After hearing from friends about the scenery at Zhang Jia Jie where the Avatar movie was shot there, this is when we decided to go China. The food in China is always oily therefore I make sure I bring packets of Milo’s and tuna spread. We took 8 days 7 night’s tour , fly via MAS and total package per pax is RM3465 inclusive of tips, china visa and insurance.
We left KLIA at 9.30am, arrived Guangzhou around 1.30pm. We had lunch in Guangzhou and lucky the food is not that oily but I still need to wash away the oil. After lunch, we head to the rail station to take the high speed rail to Changsha. We visited Huang Xing Road Pedestrian Street. The weather was quite cold, approx 6-7C.
Huang Xing Road Pedestrian Street
1st dinner - food served are fried cucumber, chicken soup, black smelly tofu (smelly bean curb), fried cabbage, stir fried pork with green chilies and etc. Gosh, it is so oily.
Subsequent meals is even worst - fried carrot, fried cucumber, corn soup, seaweed soup, smoked pork fried with chilies, rice cake with pork, sweet and sour pork, fish with lots of bones.
Every night we eat the same dish just different method of cooking. You can see oil floating in it. Lucky I got my tuna spread and Milo’s that I can rely on.
When comes to people's perception of china, they always ask about two things - food and cleanliness of the toilet. I can say there is improvement in the toilet but best to bring a mask whenever you go China. We wore mask whenever we visit the toilet and also we put oilment on to the mask so that we are unable to smell the brownies@shit. I see brownies nearly every day. There are still some places that there is no door. Do prepare for it. Our tour guide is so cute, she told us in one of the rest area, stop breathing, don’t look down, just do it and come out quick. Cos below the drain are the "brownies". Gosh!!!!
The cleanliness of the toilet always an issue, the last visit to China was in 2005 when I went to Beijing. To tell you the truth, it is still the same at least now you can close the door and water to flush.
Tianmen Cave which known as gateway to heaven, a must visit destination. Tianmen cave is a natural bridge/arch and is reportedly highest elevation (1520 meters) natural arch in the World. You got to take cable car up the hill which is the longest in the world approx half an hour ride. Then you need to board on to the environment bus to Tianmen cave which you need to experience at least 18 winding roads. It was raining therefore we can't able to walk on to the glass walkway to view the sceneries. Standing at roughly 4,700 feet above sea level, it is one of the world’s highest observation platforms. So sad, we miss it.
Tianzhi Mountain - this is where the movie "Avatar" shot here. The mountain is known as Hallelujah.
The majority of the scenic spots are formed of quart stones belonging to sandstone. The landscape at Tianzhi mountain is natural and primeval. You got to take the cable car up and then walk around the Tianzhi mountain. You can take the bailong elevator down. Is really an eye opener how they able to built the glass elevator at the side of the cliff. Access to the 360m high observation desk is effected in two-level cars which a capacity of 50 passengers per ride.
Our itinery are :-
Day 2- Changsha/Fenhuang
Yuelu Academy, Night visit Tuo River, Folk Custom Village (Diajiao Luo)
Day 3 - Fenghuang/Furong City/Zhangjiajie
Hongqiao Art building, Beimen city gate, wan shou pagoda (external view), Shi Ban street, shooting place of liu xiao qing at Furong City.
Famous for the beancurb at the Furong City
Furong City
Day 4 - Zhangjiajie
Tianzi mountain (Helong Park, West Sea, Yuanjiajie), first under heaven bridge, bailong lift, ten miles gallery
Ten miles gallery via train
Day 5- Zhangjiajie
Dragon cave, bao feng lake, bai zhang canyons, junshen gallery
Day 6 - Zhangjiajie
Visit Tianmen Cave, continues journey to Changde - liuye lake park, poem wall and pedestrian street
Liuye Park
Poem Wall
Day 7 - Changde/Shaoshan/Changsha
Visit Chairman Mao Ze Dong former residence, Mao's stature square, Mao Ze Dong memorial hall and return to Changsha
Day 8 - flight back to Guongzhou and Kuala Lumpur
We followed Nan Fang Tour and Holidays.
Overall the trip was OK and we able to see beautiful sceneries where sometimes camera can't capture the scenes. You need to experience it with your own eyes.
