The Linden Centre
Dali

The Linden Centre offers the intrepid traveller a true immersion into authentic China. Guests reside in an expansive and luxurious courtyard home in Xizhou, a pristine village in Southwest China's Yunnan Province. In the foothills of the Himalayas, enjoy a year-round spring climate and direct access to rich, undisturbed cultures in a true melting pot of the region. It took over four years to gain unprecedented access to one of China's most heralded examples of regional architecture and finally in the spring of 2008 the restoration was complete. Throughout the village, the warmth of the local Bai people and the year-round spring climate evoke an openness that facilitates a bringing together of East and West. Feng shui design principles were employed by the home's original owners, and have been respected and advanced in the recent renovations. The complex is graced with four exceptional courtyards and gardens where its 14 double rooms are located, each of which consists of custom designed furniture built by local craftsmen, Western style mattresses, and fine cotton linens, no two rooms are the same. The property is an all-inclusive compound, complete with wi-fi, resulting in you not having to think about anything but enjoying your time here. It features 2 restaurants - a spacious Western style room and more intimate Chinese style dining room, using ingredients sourced from the farming families in Xizhou village.

To my mind, the greatest reward and luxury of travel is to be able to experience everyday things as if for the first time, to be in a position in which almost nothing is so familiar it is taken for granted.
Bill Bryson