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“One of my best vacations ever !!!”

Thanks to World Heritage Network - Rorne specifically - for setting up the most amazing vacation at Yellow Mountain. Rorne was incredibly helpful and responsive before, during and after the tour. We emailed back and forth several times to create an amazing itinerary for a 5 day trip. I spent 3 1/2 days on the mountain, 1 full day in Hongcun Village, and a 1/2 day and evening in Tuxni. My guide, Steven, couldn’t be better. As I was traveling solo, he really was both an amazing guide and companion. His English is perfect and he’s knowledgable about the mountain, the people, and China in general. I learned so much about all three. He knows the trails like the back of his hand, and he was always quick to point out the best photo ops. I loved spending 3 1/2 days on the mountain and got to hike most of trails. I did train before showing up to China and that made all the difference in being able to have the stamina for so much hiking. I was completely exhausted after the trip, but it was so worth it.

I loved all the hikes and views and was glad to see it in different weather - we had everything from sunshine to light rain and misty fog. It was fun to hike in the rain and see the “yellow mountain people” as Steven called them… all the visitors who wear the disposable yellow plastic rain gear. My favorite hikes were Xihai Canyon and Ferry’s Bridge, but truly, everything was amazing!

Yes, the trails are as crowded as everyone complains about and the guides with their loud speakers are truly obnoxious. Keep in mind you are in the most populous country in the world and visiting Yellow Mountain is on most Chinese People’s “bucket list” - so just enjoy the experience being with so many enthusiastic and friendly people. You can either go with it, or be frustrated by it, your choice. It was fun getting up early for the sunrise experience. Again, it’s a crazy scene, this will NOT be your zen moment of silence, but it will be beautiful.

Although the Baiyun Hotel is not fancy, (and it has a bit of a musty smell), I thought it was fine, and the food was very good. We spent one night there The view from my room was incredible - I was in the smaller building and I had a stunning view of the mountain  - I loved resting in my room and watching the swallows. I had a good, albeit slightly torturous foot / let massage at the Baiyun by a lovely woman. She spoke no English but knew when she needed to go a bit lighter.  I had decent internet connection in my room and in the lobby. 

We spent 2 nights at Baihai, which was a much nicer property. The Xichi is clearly the “Ritz Carlton” on the mountain, but almost too fancy for my tastes. I’m glad we didn’t stay there. I did get another foot / leg massage at the Xihai, which was even more torturous than my first one. It was not at all relaxing, but my calves did feel better the next day. The food at the Baihai as also very good. Food at both places is oily, but yummy, it’s the style of cooking in the region. I let Rorne know that I wanted to be someplace cool for my 54th birthday and that was the day I got to hike the Xihai Canyon. Steven surprised me by getting a birthday cake which was gorgeous and delicious. He truly went above and beyond.

Hongcun Village is quite lovely and it made a huge difference to go there with Steven who really knows the history of the village and the function of the various buildings. It would have been much less interesting to go there without a guide. He brought the history to life. We spent the night at a nice hotel. I rented a bike from the hotel for 10 RMB! and rode into the country side which was fantastic. Got to see farmers tending to the fields and painters painting landscapes - it’s was great. 

We spent our last afternoon on the old street in Tunxi and I stocked up on some delicous tea. We did the tea tasting which fun and very enjoyable without big pressure to buy. We did one final massage at a great spot Steven knew about, and this actually was a relaxing massage, finally! The girls who massage you are tiny, but strong, and we got full body massages. 

Since my flight wasn’t until 10:45 - Steven squeezed in one last adventure. I went to see the Picturesque Huizhou show which was fantastic. It was very “Cirque du Soleil” like with great acrobatics, special effects, amazing costumes and a good story. 

These 5 days will go down as one of my best vacations ever. Thanks to Rorne and Steven for putting together such memorable experience for me. We also had a lovely driver, Dai, who was super friendly, a good driver, he didn’t talk on the phone or text as most drivers do, and he was always prompt and helpful. It was really wonderful to be picked up from the airport with a sign and dropped off. Steven even waited with me until I got through security. This was 5 star service all around !

....commented by Jane Grossman, USA




Awesome place to be for any traveller to China. An incredibly beautiful Huangshan!
Last week, I've just spent the weekend at Huang Shan and it was really an amazing place. Thanks to the recommendation from World Heritage Network who arranged our tour to Huang Shan. We are go glad that we finally made this trip. Little wonder it's one of the top 10 destinations that most of the chinese population want to visit in their lifetime. I'll not spend time raving about it any further as that's already covered in previous reviews but just wanted to share some information that might make things easier for you if you're planning a trip up there as it can be a bit confusing and there's a few changes for the better. Prior to going I was warned by our guide to expect to queue for up to 2 hours for the cable cars at both ends due to the sheer number of people. Thankfully that wasn't the case for 2 reasons.

First, we stayed at Beihai Hotel at the summit of Mount Huangshan which was conveniently arranged by our tour guide so we can skip all the long ques at the cable cars and the early morning rush in order to see sunrise at the top. Beihai Hotel is just 5 minutes walk to a sunrise watching pavilion.
Second, there is a 2nd cable car on the white goose cable car side. Instead of only 2 cars that take a large number of people this one takes 6 people and has a lot of cars so is better to take photos. We caught this down from the top as we walked across the peak from the other one. Even if you're not up for a big walk catching the cable car is worth it alone. You marvel at how the pylons have been erected on sheer cliff ledges and the height is amazing.

We were informed by our local guide that by catching the west side cable up and walking across to the white goose side (about 4 or 5 hours at an easy pace) we were going the opposite way to everyone who was coming back down from watching the sunrise. This was great as we didn't get held up although as you came across the yellow and red hat brigade (chinese tour groups) you had to push your way through at stages.

We stayed at Tangkou which is a little town at the foot of the mountain and stayed at the brand new Tangkou hotel which is modern, clean and a fraction of the price of staying on the peak. I like to thank World Heritage Networkfor arranging this wonderful tour for us with a friendly and patience guide who speaks good english. If you are looking for an english speaking guide who really knows the way in and out of Mt Huangshan, try emailing this network: worldheritage101@yahoo.com
It just made our trip so memorable and I tipped my guide well for service well done !!! 
...commented by Ray Gaddert, Sydney, Australia


“Beware, this is not for the faint - hearted!!!
The Xihai Grand Canyon is a relatively new attraction on Mt Huangshan, China's iconic scenic mountain. Quite a few people miss this attraction because of the steepness of the stairs and the number of them. That's not always a bad thing - there are few tourists here compared to the main trails. However, this trail has recently become popular as modern tourists are getting more and more adventurous than before and I was surprised that World Heritage Network was able to provide me a guide who was adventurous and hard core as I was. I also found their website incredibly informative and useful for those who wish to know more about the trails and hot spots in Mt Huangshan: www.mthuangshan.blogspot.com

This place is astoundingly spectacular. The builders of the staircases have basically stuck staircases to vertical cliff faces. You get a Stairmaster workout with scenery so visually stunning that the stone forests in the movie Avatar were based on this part of the mountain. It can be daunting though - the staircases are steep, and if you have vertigo, there are precipitous drops if you look over the side. The weather is also a big unknown - mist and rain are more frequent here than clear skies. There are canyons, spires, and scenery so spectacular it can simply be visual overload. The staircases descend giddily towards the bottom of the canyon - and then there's the climb back up, past gnarly pine trees, and vegetation clinging to the rock. With the cool weather and plenty of rest spots though, this is definitely one of the top attractions on the mountain! Last of all and not the least, thank you for a great tour, 
World Heritage Network. Bravo!

...commented by Alan Geno, Los Angeles, USA



“An incredible top class traveller experience at Mount Huangshan.”
Sometimes, nature occasionally offers us the truly extraordinary. This place is that. Set in some of the steepest and most dramatic peaks I have ever seen, the Chinese authorities have carved and built a vast network of paths and stairs into the mountain-side - an engineering feat the like of which I've never seen elsewhere. Be it misty or clear, still or breezy, the legendary light and dramatic scenery of Huangshan has apparently inspired poets and painters for several thousand years. You will feel similarly amazed.

It is steep, sometimes, frighteningly so. It is crowded, often packed solid and the megaphones that are wielded by the tour guides are simply vile. It says a lot that our memories of this visit were not marred by these inconveniences. Moreover, talk to the local travellers if you can or engage a local chinese guide that speaks good english like what I did from this famous network that specializes in arranging tours in China for foreign tourists, World Heritage Network. Their service is impeccable and worth a mention in my review. And for the people in China. 
I have NEVER been to a friendlier place.
The pics I've posted don't begin to give an idea. Go and see for yourself. Don't expect to see too many Americans or risk-averse safety fanatics: this is an intrepid mountain adventure, probably the riskiest you can get without ropes and crampons. Make sure your guide is beside you assisting you all the way and I like to thank my guide, Andrew, for his patience and understanding that made my journey so unforgettable. Great thanks to World Heritage Network management team also. Great job guys!

Practical advice: stay up on the mountain peak for at least one night. Try to catch at least 2 dawns and 2 sun-sets. VERY IMPORTANT: Plan your arrival and descent carefully if you are doing the cable-car. Plan joint care properly whilst you are there. I am 47 years old and fit. 10 days later: knees still a bit sensitive after climbing over the whole place for 2 days. 


...commented by James W. Hayden, London, UK