E-biking and Bamboo Rafting in Paradise

While Guilin may be the city that most people will use to get in and out of the region, Yangshuo is the town that will bring them back. Located on the Li River with stunning karst mountains punctuating the landscape, it would be no exaggeration to say that this is one of the prettiest places in the world. The town also has a funky feel that is pretty unique in China, in part because it was a part of Guilin that was originally made popular by foreigners. While you can spend the evenings getting local specialities (beer fish!) on lively West Street, your days will likely be spent in the surrounding areas, taking in this outdoor paradise.

Ours started with an e-bike ride through the countryside, biking on rural roads taking in the rivers and hills that make this place famous. While we originally had the plan to ride old fashioned pedal bikes, the 90+ degree weather and crazy high humidity had us happily switching to a more low energy form of transport - late September is still a very hot time to explore South China!

After hours of biking, we ended up at the ticket office of one of the more popular activities in the town: taking a bamboo raft down the Yulong River. These are simple structures, and while they are quite long, they are just wide enough to fit two people, with the boatman steering behind you.

You can choose to float down either a 60-minute or 90-minute section of the river, and without a doubt I would recommend the latter. The river is mostly lazy, with the occasional man made “waterfall” providing some excitement and splashes. However, the highlight is just sitting in the shade, relaxing, and being guided downstream as you take in this incredible part of the world.