 |
Who's up for some wet and wild?
Feature / Features
Written by : Lena Gidwani
Jul 13, 2008
Tags :
wild
|
|
While most people don't associate water sports with Guangdong, there are a surprising number of places up north that provide decent aquatic thrills and chills.
A mere 90-minute drive north of Guangzhou (about 70kms) will bring you to the scenic town of Qingyuan, strategically positioned on the Beijiang River at the North tip of the PRD. A very popular tourist area (and commonly referred to as the "green backyard" of the province), Qingyuan boasts a breathtaking combination of mountains and water, reminiscent of the scenery in Guilin. Trek further north towards the clear rivers nestled among the lush peaks and you'll find an action-packed whitewater rafting escapade. Coool.
Ok, so The Colorado River it ain't, and the true adventurer at heart might be a tad disappointed at the 'trickling' speed of the rapids, but it's certainly an activity to get your hear-rate pumping. Expect never-ending torrents of swirling downstream eddies towards ... ... |
| [read more] |
 |
The Fawlty Towers of Guilin?
Lifestyle / Local Customs
Written by : Elliot Brenchley
Jun 5, 2008
Tags :
travel
South China
Guilin
|
| Living in Guangzhou can pose frequent challenges to one's sanity, so this spring we thought it best to get away for a long weekend. Our expectations were simple: to enjoy the silence, good food and genuine people of rural China . What we got surprised us in more ways than we was counting on. It's not all friendly people, sunny skies and relaxing atmosphere in the countryside. Consider the following before making the decision to travel out into the unknown for a little R &R.
OUR RETREAT
Location : Ai Shan Men village, 10 km. outside of Yangshuo and 2 hours from Guilin .
Accommodation : An old resorted yellow brick farmhouse, run by an eccentric Dutchman and his wife.
Transport : Train to Guilin and flight back.
CON
Getting into Guilin only to discover that our arranged pickup was nowhere to be seen and having to arrange tr ... ... |
| [read more] |
 |
Looking for the lost city of Yangshuo
Travel / Regional Travel
Written by : Elliot Brenchley
Jan 28, 2008
Tags :
|
| Three young men, a fake map, and no language skills whatsoever £ what could possibly go wrong?
So Frank asked me to meet him at the L'Amour café in Dongshankou. He was waiting and visibly excited when I arrived. "How was the traffic?" he asked anxiously. I could see that Frank had a rolled-up yellow piece of paper in his hand. He asked me if I knew what it was and then unraveled the knot and laid the paper out on the table. My eyes widened when I realized what Frank had just set before me. "Is this the map to...?" Frank nodded before I could even finish my sentence.
He had in his possession an ¡®authentic' map outlining, in great detail, the whereabouts of the ancient lost city of Yangshuo, previously thought to have been ransacked and razed in some religious attack many centuries ago. I sat back and sipped my campari, adding: "You understand we're go ... ... |
| [read more] |
|
|
