I have 4 weeks for my 1st Asia trip, must be in July/Aug. Priority is nice scenery and hiking, cultural/historical sites are desirable but secondary if inundated with tourists. I'm somewhat concerned about weather. Very tentative China itinerary :

- Beijing
- Guanxi Province: Yangshuo area, ?
Longsheng)
- Yunnan Province: (Lijiang, Tiger
Leaping Gorge, Dali)
- Sichuan Province: (Chengdu/Emei
Shan,Songpan, Jiuzhaigou)
- ? Gansu Province: Xiahe

Will I regret this China itinerary in July?

Malaysia alternative (hot but maybe dry):
- Malaysian Borneo
- East coast of peninsula
- Highlands

Thanks, and sorry if this spans geographic branches, didn't know where to post it.
(I suppose Australia is another choice since better weather, but I just returned from New Zealand 2 months ago, looking for something different).

Beijing can be quite hot in Jul/Aug. Yangshou will also be hot, plus more humid. Jiuzhaigou and the areas you mentioned in Yunnan will be more pleasant, though I've heard the best time for Jiuzhaigou is in the fall. All of these places have the potential to be very crowded in Jul/Aug both with foreign tourists and in ever increasing numbers annually, domestic Chinese tourists.

I'm not familiar with some of the other areas you mentioned and know nothing about Malaysia so can't comment on how it would compare in terms of weather and crowds at that time of year.

XXXXX:

All th eplaces you mentioned except the Yunnan Province will be hot and humid. Perhaps you would consider going deeper into Dali and from there on to Zhongdian.

Malaysia will also be hot and very humid. Except when you are up in the highlands on the east cost. Several good choices/good hotels/food cheap enough to spend time goofing around !

Cheers

Joe Chan

I see you are planning on the Highlands ( the Cameron Highlands I assume ) This is a wonderful part of Malaysia and the lower temperatures are a treat. We were in Malaysia for 3 weeks in February and here is the best tip I can give you - no matter what - do not stay at the Old Smokehouse Hotel in the Cameron Highlands. It is the most expensive hotel up there and probably the absolute worst. Don't be fooled by the lovely exterior and gardens, the place is a dump. Stay anywhere else.

If you want scenery CHina beats Malaysia hands down.. China has one of the most beautiful sceneries in the world. Add Three GOrges and Quilin to your list.

For Malaysia the most scenic is Taman Negara, their 100 mil old rainforest. Malaysian highlands or east coast beaches are nothing to write home about.I shld know, I'm malaysian.