PSA: Who knew there was such a family-friendly resort in Guangzhou? The entire Guangzhou Chimelong Resort complex spans more than a whopping 5.2 square kilometres, and is home to four exhilarating parks. Here’s a fun 3D2N itinerary that we absolutely loved. In fact, we wish we had more time. We’ll be back!
The Chimelong Safari Park is huge — you’ll need at least an entire day here! Home to more than 500 species, the park offers visitors a chance to view animals from all over the world.
Enter from the North Gate to start with the ‘Safari on Wheels’, a nifty 30-minute tram ride that will bring you through various zones with free-roaming wildlife. We saw giraffes, lions, kangaroos, and more — and they were so close, too!
Tip: If you have your own vehicle, feel free to purchase a ticket to drive it through the safari area.
Another highlight is the cable car, from which you can enjoy an aerial view of the animals below. If you’re lucky, you might even get a cabin with a glass floor.
Don’t miss out on the Panda Village. Fun fact: the park is home to 15 pandas, including the world’s first panda triplets. Watch them roll around, play with each other, snack on bamboo, and nap in the most adorable positions.
One of our favourite spots was the Animal Kindergarten, where baby animals are housed before they’re ready to join the main enclosures. We saw baby tigers for the first time ever, as well as many active baby monkeys.
Other animals that you can see include white tigers (see if you can catch them taking a swim!), koalas, giraffes (which you can feed), and more.
If you have to spare, check out Jurassic Forest. Walk through a misty forest filled with roaring animatronic dinosaurs; watch out, there’s a Tyrannosaurus Rex waiting at the end! However, note that you’ll have to take the Qinglong Mountain entrance, and it’s a one-way path through the rainforest encounter and snake trail.
Chimelong Bird Park
Chimelong Bird Park is located outside of the Chimelong Resort area, but it’s definitely worth a visit! It has more than 10,000 birds; however, other than the birds, it’s also home to various wetland creatures.
One of our priorities was to feed the hippopotamuses, which is something that isn’t offered in Singapore! Purchase two smaller carrots or a large cabbage for CNY50 (S$9.50); we especially like how we don’t have to book this feeding in advance, and can simply rock up whenever we arrive.
Try your hand at throwing the vegetables into the hippopotamus’ gaping mouth; it’s harder than it looks! P.S. Kids can do the throwing from atop an elevated platform.
We also really enjoyed the pelican feeding experience. Buy a ticket for the boat ride (inclusive of fishes to feed the pelicans) for CNY35 (S$6.70) per pax. The boat brings you on a relaxing ride through the wetlands, but chances are you won’t be focusing on the scenery. A flock of pelicans follows each boat once it sets off, it’s really quite a sight. Throw little fishes from the boat into the pelicans’ mouths — our daughter enjoyed this so much that she asked to do it twice!
Other feeding experiences include feeding the flamingoes, which was unfortunately not available when we visited. However, we did get to feed seeds to little birds using a spoon for CNY10 (S$2).
Take a stroll on the crocodile bridge, where the powerful predators swim below you. You might even spot a few of them lounging on the shores! We were super excited to see a crocodile walk on land for the first time too.
The crocodile bridge will bring you to an area with capybaras. We were lucky to catch them having a soak in the pool, how cute!
This park is much smaller than Chimelong Safari Park, and we could easily cover it in a couple of hours. Before you leave, make sure to catch the lovely ‘Hundred Birds in Flight’ show.
Chimelong Paradise
Chimelong Paradise is a world-class theme park with over 70 rides. We liked how there were rides catering to both thrill-seeking adults and kids. There are plenty of mascots roaming around too, so get your cameras ready!
Tip: If you’re visiting with very young kids, we suggest giving this park a miss. Whilst there are kids’ rides, many of them have a height restriction. However, if your family loves thrills, this is the place for you!
Chimelong Water Park
Chimelong Water Park is catered towards older kids, so we gave this a miss this time round. We’ll be back for it next time!
The dazzling circus is a must-see
Be prepared to be swept off your feet at the Chimelong International Circus, which is a spectacular gravity-defying extravaganza. Don’t blink as trapeze artists whip through the air, motorcyclists zoom around in a metal ball, and daring divers leap into the water. The kids were super mesmerised, and sat throughout the entire show!
In between each act, an entertaining crew of dancers and clowns emerge to entertain the crowd. You can also expect giant inflatable balls thrown into the audience, and bubbles wafting through the air. Who knows, you might even be sprayed by water guns.
The best part? We’re big on animal welfare, and were heartened to see that whilst the show featured animals, they were only involved in the parade. We loved that the animals weren’t made to do tricks! They also looked well taken care of, which was a great plus point.
Tip: We recommend splashing out on VIP tickets to be front and centre of all the action.
Base yourselves at Chimelong Panda Hotel
And with so much to do, the best thing to do is to base yourselves at a nearby hotel. All of the above can be easily reached from the Chimelong Panda Hotel:
- Chimelong Safari Park: seven minutes by shuttle bus
- Chimelong Bird Park: thirty minutes by shuttle bus or fifteen minutes by taxi
- Chimelong Paradise: five minutes on foot
- Chimelong Water Park: fifteen minutes on foot
- Chimelong International Circus: ten minutes on foot
Besides, a stay at the Chimelong Panda Hotel is an experience in itself! Treat the family to the cutest themed rooms, character dining with panda mascots, a special bedtime stories segment for kids, and more. Hotel guests can even enjoy a 30-minute early entry privilege to Chimelong Safari Park and Chimelong Paradise.
Want to know more? Read all about our stay here!
This article is contributed by E-lyn, a mummy to both a three-year-old toddler and a five-year-old dog. She also loves all things Disney!