"Datong" a Datong Travel Page by Exceptional_World

When we first arrived in Datong, we had just taken the overnight train from Beijing and it was about 6AM. As soon as you get off the train, there will be a few people saying they are travel agents. But, if you don't speak Mandarin, then we suggest go to the CITS office or they will be a CITS agent walking around. They don't necessarily have the best deals on hotels, but they do make it easy for tourists.

We booked our tour throught CITS since our Mandarin was no good (bo how). However, if you speak the language, you might be able to save a few dollars and haggle a driver to the caves.

The caves were awesome! And totally worth the 6 hour ride from Beijing and 30 minute minivan ride from Datong. Look at as many as you can, but definitely save time to go to the slightly hidden ones to the right where you can actually get close up and personal.

One thing we learned after getting our pictures developed was that you should get some pictures with people in them for comparison. You can't really tell how gigantic they are in the picture unless there is something to compare it to.

This place is amazing! Go as early as you can to avoid the masses. Try the local food in the restaurant at the bottom. Potato starch is a local staple and a must try before you leave!

One of the downfalls of going with a tour group is that you are going to arrive at the exact same time as a few other tour groups.