Family Fun in Guangzhou: Enjoy a Unique Holiday at Zengcheng Forest Sea Water Park

In many people's minds, Guangzhou is a culinary capital, renowned for its famous morning tea across the country. In fact, Guangzhou is also an ideal city for family travel.

Just when a fantastic new family water park opened in Guangzhou — Zengcheng Forest Sea Water Park — my wife and I brought our little Yunbao here for a refreshing weekend.

As a comprehensive resort, it boasts a wealth of play facilities. Here you can experience the ultimate fun of water play: an indoor water park for year-round fun — the Ancient Sea Water Kingdom; an outdoor water park with endless activities — the Mysterious Island; a lakeside water play area — Fun Boat One; a hot spring area surrounded by greenery — Forest Hot Springs; and a hotel where you can enjoy the water — the Hot Spring Resort Hotel.

Ancient Sea Water Kingdom: Cool Summer Starts Here

Guangzhou has many water parks, and I've taken Yunbao to quite a few, but Forest Sea Water Park is one of a kind. The scenery here is beautiful, surrounded by mountains. The water park is adjacent to the Baishuizhai Scenic Area, so you can gaze at Baishuizhai Waterfall from the park. The water play facilities here are far more extensive than I imagined, with not only an indoor water park and an outdoor one, but also a white sandy beach, a mineral lake for boating, forest hot springs, and other unique experiences.

At the entrance, the whale sculpture, blue waves, and a ship cutting through the waves create an impressive portal that instantly makes you feel like you're at the seaside. Stepping inside, the buildings continue the dreamy underwater theme, like reefs beneath blue waves, covered in seaweed, coral, and other marine life.

Near the entrance, there's a Giant Gorge Burger restaurant to refuel, and shops selling water gear—everything you need, absolutely meeting all water play needs. Even if you decide at the last minute or come unprepared, no worries, you can start your water adventure on a whim.

Ancient Sea Water Kingdom was the first stop on our water journey. This indoor water park maintains a constant temperature all year round: mountain spring water in summer, thermal spring water in winter, so you can enjoy it any season. It's perfect for kids—no sunburn worries in summer, no chills in winter. It's truly a great place for water fun.

The kingdom has a rich variety of water attractions, like a wave pool and the Dream Ark children's pool. The Dream Ark pool is definitely kids' favorite, with shallow water and a huge replica ark as the centerpiece. There are water slides of different difficulty levels and water guns that squirt from the ship. Every child finds their joy here.

Yunbao absolutely loved playing here. Around the Dream Ark are other kid-friendly water features, like water seesaws and small slides—tailored for children with low height and gentle slopes, shaped like adorable animals. Yunbao adored them and could've stayed all day.

Beyond the wave pool and Dream Ark pool, there are also exciting rides like the Spinning Sealed Slide, Time Travel Slide, and Mini Space Pool, giving kids an unprecedented thrill. Safety measures are comprehensive: brand-new life jackets, professional lifeguards at every attraction who watch the pools diligently. I felt completely at ease letting Yunbao play.

Mysterious Island: A New World of Water Fun

I've been to water parks before, but this was my first with both indoor and outdoor areas—that's what makes Forest Sea special. The outdoor park is called Mysterious Island. Holding Yunbao's hand as we arrived, my first impression was its size. Mysterious Island is vast, with incredibly diverse facilities. Even the large water fortress, Water Maze City, is just a small part of it.

For families, there's a dedicated kids' area called Pirate Cove, between the Poseidon's Magic Bowl and the Water Maze City fortress. Though it's a children's pool, it's spacious. The whole area features a pirate ship, combination slides, and water features. Seeing the cute giraffe water sprayer and octopus slide, Yunbao squealed, 'So cute!'

Near the pool, life jackets in all sizes were available. After putting a new one on Yunbao, she eagerly ran into the water. I lifted her as we dashed through a water curtain, she slid down the octopus slide into the pool, then had a water fight with other kids using her adorable water gun. She thoroughly enjoyed the cool Pirate Cove.

We kept exploring different facilities—the fun here is way beyond expectations. Even simple splashing delighted Yunbao, and we captured countless joyful moments. When tired, we sat by the pool, admiring the cute animal structures while the shade canopy kept the sun away.

Mysterious Island also offers a fishing experience. In the clear, shallow channel, there are small fish and shrimps; you can bring kids to catch them, enjoying simple, rustic pleasures.

Beyond water play, there are other scenic spots. For example, the beach beside Tianyang Lake. Hand in hand with Yunbao, we strolled on the soft white sand. The emerald lake reflected the blue sky and white clouds, with coconut trees swaying in the breeze. For a moment, it felt like we were on a beach in Sanya.

There's a long skywalk on Mysterious Island. To get onto it, besides stairs, you can climb rope nets. Yunbao had tried this elsewhere, but here the net crossing is creatively combined with a slide and the skywalk, sparking her great interest. She climbed net after net, thoroughly absorbed.

Fun Boat One: Swimming with Koi on the Mineral Lake

The Forest Sea resort doesn't just have indoor and outdoor water parks; it also features a stunning mineral lake—Tianyang Lake, a natural mineral lake of about 130,000 square meters. Rich in minerals, the lake water is as emerald green as the sea, like a jade set in the resort. The Fun Boat One area is located here.

Though Fun Boat One is a lake-based play area, it offers complete facilities—restaurants, snacks, restrooms, and changing rooms. The water play here really amazed me. The highlight is swimming with koi fish. In a designated area, many brilliantly colored koi live. Visitors can wear life jackets and swim alongside these beautiful fish.

Taking Yunbao to Fun Boat One, seeing the fish darting about, she was eager to get in and touch the pretty koi. At the dock, there are also water activities like stand-up paddleboarding, kayaking, and boats—some equipped with water guns. Yunbao steered a boat and had a water fight with neighboring boats, having a total blast.

Park Dining: Western Delights at Cascade Restaurant

Apart from plentiful play facilities, Forest Sea Water Park also has excellent dining options. There are multiple themed restaurants. For instance, Cascade Restaurant near Water Maze City fortress offers two floors. The first floor is open-air with the ordering area, spacious and bright; the second is enclosed with air conditioning, perfect if you feel too warm.

Even though the park just opened, the food here is impressive, with a wide variety including both Chinese and Western dishes, as well as popular trendy desserts.

After all the playing, we stopped here. We chose the Blue Whale family meal, which came with mains, fruits, snacks, and drinks. Yunbao gave it a big thumbs-up for taste.

Forest Hot Springs: Hot Spring Pools and Kids’ Fun Coexist

The relaxation options here far exceeded my expectations. The Baishuizhai hot springs in Zengcheng are well-known in Guangdong, and Forest Sea has its own Forest Hot Springs worth experiencing. Bringing Yunbao here, I noticed many thoughtful touches: besides separate changing rooms for men and women, there's a third changing room for families, which was really convenient.

Passing through the indoor section, we reached the outdoor hot spring area. My first impression was of nature and greenery. The whole area is densely forested, with plants surrounding almost every pool. The air is rich in negative ions—a true 'natural oxygen bar.' The spring water here comes from Nankun Mountain and the mineral lake, weakly alkaline, with many health benefits.

There are 37 unique and stylish pools, each differently themed, with a landscaped garden design offering a slow and cozy life. Here, time slows, dreams are warm.

Soaking in the pools, lying or sitting, closing your eyes to relax, or gazing into the distance, it's bliss. You only realize the beauty and satisfaction of such a nature-close journey when you're immersed in it.

The summer sunshine is a bit hot, but the surrounding greenery and overhead pavilions keep the heat away. It was Yunbao's first hot spring experience. The comfortable temperature, elegant environment, and warm family moments flowed in the hot spring's mist.

But Forest Hot Springs surprised me even more. When Yunbao ran toward a spiral slide, I was stunned—it was the first time I'd seen such fun kids' play equipment in a hot spring area.

Here, both adults and children find delight. Adults unwind in the hot springs; kids experience the centrifugal thrill of a slide, swing on an internet-famous water-curtain swing, or tackle an adventure course combining brains and bravery.

Forest Sea Hot Spring Resort Hotel: A Wonderful Family Journey

With persistence in my heart, I wait calmly. I long for a kind of happiness—a warm home for the soul that comes after a thousand missed chances and a thousand backward glances... What is a home on a journey? It's a rest for body and mind after a busy day, a unique retreat where you enjoy quiet travel moments away from the crowds. On this trip to Guangzhou Forest Sea, I seemed to have found our family retreat — the Forest Sea Hot Spring Resort Hotel.

Nestled at the southern foot of Nankun Mountain, the Forest Sea Hot Spring Resort Hotel is adjacent to the water park, with an exceptional environment: surrounded by green hills and multiple forest parks. You can gaze at Baishuizhai Waterfall, and the picturesque Tianyang Lake is right beside. Entering the lobby, warm wood everywhere creates a cozy atmosphere. There are also traditional sugar paintings, cotton candy, ice cream—kids' favorite treats. This truly is a family resort.

As a five-star resort, it has comprehensive recreational facilities. To the left of the lobby is a game arcade with claw machines, Whac-A-Mole, water gun shooting, and more. Yunbao, a little arcade fan, was instantly drawn in and had a blast here.

Being a family hotel, children's play facilities are a must. There's a small kids' area with a dreamy ball pit, various slides, ball-throwing games, toy cars—almost like a mini indoor playground. On a hot afternoon, we played together, enjoying a delightful family time.

In August, water fun is indispensable, and this hotel pursues water perfection just like the water park. From an aerial view, a 500-meter Venetian waterway runs the hotel's central axis. Hotels with such a long swimming channel are rare. Here, you don't need to go to a pool; just step downstairs for direct, all-day water access.

As a water-loving child, Yunbao found endless joy swimming here. Lifeguards stand at intervals along the pool, ready for any situation. We rented a cute swim ring from a nearby shop, and the kids frolicked in the water. Yunbao was fully immersed in this summer carnival.

The hotel has several themed restaurants. The all-day dining restaurant is on the ground floor, continuing the Southeast Asian and wood design. It's spacious with a 270-degree glass panoramic view, flooding in natural light. You can dine while enjoying the outside scenery.

As a buffet, the variety sets the standard. This restaurant is spacious with an extensive spread of Chinese and international dishes, with open kitchens so you can dine with confidence. Summer isn't complete without barbecue, and grilled oysters were unlimited, the garlic aroma wafting temptingly.

Facing the array of desserts, Yunbao wanted everything: strawberry cake, blueberry cake, mango pudding... she wanted them all. So we sat near the dessert station. With such a lavish and tasty spread, Yunbao ate happily, and we were delighted to see her so joyful.

The hotel rooms are spread along the Venetian waterway. We stayed in a mountain-view room. Inside, it was warm and bright, with a separate wet and dry bathroom, a luxury Sealy mattress, and a balcony with a private hot spring tub. You can soak while enjoying the beautiful mountain scenery outside.