CHINA - Guizhou Recommendations

Here are a few things NOT in the guide books that we HIGHLY recommend.

CHINA - Guizhou Province

XIJIANG
The 411 - This is 21st century village life in all it's glory. You've got a few modern conveniences like electricity + internet, but for the most part it's "Old School" and virtually no tourists - A real hidden gem. We spent a week here hanging about town + hiking in the terraced countryside. Beautiful!
Sleep - Leslie's Guesthouse has cheap rooms in a traditional-style home.
Eat - There are just enough options here to feed your belly with a little diversity. The stir-fry house near internet is the best of the lot. Would recommend bringing a stockpile of fresh fruit with you if you're planning to stay awhile.

CONGJIANG
The 411 - This is only an o.k. city, but it's a good base for heading into surounding villages where the locals still dress to the hilt. We went through Shahjiang (one hour north) on the bus on their market day. This would be a VERY good one to hit if possible. Baisha (10 min. north) was also recommended by other travelers.

ZHAOXING
The 411 - A minimally touristed village in a lovely setting on a river. Spend a day hiking up to the village of Tag An and working your way back down through the terraces. From what we've heard, this is a much nicer option than the touted Longsheng terraces - Sans tourists + admission and just as spectacular.

2-3 WEEK ITINERARY
Your cheapest + quickest bet would be to fly to Hong Kong and catch a connecting flight to Guiyang, the provincial capital. Head out by bus to Xijiang (3-5 days), Congjiang area (1 day), then Zhaoxing (2 days) for a taste of village life. Time permitting, continue on into the Guangxi province and get your fill of bridges in the Chengyang area (2 days), before heading on to the Yangshuo area (3-6 days) and it's stunning karst landscape. Take a bus to Guilin where you can catch a flight back to Hong Kong. Obviously plan for at least a couple days in Hong Kong itself.


APPROXIMATE COSTS (For Low Budget Travel)
Room - $3-5/2p (One of the best values for your money of any country I've visited)
Meal - $1-2/pp
Tea - Frequently free
Beer - .50
Visa - $55/ 30-60 Day

Visa Info
Must be applied for in advance, either from capitals of neighboring countries or at your home embassy. Lengths of stay must be negotiated at time of application. 60-Day is commonly given if applying from home, while anywhere from 30-180 days must be requested when applying at the embassy in a neighboring country. Once in country visas can be extended in several cities for an additional 3o-days for $25-30. Check the "link" for more info.

What's to Like?
Stepping back in time and a chance to experience real village life with just enough modern conveniences. The area south of Kaili to north of Sangjiang is dotted with numerous Miao + Dong minority villages alongside rivers + surrounded by stunning terraces. This is a very special place so if you visit, please TREAD LIGHTLY - Respect local culture by dressing modestly and being thoughtful with your photo-taking.

What's Not?
We're really loving it at this of time of writing, but the area is so fragile to tourism development (that China is proceding with everywhere else at mind-boggling speed) that it could change very rapidly.

Will you Starve to Death?
Also very veggie friendly as stir-fry houses are what's it. The produce selection is more limited than Yunnan though and the minority people tend to cook with more spices + oil, so though everything's tastier, it's also likely to be very greasy. Try the sour vegetable soup for a healthier change. Every guest house/hotel provides thermoses of hot water, so if you've got your tea + walnut powder you're still in business. Not much wine available here, except in the bigger cities, but the beer is still o.k.

Will you Dig It?
You've got to like walking in stunning countryside + rural, ethnic villages, but if that's up your alley then this provides much of what places like Annapurna in Nepal or Spiti + Ladakh in India have to offer without all the horrendous hours of transport to get there. Don't expect the religious aspect or total absence of tour groups, but for the time being it's still off-the-beaten path. With the rate China's tourism industry is booming this may not last for long so COME SOON.

Books to Read
There are no second-hand bookstores in this little-touristed province and it's pretty quiet in the evenings, so bring a few. There aren't any books that I've seen dealing with this specific area, so you might want to read something more general about Mao, The Cultural Revolution or other history. Here's one that I've seen around that looks interesting - 1421: The Year China Discovered the World by Gavin Menzies.

Check the "link" for photos from China