Yangshuo for backpackers consists of one main street and some alleys leading up there. It’s called West Street and is a true Walhalla for travelers, which have been traveling the dirt roads of China. Compared to Dali it’s more crowded, compared to Lijiang it’s fairly quiet. It is the low season though now so my observations might be incorrect. High season or national days are likely to be the periods to stay away.
If you stay for more than a couple of days you start to see the patterns of the street life. The old, grinning woman carrying her basket with fruit points enthusiastically to the different flavors “Hello lychee, hello banana, hello apple, hello …” until she runs out of things to point at. She smiles once more very deeply and moves on for her next pitch. The lady selling bags in her small stand, trying to convince you time after time again to buy something you surely will never need. The mini seized beggar who has been convicted by nature to squat through the street, seeing all the other pedestrians at knee high.
Groups come in for just a few hours, are guided through all the stands, have a quick drink in one of the bars and continue their bus journey. The best place to observe all this is at Le Votre Restaurant as it’s in on a T-crossing, yet the terrace is big enough to keep distance and avoid being pestered all the time.
Yangshuo – Le Votre Restaurant – West Street
- Breakfast (2 fried eggs, coffee, juice, yoghurt, 1/2 baguette/toast, 2 butters, jam, 2 slices of cheese – 30 Rmb – Cofee is good although could be stronger)
- Beer – Locally Brewed Draft – a Pitcher – 38 Rmb – The best beer in town
- Irish Coffee – 25 Rmb – Average
- Sirloin Steak – 58 Rmb – Good
Le Votre is a bit more up market than the other places around. It’s a bit more expensive but definitely the best place to have a fresh beer, enjoy the cooling of the fan on your back and eat good food. Tables have clean white tablecloth, the food is presented as it should and service is adequate most of the time.
Yangshuo – Lucky Cafe – West Street
- Breakfast
- Wine – Great Wall Cabernet Sauvignon – 86 Rmb
- Club Sandwich – 16 Rmb – Not the best but still ok
- Beer – Local 630 mm – 7 Rmb
- Pizza – Spicy version – 28 Rmb – Average but nothing really special
All the staff seems to be studying English next to serving food and drinks. Apparently Yangshuo is known as a good place to learn English. It makes sense, may foreigners, many English. The current karaoke star jamming in the evening should be avoided.