Chongzuo is great, but I really don’t recommend going in June

Babies! I just came back from "surviving a trial" in Chongzuo, with my skin sunburned three shades darker and my clothes sticky, and I have to warn you!! 💥 The mountains and waters of Chongzuo are as beautiful as a fantasy drama filming location 🌄 but coming in June is really a no-go!! I thought I could check in at the real-life "Wizard of Oz," but instead, I spent the whole time battling high temperatures, crowds, and the rainy season 😫 This post is full of pitfalls, so if you’re planning to go, save this👇 🌞 Scorching heat: melting in minutes! Before leaving, I read that summer in Chongzuo is cool?? Big! Mistake! ❌ June in Chongzuo is basically a "natural oven" 🔥 As soon as I got off the train, I was hit by a 38°C heatwave, and even three layers of sunscreen couldn’t block the UV rays!! I wanted to take beautiful tourist photos at Detian Waterfall 📸 but the sun was so strong I couldn’t open my eyes, and all the shots showed me squinting with a "painful mask" face 😭 Even worse, there were hardly any shaded spots in the scenic area. While drifting on a bamboo raft in Mingshi Tianyuan, it felt like frying fish on a hot plate 🐟 My legs were burned red by the seat when I got off! 🌧️ Rainy season curse: from sunny to drenched in seconds! I thought there wouldn’t be much rain in June, but reality slapped me hard!! 💦 It was bright and sunny when I left ☀️ but as soon as I arrived at Tongling Grand Canyon, dark clouds gathered ⛈️ Before I could even take out my raincoat, a downpour started!! The paths in the canyon became slippery and muddy, turning my sneakers into "mud shoes" 👟 Even worse, the waterfall’s water volume surged, and the planned hiking trail was closed 🚫 I had to awkwardly hide under a shop’s eaves, helplessly watching the rain wash away the beautiful scenery... 🚗 Traffic nightmare: stuck to the point of questioning life! I thought there would be fewer tourists in the off-season, but I was too naive!! 🚗 The road from the city to Detian Waterfall was so jammed it was a nightmare; what should have been a 1-hour drive took 3 hours!! 🫠 The parking lot at the scenic spot was impossible to find a space in, I circled more than ten times before finding a spot!! Even worse, the shuttle bus line was super long, and I waited 40 minutes under the blazing sun, almost getting heatstroke 🥵 Renting a car to drive yourself wasn’t any easier, some mountain roads were full of potholes, making me nervous the whole time! 🍜 Food disappointments: all the popular spots are "traps"! I came for the local specialties but ended up disappointed!! 🥲 The super popular rolled rice noodle shop had a half-hour queue, but the noodles were thick-skinned with little filling, and the taste was worse than the breakfast stall near my home!! 😤 The sour fruit stall looked colorful and tempting, but the fruit wasn’t fresh, and I threw it away after a few bites... The only good thing was the coconut sold by an old lady on the street 🥥 Ice-cold and super refreshing, but at 30 yuan each, my wallet cried directly 😭 💰 Spending traps: money flows like water! I thought a less touristy city would be cheap, but the bill shocked me!! 💸 Detian Waterfall ticket + sightseeing bus is 120 yuan per person, and bamboo rafting costs extra!! The homestays in Mingshi Tianyuan usually cost 200+, but in June they jumped to over 500!! Even a simple stir-fry meal costs over 80 per person, and buying some souvenirs quickly emptied my wallet 😫 Babies!! The mountain and water scenery in Chongzuo is indeed stunning 🌄 but June is really not the best time to travel!! Either choose spring or autumn when the weather is cool and there are fewer people; or come in winter to avoid the rainy season!! 😭 If you don’t want to suffer like me and waste money, take my advice and come at another time!!