Huizhou Tourgroup

I've always been amused by giant Asian tour groups - you know the ones where the tour guide walks around with a brightly- colored flag. 2 weekends ago, I got to be a part of one! Kai, a friend from Xinjiang, set up a 2 day 1 night tour to Huizhou, a 2 hr drive away from Shenzhen. Food, transportation, and 5-star hotel (actually 3.5-4 stars by American standards) all cost a total of 200rmb (28usd).

I quickly found out you get what you pay for, since we spent most of our time either on the bus, or waiting around. I can't blame them since it rained really hard, and it was so dirt cheap. We got to go to the beach (essentially a body of water, nothing too special), a golf resort (which was decently nice), a park, and hot springs (where we got to spend only 3 hrs).

It was great hanging out with friends though, and it was a lot of fun just being part of a Chinese tour group. However, I think in the future, I'll spring for a nicer trip that costs a bit more than 28usd.

 
These are the friends I was traveling with. 2 are friends that work in my office building. We spent a lot of time taking funny pictures, playing cards, and drinking beer.

 
We ended up staying at a golf resort, which was actually really nice. I suspect that the tour group may have worked out a deal with the golf resort so we could stay there for free so we could check out the place. It looked like they were trying to sell property, but it was very subtle - not like those Wyndam timeshare deals where you have to sit through a long presentation and such.

 
The more parks I go to, the bigger they seem to get. Parks are a huge thing here, and there are always tons of people.

 
The park had a bunch of little islands and a huge lake. I guess if you want more real estate, you gotta make more land. This is how they do it a few feet at a time!