We arrived in Zhoushan, Zhejiang this afternoon. When we got there, we were hit by a brief but intense rainstorm. The rainfall was extremely heavy, coming down hard but stopping just as quickly — probably a characteristic of island weather.
Although it was raining heavily, it didn’t dampen our family’s vacation mood. Bad weather might affect sightseeing, but the most important thing about traveling is your state of mind, isn’t it?
The decision to vacation in Zhoushan was quite sudden, triggered simply by a photo shared by a colleague of my husband’s friend on social media, which eventually made its way to him. He decided on the spot to come here.
Before this, I had racked my brains trying to figure out where to go. Since we were traveling with 20-month-old Xuexue, there were so many factors to consider when choosing a destination: distance, transportation, local climate, food habits, budget, time, scenery, and more.
1
Initially, the first place that came to mind was Shuanglang and Erhai Lake in Dali, Yunnan. I only completely ruled it out right before this trip.
Why did I consider Yunnan?
The top reason was to escape the heat. Nanjing has been unbearably hot lately, practically scorching every day, to the point where Xuexue could hardly go outside — she’d come back drenched as if she’d just been pulled out of water. Meanwhile, temperatures in Yunnan are around 20°C, just needing a light jacket, making it perfect for beating the heat.
Additionally, I’ve always wanted to visit Yunnan, but something always got in the way, leaving me with this lingering regret.
But then I considered the long travel distance. Not only are there no direct flights from Nanjing to Dali, even flying to Kunming takes three hours, and then there’s the hassle of transferring to trains or buses. Traveling with a toddler and all our luggage in “refugee mode” would really kill the joy of the trip. Also, last-minute flights for the next few days were pricey, and good hotels during this peak season would likely be hard to book. After weighing everything, we scratched that idea.
2
I also thought about Xiamen because it has the sea and beaches — nothing attracts kids more than digging in the sand and splashing in the water. We’ve been to Gulangyu once before, so we have some familiarity with the area, which makes travel more comfortable. Plus, it’s only a little over an hour direct flight from Nanjing, an acceptable duration for a child, and the airfare is relatively affordable.
But after checking the weather, Xiamen wasn’t any cooler than Nanjing, and due to a typhoon, it’s been rainy almost all week. That took away some of my enthusiasm.
3
Then I thought of Chengdu, since Xuexue’s dad has been there many times. Every time he comes back, he tells me how delicious the food is there and says we must take you to try it someday. As the mom of a “little foodie,” I’ve always been deeply drawn to Chengdu’s cuisine. Plus, Chengdu isn’t as hot as Nanjing, which only added to its appeal.
If my husband’s friend hadn’t mentioned Zhoushan, we might very well be eating hotpot in Chengdu by now. But then I found out that direct flights from Nanjing to Chengdu also take about three hours, and the flight schedules weren’t great. Booking last-minute tickets for those days was also quite expensive, and my sister warned me that Chengdu’s attractions aren’t ideal for kids. Shanghai Disneyland came up as an alternative, but after comparing all options, we passed on that too.
4
After ruling out Chengdu, my sister talked me into Shanghai Disneyland. First, the marketing blitz for Disneyland’s reopening was still fresh in my mind; second, Shanghai is close — just over two hours by high-speed rail, and the ticket prices are much cheaper than flights; third, I never got to go to Disneyland as a kid, so I really hoped to live out that dream through Xuexue.
But when I suggested Disneyland to my husband, he shot it down immediately — his only reason being that Xuexue is too young to enjoy it. He said we should wait until she’s older.
At that point, I was pretty annoyed. Nothing seemed to work, and all the time, energy, and emotion I’d invested in decision-making felt wasted. I snapped at my husband and said, “Fine, you choose then. If not, we might as well just stay home!”
5
My husband isn’t usually proactive about these things — he needs someone to keep nudging him along. For the first third of our high-temperature leave, we just “stayed home.” I thought the rest of the days were a lost cause, but then, almost by chance and on a whim, we chose Zhoushan.
So why Zhoushan?
First, it’s within the Jiangsu-Zhejiang-Shanghai region, so we can drive there. When traveling with a baby, it’s really best to drive if you can — otherwise, the whole “refugee-style” travel experience can really ruin your mood.
Second, it has the sea, mountains, and beaches. Our family loves these “three elements,” and there aren’t many places that offer all three. Dongji Island in Zhoushan is said to be where the first ray of sunlight in China rises. Just hearing that makes you want to check it out, doesn’t it?
Third, the temperature is not as hot as in Nanjing. It’s not as cool as Yunnan, but at least it’s not scorching either (it’s surrounded by ocean — how hot could it be?).
Since most of the factors aligned with our expectations, and time waits for no one, we made the cheerful and straightforward decision. We decided on Monday night and packed up to leave on Tuesday. So you could say this was a spontaneous “trip at the drop of a hat” for us~
Xuexue’s Mom has something to say: Today’s post is mainly about how I choose travel destinations with a baby. If it’s just the two of us, money and time are the main considerations. But once you bring a child into the picture, money and time instantly become secondary — the child’s comfort comes first. I wrote this while enduring stomach pain because I felt uneasy about not updating for several days. Now you can scan the QR code for my personal WeChat below — feel free to add Xuexue’s Mom and share your travel troubles with me.