The region around Guilin is noted for the beautiful Li River and limestone peaks that grace the countryside and give a very atmospheric feel to the place. In Guilin we visited and climbed Solitary Beauty Peak, and walked through the vast Reed Flute Cave. The following day we hired a minibus to take us to the spectacular Dragon Backbone’s Rice Terraces in the mountains about two hours north of Guilin. After a sometimes hair-raising drive and stiff uphill walk from the end of the road we booked into a guest house at Ping An high in the Terraces. Over decades the local farmers have terraced a whole mountain range to grow rice; hence the name. The walks and views here are fabulous, and it would be great to spend several days or more here walking the trails that snake through the surrounding valleys.
