1

Going to Huangshan depends on the time of year. Presently there are no flights from Shanghai to Huangshan which is actually Tunxi with a 2.5 hour drive to the back side of the mountain. (I am a tour operator) I am sending people to Hangzhou and then by car to the front side of Huangshan which takes about 2.5 hours by car or bus. There you take a cable car to the top of the mountain. There is a great 4 star hotel near the cable car....Jade Screen Hotel....Otherwise on the back side of the mountain are many more hotels....most of which are 4 stars and expensive. The Jade Screen Hotel is $226 a night during high season....right now in January it is $76 a night. Huangshan is not inexpensive. I would head over to Guilin area where there is a train or plane to Hong Kong. Lots of places to visit there like Longsheng, Yangshuo. Li River Cruise and less expensive.

2

Since you will be there in May, a side trip to Huangshan from either Shanghai or Hangzhou by bus is well worth the time and trouble. No need for a flight. Allow time for a visit to one or more of the ancient cities near Huangshan as well.

3

Thanks for replying. Ive just had a quick look at the trains between Shanghai and Huangshan and it seems possible (11-12 hours/ £10-£25). Money is going to be tight so a 4 star hotel at $225 is out of the question. Ive got a strict budget of about £20 a day including accommodation. Im away for 3 and a half months before China and a month after so my money needs to spread. Im quite adept to slumming it though. Is is easy to travel overland? I know that the trains are fairly extensive. Thanks.

4

After Huangshan there are a couple of small villages nearby you might like to visit - Xidi and Hongcun. Then from Tunxi (airport or train station), make your way to Guangzhou, from where you can catch a bus (6 hours or so) to Yangshuo or train to Guilin (8 hours?) then bus to Yangshuo and spend a few days there as well as the rice terraces.

If you are on a tight budget, spend less time in places such as Shanghai, Hong Kong and Macau. Those places are more expensive. You will also find Huangshan expensive - the entry fee will eat up your daily budget.

5

#4 is right. Since budget is an issue, minimize time in the cities and spend more time exploring smaller towns and villages. If you're okay with rooms without western toilets and bathrooms, don't book in advance and walk up to negotiate room rates. In off-peak season (eg. not the May Golden Week etc) this will save you money.

One possible route is to work your way southwest from Shanghai by long distance bus. See at least one waterside town (Tongli, Xitang, Wuzhen etc), perhaps Suzhou and Hangzhou if you wish, do Huangshan but stay in cheap hotels at the foot of the mountain, bus to Hongcun/Xidi, bus to Wuyuan, bus to Sanqingshan Jinsha, bus to Yushan then train to Wuyishan, train to Longyan and see the Tulou, train to Xiamen to see Gulangyu, then work your way towards Guangzhou by bus and finally to Hong Kong.

6

I did HK to Shanghai on another trip and stopped at these towns:

Shantou, Xiamen/Gulangyi, Quanzhou, Fuzhou (only a change of buses) Wenzhou, Ninbo, Putuoshan, Hangzhou, Shanghai. Huangshan can be visited from Hangzhou as mentioned above. Or get the bullet train to Nanjing and change trains there for Tunxi. From Tunxi you could head south to Jingdezhen, Nanchang, Hengyang, & Guilin, by bus or train, then spend a few days relaxing in Yangshuo. I would recommend stopping in Wuzhou if you don't want to spend 12 hours on a sleeper bus.