cold brews outside at night. In China (and most places), you can drink oudoors.

Lodging in Yangshuo is abundant and generally pretty affordable. I decided to splurge a little and paid for a night at Alila Yangshuo. I had heard about this place before my trip, and it looked absolutely amazing. The property is built on the foundations of a 1960s sugar mill that's been converted into a hotel. It is surrounded by beautiful mountains and the swimming pool in the back hovers over the Li River. Alila Yangshuo is one of the most unique hotels I've ever stayed at. Highly recommended. You can scroll through the gallery below to see some more photos of this hotel.

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Climbing in Yangshuo is a must.
Climbing on tufas in a giant cave!
Joanna being lowered after completing a very tough climb to the top of the roof. It was impressive to watch her finish this route. What she lacked in strength she made up in determination.
Where are my DBZ fans at? Taken by a friendly British couple at Moon Hill.
A small picturesque village near Yangshuo.
Xianggong Mountain, a great place to watch the sunrise. We hired a car to take us up to the top.
Longji Rice Terrace, located north of Guilin.
Longji means dragon's backbone in Chinese because the terraces look like dragon scales (pretty bad ass if you ask me).
Parts of the rice terraces were first created over 650 years ago... Initially built by the Yao and Zhuang ethnic minorities to cultivate mountains that were hard to plough. Now they are used more for tourism than growing actual crops.

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