It sounded like a great idea – go camping on a farm on an island in the Yantze River. It sounded like it was going to be a peaceful and restful experience.
Nobody told me that the campsite was under the flight path of Pudong International Airport, and that planes flew overhead every 90 seconds or so. As I lay in my tent, there were times when I actually thought the plane was going to land on top of me. I couldn’t believe how loud it was.
The kids didn’t seem to notice though and after much running around and excitement at the idea of their first ever camping experience, it was midnight and the camp fell quiet.
The landings became less frequent which meant that in between several of them I managed to fall asleep, only to be woken nat 5:30am by the kids who had risen with the sun and started running around the campsite again howling for breakfast.
The toilets were western style but only three for each gender shared amongst 45 families so I tried not to consume much so that I didn;t need to use them. The smell was quite bad if you strayed anywhere near.
It was fun overall though and the kids were happy and made me laugh. My tent was robust and possibly the most professional on the campsite (it being a proper Vango force ten mountain tent).
However, that doesn’t mean I want to do it again. I think once is enough when youu’re trying to sleep under a flight path. It’s no
t the discomfort but the lack of sound-proofing.
The farm itself is huge as has many facilities on it including a fishing lake, 5 star hotel, plenty of greenhouses, play areas, cafes, restaurants and market gardens.
One major disadvantage is also a strength – it’s hard to get to. This means that you need a car or undertake a long bus ride to get there but when you’re there it seems like you’re in another country, not just outside Shanghai.
It feels like you’re on holiday and so it’s worth investing in the time needed to get there if you’re looking for an away day from Shanghai.