Heads Up, Uni Students: Chimelong Safari Park Ain't the Spot if You're Just 'Chongzhe Wan' (冲着玩 - just for kicks).
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Sure thing! Here is the translation:
Is the Chimelong Safari Park in Guangzhou as Fantastic as People Talk About Online? #ChimelongSafariPark #GuangzhouTravel
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I spent 324 RMB (approximately USD 45) on a ticket, but to be honest, I didn’t enjoy myself that much.
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There are tons of reviews saying it’s amazing, so I rushed there full of expectation, only to find out that many animals were out of sight, and the place was packed with people, just like a sea of heads.
However, there are some fair things to say:
- The animals inside the park appeared to be in good health, with shiniest fur, looked well cared for, much better than what I saw at the Nanchang Zoo (of another Chinese city).
But!
Given the almost 350 RMB (about $50) entry fee, I felt this experience was rather disappointing mainly because:-
There are simply too many people! It seems the park doesn’t really limit daily entries, resulting in crowds all over the place.
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And more vexing is that there are an excessive amount of extra charges places in the park!
- Many popular projects require long queues, and for us who would like to avoid waiting, it costs extra money to buy "express service" for faster queue bypass.
Concerning the scenic train ride throughout the park:
- My friend and I waited in line for two hours only to board!
- And guess what? The train travels so fast that most animals go by in a blink without having time to see them clearly. From boarding to exiting the train, the whole experience took me less than ten minutes.
- What’s more, there was no prior information indicating a certain part of the park required taking the scenic train for entering. This led to some confusion indeed.
In short, I had a very unsatisfying experience overall.
️ Important Points for Aspiring Visitors (Especially Foreign Travelers):-
Avoid Holidays at all Cost! If you plan to visit during Chinese national holidays (e.g., National Day, Spring Festival) or weekends, there will be so many people that you might think twice about it. Avoiding these periods is preferred.
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Be Mindful of Additional Charges for activities, especially if you intend to avoid queues or pay for better wildlife-feeding experience opportunities. Being aware of this will help you prepare your budget to avoid exceeding it.
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Consider Carefully About Scenic Train Experience: The queue may take several hours (prepare yourself), but the train ride and viewing of animals are very short. Some areas are only accessible via the scenic train; if you don’t use it, those spots are inaccessible.
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If Your Focus Is on Pandas – Perhaps it's better to consider visiting Sichuan Province of China where panda bears originated. There are numerous panda bases solely dedicated to pandas, e.g., Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding, which guarantees a more enjoyable and specialized panda-watching experience.
Lots of grievances yet to go beyond… Hence, I would not recommend visiting during holidays anymore.
请注意，部分标点符号和格式可能需要进一步调整以符合英语语言的习惯和标准。
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Chimelong gets super crowded even on weekdays, and you still picked a holiday to go? Sichuan is where pandas are from, so naturally, they'll have more there. Sixteen pandas at Chimelong is actually a lot for the Greater Bay Area, you know.
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There were only two. I went the day before yesterday.
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As an annual pass holder, I genuinely feel single-entry tickets aren't worth it. You really need to visit multiple times and take your time strolling around to truly appreciate Chimelong's charm. For example, seeing the keepers take the little animals home before closing, watching baby ostriches playfully tugging at the black-nosed sheep's wool, giraffes sparring, ponies picking on the lead sheep, little monkeys sucking their thumbs, a mandrill hassling a black swan, or even a panda climbing a tree and doing its business right in front of the audience...
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In the off-season, the little train moves incredibly slowly, taking at least half an hour, and it stops frequently for photo ops. During peak season, it just zooms past, completing the route in 15 minutes.
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If that little train doesn't go any faster, forget waiting two hours like today – you might not even get in after five!
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So why not just crank it up to 120 mph then?
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It's pretty fun.
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How can there be only two? The mother and daughter are definitely exhibited together. There are two more visible from the cable car, and the ones in the 'village' section are even closer, like, right up close!
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Just went today, and I think it was worth it. The only thing was, it was so incredibly hot, I was soaked to the bone.
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Way too many mosquitoes! Several areas in the park are full of them. I'm not going back. I've been countless times before, and I get bitten every single time.
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As far as the zoo experience goes for a visitor, Beijing Wildlife Park is much more enjoyable. It's really not worth it for people from northern China to travel all this way. I'm actually here right now.
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Totally worth it! Went on a weekday, used a different entrance, and didn't encounter any huge school tour groups the entire time. Only the train queue was a bit long, so we just used our 'wallet power' (paid for a fast pass), but it was only 50 RMB per person! It was a rushed day trying to see everything, but we even bumped into the lion-headed geese taking a stroll before their parade.
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Loved it! Would definitely go again.