The city of Yangshuo is nestled between the dramatic karst peaks that spread across this scenic corner of Guangxi. It’s a place we really enjoyed on our last visit, hence us deciding to come back and even stay in the same hostel. The hostel was based a bit out the city so the patio area backed onto lush green paddies where ducks would be herded by their farmers and we had fabulous views of the peaks. It was while we were staying here last time that we did a walk in the pouring rain to get some dinner in town. We had to position the umbrella in front of us to stop the rain so it blocked my view and suddenly I was hit so hard I fell to the ground. I looked up to see a truck with an extended rear was half parked on the pavement and I’d walked right into it. Craig says it’s a lie if I say I was hit by a truck but I’m still sticking with that as the headline to my story.

We had a sunny evening when we arrived back in town so we frantically searched for a peak to climb so we could watch the sunset. It was a much tougher route than we expected, unlike the usual Chinese hikes where there’s concrete steps this time we had a slippery muddy slope climbing a couple hundred meters. Turns out it would be a great location for sunrise but the side we were looking at was overgrown with foliage. To be fair the hike took longer than we expected so we missed the best colours anyway and made our way back down to the popular West Street.

It was absolutely bustling with locals, hot pot restaurants were packed full, trees were covered in lanterns and lights and live musicians were hired to draw the crowds in. We opted for an Indian restaurant for dinner, it was way over our usual budget but my goodness it was one of the best curries I’ve ever eaten.

The rest of our time in Yangshuo was very rainy and foggy. Between the showers we managed a hike up the TV tower, I remembered last time we had to pay someone to enter the top and it was exactly the same this time, an old man shuffled out in his slippers and bribed us to pay £1 each if we wanted a view – which we did after hiking 99% of the way up. We got some nice views of the endless layers of pyramid shaped peaks fading into the distance. To ease our legs after the hike we opted for an hour long foot and back massage for £8 which was delightful.

Getting vegetarian meals in Yangshuo has been a bit of a struggle for me so we’ve opted for ordering a bowl of rice noodles with whatever meat they put on top and I transfer the meat into Craig’s bowl. Luckily every eatery here has a table with goodies to add to your noodles so I cover mine in pickled vegetables, spring onions and fresh coriander.

Finally we had a day which wasn’t raining so we could go on a bike ride along the Yulong River. There was fog and low drifting clouds but I kind of liked the scenery as it was totally different to our previous experience here. The bike hire was only £1 each which was an absolute bargain. First we had to navigate the city traffic but after a few kilometres we were out in the countryside. Huge karst peaks were on either side of us and cycling was slow going as we kept stopping to take photos. We passed a beautiful area with a pond so all of the mountains reflected in the water, there was even a bizarre hot air balloon ride nearby where it was attached to straps so it could only fly up a short distance for a quick thrill.

It’s rapeseed season in China so the fields were a sea of yellow with the pointy peaks rising behind. Locals were whizzing past us on colourful sidecars which would have been so fun to rent! The area was a lot busier than last time with hundreds of locals opting to take bamboo rafts down the river. The ride often went down a sort of rapid in the river and some were quite steep so the passengers would raise their feet and hope for the best.

It was a lovely day out but my butt was killing me by the end of it. We pushed ourselves to hike up one last hill on the way back to a viewpoint at the edge of an orange grove and then it was time to rest before we make our way to Xingping tomorrow.

They say Xingping is what Yangshuo was like 20 years ago. It’s much smaller but it’s still a bustling town set on the shores of the Li River and packed with domestic tourists wanting to go on rafting trips. There’s a small old town area which isn’t very old anymore but is filled with red lanterns and pretty shopfronts – mostly selling the same thing. We came to Xingping for the hiking as it’s based in one of the most scenic areas of China, surrounded by karst peaks. We arrived before lunch time so decided to make the most of the rare, non-rainy day and hike up Damian Mountain, an imposing peak that looks too steep and pointy to be able to access without ropes. To get to the hiking trail we needed to hop on the rustic ferry that crosses the river, fighting against the strong current.

From the other side it was a long walk along roads beneath towering peaks until we reached the trailhead. We were rather surprised to find a big metal gate blocking the route and an orange farmer charging for access but alas, we couldn’t turn back now after walking so far. It was all uphill from then on along a brutal amount of steps. The weather has turned so humid lately and the temperature is bizarrely high for March so we were absolutely dripping with sweat as we climbed up in 27°. I was not a happy bunny. I hate hiking in the heat and it was unbearable, the air was so close.

We didn’t pass a single person on the hike so we were a little surprised to suddenly hear kids chatting loudly…what are the chances that 20 loud school kids were on a trip and having their lunch at the final viewpoint. I was fed up by this point, they were playing music and screaming and the view wasn’t even worth the effort. Sadly the muggy weather had brought so much haze to the air that the view was just bleak and unimpressive. It was supposed to be one of the best vantage points as it’s where you can see a full bend in the Li River along with the karst peaks fading into the distance.

Feeling a little defeated we walked the long way back to Xingping, almost stepping on a dead rat along the way and hearing a rustle in a box next to me at the same time. I looked down to see what I thought was a snake but it turned out to be a rats tail, a live one this time and he jumped out the box as soon as I walk past!

The following morning we hike up the much closer peak of Laozai Hill. It was a slightly drizzly day, still very muggy though with low drifting cloud sweeping around the peaks. There was a ladder section at the top which neither of us enjoyed but we finally made it to the top and it was a familiar place as we came here on Craig’s 33rd birthday many years ago. We had sunshine then so it was quite nice seeing it in different conditions. The clouds were moving fast, wrapping around the peaks, drifting below them and sometimes totally engulfing them.

The peak to our west had a warning sign saying it was closed due to 30 people getting lost up there last year alone and at least one death. It looked like a crazy mountain to hike, almost impossible with the sheer sides but then we spotted a ladder, heading up the sheer wall. It just kept going all the way up to the top which was absolutely crazy and you’d need some balls to brave that route! At the top was a tv tower so it must be a locals job to climb up there fairly regularly to check on things!

We finished our time in Xingping with a stroll along the Li River. There were so many domestic tourists having photo shoots but the really professional shoots happened at night when they took the ‘models’ onto an area of floating bamboo rafts with a lantern to hold so they can capture some atmospheric night shots. It was a shame to see the cormorants being man-handled so much, we noticed that their legs were tied tightly to the poles. Fishing with cormorants used to be practiced a lot around here but it’s a fading tradition now and instead the men and their birds are used as photo props. I read about the old fishing techniques, how the men would go out at night with a lantern to attract the fish. They’d then tie a ‘loose’ rope around their neck (but realistically I think it would have to be fairly tight) and send them in the water where they dive down and fish. When they come back up the fisherman brings them onto the boat, opens their mouth and removes the big fish it’s caught in its mouth but wasn’t able to swallow. The bird is then rewarded with some smaller fish. Nowadays the birds are on a pole which sits on the fake fisherman’s shoulders, one bird tied onto either end and the really horrible part is that they twist the pole forward and back which unbalances the birds and causes them to flap their wings – thus providing the photo that these domestic tourists are looking for. Other than that we had a pleasant stay in Xingping, even if the weather wasn’t on our side the whole time.