Take a closer look at what you can expect from our incredible cycling adventure in China, told through the words of our 2025 Customer Competition winner, Barbara Kinner, who joined us to experience the magic of Guilin and Guangxi.
“I was not to be disappointed. I had the time of my life. We all did. What I hadn’t appreciated was the variety of activities that the guides put together to make this trip memorable and indicative of the Chinese spirit and culture. The Chinese people we met were welcoming, kind and gentle. Incredibly hard working but with an innate sense of fun and humour that couldn’t be admired enough given their modest lifestyles. It turned any preconceived notion of China and its people on its head that I may have had at the start of the trip.
My first glimpse of the Chinese tiered paddy fields as I gazed speechless at the sight before my eyes. The whole area was so awesomely beautiful and unforgettable. It was certainly worth the effort in climbing the long hill to get here. I’m no longer a spring chicken, more a broiler really, but I knew with certainty from my Skedaddle experiences that I’d be well looked after, encouraged, and incentivised to keep them legs rotating and most of all I knew that this was going to be a fun filled adventure where my guides and travelling companions would become great friends and great company.
Let me start at the beginning. Scott was our number one Guide, ably assisted by Terry who reminded me of the Artful Dodger or Mr Fixit. There was nothing he couldn’t source and his enthusiasm for life was infectious. Scott was the most encouraging and humorous guide I’ve met in the Skedaddle stables and his gentle encouragement certainly kept me going when I thought my legs were empty. I’ll never forget the pair of them nor Mr Lee, Mr Pam and Pung Pung the rest of the crew who were always on hand to provide water stops and the most delicious snack stops and picnics ever. True to the Skedaddle tradition and even trademark the snack wagon was always there to greet us for a pit stop and the fruit was amazing and sooooo fresh. We even had chocolate biscuits and although you had to lick the melted chocolate off the wrapper not a crumb was wasted! Oh! They were also great at puncture repairs and keeping our bikes in tip top condition too.
My cycling companions were from all corners of the World/UK. We were likeminded souls who just loved their bikes, loved travel and they were great company. All bitten by the Skedaddle bug and those on their first trip were already planning their second.
This trip had such a variety of activities it was hard to believe that so much was fit into such a short time. From hiking to white water rafting, punting down the Lei River, firework displays, a night visit to the light show at the local theatre and detours to temples and local sights, our guides packed so much into our agenda that it was truly memorable. The ‘Local Theatre’ was outside on the water, and the backdrop was some of the Karst limestone formations which were eerily lit to stunning effect. Unforgettable.
The whitewater rafting was my most outstanding and memorable achievement. Caroline was my raft companion, and some would say we were old enough to know better, but we were game for anything and as we thundered down the first sluice gate to meet the big river, we thought we were going to die. We managed to get grounded on the rocks twice a group of local schoolboys retrieved our oars which got washed overboard after they had used us as target practice for their high-powered water guns! It didn’t matter as we were soaked to the skin anyway and both admitted to a possible bladder leakage!!! When safely landed we waved our schoolboy friends goodbye and thanked them for their help. We laughed our socks off and we both agreed that we’d rather die whitewater rafting than peeing our pants in a Nursing Home. And imagine the kudos you’d get at the funeral service!
Scott our tour leader was a guy in a million. So calm, encouraging, incentivising and great fun. He could read all situations and was instrumental in getting me up many a hill, the summit was always “around the next corner” and I fell for it every time! He was Australian and had lived in China for 20 years with his wife and son. He was fluent in Mandarin and clearly loved the Country. Terry our guide was Chinese and local to the area. He was an absolute gem at acquiring things and had a wonderful sense of fun and humour. We met his wife who kindly brought us the nicest mango I’ve ever tasted and invited us to their home to see how a Chinese family lived. We all took this as a great honour and Terry took great pride in showing me a large photo of his granny who had long departed but he said I constantly reminded him of her. I took this as a wonderful compliment but thought “This trip has taken it out of me for sure. I’ll have to be less careless with the moisturiser and apply it more regularly.”
Our accommodation en route was faultless and the food we ate was just divine. The best meals were roadside cafes where they cooked the most amazing meals on little more than a primus stove and a rice cooker! Eat your heart out Jamie Oliver. The freshest and most varied vegetable produce were used to create the tastiest lunches imaginable, and our two vegetarians were well catered for. Food heaven! By the way. You can get fresh garden pea flavoured ice lollies in China. Beat that!
The firework display that Scott and Terry arranged was a hoot although a sadness was present knowing that the trip of a lifetime was coming to an end. It was certainly an explosive trip with many sparkling moments and one that I’ll never forget. The camaraderie that was generated amongst the whole group was something that will stay with us forever and we’re all busy planning our next Skedaddle adventure because we all agreed that “nobody does it better” and haven’t they raised the bar on fun, friendship and adventure that can’t be beaten.
China – Guilin and Guangxi – Guided Cycling Holiday