" Travel isn't always pretty. It isn't always comfortable. Sometimes it hurts, it even breaks your heart. But that's okay. The journey changes you, it should change you. It leaves marks on your memory, on your consciousness, on your heart and on your body. You take something with you. Hopefully, you leave something good behind "
My last package tour visit together with my wife & six of my in-law family members to Guilin / Yangshuo / Lipu / Hezhou / Zhaoqing / Guangzhou (extended stay) was in Nov 2005, a lapse of 18 years !
For this package tour, my wife decided not to join me due to odd arrival (02.10) & departure (03.10) times in Guangzhou although Batik Air flight from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia > Guangzhou, China took approx 4 hours. Instead, my younger brother Weng joined me for this trip as my travel buddy !
Apart from re-visiting a few of the touristy places (My Good Old days) in Guilin (Elephant Trunk Hill, Crown Cave, The Sun & Moon Pagodas & Waterfall Show in Lijiang Waterfall Hotel), Yangshuo (West Street & Lijiang River Cruise, Osprey Fishing, Impression Liu Sangjie Music Show & Guangzhou (Shangxiajiu Commercial Street), there were a number of new touristy places I visited on this trip in Guilin (Fubo Hill, Xinping Ancient Town), Longsheng (Longji Rice Terraced Fields), Yangshuo (Zhuangyaun Gallery, Moon Hill, Minority Ethnic Bonfire Party & Fragrance Rice Field), Lipu (Maling Guzhal) & Hezhou (Huangyao Ancient Town). All in all it was a great trip for me & my brother (a first timer in China) as the fully guided package tour covered an excellent mix of touristy places & heritage sites ie rich in local culture (tribal customs & traditions, belief, rituals & ceremonies etc), historical (ancient towns & temples) & natural (beautiful karst landscape, rice terraced fields, underground caves, stalactites etc).
In my past visits to Yunnan, Guangxi, Guizhou & Xinjiang provinces, I had the opportunity to learn & gain a better understanding of the various minority groups (Miao, Yi, Bai, Yao, Zhuang, Hui & Dong etc), their traditional rural life, customs, beliefs, skills, unique architectural dwellings etc as I understand these 4 Chinese provinces including Tibet inherited the most ethnically diverse culture, customs & practices of various minority groups in China !
There was a big surprise for me when our tour group checked-in & put up a night stay in Gaoyao Regent hotel in Gaoyao District, located 7km from Zhaoqing (our group next city of visit) ! Gaoyao District was my father's ancestor place where he was born & lived during his teenage years (early 1910's). So both my brother & myself scored some brownie points in this package tour visit & fulfilled our dreams of catching a glimpse of Gaoyao & leaving behind our foot prints in my father's ancestor place - a visit long overdue ! In Nov 2005 in my first package tour visit to Guangzhou / Guilin / Yangshuo with my wife & in-law's family members, our group hired a passenger van in Guangzhou (extended stay after our Guilin package tour) to trace my father-in-law's birthplace in a small village located near Shunde, approx 45km from Guangzhou. My father-in-law was extremely pleased when our group showed up in the village where my father-in-law was born & lived as a 5 year old child prior to his migration to Malaysia in the early 1940s !
Due to Batik Air flight delay by one day in Guangzhou, both my brother & myself were able to "roam" Guangzhou city (our last day) using Metro trains (DIY) to visit well over 20 touristy places near Zhujiang New Town, Haizhu Square & Yeuxiu Park areas !
This Oct/Nov 2023 Guilin / Guangzhou trip is my 5th visit to Guilin & my 23rd visit to China since my 1st package tour to Beijing / Tianjin / Chengde in 1997 ! China is by far the country in the world which I had visited most followed by Thailand (19 visits), Australia (8 visits, mainly official) & Europe (7 visits) !
My travel buddy: brother Weng
Total cost incurred: Rm2,791 (US$594)
- Package Tour Price (9 Days 7 Nights): Rm2,198 (inclusive of hotel accommodation, entrance fees, meals & visa fee etc)
- Compulsory Tour: CNY550 (Rm360)
- Impression Liu Shangjie Show (optional, Pay Your Own): CNY320 (Rm211)
- Metro train rides (extra day in Guangzhou due to flight delay): CNY18 (Rm12)
- Food: CNY15 (Rm10)
Exchange rates: Rm1 = CNY0.66; US$1 = Rm4.70)
Weather: Highest 26C, Average 21C & lowest 17C.
Travel Itinerary (revised): (Guangdong / Guangxi Province) - Guangzhou > Longsheng > Guilin > Xingping > Lipu > Hezhou > Zhaoqing > Guangzhou (approx 1,500km)
Roystar / Hong Thai package tour brochure 9D7N on Guilin, Yangshuo, Longsheng, Zhaoqing, Guangzhou, Lipu & Hezhou.
Travel Highlights (Fully Guided Tour):
1) Longsheng, Guangxi
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| Longji Rice Terraced Fields Longsheng, Guangxi, China |
2) Guilin, Guangxi
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| The Sun & Moon Pagodas Guilin, Guangxi, China |
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| Elephant Trunk Hill, Guilin Guangxi, China |
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Xiaoyao Tower, Guilin Guangxi, China |
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| Zhuangyuan Gallery, Guilin Guangxi, China |
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| East West Lane, Guilin, Guangxi, China |
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| Two Rivers & Four Lakes, Guilin Guangxi, China |
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| Crown Cave, Guilin Guangxi, China |
3) Xingping, Guangxi
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| Lijiang River Cruise, Xingping Guangxi, China |
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| Xingping Ancient Town Guangxi, China |
4) Yangshuo, Guangxi
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| Ruyi Peak, Gaotian, Yangshuo Guangxi, China |
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| Moon Hill, Yangshou, Guangxi, China |
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| Fragrance Rice Field, Gaotian Town Yangshou, Guangxi, China |
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| Minority Ethnic Bonfire Party, Gaotian Yangshuo, Guangxi, China |
5) Lipu, Guangxi
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| Maling Guzhal, Lipu Guangxi, China |
6) Hezhou, Guangxi
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| Huangyao Ancient Town Hezhou, Guangxi, China |
7) Zhaoqing, Guangdong
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| Seven Star Cave Archway, Zhaoqing Guangdong, China |
8) Guangzhou, Guangdong
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| Shangxiajiu Pedestrian Street Guangzhou, Guangdong, China |
Travel Highlights (Compulsory Tour)
1) Yangshou, Guangxi
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| Bamboo Rafting & Osprey Fishing Yangshuo, Guangxi, China |
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| Osprey Fishing, Yangshuo Guangxi, China |
2) Guilin, Guangxi
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| Shanshui Show, Guilin Guangxi, China |
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| Night View of 2 Rivers & 4 Lakes Guilin, Guangxi, China |
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| Fubo Hill, Guilin, Guangxi, China |
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| Lijiang Waterfall Hotel Guilin, Guangxi, China |
PYO (Optional - Pay Your Own Guided Tour)
Yangshuo, Guangxi
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| Impression Liu Shanjie, Yangshuo Guangxi, China |
DIY (Do It Yourself) Visits
1) Yangshuo, Guangxi
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| West Street, Yangshou Guangxi, China |
2) Guangzhou, Guangdong
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| Guangzhou International Financial Centre Guangdong, China |
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| Guangzhou Rural Commercial Bank Guangdong, China |
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| Guangzhou Opera House Guangdong, China |
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| Guangzhou Library, Guangdong, China |
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| Huacheng Square, Guangzhou Guangdong, China |
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| Guangdong Museum, Guangzhou, China |
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| Haixinsha Asia Game Park, Guangzhou Guangdong, China |
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| Canton Tower, Guangzhou Guangdong, China |
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| Guangzhou Stadium, Guangdong, China |
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| Riverside Park, Zhujiang New Town Guangzhou, Guangdong, China |
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| Haizhu Square, Guangzhou Guangdong, China |
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| Guangzhou Liberation Statute Guangdong, China |
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| Haizhu Bridge, Guangzhou Guangdong, China |
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| Five Ram Sculpture, Yeuxiu Park Guangzhou, Guangdong, China |
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| Museum of The Western Han Dynasty Mausoleum of the Nanyue King Guangzhou, Guangdong, China |
My Good Old Days - I had so far done 1 package tour & 3 free & easy visits to Guilin, Guangxi (2012, 2010 & 2009, these 3 visits were merely a stopover in Guilin for my extended visits to central China as in the old days, Malaysian low cost carrier flew direct from Kuala Lumpur > Guilin), my first visit to Guilin / Guangzhou was in Nov 2005 !
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| The World is Big ! I Wish to Have a Look ! |
1) Guilin, Guangxi (visited in Sept 2012, Sept 2010, Sept 2009 & Nov 2005)
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| The Sun & Moon Pagodas, Guilin Guangxi, China (Sept 2012) |
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| The Sun Pagoda, Guilin, Guangxi China (Sept 2010) |
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| The Sun & Moon Pagodas, Guilin Guangxi, China (Sept 2009) |
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| Elephant Trunk Hill, Guilin Guangxi, China (Nov 2005) |
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| Crown Cave, Guilin, Guangxi China (Nov 2005) |
2) Yangshuo, Guangxi (visited in Nov 2005)
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| Lijiang River Cruise, Yangshuo Guangxi, China (Nov 2005) |
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| West Street, Yangshuo Guangxi, China (Dec 2005) |
3) Zhaoqing, Guangdong (visited in Nov 2005)
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| Seven Star Cave Pier, Zhaoqing Guangdong, China (Nov 2005) |
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| Seven Star Cave Archway, Zhaoqing Guangdong, China (Nov 2005) |
4) Guangzhou, Guangdong (visited in Dec 2014, Sept & Dec 2013 & Nov 2005)
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| Shangxiajiu Street, Guangzhou Guangdong, China (Dec 2014) |
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| Lian Xian Lou Dim Sum, Guangzhou Guangdong, China (Dec 2014_ |
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| Lian Xian Lou, Shangxiajiu Street Guangzhou, Guangdong, China (Dec 2014) |
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| Riverfront, Guangzhou, Guangdong China (Dec 2014) |
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| Guangzhou Opera House, Guangdong China (Dec 2014) |
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| Yuntai Garden, Baiyun Shan, Guangzhou Guangdong, China (Dec 2014) |
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| Baiyun Mountain, Guangzhou Guangdong (Dec 2014) |
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| Panyu, Guangzhou, Guangdong China (Dec 2014) |
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| Chen Academy, Guangzhou, Guangdong China (Dec 2013) |
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| Five Ram Sculpture, Yeuxiu Park Guangzhou, Guangdong China (Dec 2013) |
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| Zumio Temple, Foshan, Guangdong, China (Dec 2013) |
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| Shangxiajiu Street, Guangzhou Guangdong, China (Sept 2013) |
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| Beijing Lu, Guangzhou Guangdong, China (Sept 2013) |
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| Shamian Garden, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China (Sept 2013) |
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| Guangzhou Railway Station, Guangdong China (Sept 2013) |
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| Too Heong Dim Sum, Guangzhou Guangdong, China (Sept 2013) |
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| Shangxiajiu Street, Guangzhou Guangdong China (Nov 2005) |
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| Dr Sun Yat Sen Memorial Hall Guangzhou, Guangdong China (Nov 2005) |
My Guilin / Guangzhou package tours & extended visits in 2005 & 2023 - a down the memory lane visit after a lapse of 18 years, both these packages tour covered visits to Guilin, Yangshuo, Lipu, Hezhou & Guangzhou, the Nov 2005 extended visit in Guangzhou was a purposeful one to trace my father-in-law's birthplace in a village near Sunde, Guangzhou whereas the Oct 2023 package tour was a revisit & a surprise visit to Gaoyao District, my father's birthplace, near Zhaoqing & Guangzhou !
Hence these two Guilin/Guangzhou package tours had a significant meaning to my family & my wife's family. Both the tours & my extended visit in Guangzhou led to my father-in-law & a few of his accompanying family members realising their dreams in stepping on their ancestor's soil after a lapse of more than half of a century ! As for me, I long to go to my father & ancestor 's birthplace in China but it was still in a pipedream despite my numerous visits to China over the last two decades. But lady luck was with me & my brother, a real surprise when our tour group checked into Gaoyao Regent Hotel then I realised that this place in Gaoyao District is probably closer to my father's birthplace (my family no longer has the home address of my father's dwelling place) but I felt overtly happy that my "wild" dream has finally been fulfilled after an overnight stay & a morning stroll in a nearby residential area & riverfront of Gaoyao town - hard to imagine how life was liked during the poverty years of 1920's when China was engaged in a civil war & there was widespread hunger especially in the rural & countryside areas. This prompted my father and one of his brothers to leave Gaoyao seeking for green pastures in an overseas country !
Nov 2005 - My father-in-law's ancestor visit, a village near Sunde Town, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China - a purposeful visit for my father-in-law showing up in his birthplace once again since his childhood days after a lapse of 60 years (he was 5 years old then)
