You always have to take a look at the Guilin in the elementary school textbooks, right?
Traveling can really demystify, whether for people or things. Especially when you see the similar West Street and Old Street, there is always a sense of déjà vu. But then? I still want to say but, when you see the magnificence of the Lijiang River, the clarity of the Yulong River, the fine soft sand of Beihai Silver Beach, and the neatly arranged fishing boats on Waisha Island, you will still be shocked and moved by the wonders of nature and the traces of human struggle!
Below is a brief introduction to this trip.
Day1
Wuhan Station—Guilin North Station, check-in at Home Inn (Guilin Two Rivers and Four Lakes Elephant Trunk Hill Scenic Area).
Lunch: Xin Guoji Oil Tea
Dinner: Guilin Fish
Attractions: Sun and Moon Twin Towers - Elephant Trunk Hill - Zhengyang Pedestrian Street - Two Rivers and Four Lakes
Feeling: The Sun and Moon Twin Towers, Elephant Trunk Hill, and Zhengyang Pedestrian Street are all very close, within walking distance. The Sun and Moon Twin Towers are really beautiful under the night, but there is no need for a night tour of the Two Rivers and Four Lakes. Although there is a guide on the boat, it is almost pitch black around except for the lights on the trees. Only the last section has a song and dance performance on the shore, which is worth seeing.
The two restaurants are more recommended for Xin Guoji, with a long queue and manual calling. The oil tea, known as longevity tea, is very similar to ginger tea with peanuts and rice, which may not suit the taste of most outsiders. Other dishes are slightly spicy and a bit too spicy for those who don't like spicy food.
Day2
Guilin North Station - Xingping Ancient Town - Yangshuo, check-in at Yangshuo February Homestay
Breakfast: Crispy Grandma Guilin Rice Noodles, ordered the signature crispy rice noodles, which are dry mixed, taste okay, but the crispy part is a bit greasy
Lunch: Moon Deer Private Kitchen
Dinner: Guilin Rice Noodles (Soup Noodles) near the homestay
Attractions: Xingping Ancient Town - 20 Yuan Check-in Point - Lijiang Bamboo Raft - West Street
Feeling: From Yangshuo Station, you can take a bus or a ride-hailing car to Xingping Ancient Town. Many shops outside the ancient town can store luggage, usually 5 yuan per piece. From Xingping Ancient Town, you can take an official electric car or walk to Chaobanshan Wharf to take a bamboo raft. There are three 20 yuan check-in points along the way where you can take photos at any time. The Lijiang bamboo raft is an electric four-person bamboo raft, and the boat can depart once four people are gathered. We took the round trip from Chaobanshan Wharf to Jiuma Painting Mountain Wharf, which took about an hour and cost 140 yuan per person. This felt more enjoyable than the Two Rivers and Four Lakes cruise. The wind blows gently, and occasionally the river water splashes on your feet. It truly feels like you are traveling in a painting, incredibly beautiful and pleasant!
The Guilin rice noodles in any random shop taste good.
Day3
Yangshuo
Lunch: Asian Restaurant, Southeast Asian cuisine, because we didn't want to eat Guangxi cuisine anymore, we chose this one. The sour and sweet Tom Yum soup is more appetizing.
Dinner: Chunji Roast Goose
Attractions: Take a taxi to Yichi Rice Field Coffee - Murakami Haruki - Xiatang Wharf (you can take a bamboo raft) - Shuangliu Yidu Pavilion - Chaoyang Dam - Jima Wharf - Yulong Water Charm - Gongnong Bridge to watch the sunset
Feeling: Because we couldn't ride an electric bike, we chose a route suitable for walking. These attractions are all very close, and the scenery along the way is beautiful, perfect for walking. Yichi Rice Field Coffee Shop is really crowded, the coffee is not cheap, but the surrounding scenery is really beautiful, suitable for girls to take photos. Xiatang Wharf also offers bamboo rafts, which are manually operated bamboo rafts for two people. It feels like you need to wear a raincoat and shoe covers, otherwise, you might get wet at any time. Since we had already taken boats for two consecutive days, we didn't take another boat this time but enjoyed the breeze on the shore, which was very comfortable.
There are many shops in West Street selling beer fish. Since we had already tried it in Guilin and didn't find it particularly impressive, we didn't want to try it again. Instead, we chose Chunji Roast Goose, which has both dishes and rice, more suitable for the taste of Wuhan people.
Day4
Yangshuo Station - Liuzhou Station - Beihai Station, check-in at 29th Street Inn
Lunch: Snail Noodles. Originally planned to eat Haochan Snail Noodles, but it was closed at noon, so we randomly found a place. It was delicious, but it was a pity that we didn't get to eat fried eggs and pig trotters.
Dinner: Fafa Xian Dou Cake. Originally intended as a snack, but we were a bit tired from traveling all day and didn't feel like eating much. This cake is not sweet at all, ate three pieces as dinner.
Attractions: Yaobu Ancient Town - Liuzhou Industrial Museum
Feeling: You can store luggage at the entrance of Liuzhou Station. Due to limited time, we only chose to visit the surrounding area of Yaobu Ancient Town. The Liuzhou Industrial Museum can be booked on-site and is worth a visit. Although I didn't understand much, I was very impressed after the visit.
Day5
Beihai
Breakfast: Seafood noodles provided by the homestay, tasted good
Lunch: Takeout ordered by the homestay
Dinner: Sweet Water on San Zhong Road
Attractions: Beihai Silver Beach - Old Street - Waisha Island - San Zhong Road
Feeling: My travel companion suddenly fell ill, affecting the subsequent itinerary, but I still visited a few places within the limited time. The homestay owner was super nice and provided this route, allowing me to experience the local life. Beihai Silver Beach is really beautiful with very few people during the off-season, and the sand is very fine and soft. There are various noodle shops and sweet water on San Zhong Road, but unfortunately, I only tried one.
Day6
Beihai Fucheng Airport - Wuhan Tianhe Airport
The original plan was: breakfast at Qiaogang Yizai Street, then go to Qiaogang Beach - Liuxia Village - Guantouling - Zixiawan Sunset, and finally go to Fugui Road Night Market for dinner.
Because my travel companion fell ill, the 7-day trip was shortened to 6 days. Especially in Beihai, we only stayed for one day, missing many attractions and foods, which felt very regrettable. Because I don't know when I will come to Beihai again, or if I will have the chance to come again?! But life is like this, always accompanied by regrets. Only by keeping the regrets in your heart, if you can meet again in the future, will you be even happier!
Thank you to myself for this journey, for checking in another place, and for seeing a bit of 'poetry and distance.' From making travel plans to booking tickets and hotels, from navigating to finding my way to watching the sea alone... I feel I have grown a lot along the way. As the saying goes, traveling can demystify, but I still try to find myself, find the original intention of traveling, find the beauty of details in each city different from Wuhan, and find every touching and grateful moment... The places I like are far away, and the scenery I like is beautiful, so I need to come back and work hard to make money.
Thank you to everyone I met along the way. The men waving at our camera while sitting on bamboo rafts at Xiatang Wharf, the super enthusiastic and kind homestay owners, the ride-hailing driver who reminded us of road construction, the waiter asking for feedback on the food, the girl working in the pharmacy while preparing for exams... They are all vivid and lively, and their kindness makes me smile every time I travel!
So, where is the next stop?! I am looking forward to it too?! The most exciting thing about setting off is always 'going out,' and setting off is also for coming back to live a better life!
See mountains, see seas, see all beings,
Love yourself, surpass yourself, and enjoy yourself.