The last region that we explored was the Guilin area, located in the south of the country. While Guilin itself is definitely used as a hub for both rail and air connections, the gems of the area are mostly outside the city itself. For our first night we drove up into the mountains about 2 hours outside of the city, coming to Ping’an village. Ping’an is a marvel in itself with the village being made of about 80 stilted structures built into the hills. It is also a (mostly) car-free town with only local traffic allowed, meaning that most travelers will need to hike for about 30 minutes to get to their guesthouse. However, most will want to hike for a lot more than that as this is one of the best places to take in the incredible Longji Rice Terraces! Ping'An Village from above (Jeff Rottschafer)Taking photos of the rice terraces (Jeff Rottschafer)
These terraces can be seen from most parts of the village, and many guesthouses will have balconies with great views of them. Seemingly every hill in the valley had been built for agriculture in the valley, with most of these terraces being over 600 years old. While these are seen practically everywhere in the village, you would do yourself a great disservice to not take one of the short hikes to take in full panoramic views from the nearby tower, or many vantage points. The surreal beauty of Longji Rice Terraces (Jeff Rottschafer)One of the highest view points in Ping'An Village (Jeff Rottschafer)
Once you do that, you will be instantly rewarded with the surrealistic beauty of these lines, carved into the hills hundreds of years ago. No matter where you go, you cannot help yourself from snapping one more picture and relishing the sight. Each angle feels fresh and different, and utterly unique. In a world full of plentiful natural beauty (take it from a Montanan) there are few places where it feels like humans have aesthetically improved the landscape. The Longji Terraces are one of those exceptions. Sun rays over the terraces (Jeff Rottschafer)The endlessly photogenic rice terraces (Jeff Rottschafer)
Very well ececuted. Hily recomended. Great experiance
Nancy Kaierle
2 days ago
Belize adventures
I've worked with Adventure Life before in planning trips and appreciate the quality of trips they put together. They use knowledgeable local guides, comfortable lodgings, and assist with transportation. I find trip planning stressful, so am happy to turn it over to them. They work within our parameters of time, budget, activity level, and types of activities to give us great experiences!
Kaesa Footracer
2 days ago
I was reading and it was a good story I need to recommend it
Delilah DeLee
4 days ago
We have been working with Adventure Life for 5 years now and it is very easy to plan out our trips. Our holidays include customization of activities and side trips along with the standard packages available on the Adventure Life website. Kevin, Jess, Mary Rose and their teams have many recommendations that have enhanced our travel.
Joe
1 week ago
We went to the Patagonia on the Chile side and Perito Moreno in El Calafate, Argentina. Eric of San Diego handled our trip with expertise. The preparation went smoothly, despite some changes on our part with scheduling conflicts. He offered great advice which made us feel at ease with all decisions on the trip. It was truly a great experience.
