We ( six of us, two were could speak Chinese ( very helpful) The hotel was fine, the hot springs were very soothing and tranquil. We stayed one night and ate at a local resturant just down the street from the hotel. It was cheaper and we sampled their local fruit wines ( fine) Food was picked out fresh from cages on the street ! The morning we left we took a walk/hike up into the mountain (cross a small wooden bridge right outside the hotel) met some locals and bought rocks/jade from them. No way would i try driving those roads, We were lucky to have two of our group who are expirenced with the area.

We spent the first day of National Week at the spas. They are a little difficult to get to on the public buses, but definitely doable with our minimal Chinese skills. Just be very clear with the ticket ladies as to where you are going. They took one look at us and we almost ended up at the rice terraces instead. We were based in Guilin so it was about a 2hr drive north east. If you are not comfortable taking small public buses, but don't want to hire a driver for the whole journey from Guilin. I recommend taking the bus to the town of Longsheng and then getting a didi or taxi (there are plenty around there) to take you to the hot-springs. Or you can hire a driver for the day; just negotiate for them to come and get you at the end of the day. Or if you have time (and we wish we did) spend a few days up there, relaxing. The hotel will be able to help you get back to town. If you do take the bus, it stops at the bottom of the hill. Go through the rain bridge and the gates and walk up the street. You will go a little longer than you expect but there are signs. When you get to the area map there is a boom gate to your left, continue UP the street, go past the fancy hotel and the entrance to the spa is on the other side of the car park, on the building on the right side. Entry to the springs was cheap, you get a locker for your belongings, a towel and footwear. There are four pools of varying temperature and a larger, cooler one on the first level. They are a good way to ease yourself into the temperature. Keep walking past these and head right up the pathway to get to the remainder of the pools. They vary from 22C to 50C. The hotsprings are clean and easy to get around. We saw maybe 20 people the whole day. It's very peaceful and you are surrounded by jungle. The pools are quite open to each other so little privacy between pools but they are large enough to accommodate about 15 people, comfortably per pool. The hotspring has a small kiosk that sells snacks and drinks. If you want a more substantial meal then try some of the attached hotels or the food street on your way up. We were happy with drinks, and snacks for the day. We did this to escape the public holiday crowds and it was a dream. I recommend spending a day or two up there to get the most out of it. Most of the hotels have deals with the hot-springs for patron use.