hi - I am also planning a trip to China (later in the year) so am similarly keen to know what to see and where to go! i have a friend living in Beijing, so will be going there for a few days at the end.
but am similarly keen to see some of the different things (sltho modern city is also important)
are Yangshou and Gullin both accessible from shanghai?

and I have similar questions about Xian (can you get there by trian instead of plane?) and also the Grand Canal.

thanks!

TravelJoyously, in addition to the small communities, what are you interested in seeing most: are you more interested in art, history, etc.? Natural settings? All of it? Some detail in this regard will help provide feedback.

If you haven't found it already, you might be interested in Iowa_Redhead's trip report from two years ago when she went solo to China:
http://www.fodors.com/community/asia/a-redhead-in-china.cfm

I visited some of these locations on my own a few years ago, including Beijing, Datong, Pingyao, and Xi'an. My trip report was very long, but I think you'll find some information that responds to your questions in it. You can search it for these destinations or look for headings. Here's the link:

http://www.fodors.com/community/asia/thanks-for-helping-make-my-trip-to-china-amazing.cfm

Hope it helps!

Oh, and perhaps I should mention:

I traveled as a solo female.

I had learned only a few basic words and phrases in Chinese before my trip.

From what I could tell about lodging costs, I saved by NOT booking in advance.

I learned a great deal from other women who made solo trips to China before I did, including (but not limited to) thursdaysd, nywoman, ekscrunchy, and marija. They all posted trip reports with a wealth of information. (And for those who inspired me, but who I neglected to mention – please forgive me!)

If you want nature and minority groups then you should go to Yunnan. spend less time in these places. You have too much time in Xi'An.
If you plan to go to HK on October 1st you'd better book way ahead at this is during the Chinese national holidays. HK will be quite busy too.Getting train tickets towards the end of your trup will be quite a challenge.

ggreen: I am interested in art, history,and people. I am also interested in natural settings if they are not too remote to access.Thanks for any suggestions you may have.

kja: Love the referrals to trip reports. I'll read all of them. Thank you!

JPDeM: I appreciate the tip about booking in advance for HK. Do you have suggestions for safe, affordable, and helpful hostels in HK? And I was told that it was not possible to make train reservations prior to 10 days ahead. Is this wrong? Is there a way to get tickets early? Do you have suggestions for specifics for accomodation/transportation in Yunnan and how to get from place to place?.I don't think I'm interested in going to the Yunnan Nationalities Village. I went to something similar in Northern Thailand, and it did not seem authentic or respectful of the communities. Do you think I fly from Xi'an to Kunming and then Kunming to Guilin? I appreciate your advice.

In general, would y'all advise that I try to prebook some guided activities in each location? Or is it possible in some places to arrive and find accomodation/activities?

I was thinking of recommending going to Sichuan province (one of the few places I've been to in China). From Beijing, I flew into Chengdu which in and of itself is basically a bustling, modern city, but it made for an easy day trip to the impressive Dafo standing buddha at Leshan. (We combined it with a visit to the panda sanctuary at Chengdu, but just as easily you could go to Emei mountain near Leshan - see thursdaysd trip report.) From Chengdu, I went to the national parks of Huanglong and Juizhaigou. It was a long drive by private driver, but you can fly into the airport at the latter; I flew from there to Xi'an.

These parks encompass amazing natural wonders up in the mountains with very few western tourists (but plenty of Chinese ones!). When Juizhaigou was created, it incorporated several Tibetan villages within its boundaries, and the communities still live there. They're touristy at the entrances, selling trinkets and such, but a few steps away and you're among the residents...

Anyway, it might be something you'll want to look into, or it might feel too remote for your itinerary. I thought I'd mention it because it looks like you have a geographical "gap" between Xi'an and Guilin.

FWIW, I stayed at a clean and safe hostel in Chengdu. I can dig up the name if you're so inclined. In HK, a number of people on these boards recommend the Salisbury Y as a good budget place to stay. (Definitely do a search here because there's a good amount of info on lodging etc. for HK.)

What's on your tour's list of sights in Beijing?

Salisbury Y in HK is a 3* hotel in HK, not a hostel that the OP is looking for. I don't have recommendations, but many international backpackers like the many guesthouses inside Chungking Mansion or Mirador Mansion in Tsim Sha Tsui. But please choose carefully. Quality varies.

rrkwan
re: HK accmodations. I've been advised that Chungking Mansion can be pretty sketchy, so I appreciate your suggestions.

ggreen:
Thanks for ideas about Chengdu. I think from Xi'an I'm going to fly either to Kunming or Guiling down south. Maybe I'll get to Chengdu on another trip.

kja:
Did you ever stay in hostels, or did you always stay in one of your preresearched "target hotels" - and how expensive were those hotels.I love the idea of having an address to take the taxi to, and then trying to negotiate a last minute price, or go to the hotel next door.

I didn't stay in any hostels. As I recall, the prices I paid varied tremendously (and were not necessarily linked to quality). Not counting Beijing, I think the range was probably the equivalent of about 15 to 50 US $ per night. Even counting Beijing, I vaguely recall determining that my average had been between 25 and 30 US $ per night, but I can't swear to those numbers. My trip was in 2010, so prices could be higher now.

kja - Thanks. I'll research target hotel & hostel options in each location.

rkkwan - I appreciate your suggestions. I think I should make reservations in advance for accomodations in HK as I'll be there on October 1, which is apparently a big holiday -the National Day of the People.

Hi all,
I'm still looking for suggestions for places to visit between Xi'an and Yangshou/Guilin.

Does anyone have suggestions about affordable trips along the Yangzhi River? originating in Chongqing or maybe Wuhan? I could train/fly from Xi'an to either river trip starting point.

I think I've decided not to fly from Xi'an to Kunming/Stone Forest. It's just too far west and would be an expensive flight. I'd love to see some smaller/ethnic culltural communities, but I'm not interested in going to the cultural theme park. Adn it sounds difficult to get to smaller villages/towns as an independent traveler. Maybe I can get there on another trip. Does anyone have strong opinions about Kunming/area?

Most of the Yangtze cruises only go between Chongqing and Yichang, and don't go down to Wuhan. If you don't want to prebook, then just go to Chongqing and find what's available.

Don't get the thing about Xian-to-Kuming being an expensive flight or too far west. Kunming is the capital of a large and major province in China. Plenty of flights and not really that far west. True that most living in or near Kuming are Han Chinese, but you don't need to go too far out by a hired car to find minority groups. Problem is that you won't find more than one or two groups in a day, and most not necessary wear their traditional clothings unless there's a festival or something like that.

Thanks rkkwan.

I'm wondering about opinions of a choice between going to the Yangtze or Kumning/Dali/Lijiang areas. I don't think I have time to see both areas. As I'll definitely be spending some time on the Li River down in Yangshuo/Guilin - do you think I'll regret skipping the Yangtze? It sounds like the best part of the Kunming area is not actually Kunming itself, but the area around it like Dali and Lijiang, which are pretty significant side trips, but could be wonderful.

Regarding cost and itinerary for the middle part of three weeks. Any thoughts?
Xi'an to Lijiang- fly $264 - really expensive!
Lijiang to Dali - bus $_____
Dali to Kunming - bus or train? _____

Kunming-Guilin - flight $160 or 17hr train ride for $94?

5-6 days Yangshuo area - A high priority!

Guilin-Hong Kong - I'd love some advice here. It seems there are several options for this frequently traveled area.
Guiling-HK direct flight $264 - really expensive!
Guilin-Guangzhou - 11.5 hour night train $72 + Guangzhou-HK 2 hour train $39

You won't miss the Yangtze. It's nothing like before the dam was built. In fact, the best site now IS the dam itself.

Nonstop flights from Xian to Lijiang will be pricey. Check out connection through Kunming.

For Guilin to Hong Kong, or in fact from most secondary cities to HK, the alternative airport to use is Shenzhen (SZX). Not Guangzhou. Much much closer to HK.

rkkwan - Thanks for your suggestions. I appreciate your thoughts.

I'll do more research and look at alternative flights from Xi'an to Kunming/Lijiang. And Guilin-Shenshen.

I'm so excited for this experience!

I would not hesitate a second if I had to choose between Yunnan and the Yangtze river. Not much to do in Kunming but most flights to LiJiang or DaLi go through Kunming. I am not aware of any minorities villages to visit or theme park kind of place. This is just where they live. You will see people dressed with their costumes but this is the way they dress normally, except in some tourist spots where they may give some kind of performance. Depending on how much time you have, there is a lot around LiJiang.
When going to HK from Guilin, check also flights to Guangzhou, there are more than those going to Shenzhen. Also check direct flights to HK.

It is not easy to get to HK from the Guangzhou Airport (CAN). I would NOT do it unless you really cannot find any reasonable fares to SZX. There are no direct buses I am aware of, so you need to take subway or bus or taxi to Guangzhou East, and then switch to the train. The faster and more frequent trains get you to Shenzhen, then you cross the border and then need to switch to a commuter train in HK to get to the city, then likely requiring further transfers. (The direct train from GZ-East to Hung Hom in HK is more comfortable, but less frequent).

In contrast, frequent "direct" buses from SZX to a few points in HK, only requiring getting off at the Shenzhen Bay border crossing.

Anyways, if you want take the overnight train, there's the K950 each night that goes directly to Shenzhen. No need to switch trains in Guangzhou.

Thanks again rkkwan

I'm thinking of flying from Guilin - Shenzhen on 10/1 - 8:00-9:10 for $80. Do you know how easy it is to get to those "direct" buses from SZX into HK. I'm a bit nervous about safety in HK.

In HK - I'll likely be staying in a youth hostel in the central area so I can walk easily.

http://www.chinalink.hk/co_service_routes17.html

Counter A08 or B04 at the arrivals of the two terminals at SZX respectively. Private waiting area. Buses go directly to the Elements Mall in Kowloon with extra drop off points elsewhere in the city. Let me know where you're staying and I can tell you best way to get there.

Do you really mean safety in HK? It is one of the safest big cities in the world with no concern, except for those guesthouses in Chungking Mansion. Use common sense and be aware of your surroundings - like fire exits - if you really decide to stay there.

Traveljoyously

Lijiang is not to be missed. It is like Venice, but prettier. The old town and Dragon Forest are simply awesome. It was the prettiest place we went to last October (we went to Bejing, Xian, Chengdu, Lijiang, Kunming, Guilin, Yangshuo and Shanghai.

I suggest taking the high speed train - it is very fast. The Beijing Shanghai service is brand new, and inexpensive.

Sandeep_Menon,
Thanks for your encouragement. I'm very excited about Lijiang.

Do you have suggestions about hostels/hotels in Lijiang, Kunming, Guilin, adn Yangshuo? ?

How did you travel from Lijiang to Kunming?

Thanks

If you haven't booked yet in Hong Kong the Salisbury YMCA does, in fact, have hostel rooms if you're lucky enough to find availability:
http://www.ymcahk.org.hk/sales/html/e_DR.htm

I travelled several years ago by bus from Kunming to Dali and on to Lijiang. Then flew back to Kunming enroute to Jinghong in the south. Ask about the bus to Dali at your accommodation in Kunming. I dislike buses but found the trip not bad at all.

Traveljoyously

We stayed in a superb hotel, the Lijiang Crowne Plaza hotel, which is a 5 star hotel with large Naxi style mansions. If you want to indulge yourself. There are also a lot of cool looking little boutique hotels in or near the old town - I would check tripadvisor. Like I said, it was the prettiest place we went to, without the large city crowds.

We took the flight between Lijiang and Kunming. We were on a two week trip, so time was limited.

Do contact me for any more questions.

I flew from Kunming to Lijiang, took the bus to Dali and the train back to Kunming.

Note 1: I visited three interesting towns south of Kunming, by bus, that had hardly any western tourists. See http://wilhelmswords.com/rtw2004/

Note 2: There are loads of places to stay in Lijiang, you don't have to stay in a pricey hotel, just consult a guidebook like Lonely Planet. Having slept in a VERY basic place in Dazu at the far end of TLG, I stayed here in Lijiang: http://www.sinohotel.com/english/hotelinfo/zen_garden_hotel_lijiang.html Very comfortable but you can easily sleep for less.

Note 3: If you insist on traveling over the October holiday you MUST book ahead. Remember that there are over a billion people who live in China. The train stations and airports will be PACKED.

MmePerdu -- Did you find Jinghong as interesting as Lijiang and Dali? Thanks.

Jinghong is very different from Dali & Lijiang and equally interesting to me as I like tropical places and also the proximity to tea growing and a minority area & market without many tourists. Also access to boats to travel to Laos and Thailand which we did. And Jinghong didn't feel mobbed with tourists as the other 2 can be which was pleasant. However, there were several large hotels under construction so that aspect may have changed by now.

MMePerdu and Sandeep_Menon,
Thanks for the tips about Lijiang.