Planning a Trip

Getting There

The nearest rail and air connections are in Guilin, but tickets can be purchased here from CITS. From the bus station on Pantao Lu, buses depart for Guilin (70 min. travel time but leave at least 2 hr. before your train departs to allow for traffic in Guilin; ¥15/$1.95/£1) every 10 to 15 minutes from 7:30am to 8pm; for Xingping (1 hr.; ¥10/$1.30/65p) every 15 minutes from 6am to 7:30pm; for Fuli (20 min.; ¥10/$1.30/65p) every 15 minutes from 6am to 7:30pm; and for Gaotian (a half-hour; ¥10/$1.30/65p) every 15 minutes from 6:30am to 7pm. Direct buses with very poor reputations for safety run to Guangzhou (8 hr.; ¥150/$20/£9.75) at 10am, noon, 4pm, and 10pm; and to Shenzhen (10 hr.; ¥180/$23/£12) at 5:30pm and 9pm.

Taxis from Guilin (your hotel in Guilin can arrange this) will make the trip in an hour at a cost of around ¥250 to ¥300 ($33-$39/£16-£20). If heading straight to Yangshuo, call ahead and your hotel can arrange a taxi for between ¥160 and ¥180 ($21-$23/£10-£12).

Getting out of Yangshuo is less convenient. There is no direct bus service to and from the airport, so that local taxis can maintain their monopoly on this route. It's certainly not good from an environmental perspective; we hope that this situation will change soon.

Getting Around

Yangshuo's main thoroughfare is the cobblestone pedestrian street Xi Jie (West Street), also known as Yangren Jie (Foreigner's Street). It runs from Pantao Lu to the Li River boat docks and is where the bulk of travelers' cafes, shops, and basic guesthouses are clustered. The town itself is small enough to be traversed by foot in less than an hour. Bikes are the best means of getting to outlying sights, and are available for rent for ¥10 ($1.30/65p) per day at many Xi Jie cafes and hotels, as well as at the southern end of Xi Jie toward Pantao Lu. Motorcycle taxis, normally ¥3 (40¢/20p) for 3km (2 miles), will offer to take tourists out to Moon Mountain and nearby caves for ¥30 ($3.90/£1.95), but be sure to agree on all the desired destinations and cost beforehand.

Note: While West Street remains pretty much crime free (although this is due more to the threat of vigilantes than due to the organized security apparatus), not all of the town is so lucky. Groups of pickpockets are familiar sights up around the fruit market, the petrol station, and some of the newer Chinese hotels, where they employ long thin tweezers to remove valuables while their accomplices distract the victim. Be vigilant.

Tours & Guides

Unfortunately in Yangshuo, as in other tourist spots, a tour guide is simply someone who takes you to the most common sights where he can get the biggest commissions. Better to save your money and buy a good map. Rather then get steamrollered into a tour by some stranger you meet on the street, ask your hotel to organize something for you. Talk to Jasmine at the Magnolia Hotel, Alf at Buffalo Guest House, or Angel at Mountain Retreat. Be aware that all specialist agents in Yangshuo are now charging a ridiculous booking fee of ¥50 ($6.50/£3.25) for train and plane tickets, so plan ahead and arrange to get these yourself.

Visitor Information

The friendly Yangshuo Luyou Zixun Fuwu Zhongxin (Yangshuo Tourism Information Service Center) just south of the bus station on Pantao Lu (tel. 0773/882-7922) can answer basic questions on accommodations, local sights, and tours.

Fast Facts

Banks, Foreign Exchange and ATMs -- The Bank of China is located at Binjiang Lu 11. Forex hours are Monday to Friday from 9am to 5pm.

Internet Access -- Internet access is available at most cafes, and wireless users should be able to find a few unsecured nodes just about wherever they are in the town.

Post Office -- The post office (open 9am-9:30pm) is at Pantao Lu 28.

Visa Extensions -- The Yangshuo PSB office at Chengbei Lu 39 now tells foreigners that they have to go to Guilin to renew their visas.