In Hong Kong I plan on staying for perhaps three nights. Then by boat to Guangzhou (Canton), a boat or bus to Wuzhou, than a bus to Yangshuo, a little south of Guilin, staying in both Guangzhou and Wuzhou, only as long as it takes to continue the travel. I can visit these cities on my return trip to Hong Kong.My intent is to reach Yangshuo, known as a backpacker hangout, as quickly as possible to set up base camp (so to speak) while I learn the customs of traveling in China. From Yangshuo I can make numerous trips by bike or by bus (with my bike) for a day or a couple of nights and then return. The area sounds interesting and beautiful.
If I like the area, then I may stay for a couple of weeks, then head South by bus to Nanning and into North Vietnam, crossing at the Friendship crossing at Pingxiang and Lang Son. My plan is for a multi-entry visa with two entries for one month each. So I must cross into Vietnam before Oct 22.
Possibly, I will leave my bike suitcase (cart) in Lang Son and then bike to Hanoi, Haiphong, Halong Bay, and back north up the coast and then inland NW back to Lang Son. My guess is 15 to 20 days. Some of the links I may put the bike on top of a bus. But the distances involved lead me to believe I can bike the whole loop.
When I return to China I will head towards Kunming and as far west as Dali. Then back to Hong Kong, but at a slower pace than when I first left Hong Kong. I leave Hong Kong for New York on Dec 9.
Several alternative plans are possible. If I get bored with the area around Guilin, than I might move on to Kunming before entering Vietnam. In this case, after Vietnam I could head north to take a boat ride through the Yangtze Gorges before the Chinese flood the whole area with their large dam. At least I have a plan, but plans can change.
Other than the bike loop in North Vietnam, mostly I will be doing day trips around where ever I am staying, and between cities I will be using buses. We shall see how this plan develops. I would really like more bicycle adventures, but I will have to wait until I am there to figure out where.
Back to Fall 1997 index page.