Travel Itinerary

Zhangjiajie ( 张家界 ), ChinaNick Xie

Travel Date: 03/13/2009Powerpoint Date: 04/11/2009

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Zhang Jia Jie Itinerary Overview

Best season is sunny weather without a lot of people March (if you can find a sunny weekend) April (best weather but massive!! tourist crowd)

Be very careful (many horror stories) Stay at YHA (both in city and in park) Avoid at all costs 4-star hotels or lesser Avoid at all costs massage places Avoid at all costs local farmer hostel places Do not open door to female attendant/services/massage at night if door bell or phone ring

Can finish the park in <2 days (you need to be physically fit) Up & down the mountains twice at least Don’t bother going to Huang Jia Zhai ( 黄家寨 ) hiking route

Over-rated and over-tourists View from Yuan Jia Zhai ( 袁家寨） is better

Use the Map routes in this presentation When tired you can raise your hand and local car pick you up (most times need to pay small amount) The free park transportation are incredibly difficult to get on (always full) when you are in middle of routes

Feng Huang old town is way over-rated and over-commercialized Go if you have time to burn YHA folks there are very nice though

Zhang Jia Jie Routes (Day 1) Routes (Start from the Forest entrance)

Jin Bian Xi ( 金鞭溪 ) -> Use the elevator ( 白龙天梯 ) to go up Yuan Jia Zhai ( 袁家寨 ) Yang Jia Jie ( 杨家界 ) – after hiking down to bottom can go back up from a local route (all stairs) Stay at YHA (Yuan Jia Zhai) overnight (hint: great view on a little 5-min route behind it)

Day 1 Details

Arrive Forest Park entrance ( 森林公园入口 ) at 8:30 Turn toward right on Jin Bian Xi route （金鞭溪 ) ~ 1-1.5 hr route Arrive at Water Around Four Door ( 水绕四门 ) Walk toward Hundred Dragon Elevator ( 百龙天梯 )~10-15 min Up on Elevator, take park transportation toward Yuan Jia Zhai ( 袁家寨 ) Walk from 迷魂台 , pass 天下第一桥 (No. 1 Bridge), arrive at Yuan Jia Zhai

market Eat quick lunch, then take park transportation and arrive @ YHA ( 袁家寨 ) Rest for a little bit (~ 2pm)

get ready for the more difficult hike in afternoon

Walk for 15 min to get to the start of route for One Step to Sky ( 一步登天 ) Initially down, but then straight up for 1 hr on stones/stairs No group tourists on this route (only hikers and students)

On the way down is a path to Sky Corridor ( 空中走廊 ), worth checking out At this point, you have option to walk your way back (easy) Or Walk down (~1-1.5 hr) then from a local way up (~1-1.5 hr, hard)

Back to YHA

Zhang Jia Jie Routes (Day 2)

Routes (Start from the YHA, take bus) Tian Zhi Shang ( 天子山 ) – note: some path are map are no longer walkable Ten-mile Gallery ( 十里画廊 ) Exit Park at Wu Ling Yuan ( 武陵源） -> direct bus to Feng Huang (if you want) @ 2:30 pm

Day 2 Details

Start from YHA (earliest park bus is 8am) Go behind YHA on a small route to check out another view of No. 1 Bridge (great @ 6-7am)

Tell Driver to let you off at Big View Place ( 大观台 ) Hike to One Step too Hard ( 一步难行 ) ~30 min Walk back original way and take bus to Dian Jiang Tai ( 点将台 ) ~ 1hr Take bus to He Long Park ( 贺龙公园 ) ~ 30 min Take Lying Dragon Hill route ( 卧龙岭 ) ~ 1.5 – 2 hrs

Difficult hike (hard on the knees) Again, no group tourists on this route

Arrive at Ten-Mile Gallery ( 十里画廊 ) 1 Kilometer only Can take tram or walk

Take park transportation to Wu Ling Yuan exit ( 武陵源 ) (optional) take bus to Feng Huang old town @ 2:30 pm

Day 1 Photos

Day 1 Photos (cont.)

Day 1 Photos (cont.)

Day 2 Photos

Day 2 Photos (cont.)

Feng Huang Old Town Photos

Feng Huang Photos (cont.)

Backup Slides

MissionBackpacking Explained

Mission

Share photos, stories and experiencesWhat to seeWhere to stayHow to have fun (not go with Chinese tours)

Inspire enthusiasm about our globeGain a world viewAppreciate cultural differencesTake initiatives (one day) to see the world

Backpacking Explained

How Backpack on your shoulder Money/credit card/passport in your pockets Use credit card whenever you can (cash is king!!) Stay in highly rated hostels

What to bring 1 credit card Cash Camera Netbook or iTouch/iPhone (if you like to surf internet) Battery-powered alarm clock Travel-sized daily necessities (toothbrush, etc) Medicine (cold, cough, anti-itching creams, etc) Bath towels 1/3 to ½ of cloth needed for trip (throw-away socks)