Idyllic Island Now Just 1 Hour From Shenzhen, Here's How to Book

By Evelyn Wang, May 30, 2018

Good news, Shenzheners: a new ferry route from Shekou Ferry Terminal to Zhuhai's Dong Ao Island opened last Saturday.

Dong Ao Island is a little-known destination that’s celebrated for being calm and beautiful, with Bendibao.com calling it ‘the last quiet island for holidays in China.’ With 82 percent forest coverage, clean beaches and crystal-blue water, it’s a great place for diving, surfing and sailing.

Before the new route opened, visitors from Shenzhen had to drive to Zhuhai’s Xiangzhou dock and then take the ferry to the island, a one-way trip of around three hours. Now it takes just one hour to get there, and ferry tickets can be purchased on WeChat via the following steps.

Step 1: Follow Shekou Ferry Terminal's official account

Open WeChat and search for official account ID ‘cmhk-xl’ (account name: 招商蛇口邮轮母港).

Step 2: Find the ticketing page

Enter the official account and choose ‘High-speed craft’ from the ‘Reserve tickets' pop-up menu.

Step 3: Fill in details

Once you arrive at the page below, you can start buying your tickets! Remember to choose between one-way or roundtrip first, then set your destination as Dong Ao Island (东澳岛) at the bottom of the list.

(Besides Dong Ao, you can also purchase a ticket to Macau Maritime Ferry Terminal, Hong Kong Airport, Macau Taipa Ferry Terminal, Macau Ferry and Zhuhai Jiuzhou Ferry and other spots from here.)

Step 4: Confirm your phone number

After clicking ‘buy tickets,’ you will be asked to confirm your phone number. Follow the instructions and fill in the form. Inside the drop-down list for identification type, 'Passport' (护照) is the second option. You can either choose to manually type in your ID number or click the blue button on the left to take a photo and automatically input your ID.

Next, enter your phone number and wait for a text. Enter the confirmation code, then click confirm: ‘确认.’

Step 5: Add passengers and pay

Now all you need to do is confirm the tickets you chose before and add your passengers. The order total will show in the bottom left corner. Discounted tickets are available for kids 1.2-1.5 meters tall, as well as seniors 60 years old and above.

Click ‘Confirm’ and you’ll be led to a WeChat payment page. When you complete the payment, you’ll receive a text with a code.

Arrive at the Shekou Ferry terminal at least 30 minutes before your trip, and use the code to retrieve your tickets from a ticket vending machine. Both departure and return tickets must be retrieved at the terminal, so get your return tickets before you set off.

See listing for Shekou Ferry Terminal.

[Cover Image via Tuniu.com ]