china

Queen Spa occupies 40,000 square metres over 4 floors, and has 3000 square metres of spa and massage pools. 3,000 people capacity so there is no need to make reservations. Queen Spa Site /Spa

Entrance fee is:

RMB168 (including a 2 hr Chinese, HK or Thai massage)

RMB 228 (including a 2hr Aromatherapy massage)

This includes unlimited use of spa, pools, sauna, recliners, mini cinema and sleeping rooms, unlimited consumption of fruits, juices, soft drinks and ice cream.

To get there:

1) Free shuttle from LoWu Plaza/Rail Station

2) take a taxi from Lowu Train Station and tell them to take you to "Wang4 shi4 jia4 qi1" which is located at "Chun1 feng1 lu4". If you can't speak Mandarin, just ask the driver to take you to Chunfeng Rd and look for McDonalds. Queens Spa is located opposite McDonalds, beside the Breadtalk outlet. It occupies an entire building.

Carnival Club /Location: Carnival Club

Financial Centre Bldg

Shennanzhong Rd, Shenzen

Tel: 86-755-82244777

China Notes:

Return to HK airport from Shenzhen:

6:00 Leave hotel

Stay at the RailWay Station Hotel ($25/night)

tel 86-755-82321168

6:30 Border open ... go to rail station

6:35 Disembark China (blue form / luggage scan)

6:40 Embark HK (white form in passport)

6:45 Exit Customs

Elevator/Escalator/Ramp

6:50 Purchase train ticket to Sheung Shui $20HK

6:50 Train

7:00 Sheung Shui Exit

3rd Bus Stand A43 to airport $28 HK

7:00/ 7:20 Bus Depart

8:00 / 8:30 Arrive Airport

Hong Kong - Tokyo

Arrival: 3:45

4:00 Customs

4:15 Baggage

4:30 Exit Customs

4:45 Bus to Shinagawa

7:00 Shinagawa

Beijing - Tokyo

1:00 Arrival

1:10 Customs

1:20 Baggage

1:30 Kesei line to Asakusa/Uyeno

1:14 Sakura

1:53 Katsutadai/Yachiyodai/Takasago

1:58 Tsudanuma

2:17 Aoto - Change line

2:20 Oghiuge - Asakusa - Kuramae A3

Ikebukuro to Magicland

Yellow Yurakucho line

Higashi - Ikebukuro

Blue Idabashi (Tozai Line) => Kayabacho Station

Shenzhen notes:

http://community.travelchinaguide.com/review2.asp?i=673&pp=4

Shopping and Getting Around

Best known for shopping, Shenzhen features several key areas:

1. Lo Wu Commercial City by the HK border station, this is a 5 story megaplex with anything real or fake. The place to go for Western sizes in clothing and shoes! Metro stop: Luohu, exit A. Also see the note below in blue regarding the bus and train stations.

2. Dong Men Walking Street is the place to go for clothes and small-ticket items. Metro stop: Lao Jie, exit A

3. 8 Wal Mart stores around town, well as Carrefour and Sam's Club. Sam's membership is RMB150. In Futian, they are also building a HUGE Sam's/Wal Mart/ Multi-plex Theatre...will update when it's completed!

4. MixC Shopping Mall For now the largest (and easily the most expensive) shopping mall in Shenzhen. Highlights include the following: Olympic size indoor Ice Skating Rink, Golden Harvest Cinema movie theater, Ole - high end supermarket with many imported items, Spaghetti House, Starbucks, Tacobell (not the fastfood variety, but an actual restaurant). Metro stop: Da Ju Yuan, exit C-3

5. Hua Qiang Bei much like Dong Men, this is the place for anything electronic. Starbucks is here too. Metro stop: Hua Qiang Lu, exit A

6. Jusco, the Japanese supercenter if you crave western stuff, it's here. Next door to the CITIC Mall - with StarbucksMetro stop: Ke Xue Guan, exit D

7. KingGlory Plaza - it's a mall, along the lines of MixC...high priced. Does have a movie theater as well as IN bar/nightclub (that's the name of it). Metro stop: Guo Mao, exit A

Getting around town is easiest with the Metro (subway system): http://www.urbanrail.net/as/shen/shenzhen.htm

Taxi meters start at 12.5 yuan for the first 3 kilometers. Buses go everywhere and start at 2 yuan for most trips. Longest bus trip in the city will cost 7 yuan. Smaller buses (there are more of them and they go to more places...very easy to find them and they'll drop you off right at the door most times) start at 3 yuan. These will be phased out by December 31st.

There is also an International Airport (Bao'an District)and bus and train lines to just about anywhere in China.(Luohu station, Metro stop: Luohu, exit A). NOTE: Buses are located under the Shopping Center, while trains are located next door. Also be aware that this is where the border crossing for Hong Kong is as well, so there will be lots of people - watch your bags/wallets/etc.

Shenzhen is also known for theme parks: Splendid China, Window of the World, Disneyland HK is set to open in September, 2005 is now open, Chinese Folk Culture Village, etc. Metro stop for Folk Culture Village: Qiao Cheng Dong. Metro stop for Window of the World: Shi Jie Zhi Chuang

Shenzhen Garden and Flower Exposition Center - A huge outdoor park...includes a pagoda and beautiful waterfall. Metro stop: Qiao Cheng Dong, exit A - about a 10 minute walk from the Metro. Cost: RMB50

Other points of interest: Safari Park, Sea World, Shenzhen Horse Racing Club, Shiyan Lake Hot Spring Resort

Prices tend to be a little higher than in other parts of China (excluding Beijing and Shanghai), but most FT jobs pay more also...average salary for Shenzhen native is RMB4500...average for FT is now RMB8000.

for information regarding night life and other party-scene stuff in Shenzhen, check out:

http://www.shenzhenparty.com

Shekou is the expat hangout...supposedly 15,000 foreigners live in Shenzhen, and most live here. There is a "real" International School there, and anything and everything western that you might crave. Plus it's just a ferry hop to Hong Kong from there. 140 RMB one way to Hong Kong

UPDATE: Really, the only thing to do in Shekou is eat Western Food...and they have Western food at the local ParkNShoptm Store too. Bus numbers 113 and 328 to the end of the line (to the West) will get you to Shekou.