A Little Clickbait-y, My Bad!
-
Oh, last time I was just complaining and didn't clarify the situation clearly. After listening to everyone's suggestions, I'd like to explain properly.
I originally planned to visit the Guangzhou Chimelong Safari Park but unfortunately missed out due to unforeseen circumstances, which was such a pity! And what a waste of the 280 RMB booking fee.
During the Labor Day holiday (which refers to China's May Day, known as “May 1st” and usually starts from May 1st, during which the crowds are massive everywhere), getting out to experience it wasn't even slightly pleasant! It would be best if everyone can stay at home if possible.
I drove out from Shenzhen (a big city near Guangzhou) on May 2nd, not expecting traffic would be so heavy that I simply couldn't make it for the scheduled 2:00 pm park entry time. (The tickets were bought through 'Meituan App', which is a very popular life service app in China, where you can order food, book hotels, buy attraction tickets, etc., and my ticket had suggested entry times that made me think I had to arrive by 2:00 pm. So folks, be sure to read the conditions carefully when buying tickets!) At that time I thought about moving the tickets to May 3rd, and the safari park staff said they can change dates once, the problem was, my tickets were purchased via Meituan, their customer service wouldn't allow me to refund or modify the tickets. Ugh, I spent quite some time arguing with them.
Lessons and experiences:
- It's crucial to be cautious with the ticket purchase process.
- You need to choose a specific date when purchasing attraction entrance tickets.
- These types of tickets usually cannot be modified nor refunded, especially through third-party platforms such as Meituan.
- If you wish to return your ticket, you will likely have to apply a lot earlier than usual.
- Advice: Plan your trip well ahead by selecting which day you want to go before buying the ticket.
- Park Entry and Closing Times Must be Clearly Understood
- I assumed the park would open until 2:00 pm, and close at 4:00 pm, so if I couldn't reach the site by 2:00 pm, I'd miss out for free.
- Later, I heard that the Safari Park closes at around 6:00pm.
- Recommendation: Check the official website or call the attraction directly to confirm the latest operational hours before departure. Especially when things are tight or during holidays, arriving at the destination place of the attraction one day earlier is highly recommended.
- Relying too much on Third-party bookings is not a good idea!
- This time, I encountered difficulties dealing with Meituan's inefficient customer service.
- Recommendation: Try booking tickets directly through each attraction's official websites and carefully read the refunding or change policy before payment.
To sum up, the reason this happened was due to my own lack of attention while reading the rules and being overly rushed with plans. Also, I didn't really expect so many people would come out during the Labor Day holiday, making queues seem never-ending like this! It was around 5 hours from Shenzhen to Guangzhou! Please take note, going out during China’s public holidays requires utmost caution!
In the end, just wanted to ask if anyone knows whether a trip to Chimelong Safari Park on May 3rd would witness less crowd than last time?
- It's crucial to be cautious with the ticket purchase process.
-
Blaming Chimelong for the May Day traffic, LOL, that's hilarious!
-
I don't think they're actually blaming Chimelong, more like saying the whole trip experience was bad.
-
What's Chimelong got to do with it? It's Meituan, and you didn't manage your time well either.
-
That's just clickbait, pure and simple.
-
You really need to lower your expectations when traveling during holidays. Haven't you learned that after all these years? Which attractions in Guangzhou or Shenzhen are ever not crowded?
-
Always holding onto illusions, I guess.
-
Today, Guangzhou's congestion index was in the top three nationwide. Besides, Chimelong is packed even on weekdays.
-
Yeah, it's best to avoid tourist spots during holidays.
-
You should've avoided Meituan. If you buy from Chimelong's official site, you can usually change your booking once for free.
-
Exactly! Always better to buy from the official website.
-
They close at 6 PM, by the way.
-
What? Meituan said it closes at 4 PM! I was already on my way and had to turn back.
-
You probably would've regretted it even if you'd made it in.
-
Suddenly, work doesn't seem so bad. You earn money and get to avoid the holiday crowds.
-
True that.
-
Ever since that May Day I went to Dapeng, where the bus got so stuck in traffic everyone had to get out and walk to the beach... I've sworn off tourist spots on May Day ever since.
-
It's so tough. Crowds really ruin the experience.
-
Of course it's going to be packed on May Day!
-
It's much better to go on a cooler weekday. Fewer people, and tickets are usually cheaper than on holidays too.