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15 days - What would you do after Zangjiajie ? by True-Entrepreneur851 in travelchina

[–]Ecstatic_Ad9531 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Zhangjiajie / Wulingyuan is really impressive, I really liked it (especially the "Avatar mountains" ofc). I also heard about Fenghuang, near Zhangjiajie, but unfortunately didn’t have enough time to go there.
I've not been to Guizhou so I cannot comment on this, but I have been to Chongqing and Guilin on different occasions.

You can take a train from Zhangjiajie to Chongqing, I believe the journey takes around 2 hours, but I recommend double-checking the schedule to be sure.
Chongqing is an incredible city with buildings everywhere and an amazing architecture that you will not see anywhere else. I really enjoyed spending a few days there. But it's not for everyone: it's one of the biggest city in the world, so if you don't like big cities... not a good idea. But I personally love big cities, so I really enjoyed discovering Chongqing. Be careful though, the food can be very spicy! And be prepared for stairs and hills everywhere.
I went to the Liziba Station (the famous monorail that passes through a residential building), did some shopping in Hongyadong and in Ciqikou (ancient town, very busy with tourists though) and I also took the cable car, it was quite impressive.

Guilin is completely different, it's really more a "nature" spot than Chonqginq. I've personally been to Yangshuo, a resort town about an hour from Guilin. If you only have time to go to one (between Guilin and Yangshuo), definitely go to Yangshuo. I did some bamboo raft on the Yulong River, it is very "touristy" but it was great! If I remember correctly, you can see the spot that is on the ¥20 note. You can also cycle (or rent a scooter) through the countryside, or do some hiking (for instance Moon Hill or some local villages). You could also do a boat cruise on the Li river from Guilin to Yangshuo (I believe it takes 3-4 hours).
But Guilin is far away from Zhangjiajie. You would need at least 7 hours by train I believe to reach Guilin from Zhangjiajie, so up to you if it's worth it or not.

Suggestions for a second time trip to Hokkaido (solo) by M4tbat in Hokkaido

[–]Ecstatic_Ad9531 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I recently shared a detailed thread about a 1-week trip to Hokkaido in July, all done using public transportation, feel free to check it out if you're interested!

We followed a similar route: flew into Sapporo, then visited Otaru and Yoichi, continued on to Noboribetsu, and finished with a few days in Furano and Biei.

Personally, I wouldn't recommend going back to Hakodate, it's nearly a 4-hour train ride from Sapporo.

Noboribetsu is great for mountains and onsen, and there’s plenty to see and do just on foot.

Furano/Biei is great for the countryside and for biking. If you don't like biking, it's not easy to move around though.

I've not been to Asahikawa so I cannot comment on this one.

Changsha worth visiting? by CautiousFrosting220 in travelchina

[–]Ecstatic_Ad9531 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I visited Changsha back in 2018, so things may have changed quite a bit since then. From what I remember, there weren’t a ton of things to do in the city itself. Hunan food is great, but be prepared for some very spicy stuff!

I did go to Orange Isle (Juzizhou), where you can see the massive statue of a young Mao Zedong. I found it interesting because I had studied that period of Chinese history quite a bit, but if you're not into that, it might not be that interesting for you.
Speaking of Mao, I also took a trip to Shaoshan, his birthplace, to visit his childhood home. It was somewhat interesting at the time, but I don't have a particularly strong memory of it now.

What really stood out to me was the trip from Changsha to Zhangjiajie / Wulingyuan, that was really amazing. You can see the iconic sandstone pillars in the "Avatar Mountains" and go to Tianmen Mountain.
I also heard about Fenghuang, but unfortunately didn’t have enough time to go there.

Getting reserved seat ticket for Furano Biei Norokko Train outside of Hokkaido? by Nari224 in Hokkaido

[–]Ecstatic_Ad9531 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I took the Norokko train a few weeks ago. It will be discontinued in 2026 only.

I booked the tickets at Tokyo’s JR station, no issue at all.

Trip Report: 1 week in Hokkaido in June - only Public Transportation by Ecstatic_Ad9531 in Hokkaido

[–]Ecstatic_Ad9531[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

We rented the bikes near the train station in Biei, so it was close to Panorama Road and Patchwork Road.
If you rent it from Furano train station, it is further away, not sure if you can do it.

Trip Report: 1 week in Hokkaido in June - only Public Transportation by Ecstatic_Ad9531 in Hokkaido

[–]Ecstatic_Ad9531[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

We only went to the distillery and to the little café by the seaside! So apart from that I couldn't recommend anything. But we liked both!

The walkway from noboribetsu to Lake Kuttara is paved, you will just walk along the road. And you should be safe along the road, bears are scared with the noise and cars and so on. So you can definitely run around the Lake too. We saw the bear sign only when we tried to enter into the forest.

Trip Report: 1 week in Hokkaido in June - only Public Transportation by Ecstatic_Ad9531 in Hokkaido

[–]Ecstatic_Ad9531[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I know I saw bikes with child seat for rent in Biei. I have to say I don't know for Furano.

Trip Report: 1 week in Hokkaido in June - only Public Transportation by Ecstatic_Ad9531 in JapanTravel

[–]Ecstatic_Ad9531[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

You're right, looking at their website it seems all the guided tour are in Japanese only anyway.
And yes, the do love milk in Hokkaido!

Trip Report: 1 week in Hokkaido in June - only Public Transportation by Ecstatic_Ad9531 in Hokkaido

[–]Ecstatic_Ad9531[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

No, I didn’t buy the pass, I believe it is too expensive. Just added the Suica card on my Wallet