across the valley. Together my husband
Nick and I marvelled at the lumpy
disorder of the karst country spread
out below – a truly breath-taking sight.
Jacob, of course, was unimpressed by
the view, but was utterly thrilled when
a feral goat appeared beside a rubbish
bin. Who says that toddlers don’t
appreciate travel?
A ride on a tuk tuk refreshed
our legs, and then we hit the next
attraction: the Assembling Dragon
Cave. Caves are another spectacular
feature of the karst, a flip-side of the
fantastical mountains above. Having
been wowed by the quiet majesty of
the karst caves in Slovenia, we were
looking forward to seeing similar
caverns in Yangshuo. What we hadn’t
reckoned on was the local penchant
for gaudy cave lighting, music and
loud hailers. It was definitely a
different experience – no quiet majesty
on offer – but just as fascinating. The
caves are impressive and, to be fair,
the lights and music probably make
for a more exciting excursion for
children. There’s even a fleet of boats
to carry cave-goers across some of the
underground pools.
Tales of the riverbank
We breakfasted by the peaceful
Yulong River the next morning before
taking to the water ourselves. Cruising
either the Lijiang or Yulong rivers is a
must for any visit to the region. Given
our little man was unlikely to enjoy
the full Li River cruise to Guilin, the
hotel arranged a shorter trip around
Xingping. Cloud cover reduced our
mountain views a bit, but there were
plenty of other sights. Boys fished by
the waterside, men threw fishing nets
from canoes and canny traders had
set up stalls at jetties along the way. A
group of horses splashed through the
water with a costumed rider astride
the leader, whilst horned buffalo
dipped their noses into the river for a
slurp. Jacob himself proved an exciting
sight for many of the other boats; we
were regularly greeted by squeals,
waves and snapped photos.
We didn’t manage to catch the
famed Impressions light show, but
Nick went out to see the traditional
night fishing with cormorants –
definitely an enjoyable excursion for
older kids. The town itself has a fun
market to explore as the heat of the
day fades on Xi Jie. This cobbled
street leads down to the waterfront
and is packed with stalls selling
souvenirs and knock-offs. All three
of us became rather addicted to
the plump passion fruits that could
be purchased for a few coins and
devoured in the shade by the river.
clear. The rafts were, quite literally,
rafts: bamboo poles lashed into a
rectangular shape using a mixture
of rope and wire. In deference to
passenger comfort, two lawn chairs
were tied onto each craft, with a
colourful umbrella affixed between.
The overall effect was cheerful,
quaint, and – for those travelling with
a toddler – rather alarming. We had
a hurried discussion about the river
(
shallow and slow) and our swimming
skills (proficient) before wobbling on to
our waiting craft.
From the water, the mountains
rose above us in bumpy magnificence,
providing a welcome shade after the
heat of the farm-spotted valley. Jacob
was entranced by the raft, and our
boatman seemed entranced by Jacob’s
ability to sit still. It was the perfect
finish to a magical holiday.
Yangshuo is visually stunning.
For that reason alone, it’s a must-do
travel destination. It may not be the
perfect place to take a toddler, but, as
with most activities with kids, half the
fun is in seeing their reactions. While
my husband and I marvelled at the
extraordinary views, our son found his
own sources of amusement. Chances
are, the feral goat, cave boat and
passion fruit would have been long
forgotten if it wasn’t for Jacob. I’m
certain Nick and I alone wouldn’t have
caused such excitement out on the
river. It’s just these sort of details that
make travel so enjoyable.
It may not be the
perfect place to
take a toddler,
but, as with most
activities with
kids, half the fun
is in seeing their
reactions.
Raft riding
The finale to our trip was a valley
walk through traditional farms,
followed by a (sober) raft ride. The
boatman looked dubious when my
husband and I arrived with Jacob
in a back carrier. And the reason
for his hesitation soon became
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