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Holiday Paradise – Club Med Guilin

The recently completed the High-Speed Rail is certainly helping Hong Kong to connect faster to the cities in the Greater Bay area (GBA) and beyond. This greater connectedness allows Hong Kong to be used as a launch point by international visitors to visit these cities in the Greater Bay Area and beyond. This is amply illustrated by a vacation trip from Hong Kong to Guilin, one of China's major tourist destinations, which, thanks to the high-speed rail, is now reachable in only three hours.

Our trip to Club Med Guilin started with a relaxed and smooth ride on the High-Speed Rail from West Kowloon to Guilin. Reaching speeds in excess of 300 kilometres an hour, the high-speed rail experience is travel in a 21st-century mode. We arrived on-time and refreshed, two distinct advantages that rail has over air travel.


Club Med, which started in France, pioneered the all-inclusive holiday village concept; a stay there is a unique and immersive experience, which means a worry-free vacation, the whole family fully pampered, and a totally interactive and engaging vacation experience.

Club Med Guilin, an hour away from the city, comprises a vast 46-hectare facility located in a picturesque valley nestled amongst the famous karst mountains of Guilin. The grounds are immaculately and artfully landscaped with beautiful gardens, ponds, a large natural pool, wide lawns with imposing stone sculptures and uber-size animal sculptures. The resort village has several kids' clubs catering to different age groups offering a plethora of activities including swimming, cycling, arts and crafts, etc. There are also plentiful activities for adults, such as golf, rock climbing, and mountain biking. It also has a luxurious spa offering various packages.

The heart of the dining and social activities is the Atelier, which houses a lounge, a theatre space, an international buffet restaurant, a large bar area, and more. There are other dining outlets including the noodle bar, our favourite, where you can order the locally famous Guilin Noodles as late-night snacks.


What makes Club Med tick, though, is their staff and the unique way they serve guests. Called GO (Gracious Organisers), the international staff come from countries all over the world. The general manager of the resort is called a Village Chief. Together , they immerse themselves in serving their guests. In plain terms, guests dine, drink, play, and party with the staff, day and night. There are nightly performances and shows put on by the GOs themselves and led by the village chief himself. Their enthusiasm is infectious.

 

All meals are covered, with sumptuous buffets available for each meal. After dinner is when all the action is as the Bar becomes party central with the GOs performing, leading and encouraging all to dance.


Club Med offers day trips to famous sightseeing destinations. Our outings included a bamboo raft trip down the Li River, Guilin's iconic river. A bamboo raft offers a water's edge experience – the floating raft gliding along the water as you watch the geologically wondrous karst mountains surrounding the river passing by.


The other outing is a visit to a tea plantation for which that Guilin is famous. The picturesque terraced tea plantations dotting the valley slopes are great for de-stressing. We even picked our own tea leaves straight from the trees, which were dried on site and brought home as a souvenir.


For May and June, Club Med Guilin is offering a four-day, three-night inclusive package (accommodation, all meals, snacks, drinks at the bar, activities, etc.) for a family of four starting from $10,666. It's also promoting a summer package at a discount of up to 40 percent. For more details call 3111 9388, or email sales.hongkong@clubmed.com or go to www.clubmed.com.hk .
Using Hong Kong as a hub to travel to the Greater Bay Area and beyond makes a lot of sense, it’s convenient and fast – with plenty to do if you stop over en route.

 

 

Edited on May 2, 2019

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