Enchanting Swiss Alpine Weekend or Weekday Getaways in South China

Imagine a magical weekend or weekday getaway in a Swiss alpine village, staying in a 5-star lakeside hotel, golfing through lush green hills and valleys, relaxing in a European-style spa, taking the children on train adventures through tea plantations and forests – and enjoying world-class entertainment at night.

This is what the new Interlaken OCT Hotel Shenzhen is offering. Modeled on the historic Swiss town of Interlaken and set amid scenic hills and freshwater lakes, the resort is just 30 minutes drive from the Hong Kong border at Shenzhen.

Visitors should plan to arrive in the morning at the enchanting tourist destination and check in to the fairy-tale Interlaken OCT Hotel, themed after an historic European castle.

Lunch is served at the Interlaken Café, on the shore of ‘Lake Interlaken’, where guests are transported to a typical European brasserie, styled after a Swiss marketplace with a bakery and grill, plus Asian kitchen.

In the afternoon, its time for a stroll through ‘Interlaken Village’ with its delightful ‘gingerbread’ houses, restaurants, shops, colorful street parades and musical entertainment.

Just a few minutes away is the serene Tea Stream Valley, where an ‘Ancient Tea Town’ shows the history of tea culture and serves home-grown teas and Chinese delicacies. In a hillside tea garden visitors can pick their own tea leaves, before trying their hand at tea making in a replica tea factory.

Adding to the entertainment in Tea Stream Valley is ‘Tian Nai’, a traditional outdoor musical showcasing tea planting and picking by Chinese ethnic minorities.

Late afternoon, visitors can reserve a seat at the spectacular two-hour “Tian Chan” at The Interlaken Grand Theatre, with a cast of hundreds of international dancers performing a musical extravaganza based on the history and culture of tea.

In the evening, visitors can reserve a table for a traditional Cantonese dinner at the Charming Lake Chinese Restaurant, or perhaps the Tuscan-style ‘Vista Lago’ Italian garden restaurant. The Interlaken OCT Hotel and OCT East offer a wide variety of international restaurants and bars to suit all budgets.

In the evening, it’s a perfect time for a little pampering and indulgence at The Interlaken Spa, one of the largest and state-of-the-art health spas in China.

Covering an expansive 20,000 square metres, it is modeled after historic European spa resorts, combining indoor and open-air mineral water pools and tubs, health management, Asian and European spa treatments, spa dining and well-being amenities, and mountain cottages.

Rich underground mineral spring water complements a wide selection of pampering and wellness treatments, health care spa courses, health food, health diagnosis, French anti-aging clinic and recreation centre.

End the night memorably with ‘happy hour’ at the hotel’s cathedral-themed bar Gothic Bar with high-vaulted ceilings, chandelier and stained glass windows, savouring specialty cocktails or wine from an extensive cellar against the backdrop of live music.

After an early morning breakfast back at The Interlaken Café, the serious exploration begins aboard the Yunhai Express, a mountain sightseeing combination of jungle funicular and forest train.

The train journey runs along two kilometers, circling a reservoir and Tea Valley before climbing steeply to a mountain top for breathtaking views of OCT East.

Golfers can next retreat to the fairways of Wind Valley, amid breathtaking lake and mountain scenery, cliffs and waterfalls. Two championship golf courses also incorporate Yunhaigu Country Sports Park, with a driving range and various other sports facilities.

The Interlaken OCT Hotel Shenzhen and OCT East is just 30 minutes from the Lo Wu border and one hour from Hong Kong city. OCT East operates daily direct cross-border coaches from Kowloon Tong, stopping at Sha Tin and Fanling, the Sha-tou-jiao customs then to the resort.

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