Guilin Hotel Reviews
The hotel's location is good - but at least as of the end of May, 2001, everything around the hotel was under construction!
Ming tombs were incredible. Taxis are the easiest way to get around town.
Guilin is under heavy construction right now. They want to make it the "Garden City" of China. It should be nice when they finish - except that you still can't drink the water and there remains much polution. The Li river cruse is spectacular in terms of natural beauty and I would recommend it highly. If someone could convince the river boats to leave at 5 minute intervals instead of all at once it would even be nicer because it would then not be necessary to breath the exhaust fumes of the boat in front of you, or to have the magnificient views dominated by the tail end of the boat in front of you. I thought Yangshao was a great place. Much more plesant than Guilin. The best part was riding a bicycle around the spectacular countryside. The limestone karsts and the rice fields are wonderful. I found the people to be very friendly and very helpful.
Guilin is undergoing major roadbuilding at the moment, some of it close to the hotel so the whole city is very dusty . Another 6 months and it should be better.
We traveled independently, not part of any group. We arrived late but were able to easily arrange a guide for the next morning. We started with the Li River cruise which I highly recommend. We also toured the city and local sights following the cruise, including a pearl factory where you can find great deals. Don't be afraid to bargain. The second day we did the standard Elephant Hill tour than a fascinating trip to a tea factory. Of course, tourists are greeted everywhere by someone trying to sell you something but you get learn quickly what to watch out for.
Gui Lin is a stunning city, it offers one of the best scenery in China. A cruise on Li River to YangShuo worth a go. Don't get close to local people, they will try their best to help u, but it is expensive.
Take the Li River boat tour on your first day; its extremely touristy but you can figure out places you want to return to. Check out the Asia Pacific Restaurant for a good dinner near the hotel.
Currently, Guilin very much resembles a construction site. It is not a pleasant city to spend time in, but this will change once the construction projects are completed.
We had pre-arranged for transport from the airport and were met there by a very friendly and helpful English-speaking employee, who also helped arranged other excursions in the area (Li River cruise and Reed Flute cave) during our stay. Our time in Guilin went without a single problem. While the hotel is not in the main section of town, many things are within walking distance, or available by a short taxi ride.
Easy access to the town - didn't eat in the hotel as expensive. better to try more local restaurants to sample the Chinese cuisine in more authentic surroundings.
Guilin is the most visited city in China and the hotels, restaurants and shops are well aware of it. Expect prices at least double to anywhere else. One sometimes feels that everybody is after the tourist's money (not pleasant at all). City is under construction and it looks like it will be a while before it is the dream town that the government has depicted. Dust is everywhere and traffic is crazy. Most of the hotels offer bikes to rent, this a fun way to see the town, but be very careful with the traffic (especially other bikes). A river cruise to Yangshuo is really nice and this is the main reason why people come to Guilin, so don't miss it. The lunch on the boat is very good. Finally, if you feel like European food or just plain fried noodles with vegetables (quite hard to find, believe it or not)that won't make you sick for 3 days, try the European restaurant at the newly opened Park Hotel. You will need to go by taxi (don't forget the bilingual map!) but it is worth it for both quality and price.
The river Li cruise and the Cormoran fishing are two musts if you visit Guilin; in both cases I took a tour but if you can, maybe it is better to arrange the things in another way.
The hotel has a great location on the river but, during the evenings in Guilin you are held captive to the hotel simply because there is nowhere else to go to in town that is friendly to Westerners. The pedicab and taxi drivers are very aggressive and will follow you for blocks even if you tell them you don't want a ride. Booked a tour of the Li River with the hotel and found the full day cruise to be interesting but very, very long.
Perhaps spend two nights in a nearby town called Yangshuo. You will love it for sure.
Take the usual tours. The boat trip and the cave visit are quite an experience, the others are so so, especially if the weather is hot.