Hu Kou Waterfall 壶口瀑布 Hú Kǒu Pù Bù
This is another notable site that is in the surrounding area of Xi’an. It is a waterfall formed by the Yellow River as it flows into a basin. I personally didn’t have enough time to visit the Hu Kou waterfall but from everything that I haveseen and heard about it, I’d say it is worth mentioning. Take a look at how the scenery is and make the decision for yourself as to whether or not you think it is worth a visit.
How to get to Xi’an?
There are several ways to get to Xi’an. Xi’an is the transportation hub of Shan Xi Province.
- Flights: Xi’an has a large airport that goes to and from several destinations.
- Sleeper Trains: There are several sleeper trains that go to and from Xi’an everyday.
- Bullet Trains: There are several Bullet Trains that frequent Xi’an everyday.
- Buses: There is even the option to take a bus in Xi’an (not recommended due to the remoteness of Xi’an).
The best and most affordable option are the Sleeper Trains. Take one overnight, get a good night’s sleep on a bed and by the time you get up you’ll be in Xi’an.
Another option is to take the Bullet Trains. They are more expensive than the Sleeper Trains but they will make it to Xi’an in less than half the time.
Be Advised: The Bullet Train Station is different (and very far from) the Sleeper Train Station. Do not confuse the two or you will spend about 40 minutes going from one to the other.
Black Cabs
Black Cabs are drivers either in their own personal cars or in taxi cars that will offer to take you to your destination, however they will charge you an absurd amount of money. Stay clear of these drivers. These drivers will sometimes be difficult to tell apart from normal cab drivers and sometimes these Black Cab drivers are normal cab drivers that are just trying to make a little extra money after work by ripping off tourist.
The best way that I have found to avoid these Black Cabs is to walk a few blocks away from whatever station that you arrived in and then hail a cab. The Black Cab driver’s crowd highly trafficked locations, so, if you walk away from the highly trafficked location and then hail a cab you should be able to get where you need to go for a reasonable price.
When is the best time to go?
The best time to go to Xi’an would be anytime from May until October. The reason that I recommend going at this time is because near Xi’an there is mountain it is called Mt. Hua and is one of the 5 Holy Buddhist Mountains. Any time after October or before May there is the possibility that there will be snow on the mountain. Mt. Hua is not the mountain that you’d like to climb in icy conditions. There is also a waterfall near to Xi’an so going in the fall months would mean that there would be more water that had accumulated from the summer rains.
So, the most ideal time to go would be between August and October.
International Kev 