4 of Asia's Most Amazing Places—and When to Go to Beat the Crowds
Asia is full of wonderful travel destinations—but visiting them can be a nightmare when they’re rammed full of tourists. Here’s when to visit some of the region’s most amazing destinations while beating the crowds.
Guilin & Yangshuo, China
Guilin in northeast Guangxi possesses one of the most distinctive (not to say famous) landscapes in all of China. The characteristic karst topography is the stuff of classical handscrolls, photographic fantasies—and the 20 Yuan note. But this overwhelming natural beauty has brought an attendant, crushingly massive boom in tourism—particularly to the otherwise picturesque little town of Yangshuo, which is at the heart of it all. Millions upon millions of visitors swarm here each year to clap eyes on the extraordinary scenery, muck about in boats on the Li river, and generally gawp, dawdle and meander where once the ancient cormorant fishers fished (and still do, but nowadays mainly for photos). This means that when the place is busy, practically no one has a good time or gets to do what they want to do.
The Sweet Spot:
First, a few ground rules: As with any destination in China, avoid traveling in the weeks prior to or following the country’s two “Golden Weeks.” This is when hundreds of millions hit the roads, rails and airports, immobilizing the entire country. The first Golden Week is during Chinese New Year: In 2017 this will officially begin on January 27 and end on February 2; in practice this means you want to avoid travelling in the second half of January and the first half of February. The second Golden Week occurs around National Day on October 1 for at least seven days, so avoid travelling at the end of September and for a good portion of October. School holidays in China also dominate July and August. So our sweet spot for Guilin and Yangshuo is early May. The weather is warm and the visibility good, yet the mosquitoes and tourists should be less numerous.
Getting There:
A large number of airlines fly direct from Hong Kong to Guilin Liangjiang International Airport, so shop around for a good deal. Once there, take the shuttle bus to Yangshuo direct from the airport (80 mins, RMB25 per person).
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Bagan, Burma
