Hi again, just wondering where the best places to stay are in these places? any stand out excellent places. We are a couple from New Zealand.
Looking mid-range, a bit vague I know, would be prepared to pay more for a great experience, ie beautiful, traditional guest house, but not really into international style hotels, that once in them you could be anywhere in the world. Would rather be in a budget place, provided it is clean.
Can anyone help me with some suggestions?
Thanks


For Dali, google Jim's Tibetan Guesthouse. It's mid-range, about 300 yuan. I stayed there three nights in August and liked it. Booking is through their website only. It's about a five-minute walk from the gate to Old Dali. Most of the other guesthouses are inside the old city, but this one is outside and thus quieter. To have even more quiet, ask for a room in the back, as the workers tend to talk loudly and you can hear them from the rooms in the front. I thought that the breakfast was overpriced, too. For that amount, 30 yuan IIRC, they could have used real butter instead of plastic Chinese stuff. Jim and his wife are good resources on travel in the area.

In Lijiang I stayed in the First Bend Guesthouse - great location & charming courtyard environment. Loos & showers pretty basic though. At TLG the choice is limited by your schedule - ie how far you want to walk each day. The guesthouses are about 2 hr apart so if you start early in the day you can get to "Half Way" in about 6 hr. I preferred Tea Horse which is only 4 hr in. Sean's at Walnut Garden is where most people stay at the end but the people there are not very friendly (at least when Sean is not there).

Hi,
I agree with ZHET that Jim's Tibetan is an excellent choice. We stayed there also for 4 days last november.
We liked very much the Youth Hostel in Qiaotou (starting point of the TLG). Very clean (I had a long soak in their bath, the only one I dared in China), yet cheap. Half-Way GH is excellent, but overpriced at 150 yuan for a large double room. We had breakfast at Naxi GH. The food was excellent, and the rooms looked very clean.
Jan

I really liked the Old Xie's IYH in Lijiang. No particular recommendations for the rest.
Cheers!

I'll second the recomm. for First Bend GH. The toilet/shower facilities are shared but very clean. I paid 40Y for each of three nights and found the mgmnt. to be quite accommodating.
In Dali I stayed at Friends GH two nites, the first in "the only room we have left", a dbl. for 120Y and the 2nd in a single for 50Y. Can't recomm. the place: no hot water, no food at or after 7:30 pm and a poor attitude from at least one evening employee.
In Kunming I stayed at City Cafe but it may be on the low side of your "mid-range" expectations. Some pretty nice rooms at the Camelia in Kunming; it does a good breakfast buffet for 15Y.
In TLG, I liked Lu Ye's GH for the 1st nite and Five fingers GH the 2nd night (not as up-market and more interested in having your business than 1/2way GH). Wrapped it up at Tina's which I do recomm. and if you wanna go to Sean's for the "really good stuff", it's only a 30 min walk along the paved road.

At TLG, we stayed the first night at Naxi Family G.H and the second at Half Way G.H. From Half Way to Seans, we finished in sufficient time to get transport back to Qiautoa (sp, as usual) then a bus on to Lijiang at 2.30pm.