The First Time Traveler's Guide on Guilin

Guangxi Province, 500km (310 miles) northwest of Hong Kong, 1,675km (1,039 miles) southwest of Beijing

One of the largely visited Chinese travel destination, Guilin (population. 630,000), situated in the northeastern part of the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous State, has long been famed for its limestone karst hills. Shaped more than 200 million years ago when the oceans receded from this region, the towers shoot from a mix of paddy fields and flowing streams, creating a wistful, seductive scenery that leaves few souls unstirred. Time and space meet here to create a masterwork of nature's handiwork.

Despite the fact that there are a few hills in the city that can be explored, and the Li River Cruise from Guilin to Yangshuo remains one of top river journeys in the world, Guilin is also being used as a center to go to see the Yao, Miao, and Dong minority villages to the northwest. Sadly, the cost of Guilin's vast popularity is a degree of unrelenting development and extortion audacious even by Chinese standards

With summer's temperature and wetness and winter's low rainfall affecting water levels in the Li River, April, May, September, and October are the finest months for cruising. April to August also marks the rainy period, on the other hand, so be ready with rain gear.

Stay away from the first weeks of May and October, when China celebrates national holidays, the Li River becomes even more jam-packed with tourist boats than usual, and the price of all doubles at the very least. July can turn into terribly hot, and this is the last space on earth that you fancy to be holed up in your hotel area, clinging to the air conditioner.