We're back for another round of the BucketListly Solo Traveler's Journal, and since this is the first entry of the year, let me take you on a special trip to a place where not many foreigners have traveled to: Zhangjiajie.
Zhangjiajie National Park is situated in the Hunan province, China, and it was the first national park ever built in China. It was later popularized because of the movie "Avatar", which took inspiration from this place to depict the memorable floating Hallelujah mountains, as we all saw in the movie. The uniquely formed spires that spread throughout 11,900 acres of this national park make it one of the most magical landscapes you will ever see. The scale of the mountains and how each and every spire moves in parallax as you walk away is astoundingly beautiful that sometimes you forget that you are walking and end up staring at these spires in wonder.
Today, let's explore every corner of Zhangjiajie National Park, the difficulty of traveling in a country where no one speaks English, and how you can go there without having to plan as much as I did.
Day 0: Transiting from Guangzhou to Zhangjiajie
I flew China Southern Airlines from Bangkok to Guangzhou and then headed out to Zhangjiajie with a connecting flight. From my four flight experiences with the airline, I had two delays, one cancellation, and only one flight that went well. I'm not sure if it was just my luck, or if delays and cancellations are normal for the airline.
A very cheap, very nice hotel called Tu Niu Hostel (Biao Zhi Men) is where I stayed in Wulingyuan. It is only a 5-minute walk from the national park gate. They also offer a pickup service from Zhangjiaj Airport for 115 Yuan, which I found reasonable considering it took me 50 minutes to reach the hotel from the airport.
Day 1: Upper part - Tian Zi Mountains and YuanJiaJie Mountains
I saw many photos of this place with huge crowds before, so I woke up very early to get to the gate before the crowd flocks in. But to my surprise, there was no one at the gate at all. I was among the first, with other officials walking through the entrance. Apparently, January is the coldest month, and there were no crowds whatsoever. I almost had the national park to myself! Upon entering the gate, I paid 245 Yuan for a 3-day pass, scanned my finger, and just walked onto the bus that was waiting for me.
There are 2 entrances that you can go to the top: the cable car to Tianzi Mountain area and the Bailong elevator. These two entrances will put you on the opposite side of the national park, so choose which way you want to go. I went with the cable car first and walked down the trail through the Golden Whip stream instead of going down the elevator the next day.
Even when you are just going up the cable car, you will start to see more and more of these magnificent spires.
Since I was way too early, and it was the low season, I had to walk to the next sightseeing point because the free shuttle bus doesn't run until it is full.
Although there is fog blocking the visibility of the mountains, it somehow makes them more mysterious.
This is what I mean when I say I almost had the whole place to myself. It was a very low season, only a few restaurants were open during this time. It will depend on your preferences. Do you like a buzzing, crowded place with more options, or do you like the solitude of having the place to yourself at your own pace, but with fewer options available? I prefer the latter, that's why I came here in the winter.
Zhangjiajie National Park is huge. Solitude can be found in every corner of this park.
Don't get me wrong, winter here is extremely cold. It was 3 - 5 degrees Celsius, and I had to wear 3 layers, even while sleeping at a cheap hostel with no heater or water for that matter.
Who could turn away from these mesmerizing sights?
The locals enjoy the beauty of their homeland.
Me with the Statue of He Long in He Long Park.
After finishing the walk in Tianzi Mountain, I took another bus to the second stop, the YuanJiaJie Mountain area where I found a rocky road with a sign that said "One Step to Heaven." Because of my curiosity, I decided to walk into the forest and, 1 hour later, following the trail, I ended up at this beautiful sightseeing spot. It was a 2-hour round trip walk that rewards you with this magnificent scenery overlooking the spires.
It's lunchtime, and I found myself heading in the wrong direction going down mountains. Although, I wasted a lot of energy climbing back up, at least I got this beautiful shot.
And this is where I ended up having lunch: a noodle along the street because all the restaurants are closed during winter.
After reenergizing myself, I headed to see the No. 1 first natural bridge in the world, which is situated in the northwestern part of the park. These are the views along the way.
This place is definitely not for people who have acrophobia. With my frozen and numb fingers and a glove, I wasn't sure if I would accidentally drop my camera if I went further out of the balcony to take this photo.
This may be cliché, but the photos don't do this place justice. The scale and dimension you get from walking toward these cliffs will really give you the shivers, even if you are not scared of heights.
More alone time. Thank God I decided to come during winter!
Love locks are hanging near the No. 1 Natural Bridge area for family prosperity.
And here it is, the renowned natural bridge. Can't imagine how crowded it would be during the high season.
After I found the bridge, the sun was setting, and it was time for me to head back to the hostel I'm planning to stay on top of the mountain. I ended up staying at the first hostel I saw, which is called Mango Youth Hostel. It costs 100 Yuan per night, and the room was okay, but there was no water or heater. It was so cold that I had to wrap myself in multiple blankets like a burrito. The plus side is that WIFI was available and fast because I was the only one staying in the hostel.
I went out for a walk to catch a sight of the Milky Way, but it was way too bright, and I didn't have the power to wake up in the middle of the night for a shot, so these are all I got.
And that concludes my first day in Zhangjiajie National Park and the end of the Solo Traveler's Journal Part 1.
What do you think of part 1? Do you plan to travel to Zhangjiajie as well? Let us know in the comments below.
Now that we have all the information we need, it's time to start planning your trip! Here are some resources to help you get going:
Are you planning to travel independently? Be sure to check out my guide on How To Plan A Backpacking Trip here.
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