They may have said it was one of the best when it first opened but it's not so much anymore (a least not by European standards) the animals could be a lot healthier and it better bigger living conditions, cleaner for sure. They don't look the happiest, but then again do any of the animals in a zoo? the 'safari' zoos are some-hat better but still....
Detian waterfall, mingshi village and zuojiang huashan rock paintings
guangxi province, south west china on the Vietnam border
MINGSHI VILLAGE - 明仕田园
This is one of the most beautifully preserved natural heritage in this area. like Guilin without the crowds. it is mainly inhabited by the Zhuang minority group, the biggest minority group in China mainly living in Guangxi province 广西省
we got the late afternoon bus as I needed to wait for Malik as he arrived later. It was super hot for October but thankfully the bus had AC so at least when we were cool when we finally got on. The views are beautiful along the route. lush green valleys and mountains. lots of mango and banana trees growing in the fields. farmers living simple lives in beautiful surroundings. the buildings and people are few and far between. a peaceful area once you start to get closer to the border and plenty of small villages and scenic spots darted along the way. I would love nothing more than to bring a tent and randomly camp in a field and gaze at the stars in the night. awoken by the local roosters rather than a construction drill or car horn like one does in the city.
we arrived just as it was getting dark, randomly finding a small b&b to stay in rather than one of the expensive hotels. due to covid and because its so far and out of reach there weren't many tourists. we strolled around and sampled some of the local food stalls and bbq. having a chilled night planning to get up early to go the the waterfall at the border of Vietnam.
misty morning
we got up with the rooster and briefly explored in the morning. the area is known for rafting as there are lots of small rivers nearby. we organised a car to take us to the waterfall. we were briefly stopped by border police wanted to check our passports and stamps - speaking chinese comes in handy as they couldn't speak a word of English (had to show them our information pages, visa and entrance stamps and explain why I didn't have my passport, instead a visa application ID page as I was applying for mine)
because we stayed close and headed early we were some of the first visitors and therefore the tourist buses were half empty (much better for photos!)
(reminds me of TAM COC of northern Vietnam)
lots of mango and bananas growing!
Detain waterfall (Nanning)
1. Take a bus from Nanning Langdong Bus Station to Detian Pubu (Detian Waterfall). The bus departs at 8:30 and 11:30 in the morning and the bus fare is CNY75.
2. Take a bus from Nanning General Bus Station to the waterfall at 8:30, and the returning bus departs at 15:00.
as we were already nearby however we arranged a local driver to take us, beating the queues as we went early ahead of the tours coming fro Nanning!
Ban Gioc Falls – Detian Falls is a collective name for two waterfalls on the Quây Sơn River that straddle the international border between China and Vietnam; more specifically located between the Karst hills of Daxin County, Guangxi, and Trùng Khánh District, Cao Bằng Province
It is currently the 4th largest waterfall along a national border, after Iguazu Falls, Victoria Falls and Niagara Falls
you can do a hike (many steps) afterwards and relax and buy snacks in an area, it started to rain lightly which was nice and refreshing after the intense October heat in Nanning the day before (start of October, the chinese golden week)
LONGHU MOUNTAIN RESERVE 龙虎山 08:30 am - 06:00 pm, 60rmb
we went there on the way back from detian waterfall, its on the way to Nanning. you just get off en route. getting back was trickier as the buses weren't regular, but it's close so we just called a didi (chinese uber) Longhu mountain reserve - its called dragon tiger mountain, but monkey mountain would have been more suitable, but not really a mountain either. it's not amazing but if you have time and not much else to do its nice to visit, but not that special
The Zuojiang Huashan Rock Art Cultural Landscape is an extensive assembly of historical rock art that were painted on limestone cliff faces in Guangxi, southern China. The paintings are located on the west bank of the Ming River which is a tributary of the Zuo River.
They date from the period around the 5th century BCE to the 2nd century CE. In a surrounding landscape of karst, rivers and plateaux, they depict ceremonies that have been interpreted as portraying the bronze drum culture once prevalent across southern China.
As Zuojiang Huashan Rock Art is in the Ningming countryside and the public transportation is limited, there is no direct bus from Ningming to Huashan Rock Art Scenic Area.
From the train or bus station, there are pedicabs (CNY 30 to CNY 50, 40 minutes) trundling to Tuolongqiao Dock (驮龙桥码头). All the visitors need to take a boat at the dock(驮龙桥码头) to reach Huashan cliffs by the river which bear the murals.
There are only 2 cruise boats owned by the cruise companies offering the round-trip journey. The cruise boat departs at 12:30pm and 15:30pm, and the duration of each cruise is usually 2.5 hours. Outside these times, you can hire a private boat.
as it was the end of the holiday and also off the beaten track there were very few who took the boat tour. I arrived about 30minutes before the tour shortly followed by a few families and retirees.
there were 2 floors on the boat and you could sit in or out on the deck.
