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Hello everyone! I've just returned from Chongqing and there are a few things I need to get off my chest! The city itself is quite cool, but some of my experiences... Ugh, they are difficult to describe. I probably won't go back again anytime soon. Here are some tips for my friends who are planning to visit!\n\n* About the taxi drivers - I really want to voice this frustration!\n * Most of the drivers are a bit... umm, unfriendly. They either push various bus tickets or ferry tickets onto you, or express dissatisfaction with your destination?\n * On my first day, I told a driver to take me to Zazong Street (the famous landmark in the center of Chongqing). He exclaimed, "That place is so outlandish!" with an air of superiority. I was dumbfounded: What does it have anything to do with him? After all, tourists will naturally want to see famous places.\n * ️ Note: Get mentally prepared before entering a taxi, as drivers might try to sell tourist packages; politely decline if you don't need them.\n\n* The rampant chaos in tourism severely undermined my experience!\n * Hongyadong (the old and famous street which lights up the night), that is overcrowded with tourists, is a prime example of such chaos - it is extremely hard to see how the actual scenery could be compromised like this.\n * At every step along the way, someone is pushing bus tickets onto you, while others try selling ferry tickets; there are continuous attempts by strangers to capture your attention for taking pictures with them. With so many people already packed into Hongyadong, and the added hucksters, it makes it impossible to enjoy a leisurely stroll unhindered.\n * ️ Warning: In popular tourist spots such as Hongyadong, expect to be hassled for promotions. Decline politely and keep a close eye on personal belongings.\n\n* Chongqing's mountainous terrain, though a feature, is headache-inducing too!\n * Chongqing, the "Mountain City," has numerous steep roads which are indeed fascinating. But after a strenuous day out, facing an endless slope can make you feel defeated!\n * Unless locals show you small sidepaths or you've done an exhaustive online research, you may find it better to take a cab. Though starting fare is just 10 RMB, at times you could almost walk up the hill within a kilometer. Without thorough planning, you may end up spending money for no good reason.\n * Travel Suggestion: Chongqing's terrain is complex, and not always navigated accurately by GPS.\n * Read many travel guides, knowing the challenges of walking distances between sites.\n * Prepare for taxis and ask about approximate distances and fares to avoid being rerouted.\n\n* Getting网约车 is difficult; commuting in the evening is more troublesome!\n * Using Didi (a popular taxi app in China) can be problematic, especially since there are two separate systems for taxis and ride-hailing vehicles.\n * Unknown to me, around 10 PM, many taxis seem to stop working. On several days, we had to drag ourselves, dead tired, back to our hotel.\n * ️ Notice: Taxiing out can be difficult during the late hours of the night in Chongqing, particularly away from the central city areas. Plan your return transportation ahead, or find a hotel in a connected region.\n\n* Some so-called "trending must-see spots", are simply absurd!\n * I suspect some places were created merely to cater to trending topics, which locals don't consider to be notable.\n * For instance, Liuzi Mountain light rail passing through a building, and Guanyinqiao's “I am in Chongqing” big display screen, not exaggerating, these are places where snapping a photo is all you do there. Such places feel created just to fulfill the need of photography.\n * Travel Suggestion: Approach trendy attractions with a calm mindset; some might only suit short-term photo-taking打卡 visits.\n\n* Dialect and possible "tourist attitude"\n * Locals, young and old, mostly speak Chongqing dialect (different from Mandarin, it sounds like Sichuanese). We non-locals who speak Mandarin might easily stand out.\n * Apart from sometimes not understanding them clearly, I felt more likely to be treated differently or scammed. Hence, one needs to be alert!\n * ！！！Important Warning！！！\n * Communication Tips: Communication gaps exist between Chongqing dialect and Mandarin. Although many youths also understand Mandarin, slowing down your speech may help better understanding.\n * Anti-Scam Awareness: With unfamiliar accents due to being an outsider, being cautious against possible scams and frauds becomes crucial, especially while shopping in small stores or hailing taxis where some unscrupulous vendors/drivers might cheat travelers.\n\nIn summary, Chongqing has its own charm and has been well-developed. Yet, if one desires a completely relaxed and happy journey, it could be challenging as per my personal experience. This shared information is just a reference for anyone wishing to know more about this wonderful city.

To be honest, my trip to Western Sichuan (the west part of Sichuan, a beautiful and hilly area with many Tibetan people) did not surpass the scenic spots I previously visited in regions like Qinghai, Gansu, Tibet or Xinjiang. Most of the time was spent driving while tickets were quite expensive and some charges such as "cleaning fee" and "transfer fee", to me, felt like hidden fees that left a bad taste.\n\nOn my first day, I imagined myself putting on beautiful makeup and taking gorgeous photos.\n\nHowever, by the last day, my mindset had completely changed and all I thought was "goodness grace, finally time to go back!"\n\n------------------- Update --------------------------\n\nI did not anticipate that so many people would read through my rant comment section - many people agreed that there are beautiful scenic spots in Western Sichuan. Let me share some details about my travel route here:\n\nWe visited in June 2024 (I felt this might not be an ideal month to visit Western Sichuan): \n\n• Day 1: Departure from Chengdu → Rongguo Valley (where there are four peaks resembling girls) → Danba (an area known for housing Tibetan-style houses)\n• Day 2: Fish Water West (a wonderful spot to view snow-capped mountains) → Yala Glacier View deck → Mo Shi National Park (black stone landscapes) → Tagong Prairie \n• Day 3: Xin Du Bridge (photography heaven) → Sky Road Eighteen Bends (mountain highway bends) → Le Tong Ancient Town, LiTang County (a town filled with Tibetan culture) → Shangri-La Town (transition station to visit Yading)\n• Day 4: Yading, known as the natural reserve famous for snow-capped mountains and beautiful lakes\n• Day 5: You could opt for another visit to Yading or return to Xin Du Bridge via Red Shenzhen\n• Day 6: Xin Du Bridge → 434 Airport Road (scenic along the route) → Red Sea Subsidiary Lake (an alpine lake) → Mu Ge Cuo (Kangding Love Song Scenic Area) and back to Chengdu\n\nSince our trip included Yading, it felt like days three and four were all occupied with travel between Yading and Xin Du Bridge without much time for exploring.\n\nOverall, my trip was very common and conventional as chosen by most travel agencies. Many of the locations mentioned by people in the comments weren't included in the route, known as line A. To appreciate better sceneries, you might have to prepare yourself thoroughly, carefully plan your route.\n\nI must clarify that there were good things:\n• In Rongguo Valley and Mo Shi National Park, I really captured gorgeous photos.\n• At Mu Ge Cuo, despite many negative reviews online, we unexpectedly found it quite impressive. Descending from the mountain, the scenery appeared like primeval forests with exceptional air quality, and witnessed some novel plants and various types of mushrooms.\n• The drive back to Chengdu on the last day was decent.\n\nThere were some downsides of my trip:\n• Beware! Both gate entry tickets and the scenic spot shuttle fees are expensive.\n• Note: It's essential to conduct preliminary research on the ticket prices to make informed budgets.\n• Be cautious! Additional fees such as “cleaning fee” or “transfer fee” may seem unfair and could feel like being cheated by dealers.\n• In reference to grass meadows (highlands where grass grows), I found it less beautiful than expected as some areas were sparsely vegetated due to the rainy season which had caused erosion - I disliked this pattern.\n• Beware! Severe altitude sickness can affect visitors. At many places across Western Sichuan (such as Xin Du Bridge at 3300 m.a.s.l., Yading had higher altitudes), it makes one suffer headaches, nausea or have sleep problems. It is advised to consult a physician before departure. Being conscious of the physical conditions is essential after arriving, walking slowly without over excitement, drinking more water and avoiding strong alcoholic beverages. I slept poorly as my body didn't adapt to the altitude on two nights spent in Xin Du Bridge and that affected my mood.\n• Althought Yading was beautiful, tackling high altitude mountains was extremely tiring. I thought the effort put into seeing highland mountains for two lakes was not worth it.\n• Weather changes during the season were annoying as well - despite being considered monsoon season, there were many sunny days. However, each time we reached the view tower near Fish Water West, weather conditions were awful resulting in continuous rainfall, hindering scenic views.\n\nFinally, beauty standards are subjective. As I had previously experienced magnificent sceneries, this Western Sichuan journey struck me as relatively mediocre. On contrary, my husband considered it aesthetically pleasing.\n\n------------- Update -------------\nSomeone pointed out that I only ranted without sharing pictures – actually I posted photos elsewhere. These are chosen arbitrarily without intention to display the unpleasant aspects. Moreover, I mentioned objectively before about the beautiful scenery.\n\nThe main reason is I believe the physical exertion (like hiking, altitude sickness) does not match the visual enjoyment. In contrast, Qinghai, Gansu or Xinjiang were more enjoyable with its astonishing sceneries.\n\nIf you still disagree, then I'll just say it again that you better not go to Western Sichuan during June or don’t complain about the bad experience because I warned you already!

给各位打算来峨眉山玩的朋友提个醒，千万记得提前做点功课啊！！！我就是那个没做功课的憨憨，白白扔了一千多块钱！！！\n\n* 首先，峨眉山真的超级超级大。想玩得舒服点，最好安排两天时间。\n * 如果要去山顶（就是那个金顶），一定要买覆盖整个山区的观光车票，这个钱花得绝对值！\n * 观光车会把你送到一个叫雷洞坪的地方，从那里再走两三个小时就能到金顶了。\n * 注意啦！ 千万别坐路边那些招揽客人的私家车（我们叫“黑车”），超级坑人，会乱要价！\n\n* 峨眉山的天气真是说变就变，山下可能晴着，山上就下雪下雨了。\n * 所以，出行前务必看天气预报！ 防水防滑的登山鞋是必须的！\n * 我们就没做功课，直接坐观光车到了雷洞坪，结果一到那儿才发现山上下大雪，气温零下四五度，山风一吹，我的妈呀，冷得要命！\n * 我当时就穿了个三合一外套、薄牛仔裤和普通运动鞋，一下车就冻得快不行了。\n * 虽然带了登山杖，但在结了冰的山路上根本走不了。最后还是商店老板好心扶我进店里买了防滑鞋套（就是套在鞋子外面增加摩擦力的东西）。\n * 但实在太冷了，冻得全身抖个不停，没办法只能下山。\n * 想想看，我们两个人光门票和全山观光车票就花了500块人民币，结果啥也没看着，气得心口疼。\n\n* 想上山轻松点，全山观光车票真的一定要买。\n * 为啥呢？因为峨眉山从山脚走到山顶，纯走路的话大概要20个小时！随便一段路都是十几二十公里。\n * 就连坐观光车上山都要两个小时，自己走真的太累了，一般人扛不住。\n\n* 山上的确有吃饭和住宿的地方，找起来很方便，但就是——巨贵！\n * 举个例子，一道在中国其他地方一般卖三四十块的家常菜（比如肝腰合炒，就是猪肝和猪腰一起炒），山上居然要78块！\n * 普通的炒素菜也要三四十块一盘。\n * 我和我朋友两个女生，点了一份毛血旺（一种放了血豆腐和肉片的辣味炖菜，但我们那份里面肉和血豆腐不多，基本都是豆芽）、一份土豆丝炒青椒、一份干煸四季豆，再加两碗米饭，就花了一百多块，真心疼啊。\n * 省钱小技巧： 最好在山脚下吃饱了再上山，或者能自己多带点吃的就多带点。\n\n* 另外，山脚下的伏虎寺和报国寺很不错，值得去看看。\n * 这两个寺庙是单独卖票的，不用买峨眉山大门票也能进去。\n * 还有，从峨眉山景区去乐山大佛景区（那里有个世界闻名的巨大佛像），可以直接坐601路公交车，只要5块钱，大概90分钟就到了，特别方便。\n\n再见了峨眉山，我估计不会再来了。

@Samuel-McDermott +1

@Samuel-McDermott said in 避雷四川所谓称“纯玩团”的旅行社（1）:

噩梦般的报团游，再也不敢相信小红书的广告了，实在太可怕了，这辈子再也不想来四川

hhhh

风景比不上青甘、西藏、新疆， 旅途基本在路上，门票很贵，收什么清洁费/转运费给人的感觉就是很宰客...\n第一天：我要化美美的妆拍美美的照\n最后一天：玛德终于要回去了\n\t\n-------更新---------------------------\n没想到这么多人评论，在评论区确实看到川西有很多好看的风景，我来分享下我的行程：\n出行时间：24年6月（大概这个季节不适宜去玩）\nD1\t成都-四姑娘山·双桥沟-丹巴\nD2 鱼子西-亚拉雪山观景台-墨石公园-塔公草原\nD3 新都桥-天路十八弯-理塘勒通古镇-香格里拉镇\nD4\t稻城亚丁\nD5\t可选二进亚丁/香格里拉镇-理塘-新都桥\nD6\t新都桥-434机场路-红海子-木格措-成都\n\t\n因为去了亚丁，所以第三和第四天感觉都在亚丁和新都桥之间的路上也没玩啥。\n整体就是很普通的旅行社路线，大部分旅行社路线也都差不多是分了ABC线（我这个是A线），评论区提到的很多好风景也不在线路里，看到好风景还是需要自己规划路线！！！\n\t\n好的地方：\n1、在四姑娘山和墨石公园是拍到了不少好看的照片\n2、木格措小红书差评很多，但其实还比较惊喜，下山选择步行，山上风景有点像原始森林，空气很清新，新奇的植物和各种菌子。\n3、最后一天回程路上风景挺好看。\n整体玩下来不太好的点有以下：\n1、门票、观光车收费较贵\n2、收清洁费、转运费，听上去就不是很正规，像是宰客的行为\n3、觉得草甸没那么好看，不够丝滑，有秃噜皮，按司导说法是下雨泥土松动导致的。草甸还喜欢长灌木，看着麻麻赖赖的，个人不太喜欢。\n4、高反确实难受，特别是住新都桥那两晚都没睡好影响心情。\n5、亚丁其实还可以，就是高原爬山太累了，让人感觉我这么累上去就为了看两口湖\n6、天气问题，其实这个季节虽然是雨季，但大部分晴天，就是每次在鱼子西都天气特别不好，两次都下雨了。\n\t\nps:每个人对风景好坏评价的阈值不同，因为自己之前常出去玩就觉得这个行程风景一般，但是我老公就觉得挺好看的。\n\t\n-------------更新---------\n有人喷我不放图，其实我其他帖子发了，现在随便挑了几张，也没有特地挑难看的，更何况一般拍照就是挑好看的风景拍\n前面也很中肯的说了也有好看的风景\n只是付出的体力和回报给我的视觉冲击不符合\n感觉不如去青甘新疆这些更美更轻松\n如果你还要喷！那你就别6月份去了好吧