When we moved to Shanghai in 2016, never in my wildest dreams did I imagine us taking weekend road trips to the mountains, swimming in crystal clear mountain streams among forests of towering bamboo! Thankfully friends in the know introduced us to idyllic Anji in Zhejiang Province, and we now affectionately call it our happy place.
Where is Anji?
Anji in Zhejiang Province is best known for its almost 150,000 acres (60,000 hectares) of lush green bamboo forests and clean mountain air. Less than a four-hour drive from Shanghai, it is the perfect place to escape the hustle and bustle of the city, relax, unwind and get back to nature at a fraction of the cost of nearby Moganshan.
Where to stay in Anji
Our friends introduced us to Anji four years ago, and we've visited every summer since. We love swimming in the crystal clear waters of the river with scenery so picturesque; it's easy to forget you're in China. We stay in a small village 40 minutes drive from the main Anji County township. 'Little Forest Anji' is a beautiful family-run boutique guesthouse on the river surrounded by a bamboo forest.
The Plum Rains were relentless this year, so it took us a little longer than usual to get to Anji as the heavy rain forced us to drive slower on the freeway. After checking in, we handed our passports to the hotel manager (the hosts speak English and are very friendly and helpful) for registration with the local police station and dropped our bags in our rooms.
Accommodation at Little Forest
Little Forest has a range of reasonably priced rooms catering to both families and couples, a well-appointed common kitchen & dining room and loads of indoor and outdoor spaces to sit.
The rooms have comfortable beds with clean bedding and pillows. There is a TV, small bar fridge, kettle and air-conditioner in each room. Plush white towels, shower slippers, soap and shampoo & conditioner are provided in the bathroom.
The guest rooms surrounding the main courtyard garden area overlook the pond and kitchen/dining room. Most of these guest rooms have an outdoor table and chairs and a small sitting area directly in front. The guest rooms above the main house are very modern with floor to ceiling windows looking out over the mountains.
As you enter the gates of Little Forest, directly in front you will find a coffee/tea bar with outdoor seating and a small indoor play space for kids including a climbing wall and reading nook. (This is where you check into your room). To the left of this courtyard is the owners home and on the right there are two to three guest rooms.
The stairs to the right of the coffee/tea bar wind up to the main courtyard where you'll find the dining room, a big open air patio area and the majority of the guestrooms. A little further up the hill, above the dining room, you can stand among the towering bamboo while the kids jump on the small trampoline.
What to see and do near Little Forest guest house
Walking
In the mornings, before it gets too hot, we like to take a walk. We follow the road as it winds alongside the river, up through the small mountain village.
On either side of the road, every centimetre of flat land bears crops of vegetables and fruit trees. Bamboo groves along the river's edge provide shelter to chicken and duck pens.
The houses are enormous, not what you'd expect to see in a small village in the mountains. With land prices so low, many families from Shanghai and Hangzhou also have holiday homes here.
We also enjoy walking to another river nearby, one of the many tributaries flowing into the massive Laoshikan Reservoir. As you exit the gates of Little Forest, turn right, walk to the main road and turn right again, following the road until you cross the bridge. Just after the bridge, turn right and walk along the road until you can access the river's edge.
Swimming
Our favourite activity in Anji is to swim in the fresh, clear waters of the river, just across the road from Little Forest. This year, with all the rain, the river turned into a raging torrent, and we thought we would miss out on swimming. Luckily for us, the rain stopped, and on our last day, we were able to swim.
During the day, the flow of the river is controlled and what's great about the swimming spot in front of Little Forest is there are two depths to choose from to swim in. The upper section is calm and a family friendly depth you can wade around in easily. The lower section is deeper and suited to more capable swimmers.
Drifting
'Drifting' is another popular attraction in Anji. The first year we visited, I thought drifting sounded like a wonderfully relaxing water activity. Boy was I wrong! I quickly realised, drifting is more akin to a floating water fight while navigating white water rapids.
A multi-coloured flotilla of inflatable boats, two to three people per boat wielding pump-action super soakers and wildly drenching anyone unlucky enough to float within shooting range. As if this isn't enough action, the calm waters of the river soon spill over some fun bouncy rapids and a few white-knuckle drops.
It was on one of the bouncy rapids our boat caught on a rock, quickly filled with water and flipped. Thankfully, spotters sit on the rocks at each of the white water sections in case of emergencies like this. My only thought as we flipped was to reach out and grab Liv, but as I hit the rocks and water washed over me, I lost hold of her. In those terrifying few seconds it took me to resurface, a spotter had already rescued her safely from the river. Sporting only a few bumps and scratches, we hopped back into our boat and continued down the river with no further mishaps.
Hiking
Hiking in the mountains surrounding Little Forest is a wonderful experience, and I highly recommend it. However, heavy summer rains and spring snow melt produce heavy water flow through the area, resulting in saturated ground, rock falls and landslides. Before hiking, it is advisable to speak with Little Forest's owners to get their local knowledge of the safest hiking trails.
During our last visit, we learned about a local farmer who sold fresh duck meat and eggs in the mountains, but the only way to get to the farm was to hike in. Our group had a few not-so-keen hikers, but they agreed that hiking for duck meat would be a fair trade-off. So we drove to a nearby village, parked the car and set off into the forest.
An hour and a half into our uphill hike in the heat, we happened upon a deserted farmhouse. No ducks. There were, however, spiders. After a close encounter with a web and a not-so-happy spider, we realised this place belonged to them now, and we made a quick exit.
With the sun high in the sky, the temperature had crept up to a sticky 36 degrees Celcius. The kids were starting to get whiny, so we gave up on finding the farmhouse and turned back empty-handed.
Walking down the hill was much more enjoyable, and the views from the trail were beautiful. I'll never tire of walking in the bamboo forests - there is something genuinely magical about the calmness of undergrowth.
What & where to eat when staying at Little Forest
Fully-equipped kitchen
Built into the side of the mountain, the kitchen-dining area sits as the centrepiece of Little Forest. Set up high, the front of the building is floor to ceiling glass with fantastic views of the mist-covered mountains in the morning, and beautiful sunsets in the evening.
We take advantage of the communal kitchen to prepare dinner with food brought from home and fresh produce purchased at the local market. Our group includes a number of chefs, so when I say 'we prepare dinner', I'm loosely referring to the fact that the chefs do all the cooking while I play UNO and Jenga with the kids.
The kitchen has all the cooking and eating utensils you'll require to prepare lunches and dinners. Breakfast is available as an optional add on to your room cost and consists of congee and accompaniments, noodles, boiled eggs, toast, dim sum, fried bread, cereal, coffee, tea and fresh fruit prepared by the guesthouse staff. (Breakfast costs approximately 38RMB (Aus$8.50) per person and is free for kids under 120cm.)
In the evening you may like to BBQ on the outdoor patio area. Speak to the owner about setting up the BBQ.
Our favourite restaurant near Little Forest
If you don't feel like cooking while on holidays, Baofu Village is only a 5-minute drive from Little Forest guest house. When in Anji, we always make time for lunch at 'The Farm House' restaurant in the village. The offerings change daily based on what fresh produce is available, so there is no menu.
Before entering the restaurant, we select our food from the food items displayed in the cabinet and fridge, and then our dishes are made fresh and delivered to the table. On our recent visit, we feasted on everything from bamboo shoots (a local specialty), freshly caught chicken, fish, frog legs, tofu and a range of vegetable dishes. All of the food is delicious and I highly recommend a visit to The Farm House when you're in Anji!
Where to shop for groceries
We like to keep it low key when we visit Anji and generally stay close to the guesthouse, so we haven't ventured much further than Baofu Village and the surrounding area. There are grocery stores in Baofu village and a small convenience store approximately 10 minutes walk from Little Forest. However, we usually pack food for our lunches, dinners and snacks and keep them in the fridge in the kitchen area at the guest house.
With travel difficult since the start of the pandemic and many families not wanting to fly or travel too far from Hangzhou or Shanghai, visiting Anji is a fantastic option. We love the area and highly recommend visiting the region and staying at Little Forest.
Find 'Little Forest' listed on Trip.com and Booking.com.
Pro Packing Tips
- Flip-flops & Joggers/Sneakers are the only shoes you will need.
- Mosquito repellent. It's very damp so expect to see mosquitoes around.
- Bathers/Swimmers & a quick-dry/light towel. (Bath towels are supplied in the rooms but not for swimming)
- Sunscreen
- An umbrella/light raincoat. It rains, even in summer!
- Plastic bags for packing your wet clothes/shoes/bathers on the way home. The humid mountain air makes it impossible to dry anything so plastic bags come in very handy. (There is a hanging/drying rack in each room for you to hang out your wet clothes)
- Wine - the local shops stock beer and Baijiu.
- If you prefer western-style food & snacks, bring them with you. Speak to the owners about storing your items in the fridge/freezer i in the kitchen. (No cooking utensils, crockery or cutlery needed as this is all supplied). There is a coffee percolator in the kitchen and coffee & tea are supplied.
- Playing cards, games & a good book for rainy days.
** This is not a sponsored post **
We love staying at Little Forest and highly recommend it as a place to visit.
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