Our short a** two-week summer vacation was extended to a month for the reason of Covid, but ain’t no one complaining. Majority of my vacation was spent at home painting on my balcony, resting, writing, and just pouring into the things I enjoy. For the sake of being in a new environment, even though restrictions were still in place, I made an effort to at least go for a short getaway before returning to work again.
I decided on a day trip to Leshan, hoping to visit Emei Mountain and enjoy the hot springs. Although everything didn’t go as planned, I was alright with that.
Here’s a little about Leshan, and how I enjoyed my 1-day solocation.
About Leshan
- Leshan is a prefecture-level city located in Sichuan Province and a city south of Chengdu.
- Leshan is known for its food culture and has all the street food from the surrounding areas.
- Some of the well-known tourist attractions in Leshan are the Mount Emei Scenic Area, Leshan Giant Buddha, and Oriental Buddha Park.
- Although part of Sichuan, the Leshan dialect (Southern linguistic system) is very different from the cities within the province which belong to the Northern system.
Book with Panda Experience
I usually don’t care to book with travel companies, but this time around I said, why not. I wanted to do something special for myself and not have to plan too much, and it was well worth it.
Panda Experience frequently posts advertisements on WeChat for various places all over China, and I was interested in booking a stay at a hot springs hotel. I took a look at the variety of hotel/hot spring experiences offered and chose from there.
What was included in the package was 1). my accommodation (choice of room – private hot spring 1- bedroom) and 2). roundtrip train tickets departing from my city for the total price of 1282 RMB.
For those living in China, the best way to contact them is via WeChat at “pandaexperiencechina“.
Where to stay – Zen Flora
One of the hotels on the list Panda Experience offered was Zen Flora Hotel. A lovely hot spring hotel not too far from Emei Mountain.
I chose a 1-bedroom with a private hot spring pool since I was going alone and wanted privacy. The room rate for this choice was 1100 RMB/night.
What to do
I took an early train from Chengdu to Leshan so I had about 2 full days’ worth of enjoyment before my return the next day in the evening. As I mentioned before, I was hoping to visit Emei Mountain, but I didn’t calculate the time it would take to drive to the scenic spot and return before it would get dark. Regardless, my stay was short and sweet. I took it very easy and enjoyed the relaxation time.
Enjoy the hot springs
The main reason I wanted a little getaway. Booking myself my own private pool was worth it and a needed treat. Go head ladies, and be great with yo self-care!
Take a walk around the city
Walking around a new city has become my favorite way to discover a place. Fresh air, and a whole lot of new experiences in new places.
Visit the Dafochan Temple
Since visiting Emei Mountain was off the list, I asked my hotel for some recommendations and explored this beautiful Buddhist Temple. It was about a 15-20 minute drive from my hotel and a good start to exploring the city and culture.
And that would have concluded my stay in Leshan. Short and sweet, yet wholesome and rejuvenating to the core.
Bucket list for next time
- Emei Mountain Scenic Area
- Leshan Giant Buddha
- Oriental Buddha Park
Basically everything Leshan is known for ✨
