Program : Canton – Guilin – Yangshuo– Xingping – Ping’an – Chengyang – Zhaoxing – Congjiang – Jiabang – Rongjiang – Xijiang – Guiyang – Canton
Hello Serge,
Here I am at last after asking the opinion of my fellow adventurers.
Our trip went very well overall, the circuit was so varied that after the first few days, we felt like we had been away for much longer. Of course, the weather wasn’t always great (but no one can do anything about that!) which made our vision of things a little truncated in the sense that we weren’t able to marvel at the beauty of the landscapes we traveled through, but the discovery of the different ethnic groups and the various contacts we were able to have with them really fulfilled us.
Given the rapid modernization of roads (and of China in general), we were a little disappointed to see some sections shortened (25 km instead of 35-40) and to have to ride on asphalt rather than secondary roads. As a result, some days left us wanting more exercise. The circuit developed in 2016 should therefore probably be revised to reflect the reality of things and so that we know what to expect (for us “mountain bike” implies tracks or secondary roads).
We were able to go beyond the “commercialization” of ethnic villages by not confining ourselves to the villages themselves but by wandering around the surrounding areas, on our own initiative or encouraged by Mr. Lu who, after a few days, seemed to have a better understanding of our wishes in this matter.
Coming to him, precisely, I think that he was in his first steps as a guide and we hope that the various “constructive” criticisms that we have formulated will serve him well for the next groups that he could accompany. We cannot blame him, the language barrier being the main obstacle but with your help and that of the applications available, we did well. Thank you to him for having “supported” us throughout the journey!
Our driver was also very friendly.
Finally, regarding the accommodations, we were pleasantly surprised because we’re used to more rustic (or even much less clean) accommodations. Even the accommodations advertised as “basic” weren’t that basic after all. Personally, my favorite was the Indigo Lodge, even if the breakfast was a bit too “Europeanized.”
The lunch spots were also very good. Mr. Lu made sure we discovered the local specialties of each place we visited; it was perfect in that respect.
In short, we discovered a tiny part of China while practicing our favorite sport, we have trouble coming back down to earth, our minds are overdosed by all the sensations experienced in a short time.
Good luck and who knows… see you on future adventures!
Muriel and her 6 adventure companions