thewandercurator
October 28, 2023
We had a great overnight stay at Summit Inn, which is in the same village as the famed Tea Horse Trade Guesthouse along the Gorge Trail and a mere 10-minute car ride from the Gorge Scenic Platform, up an amazing switchback mountain road (look for the signpost "Summit Inn" in English/"Shanmei inn"/"Modern Beauty Inn" when you reach a fork in the upper road). Our room was very clean. It has a large wet bathroom with solar-powered hot water, modern flushing toilet, comfortable beds with electric blankets, outdoor clothes and gear drying rack and amazing views of Jade Dragon mountain peaks outside the window. Our host is warm and humble. Despite our poor command of Chinese language, we communicated well enough via Weixin (with translation help) and she offered water, meal options and hiking tips. She even helped us find a local driver for our onward journey to Shangri-La. We especially loved the peaceful rooftop area for star gazing at night, after having coffee and a meal at the busier Tea Horse Trade GH. We highly recommend staying here if you want a comfortable, tranquil alternative at the end of Day 1 of the Trail!