Making the great escape

Great views and vistas in the mountain.

Eats shoots and leaves

Of course, the best thing to do when you're so relaxed is eat. So I headed for the wooden deck terrace fairly high into the mountain to enjoy lunch with some my fellow travelers.

There was quite a plethora of nationalities. I chatted with engineers from Germany, a couple from Taiwan, a Mongolian designer, and an English teacher who was actually born in France. (Sometimes, the best thing about traveling alone is it encourages you to get chatting to other people, I find.)

After wolfing down a plate of bamboo shoots, a staple for Zhejiang folk, I felt sufficiently fueled to take a short hike to a waterfall park. While the entrance gives off the vibe of a tourist trap, once you get passed that it's actually quite serene. Rather than being swarmed by sightseers taking selfies, when was there I actually had the place all to myself.

A bit further on, a steady incline (I went at a fair pace and it took about 20 minutes) leads to a spot that offers a panoramic view of the bamboo forests below as well as the waterfalls, which form swirling natural pools - perfect for a cooling dip.

Some pools are more secluded than others (take note, couples looking for alone time), while the larger pools are great for splashing about in. If you don't fancy getting wet, there are plenty of overlooking rocks to chill out on.

It's a wonderful way to "waste" an afternoon, and as the sun settled on the horizon I headed back to the guesthouse to dry off around a bamboo bonfire. Even at night, parts of the mountain were still visible, providing a great backdrop for those inclined to party the night away with food, drink and music.

I had an early night (honest), with the heaviest hiking to come the following day.