Cycle China - The Trail of the Dragon

Introduction

Itinerary

Day 1 - Guilin

Welcome to China! Today people will be arriving from different destinations and at different times so there are no activities planned. There will be a group meeting in the evening once everyone has arrived, where we can go over all the formalities of the trip. After the group meeting we will head out for dinner together.

Day 2 - Guiyang

Today you will have free time to explore Guilin before we head to the airport in the late afternoon. Guilin has long been famous for its scenery, and though the best scenery is outside the city, it is still an interesting and pleasant place to soak up the feel of big-city China. Originally the provincial capital (now moved to Nanning), Guilin retains its 14th-century city walls and the Prince's Mansion, built during the Ming dynasty. Within the city wall is Solitary Beauty Hill, 152m karst peak with views over much of the modern city centre. From our hotel, there is plenty to see on foot. The old city is just a few minutes walk, as is Guilin’s pedestrian precinct, where shops and food stalls abound. Alternatively a walk along the riverside promenade leads to Elephant Trunk Hill and to Shan Lake and its two pagodas. In the late afternoon we will transfer to the airport and fly to Guiyang.

Day 3 - Rongjiang (cycling 40kms)

After breakfast we'll head south from Guiyang by bus, passing through Leishan, and into the Dong and Miao minorities' autonomous region of South-Eastern Guizhou. At Pingyong we meet the bikes, already set up ready to go. Today we have an easy 40km ride to get us familiar with the bikes and the cycling conditions. The cycling is on a sealed road which gently undulates down the valley into Rongjiang. The traffic is very light, and we are unlikely to see more than a few buses and cars while we're cycling. Along the valley we pass Dong villages which, unlike in other parts of China, are built almost entirely from wood. After a wash and freshen up at the hotel, we'll head out for a hot-pot dinner in one of Rongjiang's many local-style restaurants.

Day 4 - Congjiang (cycling 84kms)

This morning we visit the Rongjiang markets, just a minute's walk from our hotel. Every week, traders from all the surrounding villages converge on Rongjiang to sell wares ranging from hand-made brooms and sickle blades to unrecognisable fruits and spices to live yellow ducklings squeaking in a basket. This is a fascinating experience where we meet people of numerous different minorities, dressed in traditional clothes. There will be time for exploring the markets before getting on the bikes. The 84km ride to Congjiang cruises along the valley of the Duliu River, and we will see local Miao minority people working in the fields and boats on the river as we pass by.

Day 5 - Zhaoxing (cycling 55kms)

After a delicious breakfast of Guizhou's "hand-chopped rice noodles", steamed buns, local bread and fruit, we will make an early start to Gaozhen, where we will see the first of this region's classic Dong minority architecture. Dong villages often feature impressive drum towers and "wind-and-rain" covered bridges. These sometimes huge structures are traditionally built entirely of wood without using a single nail. The morning’s ride will take us high up into the mountains on a dirt backroad where there are spectacular views of the countless rice terraces shrouded in mist below. A roadside lunch on the other side of the mountains at Guandong will see us through the afternoon’s ride past orange groves into Zhaoxing on sealed country roads. After 56km total we can relax at the lovely wooden Lulu Guesthouse tonight, perhaps with some home-made rice wine to help us celebrate, as we have a rest day following.

Day 6 - Zhaoxing (Rest Day)

Today is a chance to rest the legs or explore the Zhaoxing valley on the first rest day of the tour. Zhaoxing is a unique Dong village, being of a conurbation of 5 tiny hamlets, each with its own traditional drum tower and wind-and-rain Bridge, and small streams flowing amongst the streets. This entirely wooden village is surrounded on all sides by hillsides covered in rice terraces, a fantastic place for a walk. Here we can also learn a little about the Dong minority's culture. Originally having no written language, history and legends were recorded in song, and the Dong are famous for their chorus singing and their unique wooden pipes.

Day 7 - Chengyang (cycling 43kms)

Starting early, we head over the first (7km) pass and then down a paved road that winds through picturesque rice terraces. We continue cycling to our lunch break before jumping on our bus to the small village of Chenyang. This Dong village is famous for having the region’s best example of a “Wind and Rain” bridge. Our guesthouse has views overlooking this impressive structure, waterwheels and rice fields. This is a great place to soak up the rural ambience and relax for the evening.

At this time heavy road-works prevent us from cycling the road all the way through to Chengyang. We will include more cycling on this day as road conditions improve. We expect the construction work to be finished within 12 months, but in the meantime we have decided not to cycle this section of the road, because the temporary road surface is unsealed, and therefore susceptible to mud and clouds of dust from passing vehicles.

Day 8 - PingAn (cycling 58kms)

After an early morning breakfast and a 25 km ride a special treat awaits us as we enjoy our mid-morning break of hot breaksticks, soy milk and fruit onboard a boat up the first 20km of the Xun River. At Shayi we disembark and continue our journey to Longsheng.

The road between Shayi and Longsheng is, at the time of writing, undergoing major repairs. To avoid this unpleasant section we use the support vehicle to transport cyclists and bikes to the end of the roadworks near Longsheng. Even in the support vehicle this will take 3 hours and be a bumpy journey. We hope that passengers understand the need for us to do this until the road construction is completed.

We have 33km of paved road from Longsheng to the spectacular village of PingAn. This traditional Zhuang minority village is perched high up on the mountainside in the middle of the Longji Rice Terraces – thousands of rice paddies cut into the mountain by the local people over hundreds of years. The last 6km of our cycling will take us from the valley floor climbing up dozens of hairpins to PingAn. This is a truly rewarding cycle to one of the highlight locations of the tour!

Day 9 - PingAn (Rest Day)

Today we have another rest day to take in the extraordinary mountain views from the Zhuang minority traditionally-built Liqing Guesthouse, nestled on the mountainside in PingAn. During the day we can take a walk to one of the view points over the rice terraces, or simply sit back with a beer and enjoy the view and the atmosphere on the terrace of this very special guesthouse. The owners, Keyin and Lily, always make us feel at home and may offer us a sample of their special sweet rice wine. Those exploring the walking trails will soon discover that this area is also inhabited by people of the Yao minority, whose dress is quite distinctive and whose women often grow their hair so long it can touch the ground when untied!

Day 10 - Hudie Gu (cycling 58kms)

What goes up must come down, they say, and that is certainly true this morning, as we ride the twisting road back down the mountainside. We spend the day on quiet sealed roads undulating through pine and bamboo forests, often passing villages tucked away in the hills. We are now close to Guilin, and delicious Guilin-style rice noodles are on the menu for lunch at the roadside. In the afternoon we emerge onto a wide valley, but our destination for the night lies up a narrow gorge known as Butterfly Valley, where our hotel is located in a surprisingly picturesque setting. We will have a little free time for people to enjoy the walking paths in the valley.

Day 11 - Guilin (cycling 63kms)

After breakfast at the hotel it's back on the bikes for a day of opposites. A morning of completely flat cycling on the best surface of the tour makes way for an afternoon of dirt road and rough off-road, as we take the most rural backroad towards Guilin. We may get some speed up on the well-made highway, but we wouldn't want to race through the later part of the day as this is classic rural China in the city's backyard. We pass rice fields, fruit trees, and vegetable plots, as well as two reservoirs and farmyards full of chickens. Finally the karst peaks of Guilin's skyline appear in front of us and we roll into town to our hotel and a banquet of Sichuan style dishes.

Day 12 - Xingping (cycling 74kms)

From Guilin we head out of the city, and alongside the bamboo-lined Li River. At Caoping we stop for lunch and take in what the Chinese often refer to as "the finest scenery under heaven" – Karst Mountains overhanging the river. After lunch we climb up into the mountains for an even more breathtaking view of this incredible landscape, finally arriving in beautiful Xingping in time to eat, shower and watch the sun set.

Day 13 - Yangshuo (cycling 58kms)

Our final day of cycling is a great one as head up through the most beautiful part of the Li River by ferry. This section is famous for its beautiful karst mountains and is a fantastic start to the day. We ride away from the river and emerge in Baisha town in time for lunch before taking our time riding down the lush and serene Dragon River valley, amongst paddy fields, overlooked on both sides by majestic karst mountains. We emerge in legendary Yangshuo, for good reasons popular with travellers from all over the world, where we have two nights to celebrate the end of our cycling adventure!

Day 14 - Yangshuo (Activity day)

Today we have free time to rest and relax in laid-back Yangshuo. Those who are interested can take a half-day cooking course in local Chinese dishes, learn Tai Chi, go rock climbing or swimming in the river, or shopping in the town.

Day 15

This is departure day and you are free to leave at any time.

Bike Asia Travel style

We think cycling through a region for the first time with a group of like-minded people is a great way to travel in Asia. Our aim is to provide you with the opportunity to meet new people, learn about new cultures, experience different landscapes and most all to have some fun. Cycling is a major part of our trips – they are cycle tours after all. We have designed them so that they are accessible to people with a reasonable level of fitness. This trip is fully supported, so should you want or need to take a rest, there will be a seat for you and a place to put your bike. Our trips are also designed to allow you the opportunities and time to appreciate the environment, scenery and culture around you, and to participate in any activities that may be on offer. All the roads we use are chosen because they have very little traffic.

Responsible Travel

An integral part of travelling is to have a positive impact on the country that you are visiting. On this trip there are a number of things you can do to have a positive impact on the communities that we visit.

Dress: Parts of China are still quite conservative. In rural areas (which make up most of this tour), and temples, overly revealing clothing is considered offensive. You should make an effort to dress more conservatively in these situations. Walking around a village in bike shorts is not appropriate so if you wish to cycle in just bike shorts you should have something with you, on the bike, to put on over the top (long loose shorts or a skirt/sarong). When visiting temples shorts are acceptable providing they cover the knee. Singlet tops are not acceptable in temples.

Phrase Book: A highly memorable part of your travels will be the local people you meet. In the tourist areas some people will speak some English but away from these areas you should learn a few words of Chinese. We will teach you some of the basics but if you want to really interact we recommend bringing a phrase book.

Donations: Often when coming on trips overseas people like to bring items such as sweets, pens and books for children or old clothing for families. While this is a fantastic idea, if distributed in the wrong way it can actually create more problems. Giving away anything to local people can create an expectation that visiting foreigner equals free give-aways. In some communities in Asia this has created whole villages where the only interaction is the locals asking for things. If you would like to donate anything to the communities that we visit we suggest that you give the items to us and we will then pass them on to development organizations, schools or whole communities. In this way items are distributed to those really in need by those working in the communities.

Poverty: In this part of China there is poverty which you are likely to see, since we cycle through some fairly remote rural areas. If you choose to give something to a beggar you must bear in mind the value of money in the country you are visiting. There are organizations which are working to alleviate this poverty in China and they may be able to do more good with your donations. Your Tour Leader will be able to provide more information about this.

Support Organizations: In China there are a number of organizations which we hope you can support in one way or another. Your Tour Leader will provide more information on these as you travel.

For more information about Bike Asia's commitment to ethical and sustainable travel practices, please read our Responsible Travel Policy.

Group Size

Minimum 3
Maximum 12

Accommodation

There is a mix of accommodation styles on this trip. 12 nights are in good standard hotels/guesthouses; twin share, private bathrooms, hot water, television, air-conditioning etc; 2 nights are in more basic style accommodation – possibly without private bathrooms, i.e. shared washing and toilet facilities, sometimes Chinese style toilets. We are staying in these places because, travelling by bike we get to travel through some of the smaller, rural areas, and this means of course that we are limited in our choice of accommodation – sometimes we are staying in the ONLY guesthouse. Whilst not having all the facilities that you may be accustomed to at home, we can safely say that these small, family-run places make up for that in location, views, atmosphere and friendly service. Hygiene is very important to us and our passengers so we only use accommodation with a good level of cleanliness. All the sleeping arrangements are for twin share and if you are a single traveller you will be paired up with someone of the same sex. This ensures that whether you are travelling solo or with friends, everyone is paying the same rate. We choose hotels (where possible) which are comfortable, clean, centrally located places and which are adequate in every way.

Transport

All transport listed is included in the trip price. This trip starts in Guilin and finishes in Yangshuo, which is 1 and 20 minutes from Guilin Airport. Guilin is an international airport with connecting flights from:

• Hong Kong (HKG) – China Southern Airlines, Dragon Air, CS Air
• Bangkok (BKK) – Bangkok Airways
• Beijing (PEK) – Air China, China Southern, China Eastern
• Shanghai (SHA & PVG) – Air China, China Southern, China Eastern
• Guangzhou (CAN) - Air China, China Southern, China Eastern

We can help organise your flights or train tickets to or from a connecting airport in China should you find that a simpler way to get here from your home country, or if you intend to continue your travels in China.

Transfers: Individual arrival airport-hotel transfers can be organised through us for 20 USD. Please indicate that you would like a transfer when you make your booking.

Inclusions

• 14 nights accommodation (10 nights in comfortable hotels with twin share rooms, private bathrooms facilities etc, 4 nights in more basic hotels)
• All transport from the start point to the finish point (i.e. flight from Guilin to Guiyang on day 2, all buses, support vehicle while cycling, boat on day 8)
• Bike
• Meals; Breakfasts (10), Lunch (9), Dinner (12)
• All water and snack food whilst cycling
• Bike Asia tour leader
• Local cycling guide, driver
• Bike tools and spare parts
• Support vehicle

Bikes

Bikes are included in the trip cost. Our mountain bikes are entry-level standard Specialized Hard Rock, GT and Black Cat. We keep them well-maintained and we travel with all necessary tools and spare parts. Your Bike Asia leader (or Bike Asia mechanic) will fix any bike problems. Supplied bikes are hard tail (front suspension) with Shimano Alivio 21 speed gears, Shimano Alivio v-brakes, off road tyres, one bottle cage, ergonomic seat, in sizes 15", 17", 19" or 21". Please specify your bike size when booking. You may wish to bring your own pedals, cleats, saddle or handlebar extensions, as we can easily fit them to our bikes.

You are of course welcome to bring your own bike. Keep in mind though, that while we offer maintenance and spares for the bikes we provide, we can’t guarantee that we can cater to your particular bicycle’s needs so it would be best to bring your own parts and tools. If you are unsure we recommend that you speak to your local bike shop about what parts to bring.

To see the bikes we use go to our Bike Info page.

Because we travel with a support vehicle it is not necessary to carry many things when on the bike. You may like to carry a daypack, bumbag or handlebar bag with personal belongings, camera, sunscreen etc., or you may prefer to leave a daypack in the support vehicle and carry only a camera & rain jacket (perhaps in a seatpost bag) when cycling.

Food

Food is a very important part of any travel experience, and is a highlight of any Bike Asia tour. Most of the meals on this trip are included in the cost, with a few exceptions like free days. To see which meals are included, read the inclusions list or the itinerary. Vegetarians and vegans are well catered for and should you have any other dietary restrictions, you just need to inform us. Chinese breakfasts usually include one or more of the following; noodles soup, steamed buns, fried bread, fresh soy milk, fruit and green tea. Lunch we try to keep relatively simple, so usually vegetable fried rice or meat/vegetable noodles. Dinner is always banquet style with plates of meat, fish, fresh vegetables, tofu and rice. The food is healthy, very fresh and very tasty, so don't worry, we’ll make sure you have more than enough fuel to get up those mountains!

Money

You will need to bring money on the trip to pay any for the following; some meals, drinks, activities and transport in free time, departure tax, airline excess baggage, and of course shopping. We suggest you utilise a variety of methods for accessing money. There are:

• ATMs in Guilin and Yangshuo where you can access money using your Maestro, Cirrus, Visa and Mastercard.
• Banks to exchange major foreign currencies and Traveller’s Cheques.
• Almost no credit card facilities.

The amount you bring is going to depend on how much you plan to spend. To give you an indication of prices:
Beer would cost CNY 4 (local), 15 (bar)
Dinner at local restaurant CNY 10 - 20
Dinner at foreign restaurant CNY 25 - 40

The Chinese currency is the Chinese Yuan (CNY), also known as Renminbi (RMB). Exchange rates at the time of writing are;
1 AUD = 6.1 CNY
1 USD = 7.8 CNY
1 EUR = 10.3 CNY
1 GBP = 15.3 CNY
1 CAD = 6.8 CNY
1 NZD = 5.4 CNY

As there will be very few opportunities to spend money whilst cycling, most of your shopping will be likely to be done in Guilin, PingAn and Yangshuo.

We also recommend that you bring US $100 in emergency funds, to be used when circumstances beyond the control of Bike Asia necessitate a change in itinerary.

Insurance

Obtaining your own travel insurance is required in order to participate on a Bike Asia tour. It will need to include a minimum coverage of medical expenses with emergency evacuation, personal liability and accident insurance. Your group leader will need to see a copy of your insurance at the group meeting on the first day.

Two well known travel insurance providers are: World Nomads and Covermore.

Joining Point Instructions

You will need to arrive at the starting point hotel in time for the group meeting, which will be held at 6pm on the evening of day 1. A taxi from Guilin’s Liangjiang International Airport will take approx 30 minutes and cost around 70 CNY. All taxis should use the meter. As you exit the airport, follow the signs to the taxi rank. You should avoid any taxi touts who approach you. Print out this trip dossier so that you have the address in Chinese and a map to show the driver. Very few drivers will understand the name and address in English! The hotel is located in the centre of the city, next to the river, with twin-share rooms, private bathrooms, hot water and television and 24 hour reception. The hotel address is:

No.16 Ronghu North Road, Guilin, Guangxi, PR China. Tel: +86 (0) 773 2823811.

Fitness

You will need to have a reasonably good level of fitness to participate comfortably in this trip. There are nine cycling days in total, with two days cycling over 80km. Altitudes vary between 130m and 825m. It is a great idea to do at least some cycling in the month leading up to your tour. This is up to you but we highly recommend some training as it will alleviate saddle soreness and leg fatigue, and you may enjoy the tour more if you find the cycling easier.

Cycling Conditions

The cycling terrain on this tour is roughly 70% on sealed roads, 20% on dirt roads and 10% off-road on small tracks and trails. This trip varies between hilly to flat terrain with eight notable climbs, but none of more than 9km at one time. The cycling altitude varies between 130m and 825m. Traffic is mostly very light but there are one or two short busier sections. In China you need to be constantly alert for vehicles, potholes, animals, people... everything really!

Altitude Profile

Health

In order to make the most of your holiday, the healthier you are the more you will enjoy it! For a list of vaccinations we recommend that you seek advice at a travel clinic at least two months prior to departure. Our group leader will have Senior's Level first aid training and will travel with a first-aid kit, however it is also recommended that individual travellers have a basic first aid kit with any personal medical requirements. Our group leader is not authorised, for legal reasons, to administer any kind of drugs including pain relief tablets, antibiotics etc. so be sure to pack a supply of your favourite pain-killers. Pharmacy products vary in different countries and you may not be able to buy products that are widely available at home. Include the following: plasters, dressings, bandage, calamine lotion (a must for soothing sunburn), oral re-hydration treatment (in case of bouts of diarrhoea), insect repellent, insect sting relief, antiseptic cream and antiseptic wipes.

For more information on travel health, you can click on the links below:

Australia - United States - United Kingdom

Visas

Travellers of all nationalities will need to obtain a Chinese visa, either through a travel agent or direct with a Chinese embassy or consulate. For the latest information, see your travel agent.

Luggage / Packing List (Guide Only)

We strongly advise against using a hard shell suitcase for this trip. China is not suitcase or wheelie-bag friendly. A soft backpack would be the most suitable, and the easiest to transfer in/out of the trucks in the morning and evening, up and down staircases and in and out of airports. Keep in mind when you are packing that often our local crew are lifting our bags in and out of the luggage truck, that several of the hotels we use do not have lifts, and that the luggage allowance on the domestic flight is 20kg. Therefore please try to pack as lightly as possible. Please check our climate charts to assess your clothing requirements, or contact us if you are unsure.

Pre/post trip accommodation

If you would like us to organise some extra nights accommodation either before or after the trip at our start or finish point hotel, just let us know when you book the trip. On this tour we offer additional accommodation before or after the tour in Guilin and in Yangshuo, which is only one hour from Guilin by bus/taxi.

Tipping

One of the reasons that our trips run so well and are so much fun is the effort and energy put in by our local crew. On this trip, we will have a driver and local cycling guide, and with larger groups a bike mechanic. Their mix of professionalism, enthusiasm and sense of fun are infectious. We recognise that the wages in an economically developing country are vastly different from ours and if you are satisfied with the service then please show your appreciation with a tip. Your group leader will collect this at the end of the trip and organise a small thankyou presentation. As a guide only, we recommend you allocate USD 30. Tipping is NOT compulsory and it is meant to be a reward for good service.

Safety

Our cycling tour leader has the authority to change or cancel all or part of this trip if it is deemed necessary due to safety concerns. This decision would not be taken lightly, and where possible it would be made in consultation with our local crew, local operator and Bike Asia management. Your leader will be present on all included activities, staying at all the same hotels, guesthouses and of course cycling with you. During free time, should you choose to participate in any optional activities that are not part of our itinerary, please note that we cannot give any representations or guarantees about the safety of the activity, the standard of the operators running them or the equipment that they use.

In the group meeting on day 1, your tour leader will run a session on cycling safety. Whilst some travellers will have had years of touring experience, for others this might be their first cycling trip. We need to cater for a range of abilities and experience and it is in everyone’s interest to learn about the particulars of cycling in this region from someone who has already done it. It goes without saying that by running and participating in a cycling trip, both parties accept an inherent level of risk. However, we take the safety of our passengers very seriously and we ask that you cycle in a safe and responsible manner and that you look out for the well-being of your fellow travellers. Cycling helmets must be worn by all cyclists at all times whilst cycling.

Most national governments provide a regularly updated advice service on safety issues involved with international travel. We recommend that you check your government’s advice for their latest information before departure. The links for some major travel advisories and updates are listed below

Australia - United Kingdom - Canada - New Zealand - United States

We recommend the use of a neck wallet or money belt while travelling in the cities, for the safe keeping of your passport, money, credit cards and traveller's cheques. Utilise the hotel's safety boxes or safe where these are available.

Communication

In Guilin and Yangshuo you will be able to access email, phone, fax and post offices. Outside these cities there will be fewer chances to email and the main communication will be phone. You should leave you family or friends the Bike Asia contact details. Our office staff will be able to get in touch with us in an emergency.

Bike Asia Tour Leader

Our leaders are passionate about Asia and cycling ... phew! They love what they do and take their job seriously. They will make every effort to ensure you have a safe, enjoyable trip with as much fun as possible. They bring many qualities and skills to this role; knowledge of group cycling, safety, management, and liasing between you and the local crew. In working for us, they have made a commitment to learning as much about the culture, language and customs of China as possible, and they are happy to share any of this knowledge with you. However, please keep in mind that they are not local and will not know everything.

Rules

We don't have many, but the ones we do have are important. We always abide by the laws of the country that we are travelling through. This means you are not to use any illegal drugs or use prostitutes. Any passenger who does so will be asked to leave the tour immediately.

Feedback

After you have completed the trip, we want to know what you thought about it. This is important to us, as it is through your feedback that we monitor our trips and make improvements for the future. Log on to our website and click on the feedback link. It will take you a minimum of 3 minutes, or should you feel like writing in more detail, then a little longer. If you fill in the feedback form, we’ll give you an automatic 5% discount on any of our trips in any other region.

Photos

We are always looking for good photos of the regions which we travel through. If you have some that you would like to send us, we would love to have a look

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