The area around the Li River is spectacular, and the area is easily accessible which has made Guilin and Yangshuo a paradise for tourists.
That automatically makes it a nightmare for travelers like myself!
However,- if you do NOT take the compulsory Li River cruise, with its screaming loudspeakers and far too loud music, but take a quiet hike along the river, then you have struck gold!
You can walk for days along the river banks surrounded by uniquely shaped mountains, and as an extra bonus, you will pass through several traditional farm villages where time seems to have stopped for long time ago.
There are several places where small local ferries can take you across the river to the opposite bank.
The only thing that spoils the harmony is when the tourist boats starts their trips and spoils the view and the tranquil atmosphere with their noise and the turmoil they create.
It really can be too much, and at one point I could see 22 tourist boats on the river at the same time.
The good thing is, that it looks as if they all go at the same time, and only make two trips a day.
In between you have the river and the scenery to yourself, and can fully enjoy the river, the mountains and not at least the villages, which the tourists do no see.

In the following I will show some of the impressions Kit Yu and I got from a 20 km. long hike along the Li river!

Please enjoy - - -  :-)
 
 

Updated:  January 08. 2004
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