It has been 3 months since our last family trip. We were all itching for our next family adventure. Our last road trip was to Guizhou, and this time, we wanted to go somewhere new. Dad and I thought it would be a fun challenge to drive to Guangxi with our 2-year-old. (I had not been to Guangxi for almost 20 years!) It was my turn to show my family the beauty of Southern China. Along the way, we stopped by some of the most scenic areas. From famous karst mountains in Yangshuo to the lesser-known and more charming areas in Chongzuo, get ready for a sneak peek at our epic road trip!
🌟 Hotels Near Yangshuo 🌟
Yangshuo Mountain Retreat – Peaceful riverside stay surrounded by karst mountains.
Yangshuo Sugar House – Stylish luxury resort set in a converted sugar mill with stunning scenery.
Yangshuo River Lodge – Cozy boutique option along the Yulong River.
Yangshuo & Chongzuo Itinerary
To reach Yangshuo, we flew in from Singapore, met up with my parents from Chongqing, and went on a 1-week self-driving adventure. We tried to minimize the driving distances per day. Here was our itinerary:
Day 1:
- Flight: Singapore ✈️ Guangzhou
- Train: Guangzhou 🚄 Yangshuo
- Car: Yangshuo 🚗 Hotel
Day 2:
- Exploring Yangshuo
Day 3:
- Car: Yangshuo 🚗 Nanning
Day 4:
- Car: Nanning 🚗 Chongzuo
Day 5:
- Exploring Chongzuo
Day 1: Singapore to Yangshuo
Getting to Yangshuo was a journey in itself. From Singapore, we took a red-eye flight to Guangzhou, a cab ride to the train station, then a high-speed train ride to Yangshuo.
By the time we arrived at our hotel, it felt like we had been on the road for 13 hours non-stop! If you want to plan a similar itinerary, here are some details on the travel times:
- Flight from Singapore to Guangzhou: 4 hours
- Taxi from the airport to the train station: 1 hour
- High-speed train from Guangzhou to Yangshuo: 2 hours
- Drive from the train station to the hotel: 1 hour
(Total 8 hours of travel time, 13 hours including waiting and transition times!)
Yangshuo: The Land of Karst Mountains and River Valleys
Upon first arriving in Yangshuo, one thing that got me right away was the amazing karst scenery. I can understand why people say “Guilin’s scenery is the best in the world, and Yangshuo’s scenery tops Guilin!” The hills and greenery make for an awesome view. You could almost say that this was like the Yangshuo version of a Swiss Scenic Train ride!
Where We Stayed in Yangshuo: Yuyuan Jingshe
Traveling with kids also means you need to find hotels that can cater to kids. In Yangshuo, we found Yuyuan Jingshe, a riverside hotel on the Yulong River, with a great view of the mountains and the river. It has spacious rooms, a big lawn where my daughter could run around freely, as well as tons of activities for the kids.
Price: Approx 250 RMB per person (off-season) with breakfast included.
Pros:
- Super kid-friendly, and the hotel offers many free activities and games for kids like ethnic costume performance, cormorant fishing show, indoor and outdoor playgrounds.
- The service is also good. The hotel staff was attentive, and the facilities were well-kept.
Cons:
- Make sure to request to be assigned to buildings 3 or 4 and not the construction site next door.
Day 2: Things to Do in Yangshuo
Yangshuo is a place that has endless attractions for families. But having young kids, we wanted to be more mindful of what activities to pick and chose more chill ones. We did not want to rush around visiting all the tourist attractions. Instead, we took it slow, and we made sure to take in the beautiful scenic view scenery.
Xianggong Mountain
We stopped by to visit Xianggong Mountain where you get to see the Li River’s amazing winding bends. The climb up to the viewpoint was a 20-minute walk, and I think the ticket price was a little high for what they gave us (60 RMB), but it was a pretty view.
Rice Field Cafés
We discovered a cute little café called “Under the Gardenias” in the Ten Mile Gallery area. This café was the perfect place for us to chill after a long day. They had decent food and drinks with a very nice view of the rice fields. I really enjoyed having a quiet afternoon there. It was very memorable.
Day 3: Stopover in Nanning
After two nights in Yangshuo, we decided to drive to Nanning and only stopped over for one night. We were planning to do nothing in Nanning as it is a large city and saw it as a good opportunity to rest our legs and break the drive into two parts. We did make a short walk around the Three Streets and Two Alleys area to see what it was all about. I was surprised to find out that it was just your typical pedestrian street area with rows of shops and restaurants.
Our last destination was Chongzuo, which is home to the Detian Waterfall. Detian Waterfall is a transnational waterfall between China and Vietnam and an absolutely breathtaking sight to see. The 2-hour drive from Nanning was filled with karst mountains, so the journey was half the fun.
The waterfall was as beautiful as I expected it to be. For a small fee, we took a bamboo raft ride (48 RMB per person) to get a closer look. It was both relaxing and magnificent. We also took advantage of all the photo points that they had set up around the falls.
Make sure to visit the Rice Field Café where you can get some drinks and enjoy the magnificent view of the De Tian Waterfall.
Pro tip: Brace yourself for Vietnamese people on the other side of the river selling cigarettes and coffee. But don’t be tempted to buy from them as they can get overpriced and it is actually illegal to bring back to China.
Day 5: Things to do in Chongzuo
After spending over 2 hours marveling at the De Tian Waterfall, we drove directly to our hotel. We decided to go to the Daxin Hualu Hotel inside the Mingshi Scenic Area. The hotel is a little one with a stylish feel. It’s not as kid-friendly as our first hotel as it has less things for kids.
Where We Stayed in Chongzuo: Daxin Hualu Hotel
We picked the “Wild View” King Room with an amazing view of the surrounding countryside. The hotel has a small lawn in front and even roasts chickens on-site. We spent a nice evening there.
On the rooftop of the hotel, there is also a swimming pool. They provided free float rings for the guests to use.
Day Trip Exploring Around Mingshi Scenic Area
You do not need to buy an entry ticket for the Mingshi Scenic Area. Most of the stops inside were not spectacular on their own. But they make for some very scenic photo opportunities. It was quite refreshing for us city folks to be surrounded by all the greenery and mountains everywhere.
Fish Scale Dam
The Fish Scale Dam actually looked a lot better in photos than in real life. It was actually quite small and we were not even allowed to enter when we went there. Worst of all, they even charged a 10 RMB parking fee. So don’t get too excited when you are there. On a brighter note, the area around it does have some nice cycle paths with a few photo spots as well.
I haven’t been this close to the countryside in a long long time.
Dining at Mingshi Scenic Area
The food here is not up to Yangshuo standards, but there is a residential area within Mingshi Scenic Area where you can find various hotels, restaurants, and even a café. We ended up having lunch at a local restaurant here. Don’t let the name fool you like it did to me. We thought we would be having cafeteria-style food. But the place was actually quite pleasant, and the food was also quite tasty, although a little on the pricier side.
Travel Tips
- Avoid buggy tours with kids in Yangshuo. The one we went on was in an eight-seater buggy, and the road conditions were terrible. You can also get someone speeding recklessly on such narrow roads.
- Be mindful of untrustworthy taxi drivers in Yangshuo. I have read too many horror stories about taxi scams there like overcharging or even canceling their trips. The only time we actually took a taxi was the one my hotel arranged for us for 140 RMB from the train station. It was on the expensive side, but it was a safe and convenient way to get there without having to use up our energy.
- Turn down offers from people at random trying to sell you tours by the roadside.
- No need to tip bamboo raft drivers at Detian Waterfall. Some of the raft drivers will ask for tips to row faster. I doubt they actually want to tire themselves out!
- No need to buy cigarettes or coffee from the Vietnamese boats at the Detian Waterfall. They are overpriced, and you are not allowed to bring it back into China.
Final Thoughts
This Guangxi family road trip was the perfect blend of chill and adventure. We did not rush around to cover all the touristy spots and we think it was the better way to enjoy it more. The peace and quiet of Yangshuo’s rivers, and Chongzuo’s awe-inspiring waterfalls were the perfect places to create family memories. So if you are planning on a family trip to China, do consider going to Guangxi as there is something for everyone no matter what your style of travel is.
This is amazing, thank you! Planning a Lunar New Year trip to Yangshuo and quite nervous about the crowds, but the landscapes just look too enticing!