Guilin has some of the most spectacular karst topography in the world. The tooth-like limestone mountains come in clusters or as isolated monoliths or mesas, often with caves, and sometimes with holes all the way through, like Elephant Hill and Moon Hill in Yangshuo. The mountains were formed by uplifting of the earth’s crust in this region (driven by the Indian tectonic plate pushing under the Asian plate) followed by a great deal of rain over the years. The runoff has dissolved away the softer limestone and washed away other deposits, leaving these remarkably angular chunks of rock.
Guilin is located in the northeast of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. (See Guilin Map). Guilin Municipality covers an area of 551 square kilometers. It is in a basin surrounded by the Yuecheng Mountain Range, Ocean Hill, Jiaqiao Mountain Range and Tianping Hill. Guilin is located almost due west from Hong Kong, about one hour away by air.
Guilin is in a subtropical monsoon zone with a warm and moist climate. Altitude ranges from about 100 meters by lower reaches of the Li River to 2141 meters at Mao'er Mountain, the tallest peak in South China. Mao'er Shan holds the source of the beautiful Li River. The Li River flows through Guilin from north to south. The center of Guilin city lies on the western bank of the Li River. The geography of this prefecture makes Guilin a unique natural experience for visitors.
Guilin is located to the south and west of the Nanling Mountain, which generally divides subtropical and tropical climate in China. Hence Guilin is one of the most northerly places where two crops of white rice can be grown a year. Most of Guilin city is about 150 meters above sea level. The karst topography is the outstanding feature of Guilin. Though a large portion of the land is flat the karst hills are STEEP and rise 100 or 200 meters above the plain.
Guilin is in the subtropical and monsoon zone with four distinctive seasons.
Spring is warm with some rain, building up towards May and June, the wettest months. On rainy days, the rivers, pinnacles and the city itself can be shrouded in mist, which is especially enchanting.
Summer in Guilin can be hot and humid, but the beauty to be found out doors is quite adequate compensation.
Autumn is beautiful as the weather cools. The terraced fields of Longsheng are wonderfully golden in the harvest season at the end of September or beginning of October.
Winter is cold and moist, especially in January, but can still be very pleasant when the sun is out. It snows occasionally.
The official currency in China is the Renminbi (RMB). The basic unit is the Yuan (also known as " kuai"), which equals 10 jiao (or " mao"), which is then divided into 10 fen. Paper currency comes in 1, 2, 5, 10, 50 and 100 yuan notes. Paper jiao come in denominations of 1, 2, and 5. There are also 1 and 2 fen notes, but these are rarely used as their purchasing power is exactly zero.
You can cash “RMB” with your credit card at most of ATM machines in China, but you may not find machines in Yongding or Nanjing area as of now still developing.
Suggested to bring some RMB in cash if you are visiting Yongding or Nanjing.
All kind of Visa, MasterCard, American Express, JCB, Million Card, Jetco card are accepted by most of the major hotels and shops in city.
AC 220 V, 50 Hz (some hotels may have 110-volt sockets).
Mainland China 86; Hong Kong 852; Taiwan 886. (Special Telephone Numbers: Police 110; Fire 119; Emergency 120.) Mobile (cell) phone covered mostly the cities in China, Internet access may be provided at most of the leading hotels and internet bars and café.
China visa required for some the foreign passport holder. Please check with the embassy for the visa application. Passport must have the validity of 6 months when you are traveling.
All the airport taxes and service charges, whether for international, regional or internal flights, are included in the air tickets.
Tipping is considered as part of your guide’s income. Drivers and Guides are expecting some reward as a gesture of satisfaction. We suggested US$ 3 per person per day for sit-in-coach group tour and US$5-8 per person per day tipping for private mini van driver and the local guide(s) if their services are good.
In big cities, you have to be patient, never expect the traffic to move rapidly, and allow ample time to get around.
Bicycle is the key type of transportation for local citizens in China. We do not recommend any tourist to take a bicycle ride in the city since the roads are always packed with people.
Bus is another common means of getting around in the city. Services cover most areas. However, you should study the city map and local dialect before you venture out with buses.
It is advisable not to drink tap water. Instead drink boiled water in the flask or bottled-water provided by your hotel. In most cities, bottled beverages are available either in your hotel or department stores. Local beers are relatively inexpensive. There is a wide range of soft drinks or juice in bottle available at shops or store and supermarkets. Coffee or Tea is served at all hotel’s, however most of hotels are served local brands except in International chain hotels. Special diet like vegetarian meal cannot be made on the spot, please advise the land operator in advance, so that the arrangement can be prior to you arrival.
All land arrangements within China are solely at the discretion of our land operators who control the final scheduling of sightseeing programs based on current situation of the day or period like weather, traffic condition etc…….