Trip Overview
When: July (summer season - warm and ideal for outdoor activities)
Duration: 3 days
Travelers: Family with kids
Budget: ~800 RMB (~$110 USD) per person
Transportation: High-speed train from Guangzhou to Guilin (2+ hours)
Essential Foreigner Info
Getting There: The most convenient way to reach Guilin (桂林) from Guangzhou is via high-speed train. The journey takes just over 2 hours and arrives directly at Guilin Station. The Shangri-La Hotel is only about 20 minutes from the station by car.
Money Matters: Most hotels and larger restaurants accept mobile payment (WeChat Pay, Alipay), but it's good to carry some cash for smaller vendors and tips.
Language: English is limited in Guilin, especially at smaller establishments. Having the Chinese name of your hotel (桂林香格里拉) ready to show taxi drivers is essential.
The Running Man Connection: This Shangri-La property was the filming location for the popular Chinese TV show "Running Man" (跑男), making it a fun destination for fans of the show.
Day 1: Arrival and Hotel Exploration
Summer is the perfect time to take the kids out to enjoy sunshine and warm weather. While extremely hot destinations can be troublesome, Guilin (桂林) is an excellent choice. Here, the mountains are clear and the waters are pristine - even the sunshine seems fresh and gentle.
We chose the summer camp program at Guilin Shangri-La Hotel (桂林香格里拉). As longtime fans of Shangri-La's renowned hospitality, we were excited to discover that the latest episode of "Running Man" was filmed here. Taking the kids to see the filming location and打卡 (check in) at the spots made this trip even more special.
Travel Tips: From Guangzhou to Guilin, the high-speed train is definitely the most convenient option. The journey takes just over 2 hours and arrives directly. Additionally, Guilin Shangri-La is very close to the high-speed rail station - only about 20 minutes by car.
Hotel Facilities
As an internationally顶级 (top-tier) brand, Shangri-La's quality is exceptional. The hotel occupies a vast area with outdoor gardens, and from the hotel, you can directly see the Li River (漓江) and Guilin's uniquely elegant mountains.
We booked an executive mountain-view room with balcony on the second floor. The room is spacious enough for a family of four without feeling cramped. The bathroom features a dry-wet separation design, very convenient. There's also a large bathtub - perfect for a relaxing bath in the evening.
Of course, the room's biggest selling point is the large terrace. From the room, you can step directly onto the terrace where you can see distant green mountains and clear waters. The Li River (漓江) flows right in front, creating exceptionally beautiful scenery. Especially during sunset, you can watch the sun go down - this stunning view is not to be missed when visiting Guilin.
The room provides various desserts daily. The desserts are beautifully crafted, perfect for afternoon tea or evening treats.
Day 2: Summer Camp Activities
Of course, when bringing kids to a summer camp, various interesting parent-child activities are essential! To give children a better summer camp experience, Shangri-La has invited professional summer camp teachers to lead kids through all kinds of fun activities.
Tai Chi Morning
Tai Chi requires physical movement combined with breathing - with each inhale and exhale, coordinating various movements to stretch and exercise the body. Shangri-La invited professional Tai Chi teachers to the garden each morning to lead children and parents through Tai Chi exercises.
Following Tai Chi, enjoy a hearty breakfast featuring smooth Guilin rice noodles (桂林米粉) and freshly brewed coffee - perfect to start the day with full energy.
Animals & Farm Experience
Children can follow summer camp teachers to the hotel's garden to experience the fun of animals and plants. The hotel garden has a small zoo with pigeons, peacocks, fish, and other animals. Children can receive feed to feed these adorable animals.
The animals here seem accustomed to children visiting - they aren't afraid at all and will even grab food directly from kids' hands. Very entertaining!
The small farm uses entirely organic planting methods. The vegetables produced here are supplied to the hotel's staff cafeteria - very eco-friendly. Here, children can, under teacher guidance, plant their chosen seeds in planting boxes, then place a sign with their name to identify their little hopes. Maybe when they return, they can see these plants grow and bear fruit!
Garden Train Ride
The Guilin Shangri-La garden is huge. If you want to walk the entire circumference, the little train is undoubtedly the best choice.
The little train is colorful and very cute. Sitting on the train, listening to its little bell as it circles through the garden - extremely charming. And without walking yourself, you can see all the beautiful scenery. Very relaxing!
Rock Climbing
Rock climbing is called the sport of the brave. Climbing a wall requires courage, physical strength, and finding the right route requires considerable wisdom.
Here, children can experience the thrill of rock climbing. Wearing a safety rope, professional teachers ensure children's safety and also guide them on climbing routes, making it easier for kids to reach the top of the wall.
Bamboo Pole Dance
Bamboo pole dance is a traditional dance of the Zhuang ethnic group. Bamboo poles are knocked on the ground while dancers jump between them. In music and rhythm, avoiding the striking bamboo poles becomes an interesting dance.
In the Shangri-La hotel lobby, every Friday and Saturday in August, Zhuang brothers and sisters come to set up bamboo poles and perform interesting bamboo pole dances with tourists. Whether your feet get caught by the bamboo depends on your reaction ability!
Evening Entertainment
Outdoor Cinema
Evening time with kids won't be boring here. Every night, movies are arranged.
If the weather is clear, Shangri-La sets up tents on the lawn and screens movies outdoors. Under the bright starry sky, lying on the wide lawn watching a fun movie is also a wonderful experience.
If the weather is bad, movies are shown indoors. The screening room has lazy sofas where children can lie on the floor or sit on the ground, watching a movie in their most comfortable position.
Bumper Boats
In the hotel garden, besides the swimming pool, there's also a fairly large water pool.
Here, you can have staff add cute bumper boats to the pool. Children can also sit in bumper boats and freely drive around. The edges of bumper boats have inflatable rings, so even if they collide, there's no danger - only endless laughter!
Water Activities
At Shangri-La, there are both indoor and outdoor swimming pools.
The indoor is a standard pool, divided into shallow and deep areas. In the shallow area, children can play happily. The deep area is suitable for those who have learned to swim - perfect for working out.
The hotel pool also features floor-to-ceiling glass design, allowing direct views of outdoor scenery. Sunshine through the glass falls on the pool, giving the pool richer colors.
The outdoor pool is more suitable for water play. The pool in the garden has shallow water depth, making it safe even for children. There are also various fun facilities like floating blankets and lifeboats for children to enjoy!
Of course, I won't be idle while the kids play. Enjoy afternoon tea - the tea tray can float on the water surface, allowing you to savor delicious treats handily. Very interesting!