Guilin – Ping’an – Xingping – Yangshuo – Shanghai – Suzhou – Tongli
Serge,
Below is the debriefing of our Chinese trip at the beginning of May.
– Arrival in Canton and reception OK with a young guide for the transfer to the TGV station, we asked to cross the city of Canton and to stop at strategic points, which was accepted very kindly despite the instructions which were not those. Quick but interesting visit, we would have liked to taste Cantonese cuisine…
– Canton – Guilin by TGV 4h a bit long but finally we see the landscape – Hotel in Guilin – Museum Hotel excellent welcome, we were the only customers, OK guide who accompanied us to Long ji,
– Hotel in Ping’an – Long ji one – very good, welcome from the guide who accompanies us until departure to Shanghai; very good guide, speaks good French, knows how to anticipate requests well, very pleasant.
– the rice terraces are truly a must-see in the region, even if the weather was average
– Yangshuo – Moondance Hotel – good spacious room with terrace, very comfortable; a little spoiled by the flooding episode, but which was also a new experience, I must tell you that we would not have agreed to be evacuated by boat to cross this river in raging flood. Better to take a scooter ride than a bike. Xin Ping Village – excellent lunch – and cruise on the Li River are also must-sees.
– Guilin Shanghai flight OK
– Shanghai – Astor House Hotel – well located with a beautiful view of the Bud, but still a bit dated with a tiny room – very good young guide in Shanghai who speaks very good French. Very flexible since he adapted by modifying the program quite significantly. We really liked this city. Excellent dinners in a Chinese fondue restaurant and in a place to recommend – Lost Heaven – in the evening I recommend the Bar Rouge also on the Bud with an extraordinary view of the river and the buildings.
No problem for the Shanghai Tokyo flight
In conclusion, a well-balanced stay, good guides, perfectly decent hotels – except Shanghai where we would have liked a step up or a much larger room – no problems with transport except for a mini bus/van that was too old and quite uncomfortable, the Guilin-Long ji – Yangshuo route is long and more comfort is needed.
These are my impressions, which are generally good and which also reflect those of my wife.