Suzhou Xishan Island Lakeside B&B Experience Diary | 48 hours embraced by Taihu Lake

| 48 hours embraced by Taihu Lake. 【Escape from the city plan launched】 After get off work on Friday, I stepped on the accelerator and fled Shanghai. The navigation located "Suzhou Xishan Island" and chased the sunset all the way west. As the car passed the Taihu Lake No. 3 Bridge, the lake water shone with golden light in the twilight, and the dark green mountains and scattered fishing lights in the distance outlined an outline like an ink painting - I knew that I had made the right choice this weekend! 🏡 **At first sight: a healing courtyard with a lake right outside the door** The housekeeper was waiting in the parking lot early and drove a car to help us move our luggage (a plus for the service 💯). Walking through a stone path full of cosmos flowers, the moment you push open the wooden fence - wow! An entire floor-to-ceiling window brings the blue of Taihu Lake directly into the living room! The swing in the yard was swaying gently in the lake breeze, and rattan tables and chairs were placed on the wooden terrace. The only sounds in my ears were the tinkling of wind chimes and the lake water lapping against the shore. ✨ **Private camera**: The sunrise view from the panoramic terrace on the second floor is amazing! At 6 o'clock in the morning, I wrapped myself in a blanket and waited for the sun to jump out of the lake. The sunset glow dyed the entire lake into honey orange. The camera could not capture 1/10 of its beauty! 🛏️ **Stay experience: Live in the embrace of the lake breeze** We chose the "Tinglan" lake view suite, and the design of seeing the water when opening the window really touched me! The original wood color is matched with linen-textured home furnishings, and the details such as smart toilet/Dyson hair dryer/Muji aromatherapy machine reveal the taste of the owner. I love the tatami tea table by the window. I pour the Biluochun tea brought by the housekeeper into the purple clay teapot. I drink tea and daydream while appreciating the beautiful scenery of lakes and mountains. I finally understand what the ancients meant by "stealing a little leisure for a little while in this busy life". 🍲 **Taste buds attack: divine private dishes by Taihu Lake** I thought the food and beverage at the B&B would be perfunctory, but I was pleasantly surprised! Breakfast is Su-style noodle soup with four-square side dishes, and the toppings include freshly fried eel shreds; the main meal is a must-order👇 ✅ **Hidden Menu**: The free-range chicken pot ordered in advance is simmered for 4 hours. The soup is covered with golden chicken fat. A sip warms your heart and stomach. 🍵Afternoon tea is handmade by the boss lady, sweet-scented osmanthus lotus root + freshly ground soy milk. Sitting in the hanging basket beside the Metasequoia forest, I felt like a hermit master in a martial arts drama~ 🚴 **How ​​to play around the lake: Take in the romance of the entire Taihu Lake** ▪️ **Cycling and Exploring**: The B&B provides free vintage bicycles. Cycling along the 5-kilometer lakeshore, you will see dams full of wild flowers, wooden boats with fishing nets, and locals wearing bamboo hats digging lotus roots. ▪️ **Sunset Cruise**: Charter a small fishing boat (80 per person, great value!), the old boatman takes us through the reed marshes, watching the sunset dye the masts golden, and silver fish leaping out of the waves split by the bow ▪️ **Late-night Easter Egg**: The housekeeper quietly told us that there are blue tears on the mudflats after low tide! Although there are only a few scattered points, it is like the Milky Way is crushed and sprinkled into Taihu Lake 💌 **Heartwarming details: service more considerate than a boyfriend** ➰ I noticed that I always comb my hair when taking photos, so I quietly put a new shark clip in my room ➰ Show up at the door when it's raining: "Would you like to try our hand-brewed coffee?" ➰ When I left the store, they gave me a can of homemade osmanthus honey: "Bring the autumn of Taihu Lake home" 📝 **Real evaluation tips**: ✔️Self-driving is more convenient, 2 hours direct from Shanghai ✔️Child-friendly! There are children's picture books/sand digging tools/small fish pond ✔️Remember to bring a coat in autumn and winter, the lake breeze is 3℃ lower than the city ✔️ Book a room 1 week in advance, panoramic rooms are very popular! When I was sitting on the high-speed train on my way back and looking through the photos, I suddenly realized: it turns out that recovery does not require traveling far, all it needs is a room with a view and a group of people who treat life with care. The wind from Xishan Island is still lingering on my hair, but I am already thinking about bringing my parents to take a dip in the winter hot spring next time~