We took a Grab from the airport hotel to Suzhou at around 10am, and the journey took about two hours. By the time we arrived, it was already noon. We checked in to W Suzhou Hotel, which is a very modern and stylish hotel. The room was spacious and comfortable, featuring a swing chair, and the view was beautiful, overlooking a lake.

We then took a Grab to the Humble Administrator’s Garden with the Kin family. The Humble Administrator’s Garden is one of the most famous classical Chinese gardens in Suzhou and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. We engaged a guide to take us around the garden, which features numerous pavilions and bridges set among a network of interconnected pools and islands.

After that, we visited the Lion Grove Garden, which is well known for its large and maze-like Taihu rock formations at the centre. The garden gets its name from the rocks, which are said to resemble lions.

We then returned to Suzhou Center Mall, located next to our hotel, for a combined lunch and dinner. We chose Diandude, a dim sum restaurant. We ordered nine dishes, and the waitress even commented that we had ordered too much. The food was quite good, and the nine dishes of dim sum cost only about S$50.

The nice and modern hotel’s room

Humble Administrator’s Garden

Lion Grove Garden