I was in Xingping early April 2014 and had a very bad encounter with boat touts at the Xingping dock when I arrived by bus before noon. The women touts like triad society members harassing us once we decided to purchase boat rides. Once a woman with a crying child approaches us to the boat ride and we do not take her offer which she wants at CNY180 per pax and we were travelling in 3 pax. We decline her price and walked away and looking for a reasonable price but she kept harassing us and do not allow other touts to speak to us for negotiation. She behaved rudely and scolded us why we approach another person to purchase our boat ride. I have my right to choose who I want to buy my tickets from and who she thinks she is to tell me.
We learn from the boatman that the area there is run by chinese triad society and they use to harass tourists and once a woman approaches you no other touts are allowed to sell the tickets to us. What a behaviour and we are very pissed off by them. Spoils our day when we are harassed and swear never to recommend tourist to go for the boat ride.
We ended up paying CNY300 for the lousy 45 mins ride which is not worth. Please do not go to Xingping for any boat ride.
W

We had begun the journey from Zhongshan by bus and train. Tickets for the boat was delivered to a hotel near the railway where even the bus would pick us up.
I had booked a room in Yangshuo, and arranged by Jack at Peace Family Hotel, the
he organized the purchase of tickets for the boat trip on the Li River. These must be purchased days before and we wanted "English boat" this time.

Ferry Tickets
All air-conditioned. The tour around four hours, including meals and guide.
Class A - Super Luxury
Class B - Luxury
Class C - Annual

Peak Season: April to November and Spring Festival
Class A - 450 Yuan
Class B - 270 Yuan
Class C - 210 Yuan

Low season: from December to March
Class A - 380 Yuan
Class B - 240 Yuan
Class C - 190 Yuan

Departures for the boats: 09:30 to 10:30

The boat trip starts in the morning one mil from Guilin and arrived at Yangshuo in the afternoon. The whole trip takes about four hours. The boats are air conditioned. You can stay inside and watch their surroundings
from there, or on the open deck. It has better views out there and get closer to nature. The lunch is served onboard. With local favorites and fresh catches from the Li River will be served. The fish is good and sometimes delivered by bamboo raft. The water is very clear and the boats floating on the 40 cm of water. Lots of fish and I have seen when they caught with a rod part which is quite large. Water buffalo are following the river and feeding themselves with seaweed on the River. Seaweed eaten even by the people and I eat it, but think it is very "chew".
Best time for a Li River cruise is before or after the rainy season.
April, May, September and October are the peak seasons. Be prepared for lots of people at that time.
This river cruise ends in Yangshou. You can take an hour long bus ride back to Guilin.
Or stay and relax for a few days in Yangshuo. Recommended and is a "must".

The Scenic Voyage
The 84-km Li River from Guilin to Yangshuo has three distinct sections.
The journey is full of beautiful places which are too numerous to mention. Therefore I can only name the most notable ones. Guilin City to Yangdi (46 km)
The scenic spots here are a bit away from waterways.
The most famous and surrounding Guilin is the Elephant Trunk Hill.
I'm sure you see it simply because it resembles exactly an elephant
with its trunk in water. It is also Sword Hill and a number of other beautiful peaks.
Yangdi to Xingping (17 km)
This section has Li River's most beautiful landscape of water and mountains.
You cruise along a picturesque waterway. Shapes of the peaks are just miraculous.
A flying waterfalls cancel much of the Erlang Gorge. Here are the two most scenic locations.