A Family Getaway Near Guangzhou: A Palace in the Forest for Food, Fun, and Relaxation

They say autumn began half a month ago, but here in Guangdong, we're still eagerly planning how to spend a weekend with the kids at the tail end of summer, looking for a great spot to beat the heat. On one hand, it's about escaping the scorching weather; on the other, it's about leaving work behind and purely embracing the joy of stress-free family time.

Barely had the last weekend passed before we started planning the next one. After browsing various travel apps, we settled on Senbola Resort Forest in Qingyuan—a place with mountains, water, and plenty of activities, just an hour and a half's drive from Guangzhou. Perfect for a weekend two-day, one-night getaway: not too much time on the road, not too rushed for fun. A truly relaxing weekend trip.

Day 1: Depart from Guangzhou → Check in at the hotel → Jungle Restaurant (lunch) → Hotel rest → Glacier Water Valley → Volcano Hot Springs → Western Restaurant (buffet dinner) → Stroll around the hotel grounds or → Volcano Hot Springs

Day 2: Western Restaurant (buffet breakfast) → Senbola Wonder World → Return trip

Tip: When staying at Senbola Hotel, you can use your room key for unlimited access to Wonder World, Glacier Water Valley, and Volcano Hot Springs. We recommend booking a package that includes buffet breakfast and dinner for better value!

Senbola Resort Forest is a true forest retreat, embraced by rolling hills. It features a water park themed around "Glacier Culture" with thrill-packed water rides and leisure activities; Senbola Wonder World spanning over 800 mu (about 130 acres) with numerous attractions and themed landscapes; and the five-star Senbola Resort Hotel, hailed as a "palace in the ancient forest."

Departing from downtown Guangzhou, it's about an hour and a half's drive. We arrived around noon and checked straight into Senbola Resort Hotel. The hotel is a low-rise building nestled on a hillside, hidden under the canopy of many large trees. In front of the main entrance is an artificial rockery with flowing water, and the pond is home to colorful goldfish—the kids loved watching them!

The hotel lobby is antique yet luxurious, spacious and bright. Volcanic rocks adorned with exquisite tree fern totems, creamy white ceramic wall reliefs shaped like ram's horns, and a check-in counter and lounge chairs crafted from ancient ship wood in hues of yellow and black—every stone and piece of wood exudes a rustic charm, showcasing ancient natural grace. Our two kids loved chasing each other around this lobby!

The rooms follow the lobby's style, with a touch of classical design—simple yet refined. The room isn't huge, but it feels clean, fresh, and neat. Traveling with two kids, we took a twin-bed room. The beds are tatami-style, a first for them, and they were thrilled, especially sitting on the wooden board between the two beds to watch TV.

Push open the door or draw back the curtains to be greeted by lush greenery. On the balcony, there's a wooden lounger—recline, rest, and gaze at the scenery as if immersed in the jungle. Branches and leaves are within arm's reach; a sea of verdant green meets the eye, accompanied by the unending chorus of cicadas and birds. Listen to nature's bird songs and wind, empty your mind, and soak in a rare tranquility.

The sky so blue, the trees so green—fall asleep to the sounds of birds and fragrance of flowers, and wake up to the same.

[Play] — Glacier Water Valley Water World

Summer is the time to embrace water, and how could we miss Glacier Water Valley, known as the "breathing forest water park"?

With over 20 water attractions at Glacier Water Valley, we didn't want to rush through them all and not let the kids fully enjoy themselves. So we just picked a few they loved and let them have a blast!

Of course, the Glacier Tsunami Pool is absolutely unmissable. Covering over 5,000 square meters, the pool gradually deepens from shallow to deep, catering to different heights, ages, and preferences.

The tsunami pool is equipped with plenty of life vests, and wearing one is mandatory to enter. This way, both adults and kids can relax and enjoy the moment in peace.

It's said this is the country's first 3-meter-high tsunami wave pool. On the hour, with music and announcements, the pool starts making waves. The previously calm water churns, and waves of varying sizes and directions let us surf to our heart's content—the wilder the wave, the more thrilling.

Each wave session lasts up to half an hour, with the waves gradually calming down toward the end. Our two kids actually preferred the later part—smaller waves, more stability, and sheer happiness.

Iceland Water Castle is a splash pool designed specifically for children, another paradise for the kids. With all sorts of water slides and overhead dumping buckets, it's playful and refreshing.

Iceberg Kids' Fun is another pool tailored for children, featuring "Apple House," "Rainbow Gate," "Rain Mushroom," and more. Compared to Iceland Water Castle, it's suited for even younger children.

The Glacier Adventure Scenic Drift is right next to Iceland Water Castle. While playing there, the kids wondered how boats could go from low to high. This drift ride lets you experience a "boat drifting to higher ground" as you travel through the jungle on water. They were hesitant at first, but afterward said it was great fun and wanted to go again.

The Ice Sky Rainbow slide is even more thrilling. With five differently shaped water slides, their steepness and length make it clear this is an adrenaline rush. It's the only attraction in the whole park with a height requirement—children under 1.3 meters are not allowed.

For adults or strong swimmers, there's also a great spot: the Ice Lake Swimming Area, with a minimum depth of 1.8 meters, spacious, and clean water.

Though high summer isn't the prime season for hot springs, after a day of fun and fatigue, a relaxing soak in the Volcano Hot Springs is a great option! Hailed as the pioneer of "China's fifth-generation themed hot springs," Senbola Volcano Hot Springs boasts over 70 distinctive thermal pools. It's Guangdong's first hot spring themed around volcanic wonders.

A short walk up some steps from the Glacier Tsunami Pool brings you to the Ice-Fire Hot Spring, offering a rare selenium-rich, low-sulfur spring. Covering 120 mu (about 20 acres), the water emerges from 600 meters below the granite bedrock and is known for its therapeutic and health benefits.

The hot spring area is divided into the Fragrant Flower Area, the Volcanic Dynamic Area, and the Bamboo Forest Herbal Bath Area. As it's summer, the Fragrant Flower Area is open. It has many pools, such as Lotus Flower Bath, Milk Bath, Ginseng Bath, Angelica Bath, and also cooler temperature pools.

Senbola's open-air pools are beautifully scattered across a tranquil valley of towering ancient trees, flowers, grass, and bamboo groves. With green mountains and fine springs, it soothes body and soul. Backed by tens of thousands of acres of forest park, it's truly a paradise for relaxation and well-being.

Soaking in such a gorgeous environment is incredibly atmospheric. Lounging in the water, the scenery before your eyes and the sounds of nature bring comfort and solace.

Moreover, the hot spring staff adhere to daily cleaning and disinfection. After closing each day, they drain all pools for a thorough clean and sanitization, so you can soak with peace of mind. Choosing Senbola for hot springs is spot-on.

As dusk fell, we let the kids have a short experience, and in the process, taught them a bit about hot springs and the benefits of various flowers and plants—learning through fun, after all, living in Guangdong, hot springs are a common affair.

After breakfast the next morning, we headed according to plan to Senbola Wonder World. It consists of four parts: Bo Bi Yang Amusement Park, Fantasy Jurassic, Wonder Wetland Island, and Forest Ancient Castle Waterfall. One word to describe it: "Play." Two words: "Pure Joy."

Bo Bi Yang Amusement Park has over 30 sets of mechanical rides. Depending on age and preference, you can freely choose from thrilling ones like the Drop Tower, Shark Roller Coaster, Swinging Chairs, Bumper Cars, to more gentle ones like the Merry-Go-Round, Elephant Land, and Dazzling Ferris Wheel.

Each ride is individually priced, but you can buy a combo card for better value. We went on the Shark Roller Coaster, Merry-Go-Round, Elephant Land, Bumper Cars, and also rode the Dazzling Ferris Wheel.

When tired, you can rest on a swing under the shade, and take the chance to hydrate the kids.

After Bo Bi Yang Amusement Park, we followed the Colorful Light Forest Path to Fantasy Jurassic. In this, the largest sand and gravel rain forest kingdom in South China, Fantasy Jurassic features Asia's current largest cluster of simulated dinosaurs.

I wonder if every child, especially boys, has a dinosaur-loving heart. It seems all kids are excited about these creatures. Before we set off, we told them we'd see dinosaurs, and the whole morning, they kept talking about it.

As a seasoned dinosaur enthusiast, our kid can remember most dinosaur names. As soon as we entered, he yelled out, "Tyrannosaurus rex, Tyrannosaurus rex!"

A boardwalk winds up the mountain, where you can spot various dinosaurs among the trees. There are over 30 types of these animated, highly realistic dinosaurs, totaling nearly a hundred. They incorporate cutting-edge global technology—with frightening roars, their necks, heads, eyes, mouths, and tails all move, bringing them to life as authentically as possible.

The two giant Brachiosaurus by the path made the kids incredibly excited.

On the way from Jurassic to Wonder Wetland Island, there's a Forest Theater. We caught an hourly show featuring acrobatics, a werewolf stage play, Sichuan opera face-changing, and more. We thoroughly enjoyed it.

Our final stop was Wonder Wetland Island. It's composed of several small islands in the lake center connected together, with an environmental theme. Graceful, antique-style wooden bridges link them, while various thoughtfully designed water and land adventure activities are flexibly arranged.

Wetlands are the most biodiverse areas. Various water birds happily live here, and year-round blooming flowers and lush greenery are a delight to behold.

After dinner, it was still early and the weather had cooled down, so we took the kids for a stroll in Senbola Plaza. At night, the plaza takes on a dreamlike appearance.

Dazzling lights and sparkling displays, with different colored lights creating various scenes among the trees and flowers—it's like a work of art. It feels like stepping into a beautiful, dreamy fairy-tale forest, embarking on a magical journey...

"Food, fun, and lodging"—eating is definitely the highlight of any trip! With two kids, we didn't want to go outside the hotel for meals, so we dined right there. But I must say, at Senbola Resort Forest, there are two restaurants you simply shouldn't miss!

Here's their favorite Western restaurant, where our two little "mythical beasts" love to eat.

Located on the hotel's first floor, this restaurant not only serves a nutritious and varied Chinese-Western buffet breakfast, but its dinner buffet is a dazzling spread that will make your head spin.

There's a wide array of exquisitely made dim sum that's instantly appetizing. Sushi, salad, and desserts that sweeten your palate.

The cooked food section is centered on meats—chicken, goose, duck, fish, you name it. A true paradise for carnivores.

Made-to-order pan-fried steak, tender and juicy—just look at the queue to see how popular it is. The seafood steals the show: incredibly fresh! One large platter vanished in seconds, but thankfully the staff quickly refilled it, so I got my share.

Plenty of fruit as well, with many varieties to suit every taste. Honeydew melon, watermelon—eat as much as you like.

The other restaurant is Senbola Jungle Restaurant, next to Wonder World and directly accessible from within the scenic area.

The restaurant has a distinctive design. The main hall is an imposing, super-tall, pillar-less space, while the private rooms are naturally elegant in style.

It mainly features local specialty dishes. Qingyuan's cuisine is renowned, so of course, we had to treat our taste buds here.

The Qingyuan white cut chicken is even more tender and juicy through this cooking method, so delicious you can't stop eating!

Volcano Mud Roast Chicken: Roast chicken is common, but one baked in volcanic mud is likely only found at Senbola.

Mustard beef short ribs, braised tofu, braised goose, and chopped chili fish are all highly recommended dishes!

Two days and one night, we covered Senbola's main core attractions. In fact, with more time, we could have delved deeper. Many spots and activities had the kids wanting a second round, begging to stay a few more days. But no worries—a little regret leaves room for anticipation. Beautiful things are worth experiencing and pursuing again, aren't they?