In the print dialog pick “Save as PDF” to keep it on your phone. A5 makes a pocket booklet; A4 suits a desk printer.
Voykit pocket guide · China
Kaili
Do a day trip to Kaili for ethnic‑village visits; stay elsewhere – 5–6 h travel each way, ¥60 bus from Guiyang airport.
Kaili is an industrial city with heavy pollution but serves as a gateway to colorful Miao and Dong villages. A single day covers the main markets and nearby villages; overnight stays are better in Leishan or Guiyang.
- Country
- China
- Best months
- Mar–Oct
- Avoid
- Nov–Feb (cool, foggy)
- Stay
- 1 night
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- CNY
- Money
- Alipay and WeChat Pay accept Visa, Mastercard, JCB and Amex cards; single payments over ¥200 carry a fee of about 3% on a foreign card (smaller ones are free), and per-payment and yearly caps apply — check the app. Keep a second way to pay.
- Daily spend
- Budget ¥150–250 excl. bed · Mid ¥250–400 excl. bed · High ¥400+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- A roaming eSIM from outside China routes traffic through its home network, so Google, WhatsApp and Instagram work without a VPN — the simplest setup.
- Emergency
- Police 110 · Fire and ambulance 119
- Plugs
- Types A, C, I · 220 V · 50 Hz · Many sockets take flat two-pin (A), round two-pin (C) and angled three-pin (I) plugs; UK plugs need an adapter.
- Tipping
- Restaurants: No tip; upmarket hotels add 10–15% service.; Taxis and DiDi: No tip.; Tour guides and drivers: Expected on organised tours: about ¥100–200 a day for a guide, ¥50–100 for a driver.; Hotel porters: Not expected; ¥10–20 in luxury hotels.
- Water
- Not for drinking from the tap; bottled water ¥2–5, and kettles and free bottles in hotel rooms. Restaurants serve hot water or tea.
- Toilets
- Public toilets are frequent and free; squat toilets outside hotels and malls. Carry tissues — many have no paper.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Luohanshan Forest Park zoo entry | ¥20 |
| Ferry across river in Chong An Jiang village | ¥1 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- KWE · Guiyang Longdongbao Airport
- Mini‑van ¥60 to Kaili, wait for full van (check)
Typical fares
- Guiyang Airport → Kaili mini‑van
- ¥60, about 1 h (check)
- Bus Kaili → Leishan
- ≈¥15, 1 h
Show 7 more sections and the pocket cardHideGet around, See and do, Sleep, Phrase card, Etiquette, safety and scams, One and two days, Sources, Pocket card
Get around
Public bus No.1 links train station and city centre; most village trips need intercity buses from the terminal.
See and do
Known for
- Qiandongnan Ethnic Villages
- Traditional markets
- Luohanshan Forest Park
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Leishan | Bus from Kaili terminal, about 1 h | ≈1 h 30 min total |
| Lang De village | Bus to Leishan then local bus, ≈1 h 30 min | ≈2 h |
| Xijiang Miao village | Bus from Kaili, about 1 h 45 min | ≈2 h |
| Zhaoxing | Bus to Geyi (3 km (1.9 mi)) then taxi, total ≈2 hBus to Geyi (1.9 mi (3 km)) then taxi, total ≈2 h | ≈2 h 30 min |
Sleep
- Kaili city centre hotels
- Basic options, price ¥150–300 per night (check)
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Excuse me / Sorry | 对不起duìbuqǐ |
| Thank you | 谢谢xièxie |
| How much is it? | 多少钱？duōshǎo qián? |
| Where is the bus stop? | 公交站在哪里？gōngjiāo zhàn zài nǎlǐ? |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: Handshake and a nod; use surnames with a title; avoid: Hugs and cheek kisses
- Face: Disagree privately and indirectly; avoid: Correcting or embarrassing someone in front of others
- Gifts: Give with two hands; expect the gift to be refused once or twice and opened later; avoid: Clocks, umbrellas, white flowers, sets of four
- Business cards: Present and receive with both hands, read it, keep it on the table; avoid: Writing on it or pocketing it at once
- Queues and crowds: Hold your ground politely in scrums at buses and lifts; avoid: Taking pushing personally
- Temples: Walk clockwise around Tibetan stupas and prayer wheels; remove hats; avoid: Touching statues or photographing where signs forbid
- Politics: Listen; follow your host's lead; avoid: Raising Tibet, Taiwan, Xinjiang, 1989 or the party leadership
- Numbers and colour: Red and 8 are lucky; red envelopes carry money gifts; avoid: Writing names in red; the number 4
Scams and watch-outs
- Dust and pollution from coal power plant and cement factories.
- Bus departures wait for full load, causing possible delays.
Generally safe in daytime; watch for industrial dust and limited English; keep valuables on you in markets.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Kaili yet. Suggested stay: 1 night. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Qiandongnan Ethnic Villages
- Traditional markets
- Luohanshan Forest Park
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Wikivoyage: Kaili, revision 5285747 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5285747
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Printed from Voykit (/kaili). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.