Float on a bamboo raft down the
Yu Long River or cruise the Li River
Bamboo raftingTaking a bamboo raft ride is an excellent, relaxing way
to take in the amazing views of the Yu Long and Li River
and watch the countryside just drift on by. The starting
points are at different locations along the rivers and the
rides range from half an hour to 5 hours. The word "rafting"
is perhaps a little bit misleading as the water rides are
in fact very slow as a man steers you gently down the course
of the rivers and across a few weirs. Both rivers have their
advantages; if you're after a little tranquility and a lazy
afternoon then we recommend the Yu Long River as the bamboo
rafts are pushed along. For dramatic scenery with huge karst
peaks soaring hundreds of meters up from the river take
a motorized bamboo raft along the Li River. Generally the
rafts have enough room for bikes so you can always combine
it with a
biking
tour.
Yu Long River Rafting 
Tour
1: Jiu Xian Village to Yangshuo Mountain Retreat
Duration of rafting: 2 hours
Take a twenty minute taxi ride or walk upstream to Jiu Xian
Village and then gently drift down the river from Xien Gui
Bridge to the Mountain Retreat where there will be
cold
refreshments and
delicious
food waiting for you. Always negotiate the prices as
particularly in high season they are likely to be steeper.
Tour 2: Yu Long Bridge to Yangshuo Mountain
Retreat
Duration of rafting: 4 hours
Take a taxi (45min), bike
(1.5 hours) or (link to the Dragon Bridge paragraph on the
mountain biking page) walk
(3.5 hours) up to the Yu Long Bridge. Here you can float
back down the river with an ice cool water or beer and see
the Yu Long River valley from a different perspective. If
you have bikes with you, you can put them on the back of
the bamboo rafts.
Li River Rafting
Tour 3: From Xingping to Lengshui/Yangdi
Duration of rafting: 45 min/ 2.5 hours
Take a local bus from Yangshuo to Xingping (50 min) and
walk to the docks of the town. Here you can find many bamboo
rafts which can take you upstream either to Lengshui or
even further to Yangdi. If you want to walk back to Xingping
make sure you have enough hours before it gets dark or arrange
pick up in Lengshui or Yangdi.
Tour
4: From Lengshui to Xingping
Duration: whole day
This Tour combines both walking and a bamboo rafting trip
on the Li River. Catch a local bus to Yangdi which takes
about 1 hr 15min. From there you can walk for approximately
3.5 hours along the shores of the Li River to Lengshui which
is about 3/4 of the way between Yangdi and Xingping. In
Lengshui take a 40 min bamboo raft trip downstream. Don't
be surprised if they drop you off outside of Xingping as
the bamboo taxis try to avoid paying the tax they have to
give for floating into the docks. This is no problem as
many electric minibuses run from the drop off point taking
you directly to the bus station in Xingping where local
buses leave regularly for Yangshuo town.
Boat Trips and Cruises on the Li River
Guilin to Yangshuo CruiseDuration: 5-6 hours
Stretching all the way from Guilin, Li River cruises on
large tour boats are often the most awe inspiring highlight
on many a visitor's itinerary. The downside is that the
scenery is that dozens of tour boats operate on the river
causing a large amount of traffic and noise. Nevertheless,
it is still a great alternative to travel to Yangshuo from
Guilin. The price for the cruise is relatively high but
includes lunch and you can take your luggage onboard.
Yangshuo to Xingping Duration: 4 hours
This particular stretch of river is known as the Golden
Waterways and includes the most famous peak in the area,
the Nine Horse Mountain. The small farmer boats which can
take you on this trip are mostly unlicensed which means
they're not meant to be taking tourists. However, if you
set off early in the morning or late afternoon then there
shouldn't be a problem.
Xingping
to Yangdi and backDuration: 3 hours
Take a local bus from Yangshuo to Xingping and walk to the
docks of the town. Here there are many locals offering boat
trips upstream. You can ask to be taken to Yangdi and back
but prices vary so remember to bargain hard. The trip takes
over an hour one way and arguably is the best stretch of
the Li River in terms of scenery with huge karst peaks soaring
from the shores of the Li River, sub tropical jungle shading
the banks and long stretched pebble beaches.
Picture - Boat
Xingping to Yucun (Fishing Village)
Duration: 6 hours
Catch the local bus from Yangshuo to Xingping. From here
take a small farmers boat on the docks of Xingping to the
Fishing Village. The boat tour takes about 40 min each way,
but allow for about 4 hours for the whole trip to have enough
time to explore the Fishing Village. Apart from the well
preserved Ming Dynasty architecture and wood carvings dating
back more than five hundred years, Yucun is worth seeing
for its natural Feng Shui alone. Surrounded by seven karst
peaks and two stone guardians at the village entrance the
modern world is kept at bay in this highly spiritual place.
For more great Yu Long and Li River pictures go to
http://www.flickr.com/photos/yangshuomountainretreat/sets/72157603685449054/
