Scenery Retreats Dongjiang Lake Villa Resort

I would like to say this resort is just not worth going too.. so nobody will go there and I can have it all to myself..haha.. This is a gem in China for sure.. Rooms are amazing, clean, comfortable, wine cooler with 3 great bottles (Chinese wine but good ones, the Organic red is fantastic) and even a water purifier so you have endless clean drinking water from the tap. An outdoor spa per room, professional chef quality stove so you can BBQ outdoors (and spa) if you wish, (also has oven and microwave) prepared BBQ available from the kitchen. The restaurant is simple but food is quality plus. The staff are very courteous and even know how to serve wine. Not a lot to do on the island but there is possibility for some water-sport and a must is to go to the Karst Caves. They are not so big but some of the best I have seen, Tip.. go very late in the afternoon so it is not full of loud Chinese.. We could hear the water dripping, very nice.. There is an offer for a Helicopter ride in the morning, 500RMB, one person free, so worth doing, but it is short, about 15 mins, but being an engineer I know the costs of running helicopters so for 250 RMB each for a couple is what I expected.. worth it for sure.. Usual with China, go during the week. we arrived Sunday afternoon, was a madhouse on check-out. We had the resort to ourselves and about 4 other couples for the Sunday evening we stayed. It can be a bit confusing to get there, you must pay at the park entrance (which includes the caves and ferry) and then it is not so well signed how to get there from the ferry. Get off the ferry and go past the tourist visitor building towards the watersports area. Just before that you will see the jetty for the return ferry (different from the landing one) and some shops, wait there, buy some smoked fish and fresh fruit, and wait for a golf buggy to arrive, they come often, or call the hotel to request one.. It is a little too far to walk, if you do, take the middle path (brown wood sign in Chinese) and stop at the blue floating swimming pool building, it is the reception. We walked past it and had to go back to check in.. Fantastic chill out retreat, will definitely be using this more for wind-down times. 1hr 20 mins by G train from Guangzhao South station, then about 1 hour taxi from Chenzhou station, 180 RMB, drivers are pretty honest.. Make sure you get the hotel to arrange a driver to pick you up when you return on the ferry and that he knows to take you to the correct station. There will be no taxi's there so you could have a long wait otherwise, possibly miss the train. Also the ferry has an upper deck area that is 10 rmb per person extra, worth it as it gets you out of the crowd..Hotel staff speak some English, but basic Chinese helps.. Breakfast is HUGE and included..