Detian Scenic Resort, Guangxi, China

4Deanosaur89 5:00 PM Jul 19, 2021

Worth the Trip and Wanted More Time
We thought the trip out here was well worth the trip. There is a little tourist town nearby the falls but we weren't sure if foreigners could stay in the area or not so we chose to bus in. The waterfall area is great and you can spend a few hours here enjoying the views and there are some well groomed trails to walk around to get all sorts of views from the China side. We got out there after a good rainfall so the water was nice and clear with all sorts of blue and green hues. There are rafts that can take you close and many viewing platforms that give you all sorts of views. The Vietnam side is marked with many Vietnamese flags and is definitely not as built up but there is a Sino-Vietnamese Street at the top of the falls that you might be able to cross into Vietnam outside of covid times but again there is nothing really there. The vendors were maybe 30% closed when we went but they were selling some Vietnamese style souvenirs and food like sandals, wooden utensils and coffee. Some of the shops advertised salad rolls and banh mi sandwiches but we didn't try. We did a day trip from Nanning and it can be quite a trek so plan accordingly. Currently there is a bus that departs from Langdong bus station (right outside the metro of the same name) at 8:30 am and we went the day before to buy round trip tickets for 136 yuan per person. It said online it would take 2.5 to 3 hours but it took 4.5 hours to get right to the ticket office. From there the tickets were 115 yuan each and included bus to and from the waterfall area and tickets into the park. The bus to the waterfall takes about 20 minutes. We got just over an hour in checking out the falls and boardwalk around it but missed out on the Karst formation walkways we wanted to check out. The bus waited for us to go back to Nanning right outside the ticket office and left the area at 3:30 pm. We got back into Nanning at 7:30 pm. Recommendations we would make for our friends going is to make arrangements to stay overnight in the area for the waterfalls. The park pass is good for two days but you would have to call ahead to get a hotel to take you. When we went the bus' first stop was around 10:00 and the bathroom was not maintained well - no doors on the women's and troughs for number one and two. We made a second stop around 11:30 and the bus station was a little cleaner and the doors were there but it still was not great. If you can hold it I would say the second stop was best but the bathrooms at the ticket office are immaculate! The bus was comfortable enough and they give you a small bottle of water for each way but it was not enough so plan accordingly. There are snacks and refreshments throughout the Detian Waterfall area but the bus stops were pretty barren so bring your own stuff Again, loved the waterfalls and the area was marked with the Karst formations of Guangxi. The bus ride was enjoyable too seeing the unreal landscape!

4ShenyangTaff 5:00 PM Jul 16, 2021

Well Worth a Visit
First off let me say you need to be reasonaly fit to enjoy all features of this park. As a foreigner we found it necessary to obtain tickets at the visitor centre some 15kms distant from the park entry. There are ticket machines at the actual park entrance but these would not work for our Chinese guest and rejected all attempts as a foreigner. Similarly the online ticketing facility would not accpet foreigner details. The ticket booth personnel at the park entry and at the main visitor centre spoke no English. Entry includes a return bus trip to the park entrance. You can hire English speaking guides at the visitor centre. The guide (Chinese speak only) on our bus was excellent - even advising against shopping within the park where the goods were more expensive than the same goods in shops outside the park. He held the additional tickets for the boat ride up to the falls (30RMB) and also the mechanised 'path' (58RMB). There are 2 main, one way, visitor routes around the park. One is by foot, the other includes mechanised people movers at a considerable height above the park. These are rubberised belts that you sit on. Entry to the upward lift is via 2 flights of some 250 steps of stairway; frankly I gave up at the first staging area - half way to the top. The paths around the park are now paved and equipped with stairways (in wood and concrete, the latter with a timber appearance). These stairways are quite steep and numerous, hence the need for fitness. We travelled here by road from Beihai. Basically Highway S60 and then to County Road S325. We ran into a check point after being on S325; the officials were very friendly and we were passed through, after showing our visas, in no time. After hours on S60 the motoring around the county roads was a dream - much like the UK country roads\lanes. Gorgeous countryside everwhere, including off S60.