Dragon's Backbone Rice Terraces Information Please.
 

After spending some time in Yangshuo I have 3 nights and would like to visit the Drangon's Backbone area. I'm having trouble finding specific information and it may be, as I've been told, that things change regularly, particularly transport options.

I would like to book a comfortable accommodation with private bath in a place that has pickup service in Guilin. I don't want luxury, just comfort. Can anyone give me fairly recent information including a place to stay (with approx. price) that doesn't require a long hike up?

I've only done the trip as a day trip, from Yangshou to the terraces and then to Guilin airport. The accommodation in the villages high up look basic but the view was nice. Could get very cold at night and I didn't see much heating when we stop by theses places for lunch or a toilet break.

We did plan on spending the night but there was a lot of rain when we went and the mountain roads were closed from landslide. I recall a very nice hotel up in the mountain during my research but it was kind of expensive.

Forgot to mention this but the hotels by the lower elevation didn't look appealing to me. More for the mass tourist type but the little inns and hotels, which will require a hike up, were more rustic and nice IMO.

You can hire people to carry you up the hills on carrying chair or sedan chair see m picture of it via the link, password = Fodors.

http://khun-pook.smugmug.com/Other/C...7HkJ#!p=1&n=10

Hanuman, thanks so much for the pictures. I love the sedan chair. I'm confident I could get myself up but not sure about the suitcase. But I'm guessing one could hire help for that.

What time of year were you there? My visit will be just over a month from now and I wouldn't like to do it in heavy rain.

We were there in late June and arrived after a storm had hit the area (see my trip report below).

Right now it's typhoon season for the West Pacific so a typhoon making land around Guilin could cause a lot of rain. I wouldn't worry too much though as we survived a pretty wet trip and had fun while we were there.


http://www.fodors.com/community/asia...-longsheng.cfm

Just read your trip report and looked at all the pictures. Thanks so much for the links. And used your link for the weather page - September looks relatively dry so I'll hope for the best.

I appreciate your help. Information is everything!

I would not have too high expectations for accommodations, but the price will be good.

JPDeM, I sort of had the feeling that might be true. My own clean bathroom is at the top of my wish list.

I think the place that we had researched was Li An Lodge. Expensive for the area but you might want to splurge for a night.

http://www.lianlodge.com

It looks great but beyond my means I'm afraid. I'd like to stay 3 nights.

We just went to these terraces in early July. Spectacular! We stayed at the Longji Star Wish resort, next to Li An Lodge. A great view point is just up the side of the mountain from Li An. When you get to Ping An you pay local girls to carry your luggage up the mountain from you. From where you get dropped off, it is about a 25 minute walk up. The bathroom at the hotel was ok, they had decent wifi and a flat screen tv (all Chinese channels though). Very basic breakfast. We were there for two nights, I just negotiated with a taxi driver in Guilin to take us - about 4-500 rmb each way. For what I paid for the top room they had - about $85USD on Agoda I was satisfied. I didn't think Li An was worth $300 USD.

We stayed two nights, I don't know if you need 3...

Thanks Tansmets. It looks good and rooms at $46 on Booking.com. My acommodation outside Yangshuo for the 2 weeks prior has recommended I wait and make arrangements when I'm there. That's sounding like good advice right about now. I may be just planned out and need to leave some open space to see what happens.

Thats what we did. In China, you don't have to do too much in advance - so don't stress over details unless you are going over a major Chinese holiday. I found a driver who seemed like he had a decent taxi in Guilin and took him to Ping An. The road is very windy, so you do want someone with decent driving skills. The Star Wish got us a driver to take us to Yangshou, which wound up being a long ride (4 hours). The driver was good and I left my iphone in his car - I called the Star Wish and he turned around and returned it to me.
We did the long (bur worthwhile) hike from PingAn to Da Zhai, and the terraces at Da Zhai are really beautiful as well, maybe even a bit prettier than in Ping An. I really don't think you need three nights though, we had two - we arrived one evening/afternoon, did the 6-7 hour hike the next day, spent the night and left for Yangshou the following morning.

Tansmets, I like to travel a bit more slowly than many people, generally going to fewer places and staying longer to relax and just be there. So, no, I don't need 3 nights, I want 3 nights or possibly longer. For example I plan to stay outside Yangshuo for 2 weeks. Just a different way of doing things. This is a 4 month trip altogether so no hurry.

mmePerdu:

These pics will give you an overview of the Guilin, Li River, Longshen and Longji region (and the terraces)...and a look at some of the accomodations. We did the terraces alone on a day trip with an excellent guide and driver. I used JadeLeo's service in Guilin and the two guys he assigned to us were outstanding. well-informed, caring and good careful drivers. His rates were very fair from what I checked at the time, but I can't recall exactly.

[email protected] (use my name if you wish)

https://picasaweb.google.com/stuartt...erAndVicinity#

Stu Tower

Hanuman, good to see you. Hope all is well with you and yours. Happy to see you survived the "nasty one"...you know who I mean!
stu

Likewise Stu and I agree that we should avoid at all cost the "nasty one" lol!

Stu, thanks for the pictures and information. I've decided to see what I can arrange after I get to Yangshuo so will take all tips along and see what transpires. Again, thanks.