As budget travelers on a recent trip to Guangzhou China, my wife and I were rather bewildered upon arrival at the train station in the city. This is one of the largest cities in the country and though we normally don't make reservations ahead of time when we are backpacking around, this time an absence of hotels of any kind around the large central station had us reaching for the guidebook.
Shamian Island, on the Pearl River right in the middle of the city, looked to be good place to find a cheap hotel, and when we arrived by taxi we were immediately happy that we had come. This island is small, maybe a quarter square mile, situated right on the banks of the river, and is a small oasis of quiet in this bustling city. My first impression believe it or not, was of Savanna, Georgia, in the USA! Much of the architecture is colonial from the days when the United Kingdom and the French used it as trading outpost. The old buildings are in good shape generally and there are wide streets and beautiful tall trees that give the entire island a leisurely feel. It's a great place to walk around.
We looked at a few cheap hotels but settled on the Guangdong Shamian Hotel, a reasonably cheap hotel that had a couple of rough edges but a very friendly and helpful staff. I would recommend it, for the large rooms and great location.
At night the Shamian Island waterfront comes alive with outdoor restaurants right on the Pearl River, and you can sit and watch the boat traffic on the river and enjoy an impressive view of the city. Prices here are a bit higher than other parts of Guangzhou, but it was a worthy splurge and we very much enjoyed our seafood dinner.
An interesting thing about Shamian island is the amount of Western people one sees walking around pushing strollers carrying little babies who are clearly Chinese. It turns out that the Guangzhou is a center for Americans who want to adopt orphaned Chinese babies, and since the American consulate is located on the island most people stay at the White Swan Hotel right nearby.
Shamian Island is a very good base from which to explore Guangzhou, China, and while the hotels there can't really be put in the budget category, we were certainly able to find good cheap Guangzhou hotel options on the quiet island, right in the middle of one of China's largest cities.
Shamian Island – The Place For a Good Cheap Hotel in Guangzhou, China is a post from: Traveling China
from Traveling China http://www.chinaya.org
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