Friday, Saturday, Sunday in Shenzhen Part 2

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Saturday in Shenzhen
8AM Start the day with a healthy breakfast combo of congee and la chang at Xingji Noodles. La chang is a traditional Cantonese hand-made noodle dish. The ingredients are laid atop flour batter, which is steamed, rolled and served with various sauces. La chang noodles are tender and tasty and the dish, which tends to be cheap, is a popular accompaniment to hot congee.
9AM Pack water, snacks, sunscreen and swimsuits and make your way to OCT East, an eco-tourism spot featuring two theme parks, four resort hotels and two 18-hole golf courses. An old-fashioned train connects Tea Stream Resort Valley, Ecoventure Valley and Huaxing Temple.
10AM Ecoventure Valley offers a full day of fun for the type of amusement park enthusiast who is game for just about anything. Do the grand tour of the park’s five zones: Breakers Lagoon, Rapids Forest, Seafield Village, Adventure Canyon and Peak Highland. There’s even a Buddhist theme park at OCT East, complete with gilded statues and a Buddhist-themed hotel. Eateries throughout the complex serve a mix of fast food and sit-down meals.
3PM Take the forest train to Tea Stream Resort Valley. Have your camera ready to capture the views while strolling, cycling, pedal-boating, travelling by electric cart or even by hot-air balloon. Be back at the theatre by 4pm to catch a multimedia show that traces the history of tea. For a first-hand experience of China’s most time-honoured export, visit Ancient Tea Town. Sit in on the 80-minute tea-collecting and -panning workshop and take home your DIY Chinese tea. Or sign up for the less-challenging, 30-minute pottery-making class if you’re keen to make your own chinaware. Before leaving, quench your thirst with a glass of tasty soybean milk for just S$0.60.
6PM If you’re ready for an early dinner, head to the open kitchen-style Garden Café at the Oasis O City Hotel. Offerings include fusion dishes and selections from a wide range of international cuisines.
8PM It can get chilly at OCT East at night so why not take the opportunity to go for a dip in the Interlaken Spa’s hot pools? The spa is home to a staggering 22 outdoor pools, many of which are said to offer medicinal benefits. Naturists can even romp naked in the hilltop pools. And don’t miss the indoor facilities, where spa treatments are available until 2am.
From a dormitory-style room at the Cargo Hostel (built from retired containers), to a private room at the mid-range Otiqu Aqua OCT Hotel to a suite at the posh Interlaken OCT Hotel, there’s sure to be an accommodation at the OCT East Theme Hotel Cluster to suit your budget.

MY PERFECT SATURDAY
My perfect Saturday starts at around 9am. I slowly get ready with a brewed coffee and a pastry bought the night before at Simply Life. I’ll meet friends for a Cantonese dim sum lunch at Laurel, after which I’m ready for a good workout followed by a blissful full-body massage at the Ritz-Carlton Shenzhen spa and fitness centre. I might stop by the coffee shop there after my rejuvenation and read The New York Times on my iPad. Then it’ll be time for dinner with friends – a delicious vegetarian meal at the Summer Tea House. The food is great and cheap. An evening drink at the Grand Hyatt Penthouse is always great. I especially like the house Pinot Grigio along with the great views. If I still have enough energy, it might be off to clubbing at RichyBaby, followed by a late- night snack in Luohu.
Brent Deverman, founder of Shenzhenparty.com

Blog Image by Johnson Zhang.

(To Be Continue...)

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Friday in Shenzhen

Sunday in Shenzhen

"Friday, Saturday, Sunday in Shenzhen"