"INCREDIBLE SCENERY WITH THE BEST GUIDE IN THE WORLD!"
My wife and I visited in July last week after we engaged a private tour arranged by World Heritage Network. The network assigned a guide called Steven who spoke good english. We actually spent three nights at Teddy Bear Hotel next to Baogou Bus Station at the foot of the mountain. Emei Shan is very pretty, forested with steep slopes. It is quite different from HuangShan and HuaShan which are dramatic rock cliffs. However, it is very touristy and there were always other tourists in the trails with us. It cost about 150 yuan to enter the mountain. There are little stalls selling food and gifts along the trails, in addition to hotels and temples. The trails are all concrete steps - no dirt pathways. Be aware that the trails are quite steep and the Golden Summit is at 3077 meters. My calves felt sore for two days afterwards.
We were lucky that there was no rain and, in fact, it was quite hot. We took jackets but never used them. We took water bottles - cheaper than on the mountain - and snacks with us.
We were lucky that there was no rain and, in fact, it was quite hot. We took jackets but never used them. We took water bottles - cheaper than on the mountain - and snacks with us.
On the first day our guide took us return from Teddy Bear Hotel to the top bus stop. It was 90 minutes of winding mountain roads. But very scenic. From the bus station we walked two and a half hours to the Golden Summit. There is a cable car but we didn't use it. At the summit we were surprised to find a very large statue, temple and hotels. On that day we were there we were above the clouds. It was quite spectactular.
With our guide help, we walked one and a half hours down to the bus stop and took the bus back to Baogou Bus Station.
With our guide help, we walked one and a half hours down to the bus stop and took the bus back to Baogou Bus Station.
The second day our guide, Steven,drove us to Wuxiang. We climbed up to see the monkeys. They are cute and there were many with babies. But they will grab anything they can - hats, water bottles, cameras. They even reach into pockets. So put everything in your backpack. There were monkey keepers with sticks and slingshots to keep the monkeys in line. After the monkeys we continued up the mountain far away. It is very scenic in this area and the river is so clear and clean. We then descended on the other side of the valley and continued to Wannian Temple. We noticed that most people did the hike in the reverse order - starting at Wannian and finishing at Wuxiang. Why? Our guide Steven told us that there was less altitude gain that way. Overall, we enjoyed our two days in Emei Shan with Steven as he was a gentleman and a very friendly and most patient guide we ever have. We met a lot of Chinese people, got some good exercise and it was nice to be out in nature, especially having a good guide who showed us the way. Go for World Heritage Network. They are highly recommended and have fun.
"GO DURING THE RIGHT WEATHER !!!"
We visited in June this year. We had a car and guide from World Heritage Network. The car trip took about an hour. It is a very pretty drive, if you are not afraid of driving around hairpin bends on the side of the road. There is an entrance fee into the Emeishan park. Once you get to where the road ends, there is another 1/2 hour walk up some stairs, then you catch the cable car to the top - if you don't want to walk of course. You can walk, but it takes another couple of hours and it is uphill all the way. The cable car is quite cool, you literally disappear into the clouds. It costs 65 yuan each, so is not cheap, but walking down is the cheap option, it takes about an hour, your legs will be quivering! The view at the top is quite something, we were lucky to have the clouds part a bit, we couldn't see far, but it was still beautiful. The Golden Summit is quite something, there are 3 temples at the top, along with the statue of Buddha and there is lovely ethereal music playing in the background, that adds to the ambiance. Apparently it is really crowded when the weather is good, but there were hardly any people at all. It was quite cold, we wore long johns under our jeans, a couple of layers, and were fine, but I reckon in winter it would be freezing. Don't forget to take your padlock to add to the others, it is a romantic notion to have your initials engraved on a padlock and left across the other side of the world. It is a great place to take photos, even in the clouds. We got up early the following morning to watch the sunrise, alas,we could see nothing, the fog was so thick. As we descended later on, the clouds did clear a bit and we got some good shots of the mountains. If you have time to spare, and don't really care if the sun is out or not, it is really worth going. We stayed on top at Jinding Hotel, it was great. However, it was good to be there the afternoon before, as if we had waited for the morning, we would have seen nothing at all. There is nothing to do once the night falls up there, food was not good at all, obviously expensive as they have a monopoly, so if you can handle those dehydrated noodles, that would be better than eating at the hotel. Overall our guided tour by World Heritage Networkwas pleasant and wonderful. Our guide kept us safe and spoke on our behalf with the locals there to get what we needed.
We visited in June this year. We had a car and guide from World Heritage Network. The car trip took about an hour. It is a very pretty drive, if you are not afraid of driving around hairpin bends on the side of the road. There is an entrance fee into the Emeishan park. Once you get to where the road ends, there is another 1/2 hour walk up some stairs, then you catch the cable car to the top - if you don't want to walk of course. You can walk, but it takes another couple of hours and it is uphill all the way. The cable car is quite cool, you literally disappear into the clouds. It costs 65 yuan each, so is not cheap, but walking down is the cheap option, it takes about an hour, your legs will be quivering! The view at the top is quite something, we were lucky to have the clouds part a bit, we couldn't see far, but it was still beautiful. The Golden Summit is quite something, there are 3 temples at the top, along with the statue of Buddha and there is lovely ethereal music playing in the background, that adds to the ambiance. Apparently it is really crowded when the weather is good, but there were hardly any people at all. It was quite cold, we wore long johns under our jeans, a couple of layers, and were fine, but I reckon in winter it would be freezing. Don't forget to take your padlock to add to the others, it is a romantic notion to have your initials engraved on a padlock and left across the other side of the world. It is a great place to take photos, even in the clouds. We got up early the following morning to watch the sunrise, alas,we could see nothing, the fog was so thick. As we descended later on, the clouds did clear a bit and we got some good shots of the mountains. If you have time to spare, and don't really care if the sun is out or not, it is really worth going. We stayed on top at Jinding Hotel, it was great. However, it was good to be there the afternoon before, as if we had waited for the morning, we would have seen nothing at all. There is nothing to do once the night falls up there, food was not good at all, obviously expensive as they have a monopoly, so if you can handle those dehydrated noodles, that would be better than eating at the hotel. Overall our guided tour by World Heritage Networkwas pleasant and wonderful. Our guide kept us safe and spoke on our behalf with the locals there to get what we needed.
...By Lisa Pierre, Brisbane, Australia
"GO TO MOUNT EMEI IN A PRIVATE TOUR, NEVER IN A GROUP TOUR!"
We visited Mt. Emei last week in July. Of note, our visit was part of a private tour arranged byWorld Heritage Network. Our guide, Steve, told us that there are several ways to see the mountain. Lucky for us, we had seen other tourists who joined a group tour suffered at the hands of their tour organizer who only gave them 45 minutes to admire the temples and views before rushing them back to their tourist chartered bus. Once on the bus, they waited for 60 minutes for who-knows-why to be ushered down. They said they would have liked more time on the mountain. That said, avoid group tours, engage World Heritage Network and organize your own private tour so that you are not rushed (all the tours we had seen in China were similar – more time waiting on a bus than at any destination). Anyway, here’s the mountain itself is beautiful – here is a description and some suggestions.
If you get motion sickness, take medication for the car ride up as the ride can be quite winding for an hour. It was foggy below the summit, robbing us of the views, but I think the fog is a staple of mystical Mt. Emei. Once near the top, we hiked up for a mile or two through the fogged-in forest. Sedan chairs were available where locals would carry you for 75 RMB – cheap for the backbreaking work! Then we took a large cable car to the summit. That was breathtaking – we broke through the clouds and entered a sunny world with blue skies over a sea of white clouds! The three temples (gold, silver, and bronze) were beautiful, contrasted by the sky above and clouds below. We had all the time by ourselves enjoying the magnificient views. Highly worth the trip.
Down below the mountain are a series of wonderful temples as well (and hikes in the forest). Bring mosquito repellant. It’s warm and humid below and cool up top on the summit. Rain coats are a must! I think the best way to see Mt. Emei would be to hike it – there are a series of Monasteries with dorm rooms (shared baths I believe) some with AC in which you can sleep for pennies a night (they cook too). I wish I had the time to have done that. Alternatively, you can be driven part way up the mountain and hike up to various points. There are numerous other locations on the mountain to visit as well (other cable cars, view points, etc). Recommendation – my advise (this goes for most of China) – don’t hesitate to engage a private tour from a reputed tour network like World Heritage Network before you arrive – Group tours planned from abroad were rushed and more about “see it, good, move on to the next thing” as opposed to having time to soak in the beauty or the wonder of each site. Mt. Emei is not something to rush through. So if you wish to go to Mt Emei, go for World Heritage Network for a peace of mind. They are the best for this kind of mountain for total comfort and privacy. Bravo!
If you get motion sickness, take medication for the car ride up as the ride can be quite winding for an hour. It was foggy below the summit, robbing us of the views, but I think the fog is a staple of mystical Mt. Emei. Once near the top, we hiked up for a mile or two through the fogged-in forest. Sedan chairs were available where locals would carry you for 75 RMB – cheap for the backbreaking work! Then we took a large cable car to the summit. That was breathtaking – we broke through the clouds and entered a sunny world with blue skies over a sea of white clouds! The three temples (gold, silver, and bronze) were beautiful, contrasted by the sky above and clouds below. We had all the time by ourselves enjoying the magnificient views. Highly worth the trip.
Down below the mountain are a series of wonderful temples as well (and hikes in the forest). Bring mosquito repellant. It’s warm and humid below and cool up top on the summit. Rain coats are a must! I think the best way to see Mt. Emei would be to hike it – there are a series of Monasteries with dorm rooms (shared baths I believe) some with AC in which you can sleep for pennies a night (they cook too). I wish I had the time to have done that. Alternatively, you can be driven part way up the mountain and hike up to various points. There are numerous other locations on the mountain to visit as well (other cable cars, view points, etc). Recommendation – my advise (this goes for most of China) – don’t hesitate to engage a private tour from a reputed tour network like World Heritage Network before you arrive – Group tours planned from abroad were rushed and more about “see it, good, move on to the next thing” as opposed to having time to soak in the beauty or the wonder of each site. Mt. Emei is not something to rush through. So if you wish to go to Mt Emei, go for World Heritage Network for a peace of mind. They are the best for this kind of mountain for total comfort and privacy. Bravo!
...By Adam Kokinski, Florida, USA
