Holidays Abroad: Day Trip to Hot Springs in Suzhou China

December 24th marked my first month in Shanghai and my first (of many) holidays abroad.

With a growing list of things to do around the city, I had plans to explore the city solo for the holidays.

Then my plans changed.

A friend of a friend introduced me to WannaTravel when I arrived in Shanghai.

Wait. What the heck is WannaTravel?

WannaTravel is a subscription on WeChat (I told you it was the thing in China – check out other APPs you need living in China) that provides group trips. Their event calendar has anywhere from 5-10 trips for each holiday. Trips range from Harbin in Northern China (also known as the Ice City for their world-famous ice sculpture festival and -31°F weather) to Chengdu in the Southwest of China (home of the Giant Panda Research Center- like real panda’s, not my adorable panda’s) along with occasional local Shanghai events.

I had obviously been perusing trips since I joined but I was hesitant to go solo. However, my friend assured me that no matter which trip I picked there would be other solo travelers.

Once I realized how cheap everything is, the financial excuse went out the window. However, I still couldn’t seem to shake the nervous feeling of attending solo.

In retrospect, it’s rather silly.

Hello! I just moved across the world solo and I couldn’t go on a day trip solo?

On December 22nd, I realized how silly this was.

No matter how fun exploring Shanghai solo would be, I wanted to be with people, not just around people for the holidays.

So, I booked a day trip.

A hot spring 2 hours west of Shanghai in Suzhou (pronounced Sujo). The hot spring includes 33 baths. Rose. Tea. Red Wine. Coconut. Coffee. Lavender. Tepid. Original. Words that literally have no English translation. An indoor bath with various types of hydrotherapy, Chinese massage, fish spa, cupping, and sand therapy.

Confirmation email received. I was set to go!

My interpretation of the email: meet at Zhongshan Park Exit 2 from the metro station at 9 am or we will leave you, bring your bathing suit and extra RMB for the seafood buffet, massage, and fish spa.

I’m sure there was other stuff, but that was the essentials.

Wait. I didn’t think about this. A bathing suit?

Did I even bring a bathing suit?

Okay, yes, I had a random triangle bikini stuffed in my backpack from my road trip.

I was 99% sure I had turned into a giant mother panda since arriving here. (I haven’t seen my own body in a month besides in the shower because it’s covered by 4-layers of clothing at all times!) The thought of putting on my bikini terrified me. What terrified me more was arriving at the hot springs to find it didn’t fit.

I begrudgingly tried it on quickly.

To my surprise, it fit. Man, am I pale. (Side note: I miss Fort Lauderdale Beach)

I shouldn’t have been surprised to find I was the first one to arrive at 9-am on the dot.

I was not getting left behind.

Shortly after, a girl about my age arrived. Another foreign kindergarten teacher from Moscow.

As other members arrived in groups, no one seemed too welcoming. Not one person would meet my gaze and if they did (by accident I’m sure) a friendly smile wasn’t returned. Alrighty, then…

I continued making small talk with the Russian teacher until her friend arrived. Then I just kind of stood there, not too shocked at the apparent rudeness of the two of them speaking Russian to one another right in front of me.

I’m getting used to the white noise of every language but English around me.

They were nice enough and intermittently included me in conversation in English as they were making fun of other members that were arriving.

But I didn’t really want to spend my day like this, so I told myself I’d wander solo once we arrived.

I really didn’t fancy this option but I would rather be solo than playing mean girl all day.

Luckily I didn’t have to, 15-minutes later a bubbly Asian girl ran up to the Russian girl. They met on a previous trip to the hot springs and after quick introductions, Anna, her husband Sander and I began chatting away.

Loading onto the bus, the three of us made plans to enjoy lunch together as we had all chosen the resort’s seafood buffet.

I plopped down next to a guy on the bus. He spent the first 45 minutes of the ride droning on and on about gaming and taking apart a computer. Apparently, me falling asleep wasn’t an indication to him that I understood or cared about what he was talking about because he kept nudging me awake.

Never a dull moment.

When we arrived at the hot springs, our group leader handed each of us bracelets with numbers.

The numbers mean something; I remember this from My First Visit to a Chinese Hospital!

It’s the key to your locker. DO NOT LOSE IT IN THE WATER! It’s 100RMB to unlock your locker. I only know this because Anna informed me that she lost hers in one of the hydrotherapy waterfalls the last time she was here. Of course, she sweet-talked her way out of the 100RMB.

Walking into the locker room with Anna, I quickly found my locker matching my bracelet. I turned around, very pleased with myself, and Anna was gone (obviously she had gone to her locker) and I was left in a sea of naked Asian women. (I will not go into further detail on my experience in the locker room to save myself from reliving that moment and to save you. You’re welcome…no, seriously.)

After putting my things in my locker, I wandered around to find Anna. I was trying to be useful and figure out where to go for lunch. Eventually, I decided it was easier for her to find me than vice versa, so I just stood there aimlessly trying not to look in the wrong place.

And just like that, she appeared.

This happened about three more times throughout the day. Every time we entered and exited the locker room it was through a different door/curtain. It began to be comical guessing what lay behind each curtain and where Anna would appear from.

Through a set of curtains, up the stairs, around the corner, and through a set of double doors was the restaurant.

The restaurant offered us a Christmas special for 68RMB (originally 98RMB). It included a seafood buffet individual hot pot, sushi, steak, fruits, veggies, juice, beer, wine, liquor, and dessert.

Anna might be more of a foodie than I am. We sat and ate lunch for over an hour, simply enjoying our meal and company.

I found my people.

Finishing up we decided to go change and head to the hot springs. Okay, they kinda kicked us out because lunch was over.

Anna suggested Sander and I play the stupid American “white card” (Sander is actually from Estonia and fluent in Chinese) and smuggle out a few bottles of beer to enjoy in the hot springs. We all agreed to walk quickly out of the dining room without making eye contact and see how far we could get. The wait staff started yelling at us in Chinese, and Anna later told me they were obviously telling us that we couldn’t take the beer outside and to come back. They didn’t come after us though, so it wasn’t too serious!

We spent the rest of the day jumping between the different baths, eating fruit, and drinking Chinese beer and tea.

Throughout the entire 8-hours we spent at the hot springs, we did not see one single person from our group. I have no idea where they went but I can guarantee they did not have as much fun as we did!