Three Gorges, Chongqing Region, China

4Efalafel 5:00 PM Jan 7, 2013

The Three Gorges by Hydrofoil
There are lots of different ways to see the Three Gorges. The quickest and cheapest is by hydrofoil... What is the hydrofoil?: The hydrofoil is a passenger boat for locals to get from Wanzhou/Fengjie to Yichang. It stops at a few other places on route too. **It does NOT stop at any of the Gorges or tourist spots.** When you get off by the Three Gorges dam I believe you can go and take a look at the dam. I didn't because I had so much luggage and wanted to make sure I didn't miss the buses onwards to Yichang! How? You need to leave a day and a bit for this trip. You buy the hydrofoil ticket in the ferry terminal in Wanzhou and then take a bus to Fengjie. The bus leaves from the same terminal. At Fengjie the bus stops and everyone piles out into the ferry terminal (down lots of stairs - no lift) onto the hydrofoil. Once you reach the Three Gorges Damn everyone gets off the hydrofoil and onto another bus into Yichang. You'll reach Yichang about 3.30/4.00pm that afternoon. It stops at the ferry terminal first and then some other places in town. Either stay the night before in Wanzhou or get an overnight train (there is one from Chongqing). You can buy tickets from 7.40am onwards. The bus leaves for Fengjie about 8.30am. Wanzhou to Fengjie (bus) - Fengjie to Three Gorges Dam (hydrofoil) - Dam to Yichang ferry terminal (bus) Good points: -It's a very quick way to see the Three Gorges, if you're short on time or not up for the full 3 day+ trip. - I found the other passengers and bus drivers very helpful (and I speak barely any Chinese). They made sure I got on and off in the right places and got me to Yichang in one piece! - There's a small open part on the side of the boat so you can take a look at the Gorges and take some pictures - It costs 280RMB for a ticket from Wanzhou to Yichang. Cheaper than the other alternatives. Bad points: - Unless you speak Chinese, it's a good idea to get the addresses you need etc written in Chinese in case you get stuck. One of the lovely girls who worked at my hostel helped me out here. - It's not great if you have a lot of luggage - saying that I managed with a massive backpack, duffel bag, little rucksack and handbag... - Lots of stairs (but there are people who will carry your luggage for a small fee) - Food choice is a bit meh. - There is a TV at the front of the boat that blocks the best views. (But if you get bored of the Gorges I guess you can watch the movies instead?!) Overall: If you want to see the Gorges and are short on time/ trying to save money/ not a fan of cruises then this is a good option! This might sound bad but... I found that this was as much of the Gorges as I needed to see! Apart from the first Gorge (which I think is the best) which was over too quickly, I felt I had enough time to see and photograph the Gorges. - Remember to take something warm if you're going to stand outside to admire the scenery and take pictures for a long time. The boat moves at a fair old pace and it's fricking freezing standing out there for too long!

4aussiewanderers 5:00 PM Oct 7, 2010

Filthy river but nice boat and spectacular Gorges
The highlight of your cruise down the Yangtze between Chonqing and Yichang (or reverse order if you go the other way) will definitely not be the river, which is an unappealing muddy colour and strewn with rubbish, both natural and manmade. Compensating for that however are the spectacular Three Gorges, still enormous even after the river has been raise about 160m as a result of the Three Gorges Dam. The higher water level is also a blessing though as it now makes it easier to navigate (in a smaller boat as a side-trip from your larger cruise boat) up the Lesser Three Gorges which any many ways are more spectacular than their parents because of the cleaner water and the narrower river, which brings you much closer to the scenery. The higher water now allows a further excursion at the end of the Lesser 3 Gorges excursion to what they call the "Mini Gorges", done in a sampan. This goes to the very upper reaches of the Daning River. They will promise you will see monkeys in the jungle and more hanging coffins but these are hard to see. Nevertheless i would recommend you go as if you don't you will just sit around in the boat which did the Lesser three gorges trip waiting for the mini gorges poeple to return anyway, so you might as well enjoy the changing scenery on the extended trip. Our cruise boat was the Yangtze Number One, a 4 star vessel and very luxurious. If you book on this boat, you won't have any complaints about the accommodation, although the food is only average (refering to the Western menu) and the "entertainment" on board is only good in parts (refer below). The most important point is to book a vessel which gives you your own private balcony off your cabin, as Yangtze No.1 did. This is important because the Gorges and other interesting features will come up at all times, and not necessarily when you are decently dressed or otherwise ready to rush out into a public area of the boat to see the point of interest. Another advantage of your own balcony is the peace and quiet it offers. There is nothing like watching the scenery go by while you quietly sip a drink on your own balcony. Public lounge or deck areas do not necessarily have a seat available, may have someone standing at the railing blocking your view from your seat even if you get one, and may be quite noisy if you have a lot of Chinese or Asians aboard who tend to travel in families and can make a lot of noise as they excitedly yell to one another about the latest thing to come into view. Optional shore excursions from Yangtze No.1 were expensive by Chinese standards but if you don't take them you will get cabin fever. The excursion to the Fengdu Ghost City is worthwhile provided you have a good English-speaking guide who can explain the significance to you of all the artefacts in the temple grounds. The excursion to the wooden pagoda built to accommodate a wooden staircase up to a temple on the top of an isolated stone mountain by the river is interesting, not so much for the temple or pagoda but for the concrete dyke the Chinese Govt built around the base of the pagoda to stop it being flooded by the rising water level caused by the Three Gorges Dam. We didn't do the excursion to White Emperor City (or simiilar name) under advice that it was more for those who understood Chinese mythology (ie, the Chinese in the main), Food on our trip was only satisfactory from a Western viewpoint. At breakfast, there was more Asian dishes available than Western, but enough of the latter to satisfy. Asian food was it for lunch and dinner. The "Captain's Banquet" is nothing special and dress is super casual. Of the two shows offered, the fashion show on the second night is worth seeing. The crew a little reluctantly catwalk traditional Chinese costumery. The "talent show" on the third night can be easily missed, although it turns into a bit of dance night after the performances end, which you may enjoy if you have happy feet. If your cruise travels east (downstream), you will approach the three Gorges Dam at night, and apart form a row of lights, you will not see very much. However it is worth staying up until midnight or so to witness the boat travel through the boat locks, especially if you have not experienced this before. The locks are well lit and photographs are possible on a long shutter exposure. Overall, a Yangtze River cruise is a pleasant experience, mainly to see the three Gorges (both Greater and Lesser) as well as to see the Dam, which you do get a good look at in daylight from the shore on your last day of the cruise. Don't take the cruise for pretty scenery though, as the surrounding hills are heavily cloaked in smog (mainly generated by industry along the river) and the Yangtze itself is heavily polluted. One more tip: While drinks on board are not outrageously priced, they are more expensive than elsewhere, so bring some of your own onboard (discreetly) and then kick back with drink in hand on your private balcony and watch the spectacular scenery float by. Binoculars come in handy for specific points of interest. You can buy binoculars in China relatively inexpensively.