Jiuzhaigou (九寨沟)
Sichuan (四川), China (中国)
March 2013
In order to protect the environment of Jiuzhaigou and prevent traffic congestion within the Jiuzhaigou Scenic Area, only designated buses are allowed within Scenic Area. These buses are operated by the natural gas to prevent pollution to the environment.
For those going with tours, accompanying tour guides and tour leaders will 费劲唇舌 (use a lot of saliva) to persuade you to take on the Private Bus option.
The Private Bus is a "green" (environmentally-friendly) bus chartered just for your group. Costing RMB 200-280 per pax, it is available for rent for the day if your guide has pre-booked earlier. For the curious ones, the Public Bus (termed "Green Bus" officially) costs RMB 80 (off-peak period) or RMB 90 (peak period).
What a Private Bus looks like...
To add to its authenticity, each seat has a special seat cover with the bus number...
Advantages of the Private Bus:
For those who come from countries where you are used to queuing orderly when getting on a bus, Merlion Wayfarer STRONGLY ENCOURAGES you to take the Private Bus option. You cannot "fight" with the locals for the bus. They will win hands down. No kidding.
To give an estimate of the congestion possible within Jiuzhaigou, here is an estimate - At the NEAREST bus park five minutes away from the exit, there are at least 50 big buses parked within. If each bus contains 30-40 passengers, there are potentially 1,500-2,000 people getting up and down the buses within a confined area during peak hours (0830-1000h in the mornings and 1700-1830h in the evenings). At the end of the day, the exhaust fumes from other buses while waiting for one's own bus can be so overpowering that coughing results. It is also extremely dangerous and chaotic (Note : No traffic lights and no traffic warden!) as the bus drivers may not be able to see pedestrians walking nearby when reversing or moving out.
Merlion Wayfarer saw this happening at the base station:
Tour Guide E and Tour Leader C had also shared their stories of fights happening over queues in their past experiences...
Well really, the choice is yours you know - cost vs comfort/safety...
In order to protect the environment of Jiuzhaigou and prevent traffic congestion within the Jiuzhaigou Scenic Area, only designated buses are allowed within Scenic Area. These buses are operated by the natural gas to prevent pollution to the environment.
For those going with tours, accompanying tour guides and tour leaders will 费劲唇舌 (use a lot of saliva) to persuade you to take on the Private Bus option.
The Private Bus is a "green" (environmentally-friendly) bus chartered just for your group. Costing RMB 200-280 per pax, it is available for rent for the day if your guide has pre-booked earlier. For the curious ones, the Public Bus (termed "Green Bus" officially) costs RMB 80 (off-peak period) or RMB 90 (peak period).
What a Private Bus looks like...
To add to its authenticity, each seat has a special seat cover with the bus number...
Advantages of the Private Bus:
- You don't have to squeeze with the locals when getting on and off the bus.
- You are guaranteed of a seat for the entire day.
- You don't have to wait.
- You can stop wherever you want.
- You walk less.
- You take photos with fewer people in the frame - Since you can choose to avoid the crowded areas when they are crowded and visit them later.
- You can leave your Alibaba Bag on the bus with all your winter clothes and are assured that your bag is still there when you are back.
- Most importantly, you cover double the number of locations in the same amount of time.
- Cost - A very big cost.
(Source : SGMoneyCollections)
For those who come from countries where you are used to queuing orderly when getting on a bus, Merlion Wayfarer STRONGLY ENCOURAGES you to take the Private Bus option. You cannot "fight" with the locals for the bus. They will win hands down. No kidding.
To give an estimate of the congestion possible within Jiuzhaigou, here is an estimate - At the NEAREST bus park five minutes away from the exit, there are at least 50 big buses parked within. If each bus contains 30-40 passengers, there are potentially 1,500-2,000 people getting up and down the buses within a confined area during peak hours (0830-1000h in the mornings and 1700-1830h in the evenings). At the end of the day, the exhaust fumes from other buses while waiting for one's own bus can be so overpowering that coughing results. It is also extremely dangerous and chaotic (Note : No traffic lights and no traffic warden!) as the bus drivers may not be able to see pedestrians walking nearby when reversing or moving out.
This is how bad it can get during the peak months of September to October where every photo you take will have someone else's face inside...
(Source : Blogspot)
Merlion Wayfarer saw this happening at the base station:
- A huge mass of people segregating outside BEFORE even entering the Jiuzhaigou Scenic Area...
- Fights in toilets over queues (No photos here, the smell is already bad enough!)...
- Huge groups gather before, and just after the entrance points, resulting in congestion obstructing the incoming flow of visitors...
- Queues for buses snaking 3-4 S-shaped rows long...
- Local tourists patiently queuing - Until the bus arrives and they push any and every one out of their way. Doesn't matter if you are a female, a child, or a senior citizen...
- Local tourists climbing over fences to cut queues...
- Park wardens screaming and nearly raising fists to control the crowd...
(Source : Blogspot)
(Source : Zazzle)
