Guilin and Yangshuo: Magical Chinese Mountains

Guilin and Yangshuo are the perfect place to take a break from the fast pace and glitz of the big cities and head over to the countryside.

The children will enjoy biking through small villages and rice paddies, cruising down the rivers in small bamboo rafts snaking around fantastic limestone mountains or simply just going for a short hike here and there.

Cruising the Li River

The cruise down the Li River from Guilin to Yangshuo passes through some of China's most spectacular scenery. This shallow river winds around the karst peaks so well-known to the area. You will spot water buffaloes and farmers and fishermen going about their daily routines and traversing the river in their low bamboo rafts.

Along the way, you will see a great diversity of karst hills with all sorts of shapes and forms, according to which the peaks take their names from, like "Five Fingers Hill", "Penholder Peak" or "Dragon Head Hill".

Bicycling in Yangshuo

One way to discover and see the sights in this beautiful area is by bicycle. The kids are sure to enjoy biking through the green paddy fields, winding around the limestone mountains and exploring the nearby caves.

You might want to consider hiring a guide to show you around.

Guides are able to introduce you to different aspects of Chinese every day life that you might otherwise miss.

They also could help you arrange for some activities for the kids to enjoy depending on their interests. Cooking and sharing a meal with a Chinese family, or visiting a local school are some ideas.

Rafting on the Yulong River

They will love this adventure, sitting on their narrow bamboo rafts, surrounded by the beautiful Chinese mountain scenery of limestone peaks and formations, and watching every day country life as they glide through the river.

The ride takes about 2 hours and you can choose to ride back on the raft or bicycle your way to the starting point, which offers you a different view of the area.

Cormorant Fishing

Cormorants are Asian seabirds that plunge into the water to snatch up fish. The cormorant has a stretchy pouch of skin in its long neck which is used to store the fish.

They swim alongside a light hanging from the raft, and when the bird catches a fish, the fisherman takes it from the cormorant's peak. The bird wears a collar which prevents him from gulping down the dinner.

Watch this short one minute clip, just click on the arrow:

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This part of China has so much to offer for a great family adventure with the kids. Rock climbing has become popular as well as ballooning.

Check out this Guilin-Yangshuo Travel Guide which has a wealth of information from maps to the area, biking and rafting options, and everything you might need to plan your trip to this area.

And if you happen to be short on time or just passing through, consider one of these Guilin One Day Tours, which can be pre-arranged before you arrive and they cover a lot of the highlights including a Li River Cruise, which is a must in this area.

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