Southern China in the summer is “blessed” with hot, humid weather, a non-stop sauna for us here in Shenzhen and the surrounding Pearl River Delta. Luckily, nearby Hong Kong and Macau are also blessed with stunning scenery and some amazing hotels for a quick summer getaway.

Here are two fantastic pools for slowing the pace and plunging into cooler temps when traveling through China’s Special Administrative Regions.

The Island Shangri-La is one of the top hotels in Hong Kong, and one of the Asian luxury hotel chain’s flagship properties. One of two in Hong Kong, its Island location is set in the middle of Hong Kong Island’s towering urban jungle. Its outdoor pool has surreal views of IM Pei’s Bank of China tower and the rest of Admiralty.

A ferry trip across the Pearl River Delta, you can find yourself an ocean or two away, in the port of Macau with its continental tastes and slower pace. The Sofitel sits in the old town of Macau, away from the glitz of the casinos down yellow stucco streets accented with azulejo tiles and streaming fountains. Two outdoor pools are decorated in French fashion, one especially reserved for the suites of the mansion wing.

Get a splash of luxury in one of these pools as part of your summer travel in China.