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Facts for travelers to Yangshuo and GuilinThis page contain the main facts for travelers to Yangshuo. We included:
Banks and ATMThe first fact for travelers is about money. Although China has ATM facilities widely available through the Bank of China, I advice to bring some cash and/or Travelers Cheques. American Express is the most widely accepted through Thomas Cook does the job too. To be on the safe side, bring them in US$. You change money is the Bank of China. It is in fact the only bank that does change cash and Travelers Checks. Yangshuo has two branches. The first and oldest one is located near the entrance of West Street. There's an ATM available. The second branch is located at Pantao Road (incl. an ATM). If you want to change cash or TC, this may be a better option as it is usually more quiet then the one at the entrance of West Street. Go to the end of West Street and turn left. This branch does not have an ATM. The Agricultural Bank of China does do cash advances on credit and debit cards. They charge 3% commission for each transaction. This bank can only do cash advances on Credit/debit cards and charges 3% commission for each transaction. The Agricultural Bank of China is located next to the Bank of China on West Street. Opening hours of both banks are from 09.00-17.00. All banks have an ATM available though only the Bank Of China had a Cirrus/Maestro option. Visa/Mastercard can be used for other banks too. Bicycle and motorbike/scooterSee Bicycling in Yangshuo for details Emergency serviceFacts for the visitor is not complete with some information about the emergency services. The easiest way to handle injuries is to ask assistance from the hotel where you stay. There are a few local hospitals in Yangshuo, the main one is The People's Hospital of Yangshuo County. You find the hospital on Shenshan Road. Although some staff speak English, it's a good idea to bring someone from your hotel to communicate. Another good option is to consult Dr. Lily, who has a massage and acupuncture shop at Gui Hua Road, just behind West Street. Dr. Lily can help you finding a hospital and might be able to translate if necessary. More about Dr. Lily can be read here. For more complicated injuries, you can use the hospitals in Guilin and Guangzhou, both with western standards of hygiene and quality. In case of toothache problems, the Guilin People's Hospital has English speaking doctors and has an excellent service: Guilin People's Hospital#70 Wenming Lu, Guilin, Guangxi 541002 Dental problems are the best solved in the People's Hospital in Guilin. Do NOT use the local service in Yangshuo (as I did, with some bad experiences) You may want to bring a first aid kit. Here's a list what you could bring Internet accessNothing is easier then getting on to the net these days. Several internet cafes in and around West Street. Many have high speed ADSL connections up to 1MBS. Some of the hotels have internet service. Usually the service of some internet cafe a bit away from tourist center are a bit cheaper. Locals pay Y2 an hour while foreigners can pay as much as Y10 in West Street. As said, walk a few blocks away from West Street and the price goes down. LanguageAs you already expect, most Chinese people speak Chinese (lol), Mandarin to be precise. Since many years many of the locals speak English too. In many hotels and restaurants you will find menu cards in English with western dishes. However, when you go to the country side many people speak only Chinese. Usually they are happy to see you speaking a few words in Chinese. Hello (Ni hao) and Xie Xie (thank you) can sometimes do make people happy. Some useful words and phrases:
LaundryMost of the hotels have a laundry service. You bring your dirty stuff in a plastic bag and you will get it back the next morning (if the weather permits). There are a few laundry services available in and around West Street. A very good service is the "2046 laundry shop" on Chengzhong street, just a few minutes walk from West Street. Bring your laundry in the morning and collect it in the evening. Regardless how wet or cold the weather is, your laundry is clean and dry. Recommended. Most of the hotels are not happy if you do your laundry in the hotel room so don't do it. Post office and TelecommunicationPost Office and Telecommunications are to be found opposite of the entrance of West Street. The Post Office in Yangshuo is used to deal with foreigners. The service is fast and reliable. Do not pack the parcels yourself but let the staff have a look what you want to send. They will open an already closed parcel anyway. Leave it to them. Next door is the Telecommunications Office where international calls can be made. These days you may be able to make international calls from some of the internet cafes. They may be cheaper as they use internet calling. The Post and Telecom office opening hours are from 8am to 9pm. SafetyYangshuo is a very safe place to go around. However, make sure you were a money belt with your valuables. If you go out on a bicycle ride, rock climbing or kayaking, please leave your keys and valuable at the reception of your hotel. Yangshuo is very safe but that is no reason to show your valuables to each and everyone. Be especially aware of pickpockets at the bus station. Some operate in the buses to Guilin and Xingping. They may try to use razorblades to open your bags. The best way to protect yourself from being robbed is to keep your valuables protected, use a money belt and if you carry a bag, keep it with you all the time. Yangshuo, and much of China is much safer then many western countries, as I speak from experience. However, there are always idiots around. Don't give them a chance. Tourist InformationThe China Tourist Service CTS has an office near the entrance of the Yangshuo Park. I find them not very useful. Better options can be found in West Street where numerous private tourist offices offer help with staff that speak fluent English. Weather in Yangshuo/GuilinYangshuo has a moderate climate. However, summers can be quite hot though winters are usually moderate. The best time of the year to visit Yangshuo are spring and autumn. April and May are usually great periods because it's warm but not too warm and dry. June and July can be quite wet while halfway August to late October, sometimes November the weather in Yangshuo is great for outdoor activities. The weather at this moment looks like this:
Read more about the weather in Yangshuo here Working in YangshuoAnother important fact for travelers who want to work in Yangshuo are the visa regulations. Most people who work in Yangshuo teach English. Usually the schools will help you out with the necessary visas. If you plan to stay for a long time, you may want to get a business visa in Hong Kong. This visa doesn't give you the possibility to work here but it does give you time to search for a job. More travel info at travel.yahoo.com Back to the top of Facts for travelers Back to the Yangshuo Travel Guide homepage
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Weather in YangshuoYangshuo has most of the year a great climate for traveling. We have set up a page with more about the weather in Yangshuo and Guilin. Weather in Yangshuo and Guilin Foreigners in ChinaOur facts for the travelers page is limited in what we can tell. China is a huge country with a long history. Ming has written a great website with many details about history, religion, music, arts and much more you would want to read before visiting China. Enjoy the Foreigners in China website! First Aid KitDo you or do you not have to bring a first aid kit? Most of the basic things in relationship to potential problems are available in Yangshuo.
What if you don't bring? Here's more why or why not you bring your own first aid kit |
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