Get on your bike and get out of the town        7/23/2008 12:24:09 AM

Lijiang sits on a huge plateau some 2,400 m above sea level. The surrounding area is littered with small villages, often accessible only by path from the main road. There is virtually no traffic on the roads, except the occational cart, bike or a very occasional lorry! The roads around are all yours and well worth exploring.

I set off with a fellow traveller I met over breakfast int he square. We hired bikes from the dealers at the Mao statue just outside the main gate of the old town, but bike hire is also available through many hotels and inns. Our bikes were good quality. Just wander out of the old town, you will find the main square with old Mao very easilly, and the bikes are sitting just waiting for you, around his feet.

Bike hire was not at all expensive and in plentifull supply. We paid around 10 RMB for the day, but I met someone who found a bike for 5 RMB. You will probably need to leave some documentation (they normally ask for a passport) to guarantee that you will return the bike.