Huangshan Warnings Or Dangers

Be prepared that weather can change. It was August, I was told to have a cap and strong sun screen lotion to avoid sun burn but it started to rain and become misty when I was there.

Yet, it was a surreal experience to see Huangshan in this weather. Disposal raincoats are available for less than two yuan.

Recycled walking sticks are resold at only two yuan, it is very helpful and brought mine back as a souvenir.

There're steps after steps after steps on Mount Huangshan - up & down the Peaks! Many locations just don't have anything to hold on, exept your walking stick (if you have one!). There're lines of people coming towards you, on the way up you might end up on the outer space of the steps. Beside those steps is nothing exept a drop on the cliffs below. And herds of people just rushing up behind you! Take care & watch out!

Been there - Done that!!! Lao Long just saved my neck....

There're steps after steps after steps on Mount Huangshan - up & down the Peaks! Many locations just don't have anything to hold on, exept your walking stick (if you have one!). There're lines of people coming towards you, on the way up you might end up on the outer space of the steps. Beside those steps is nothing exept a drop on the cliffs below. And herds of people just rushing up behind you! Take care & watch out!

Been there - Done that!!! Lao Long just saved my neck....

Ok, climbing a mountain in China, in this case, Huangshan, is amounting to climbing steps!
Thousands of them...

I didn't make a count. Really, that's impossible to do so.
If you can't even climb 30 storeys at home, don't bother coming here.
You won't enjoy the experience.

Each climb is about 3 hours minimum.
& I did it for 3 days in a row!
Not to mention the bad weather.

During times of bad weather, it's best to just stay put.
That's to be prudent.

In terrains such as Huangshan, it's crazy to travel while it's raining.
You don't get to see anything anyhow.

But I've been known to do many crazy things ;-)
In this case, I've to move to another hotel on the other side of the mountains. Else, I'll have to sleep on the floor that very night.
I didn't fancy that & decided to take the risk.
The rest were history :-)))

Be aware that if you happen to join tour groups, costs including transport, tour guiding and accomodation SHOULD NOT cost you more than 200 RMB for an adult.

My friends and I were being "conned" into joining this tour group on the train which left many unfulfilled promises. We ended up paying 275 RMB per pax (student rate somemore!). We were told that we could not find cheap accomodation if we headed up on our own without a tour group. We were guaranteed that we have a room of our own with double beds. However, it turned out that we were being split up (guys and girls apart). The place where we stayed in was worse than a dormitory. We were allocated the basement where the girl's and guys' rooms are being partiioned using curtains (that looked more like rags). Each room consists of 15 double deck beds. I won't even called it a room in fact. It was only then we realised that the money we paid are the administrative or agents' commission to join another tour group! the receipt of the deposit which we paid earlier were kept by the agent! We had no contacts or whatsoever to proof that we had demanded a room for ourselves. The tour guide was unfriendly too! The good thing was that there were other tourists who stood on our side and the tour guide finally gave us to a room of our own to stay in.

If you are heading to the base of Huangshan on your own by bus, it should not cost you more than 20 RMB per trip.

You can actually explore Huangshan on your own without any tour guide. You'll just need transport to get you from Tunxi to Tangkou, at the base of Huangshan. I think the ticket to Huangshan costs about 120 RMB (and 65RMB for students, so bring your concessions). Cheapest accomodation costs about 70 RMB. So it's true, your expenditure should not total up to more than 200 yuan.

Suggestion: you can book a tour much earlier before you even head for Huangshan