Casa Nguluko

Once in a while, we have the rare privilege of staying somewhere that exemplifies all that is good about travel. Nguluko is one such place. As the photos suggest, the hotel is beautifully designed. It’s a zen-like, modern annex, connected to Liusan’s generational home. What a curious privilege it is, to be able to join her family around the home’s traditional Naxi courtyard for a bonfire dance, before retreating upstairs to a room of luxurious comforts, including an actual Dyson hairdryer and electronic toilet. But more important is what the photos cannot capture. In an age of faceless travel, dominated by flavourless hotel chains and mass-produced group tours, it’s rare to be able to feel a connection with folks eager to share a little slice of their life with you. Whether it be a morning stroll around the old village, a sharing session on Naxi culture and Dongba script, or even the aforementioned bonfire dance (replete with lived-in details like the family’s aging hams dangling off the awnings), it harkens back to a more serendipitous style of travel that made me smile. Even meals (all-inclusive!) are a chance to experience local culture. Locally foraged bracken and morels make an appearance, as do different varieties of liangfen, and Lijiang-style baba. There’s also the most moreish chicken hotpot — which I was going to drive out of the way to Luguzhen to try — but which she ended up serving for dinner on the second night. I’m quite obsessive when it comes to food, and yet everything I wanted to try here, except perhaps the rainbow trout and yak, were cooked up and served. Some small things could be improved: many stairways lack railings for the mobility impaired, and the ‘October’ room has an odd bathroom design where the toilet cubicle barely has space to close when one is seated. But such issues pale in comparison to the overall experience. Perhaps the biggest compliment I can give it is that in a world filled with a million wonderful destinations, this is one place I would choose to return to.