{Shanghai ~ June 09-12, 2016}
I heard about people having a “staycation” but I never “went” for one on my own. So when the question came up: ‘what to do during the Dragon Boat Festival?’ there were basically two options:
#1 leaving Shanghai and traveling to Phuket, Koh Samui, Bali or the Philippines
#2 staying at home
#1 was easily off the options. a) because we were too late for booking. Hence, flights were ridiculously expensive and b) there were no non-stop flights left. So going on a 18-36 hours trip was definitely pointless.
That would leave us with #2: staying at home. But to be honest, what are you doing 4 full days at home? Yes, you could do a little “home-holiday” schedule with picking nice restaurants and going for massage or visiting some museums. But let’s be honest, that never happens. Reality is, that you end up sorting through your closet for the 10th time in this year. Doing boring paper work that you were pushing in front of you for months or finally hand-wash the nice cloths where you think Ayi can never do it carefully enough. Simply: NOT A HOLIDAY
Now that #1 and #2 were no options anymore, the STAYCATION idea came up.
But what makes a staycation different from just staying at home? What would you do on a staycation? And where should you go for a staycation?
The biggest difference between a staycation and staying at home is that you don’t get distracted by dirty washing, a pile of paper work and your full closet that is yelling at you: sort me out!
WHAT TO DO ON A STAYCATION
First of all, a staycation needs as much planning as any other vacation. From picking the right hotel, to defining the right amount of nights you want to stay. The great thing with a staycation is, that you can finally spend some time and do all the things that have been on your “to-do-list” for ages. No matter if it’s writing postcards, creating a photo book [yes, there are still people in this world who are doing a photo book with printed photos], reading one of the books you marked on your “GOOD READS” list or simply just enjoying getting spoiled by room service, a huge breakfast buffet and fast WiFi.
My suitcase for the staycation was packed with books, a nice collection of cards I wanted to write to family and friends, my travel journal that urgently needs some updated entries and my laptop to continue filling my website with content. The good thing with staycation is that there is no weight limit on your luggage – hence – mine was quite heavy….
TO-DO AND PACKING LIST
TIME TO WRITE SOME CARDS
TIME FOR READING
THE HOTEL
The right hotel is key! Living in Shanghai, there are plenty of options to choose from. So for the staycation the hotel had to be in a different district – or even on the other side of Huangpu River. Also the hotel should offer some great facilities that makes it easy to just jump into the pool, going for a workout or getting a massage. What’s going on around the area of the hotel? Any museums, exhibitions areas to explore? tripadvisor is always helpful to consult. For our staycation we picked the Kerry Hotel Parkside in Pudong. Great facilities and going from Puxi to Pudong is like traveling to a different city. We explored the industrial area with all the furniture warehouses where you can get some customized furniture for a good price.
EXPLORING AN INDUSTRIAL AREA IN PUDONG
EXPLORING AN INDUSTRIAL AREA IN PUDONG
CONCLUSION
would I do a staycation again? definitely YES. Especially when my little book with “things to do” gets longer and longer and I didn’t procrastinate at all.
But it’s also perfect for a few days of relaxing and getting pampered. No airport hassle, no luggage weight challenges for a few relaxing days.
Enjoy your first staycation!
cheers a*
