"Skiing in China" Yabuli by SLM73

I took my twins to Yabuli last year when they were 3.5 years old. We went with our chinese nanny and a chinese friend who could speak English. Getting a train ticket from Harbin is relatively simple. Just go to the train station and cross your fingers. Anyway, when you get to Yabuli train station you MUST buy your return ticket there and then as you cannot buy them on the day or the day before travel. Also note that it will be standing room only on the way back as it is not the orginiating train station. However, most people will rotate seats with you. We just sat on the floor. The train is nice and warm.

When you get out of the station you will be immediately surrounded, pulled and pushed, yelled out, called to etc by about 15 travel touts all desparate for your travel dollar. I ended up screaming at them because my children were getting freaked out and being grabbed. I pushed roughly past them and started walkingin to the town centre (one of two streets). When I turned around I saw a woman in her mid 40's having a punch up with a teenage boy. Both of them had been grabbing at us.

Anyway, two touts followed us a reasonable distance and things died down. Our nanny arranged with one, the woman in the punch up to take us to the ski field. Just remember, whatever the price it should always be CUT IN HALF. That is the rule for chinese people. Foreigners should pay more because they have more. I think it was about 10 rmb each one way to the ski field. There are many different little private homes that act as hotels. Just pick one, usually your tout will have one. We stayed with our lady. It was very quite so she gave us two rooms for 40rmb a night in total or something ridiculous like that. I don't think there was a shower but the FIRE BEDS are something to write home about.

More on that later.