China Travel Forum

[jim]

Hello
Once again hoping to get some helpful advice off fellow travellers. I'm in Shanghai at the moment and have 12 days to get down to Hongkong. After I visit the places of interest in Hangzhou, Putuosan, Hangshan, Yangzi River , I then need to get down to HK. May be I need to miss something of my list.
Has anyone been to Putuosan, if so what was it like?? Heard mixed reports.
I believe I can get the bus from Hangzhou to Huangshan, thinking about staying in Huangshan for at least a night, then need to get down to make a journey along the Yangzi River.
Am unsure what section to do of the Yangzi??
Not 100% fussed about the 3 gorges unless someone can prove me wrong. Was thinking about getting the boat from Wuhan? to Shanghai?? Any advice on the Yangzi River would be much appreciated.
Is it easy to fly from HK to Hanoi?? Does anyone know how much??
Sorry the format is all over the shop, in a rush as have long queue behind me waiting for the internet.
Cheers in Advance for any advice.

[kamal]

my advice on this tour is:Wuhan > Shanghai on the Yangzi river is quite boring. I would cross this off your list if I were you. If you are going to do the Yangzi, you want to do Chongqing to Yichang (3 gorges), or even as far as Wuhan. Wuhan is a nice city, and so is Chongqing, but they are both out of your way a little it would seem. Its a good idea for you to try to get inland and see an interior city in China if you haven't yet, though.
If you are still in Shangers, Shanghai > Huangshan > Hangzhou is a nice loop. The bus is 5-6 hours each way, depending how much highway construction is finished. Once in Huangshan, book your Hangzhou bus through your hotel; there are plenty of Hangzhou buses leaving the Huangshan village all day, but they leave from hotels and not the bus station (bus station only has early evening buses). Your hotel will know of them and reserve you a seat, but you might not know. Technically, if you are in decent shape, you can get out of Shanghai on a bus at 7-8am, get into Huangshan early afternoon, walk up the easy steps to the top, sleep till sunrise, watch the sunrise, and walk back down the western/longer steps in time for an afternoon bus out that day.
Hangzhou is great if you stay away from the big city stuff. I am putting a lot of stuff together on http://wikitravel.org/hangzhou , so if you have any questions, email me
The easiest way to get to Putuoshan, which I also recommend with reservations, is from Ningbo. Ningbo is not a bad city either, especially around that pedestrian street area and on the river by the church. Lodging options are not the best, however. Putuoshan is also something you can do in 2 days-- I did it in 2 days, never touched the annoying buses that honk around the road going from temple to temple, talked to a monk for hours, and slept on the beach and saw another nice sunrise. When you take the boat there and back, make sure you get one of the fast boats/bus combo tickets, not the hulking ferries that take like 5 hours to get you there. The scenery is nicer than the temples, many of which are actually caves.
Ningbo is 1.5 hours by train from Hangzhou. The train makes only one stop, in the middle at Shaoxing. I notice the lonely planet guide hints that this is a cool city, but does not emphasise its coolness enough. If I were you, I would consider spending a day here, and a night, then going on to Ningbo in the am and off to Putuoshan. Lodging options are much better here, and people are really nice. When I was last there, there were people playing flutes on boats in the canals, and their boats weren't even for tourists! When my parents come visit me in Hangzhou, I will take them to Shaoxing instead of those touristy water towns near Suzhou-- there are lots of interesting, low key sites to spend a day here. Watch out for the stinky tofu at restaurants though.

[sash]

You can definitely do a daytrip from Hangzhou to Putoshan. But you have to get the very earliest bus from Hangzhou to Ningbo. You'll get to Ningbao about 10/10:30am, take the ferry immediately, arrive at the island around noon, and you'll have 5 hours...which I thought was fine, but of course a little rushed!!!! The last boat is around 5:00pm.
Then take a bus or the train back to Hangzhou. You'll get back around midnight..and you can say...Delmar is insane!!!!!! But I did do the daytrip.
I thought it(Putuoshan) was ok, but I think if you had too you could skip it. I liked sleeping on the Great Wall, and riding around Yangshuo(Guilin area) much better.

[mandim]

I was just in Huangshan, july 25th/26th. It's at least a 3 hour trek UP the eastern steps, depending on which peaks you want to trek up on the way to the western side, another couple of hours (or more if you are out of shape!) before you even get to the hotel. I stayed at Baiyan hotel, 70rmb for dorm, 8 beds. Bring your own food like ramen, hot water provided, restaurant is costly in hotel. It's close to bright summit where everyone gathers for sunrise. Sunrise in july was 5:20am. I left the hotel at 4:15am. bring along a head lamp!! carry breakfast and snacks! Be sure to check out lotus peak and celestial peak. I counted over 1000 steps up celestial peak! It's a knee killer going down the western steps...there is a bus near the mercy light temple if you decide you had enough of the downhill. I noticed that the bus let us off at a different place and basically (no choice) were led to a minibus that was to take us back to the hostel. be sure you have the minibus drop you off there. Find someone who speaks English to help you. There is usually at least one person that can do this. Costs: 10rmb for bus to Yungu telpher 65rmb(cable) if you decide to skip the hike up-if lots of tourist, it can be a 3 hour wait. There's a sign indicating where you are on the queue, 200rmb entrance, 100rmb with student international card.
Anyway, I stayed at the Huangshan international youth hostel. Friendly, English speaking staff. I took the bus from the hostel to the mountain. The male manager will most likely show you a map and where to go/stay. the problem is that he underestimates the time. It took longer to catch a bus to where the eastern steps begins. If you go during peak tourist time like I did, I found that the bus to the eastern steps cater to tour groups first. even if the bus is not full, they will not let you on. They keep single travellers separate and until tour groups are done, then maybe they put singles on. frustrating! Anyway, the group from the hostel decided we are a tour so we got a bus!! others tried to get on but we said, NO! ha!
Finally, if you have not been on any mountain in China that is 'tourist haven', the trails are paved, concrete or carved rock. If you go during peak tourist season, be prepared for loud tour guides and loud tourists! i tend to go ahead of the group so I can at least have a minute or two of a quiet experience on the peaks.