Hotels in Shaxi

Despite its small size, Shaxi Cultural Center and Guest House, 85 Sideng Jie (tel. 0872/472-2188; www.shaxiculturalcenter.com; ¥100) features traditional courtyards, an information center, and a large lounge area with a small library and Internet computers (all rooms have Wi-Fi). The American-run guesthouse has only six rooms, doubles and triples, but there is a kitchen and dining room. The beds were built locally in Shaxi. Bicycles can be rented here to explore the local countryside and smaller villages. Look out for the signposts in the village leading to the center.

Lao Ma Dian, Sideng Jie (tel. 0872/472-2666), just off the square, on the other hand, is overrated and overpriced. The rooms are well beyond "olde worlde" and have a dark, sinister air to them, costing a whopping ¥400 per night despite the fact that very little restoration seems to have taken place. Rooms look almost the same as they did 500 years ago. Good for anthropologists and archaeologists but not so nice for tourists. Still, they do have an interesting if somewhat expensive restaurant with good Western food for about ¥60 per person.

By far the best place to stay is the Dragonfly Homestay, run by Wu Yun Xin (who speaks impeccable English) and his wife in Si Lian Duanjiadeng village (tel. 13577851712; www.teahorse.net; ¥80), a couple of kilometers upstream from the old town. This is one of the most unique Chinese buildings in which I have ever had the pleasure to stay. The focus point is the most beautiful four-story community temple that was originally built in 1735. There are chairs and tables on the temple stage, and I have to say there is no better place in all of China to have a coffee and check your e-mail than the second floor of an authentic Qing dynasty temple. Two primary school classrooms have been converted into five cozy guest rooms, each with private porches at the rear. Mr. Wu's wife serves the most delicious home cooking in the main building. Full spread dinners of half a dozen local dishes cost ¥30 per person, and she can whip up a variety of delicious breakfasts from noodles to pancakes. Best of all, nearly everything is locally produced. Even the rice comes from the family's fields just outside the door.

A trip to Shaxi valley is especially good for dog lovers. Many of the guesthouses have dogs, and most of them are happy to come for a hike in the countryside. A-niu at the Old Pagoda Tree Cafe, Sideng Square (tel. 0872/472-1890) is the friendliest collie-cross I have met all year; Xiao Wu, the Alsatian at Ping Chang Ren Jia Guest house loved to go out walking in the fields; the little peke Doo Doo at Duanjiadeng temple acted as a very efficient tour guide taking us all the way up to the temples of Shibaoshan. Allen's Cafe, Sideng Square (tel. 13529720775) plays host to an eclectic, multinational clientele. This bar and cafe, located in the center of Sideng Square, is a popular meeting place in the evenings. The owner lived in Holland for many years but chose to return to what many consider to be one of Yunnan's best off-the-beaten track treasures.

Beware of the Dark -- If you are staying in a rural homestay or a small village, make sure that you pack a torch so that you can find your way home at night. There is nothing worse than emerging from a local tavern after a few drinks and some good conversation only to find that it is pitch black and you cannot get back.

Savory Needs Sweet -- Yunnan goat's cheese always tastes better when dipped in sugar or honey.