Guilin is an excellent city in China! I have been there twice, and each time I have been overwhelmed by the atmosphere and ambience, the beauty of the strangely-shaped hills surrounding Guilin, and the friendliness of the local residents. Guilin is almost like an island, the river splits just below Guilin and goes around both sides of the city, then rejoins itself to the north. I took a beautiful river boat tour around the city, and each bridge over the river had its own character and design, no two are alike. I stayed at the Guilin New Century Hotel, which has excellent rooms and service at a reasonable price, and also is close to everything. The foods offered at the local restaurants range from traditional Chinese dishes to Western cuisine. All in all, this is an excellent city to visit!

We had an absolute fabulous time here.We stayed at the Waterfall Hotel It was superb.We traveled by boat to Yanshaou We stayed there for 3 nights went on bike tours through the villages went to the famous Illusion show which is an absolute must see. The show was totally amazing.The markets were great fun. The views breathtaking of the karsts.

Guilin & the surrounding area is fascinating & is visited by people from all over the world,as well as vacationing Chinese folks. A photog's paradise-photogenic opportunities everywhere,both scenery & people. I have been there twice & would love to go again. Anybody wishing to find out more feel free to contact me Ron Towle . I can send photos if you wish.

The family recently returned from an excellent trip to China and among many highlights:great wall-(Jinshanling to Simatai),Shanghai acrobats,Suzhou gardens and performance at the master of the nets garden,Guilin is a MUST DO as anyone who has been will tell you. President NIxo said that he had travelled 80 countries and never seen anything to match it. The scenery is spectacular,although it was misty(autumn is best for clear skies),the boat trip down the Li is magical. There are options for an all day trip;personally I think it's best to drive 40 mins along the river and get the boat from the ferry there and thus spend 3 to 3 1/2hrs incl lunch. Then when you get to Yangshuo,skip the kilometer of tourist tat(some stuff is good i have to admit) and get to the bike hire shops. We chose the last one on the right,the bikes are proper mountain bikes and there is a map of the routes you can take. We chose the 90 min route which takes you right alongside the paddy fields,simple houses,buffalo. The route is easy,a bit bumpy ,flat,but nothing my 12 yr old daughter couldnt easily handle. You really feel in the heart of real China. We experienced temps of 30 which is fairly typical