Pros: great location, helpful and friendly staff, clean room, near restaurants, walking distance to 3 pagodas (bout 20 to 25mins).

We had a 3 sleeper room which was clean and included a heated blanket.

We stayed in a standard double - the room was clean and modern and housekeeping staff cleaned it each day providing new towels etc.

Hot showers, clean rooms, perfect location, just away from the over touristy centre of Dali
would definitely return

It’s a very good hostel in Dali.it’s very near to the old town，just cross the high way.I like enjoy the sunshine in the backyard，very comfortable.They crop kinds of vegetables.There are lettuces,broccoli and so on.The room is clean and quiet ，the paintings on the wall are very beautiful and literary.The staffs are very friendly and useful in English，especially Floral .By the way the two dogs are very lovely,we love them.Certainly 5elements is the best choice for you in Dali.

by the way ,the rooms were very clean and price was quiet cheap.

Rooms are clean and big, cleaned everyday.

this hostel is fantastic.fair Price with good clean rooms.

Thanks to all staff for the lovely meals, nice tidy rooms and a home away from home.

Clean room, organized tour would benefit an interpreter, and remember that it's located outside the walls.

The rooms are clean, very spacious and incredible value for money - we stayed in a double bed ensuite for 120 yuan a night (around £12 a night).

-The staff had great English skills
-Room was clean, spacious and well decorated.

Rooms are clean yet simple with a good matress on the floor.

Their room is clean and warm, which makes me feel like home.

The room was clean and the staff very helpful.

nice clean rooms only when u stay down near the garden they need to put curtains there as every body can see u .

The room was very clean and nice, as was the communal bathroom.

Dali Five Elements Hostel

You can't beat the value this hostel provides for all their levels of hospitality.

The hostel is superbly clean and there is an lovely bookshop and the food looks good

Looking back, I would probably try to look for other hostel with good recommendations.

In addition we reserved transportation through the hostel to the next city

Also I left my passport at the hostel and they made sure I recovered it immediately.

One of the nicest hostels I’ve stayed in.

I finally found this hostel,very near to the ancient town of Dali.

I have lived in Jade Emu for two different periods of my life times-one was in early 2013 when I was renting a hostel bed as long term guest.

While Jade Emu is a hostel, it has several compounds, one of which caters to flashpackers.

After reading the reviews for this hostel, we were really looking forward to our stay, we had even been in touch with one of the owners and they seemed lovely.

I have been several times to Dali and I always stayed in this hostel.

It is hard to say exactly what it was about this hostel

There is a hostel restaurant which provides both Chinese and Western food, I didn't try

Also, when approaching the hostel you get the most awe inspiring backdrop of the mountains of Yunnan.

The hostel is very well designed, the communal areas/bar is great.

Literally pushing and being pushed by hordes of Chinese people, we arrived to this amazing Hostel.

I travelled around China and stayed in many hostels on my trip

It cost about 11 euro a night (I always think in Euro) which is absolutely amazing value.

We ate perfectly cooked  pasta in the stunningly designed garden restaurant and drank a very good bottle of wine which was reasonably priced.

The restaurant serves very good food at reasonable prices.

Lovely shared erae and coffee place where you can also get a good western food, with fair prices.

It was the best we found in Dali within their price range.

We found prices ok, typical of western cafes in town.

Overall I rate the Jade Emu a solid 9/10.

Owned and managed by an Expat, affordable price in a lovely Chinese style design building.

Coffee and other drinks in the inhouse lounge area are resonably priced, food quality is 3/5, i therefore recommend eating outside.

I would give this place a higher rating if the staff were a bit more helpful and the menu was a fair price.

The prices are super reasonable, even for higher luxury rooms type.

The food is wonderful and definitely worth the prices.

Staff was very nice, and Nancy was wonderful at arranging a tour with a local driver at a reasonable price for us.

The bookshop even bought back books that we'd read for a fair price.

but if you pay a little more you get the equivalent of the best rooms any chinese hotel can offer, their top end room is a penthouse with windows on 3 sides with views across the mountains and pagodas of Dali, a 3 room suite with a 4poster bed and standlone bathtub, the middle end rooms all have rainforest showers.

Nice and well organised hotel with reasonably priced rooms.

good place to meet fellow travellers 
Only concern was price of food and drinks, not local prices for sure,

for a fees, spread not gorgeous yet enough & tasty.

The coffee was good, the rooms were clean, the beds were comfortable, the staff was friendly.

Good Location, just near the Ancient City, staff talking in English, helpful and friendly, nice clean room with big and functional bathroom, 24 hour hot water and OK wifi.

We booked a double private room while backpacking and were realistically expecting just a clean room with somewhere to wash before exploring the town.

The staff is extremely friendly and well trained, there are tons of fun activities (including western Buffet on Thursday nights) and the rooms are clean.

Very friendly and helpful staff, clean rooms with the best showers I have had while traveling.

It's one of the best hostels I've stayed in with a great common area, cafe, restaurant and large, clean rooms with hot showers.

Rooms are clean and very nice, everything is well kept.

The rooms are clean, relatively new, spacious, even equipped with flat screen TV and DVD player (what helps when the raining season comes).

Rooms were very clean with comfortable beds.

Big, clean rooms with lovely homely touches (throws, pictures).

Was really impressed with the cleanliness of the room 302 and the bathroom.

The rooms are clean, comfortable and good value.

Got all the comfort you need, going from nice spacious clean rooms.

The rooms are kept to an immaculate standard and the quality of the amenities is top notch.

What's good:
- Helpful staff who speak a slightly better English than in general in Chinese hostels;
- Nice and reasonably cheap food at the restaurant;
- A lot of international travellers, may be a good spot to meet people
- Basic and clean rooms, with wifi working extremely well.

Clean rooms, friendly helpful service and good advice about the area, social areas, as well as space for a bit of quiet time, great food and good Internet access.

Because it's listed as a hostel, it is mostly overlooked as a hotel-alternative and this worked very well for us.

We asked for a quiet room and got one overlooking the communal courtyard - hardly quiet.

You are looking for the gate to the city that is uphill, towards the mountains.

trekking up the mountain, visiting the lake, the three pagodas and the temple.

but from a westerner's point of view, it's probably the most all round best and most well run place in Dali, whether you're staying a night or not.

A very good place to rest after hiking the mountains just behind.

After they left dali, i waited for my flight for four more days and moved back to Jade emu, i had a single room on the terrace, very reasonable price and very good view, i could see the lake from a distance on one side and mountain on the other side.

I bought a tour to Changsa mountain 110 CNY and a taxi picked me up at the hostel and there was a girl arranged the ticket  for me.

The double bed is king size and in our room there was a DVD player ( you could rent DVDs from the Song Sister's across the road), flat-screen TV and free view box.

Clean and friendly, just outside of the western gate of old Dali with good views from the roof of the mountain to one side and the lake to the other.

We had a private room with the best views I've had in a hostel.

Located just outside the old town and within easy reach of the mountain to do a bit of trekking, something I loved in fact!

the double on the 3rd storey offered a great view of CangShan too!

Plus, it is right at the base of the mountains, making hiking an easy event any day.

We spent 3 wet days in Dali completely indoors due to relentless rain.

but it was not very clean, the bed was confortable enough, the shower is just in a corner of the bathroom so when you take a shower the whole bathroom floor gets wet!

The Jade Emu International Guesthouse

hostel

price

view

Jim's Tibetan Hotel is like a mix between the best guest house you remember from backpacking when you were young and a confusing hotel you need as to get older.

The bathroom was okay with and older shower that didn't work as I wished (just not enough pressure).

Looking at older reviews, I would say they do do better then they did,

We rented bikes at the hotel (the only place we could rent bikes without using a phone), and one night he taught us Mahjong (there is fully automatic game table in the hotel lobby/eating room.

We really enjoy the view from the roof top from where you can see all Dali, Erhai Lake and the mountains.

The view of the Old Town from the rooftop terrace is amazing.

It has a nice rooftop terrace and a restaurant in the top floor (which seemed permanently closed).

Also, there are spaces on the balconies to sit, relax and socialise and a roof top bar.

They have a rooftop where you can relax and look at the stars (and giant Cang Shan mountain range) and have a nice beverage.

There are great views from the rooftop bar of the mountains in the distance- stunning in the evening after a long day walking.. especially with a cold beer!

Yes the Hotel  is one to be enjoyed with all the ornate balconies etc ..the roof top bar with beautiful views over the mountains and the lake would be a must in the warmer months . !

but  the best is the roof top patio with a panoramic view of the Himalaya "foothills", Dali and Lake Erhai.

The view every evening from the roof top bar and garden was the best view I have had in China.

enjoyed the rooftop terrace (great sunsets) and their garden (beautiful flowers and trees), the food and last

what I liked about this hotel
1) location: close enough to the south gate and on a quiet street
2) never had to sign a piece of paper, there was no check in process--they just took me directly to my room, there was also nothing to sign after a meal or taking a beer out of the fridge
3) the Tibetan decor and photos of the owner's travels around the region makes the place very cosy (even had these photos in the individual rooms)
4) food was pretty good
5) saw an amazing sunrise from their rooftop terrace

Rooms are clean, have comfortable beds as well as airconditioning (hot/cold).

The staff let feel you home directly and the rooms are clean and the food is excellent.

Rooms are clean, and there is a great view from the roof viewing platform.

A very clean room with all facilities you could want.

Great location, clean rooms and wonderful breakfast.

The room was clean and a good size, the bed comfortable.

All the rooms are clean and the decor is lovely.

The rooms are clean and are equipped with everything you need for your comfort, including all the toiletries.

Rooms were ok clean, pretty dusty on the floor.

The nicely decorated and very clean rooms are spacious and Jim and his team are lovely hosts!

Rooms are clean, and are set-up very nicely for families traveling together, or two couples could share one of the double rooms.

We checked in at Jim’s Tibetan hotel and found peace, beautiful colours everywhere and a spotless great room and an extra plus: the rooftopterrace and garden.

The rooms were clean and comfortable (beds less hard than normal in China!

the rooms were clean,very colorful and well appointed.

but everything worked (it had a very new big tv though, which was only Chinese) - in the smaller room only the main light worked, the 4 smaller ones were all broken (not only burned through).

Where there are (minor) problems with the TV he look to fix it right away.

The only other thing was the TV did not work, the next day someone came to look at it

we had problem with the TV and again we had to wait Jim to come back home because the staff were unable to fix it.

You may enjoy the sunshine on the roof terrace at the top floor where you can also enjoy the view over the whole city.

Jim took us on an outstanding tour of the Yi villages in the mountains outside the city.

Jim and his partner run a touring business as well; We opted for the tour of the minority regions in the mountains and we were so thankful to Jim for a wonderful day and an amazing lunch at a local restaurant.

And don't forget to visit the roof terrace for a fabulous view at Dali and the lake!

There is also a fourth-floor roof-top terrace with a beautiful 360 degree view of the city, mountains, and lake.

but beautiful garden and ohhh,, the view point at the terrace with the breathtaking view of lake Erhai and the surrounding hills.

but if you do smoke you can sit just outside on the balcony, or roof terrace which has a great view of the mountains and city.

Dali itself is a nice little and cozy town with its old town, the lake and the mountains surrounding the scenery.

We went to the market in the mountains and it was fantastic!..I am sure you will enjoy the wonderful hospitality that Jim offers!

Our room was spacious and clean and it also had many Tibetan touches, it was nice to sit outside, overlooking the garden to play cards and have a drink.

The hotel is in a great location, a few minutes walking distance from the old city and in the awe inspiring shadow of the mountains which means the views are amazing.

Big advantage of the hotel: own homepage on the internet so that it can be found/contacted directly (only view guesthouses in Dali have this).

Jim's Tibetan Hotel

older hotel

phone

rooftop

rooftop view

As they have a well-developed network around Dali, you could also get amenities (e-bike rental) or entrance tickets (for certain attractions) at a discount.

The lodge is a nice walk from the main tourist attractions in Dali,

Overall, the staff was knowledgeable and helped us to arrange outings to the various attractions in the area.

However, the real star attraction of the guesthouse was the two dogs that were happy to put up with my crazy sister.

Old town Dali is about half mile up the street, and #8 bus (2 blocks away) runs regularly to the downtown modern Dali and the train station, and there are buses (with stops within walking distance) to the university and other attractions as well.

It is near the East Gate of Dali Old City, and this makes it very convenient to visit the Erhai Lake or to take a stroll in the Old City, or even to the other attractions around Dali such as the Three Pagodas Park and the Cangshan .

Nothing outstanding, nothing special, just a hotel like many others, and the staff is not even knowledgeable about busses going to other cities, like the bus to Shaxi.

I have stayed in many inns and hotels, and I will guarantee you that you will not find a better inn to stay in if you ever visit the Old City of Dali.

Dali is a beautiful city in China and I cannot wait to go there again.

In the old city, just outside of the tourist streets.

Con : A distance away from the centre of activity within the old city.

They recommended the SLEEPYFISH LODGE and told me how to get there (northeast part of the ancient city). It was spot-on and ideally met my needs: clean, comfortable, well-priced and quiet (except when the German Shephard next door decided to bark!)

Very convenient as the airport is quite far outside the city.

The view is spectular and the acess to down in the old city is great.

A bed just like western style, really comfortable to get the good rest you need to visit the old city.

The standard rooms are also really clean and spacious (for a solo traveller); and if you do decide to have breakfast there I highly recommend having the “breakfast set” that they have as it is very worth the money.

Rooms are clean and has hot water showers provided.

The rooms are very clean the bed are very comfortable.

The staff is very friendly and helpful, the rooms are very clean.

Rooms are always really clean and taken care of.

It is foreign owned and managed, meaning quality is the standard. Clean rooms, soft beds, authentic Western food (including pastas, curry's and real sausages!!)

My 10 year old daughter and I shared a room and it was clean, quiet and ample space for us (on the ground level).

We loved the clean rooms, showers, finally a soft bed, and great food and coffee.

Good clean room with a balcony overlooking the garden, good shower.

The ambience is cozy,rooms are very clean and made with nice materials, free wifi in all the place, hot showers.

The room was very clean and very well-lit and well decorated.

My room was spotlessly clean, kettle and tea bags also supplied.

The rooms were spotless, comfortable and well presented.

The rooms are very clean and comfortable, and the cafe area doubles as a great place for hanging out with friends or family, playing games, or just relaxing with a good book.

With a fantastic view, clean rooms, excellent service, great room rates and very nice managers, this would be the place I would stay should I visit Dali again.

We come here each time we visit Dali and it's so relaxing.

We stopped for 2 hours at the Dinosaur museum along the way at Lufeng (worth a visit).

Since my last visit to Sleepyfish they have expanded the Menu with everything from Mexican food, more authentic Italian and other specialities that you won't get anywhere else for the quality and value.

The staff were very helpful in recommending and advising on places to visit, buses to take etc.

We will continue to make this place our home every time we visit Dali!

I will
highly recommend Sleepy Fish Lodge to my friends who visit Dali.

The staff were just fabulous and went out of the way to make your visit a good one.

Likewise, a wood stove on the main floor, surrounded by cozy sofas and friendly staff and customers, made my visit to the SLEEPYFISH LODGE a memorable one.

SleepyFish Lodge

visit

city

attraction

but lacked lighting making the room quite dark.

The room was dark, on the ground floor and the windows looked into an adjoining building just over a metre away so we promptly closed the curtains,

Our room was very very dark with a total lack of natural or electric lighting.

although the window in the room backed onto a brick wall which made the room feel quite dark.

but unfortunately the room was very dark, due to inadequate lighting and the fact that the window had a full sized brick wall about 3 feet away, so there was no view nor any sunlight.

but a little dark as our window backed onto a narrow area between buildings, but we never spent much time in the room so it wasn't a problem for us.

Very dark room and fridge could not be plugged in for our drinks as there was no power plug.

The mold is so big and dark, I wondered if I should tell the front desk that the room is already occupied!

Our room did not have any natural light and the lamps insite did not give to many light so we were almost sitting in the dark our entire stay.

but without elevator and we have help for luggages on arriving BUT impossible to get somebody on our wayout our driver do the job!

No lift in it and there is a distance from hotel parking space to hotel reception counter.

There was no lift to your hotel floor, and as such

The layout of the hotel was a bit odd, we were on one of the upper levels, to get to the breakfast floor we had to go downstairs to get the lift back upstairs to a section right next to our corridor.

The flaws include no lifts (we were put on the very top floor and it was a real hike each time we came back from our trips), noisy rooms with no views (paper thin walls so you could hear people talking late at night) and an extremely limited Western breakfast.

Secondly, no lifts, so our luggage had to be lugged up flights of stairs (staff did it for us).

No lifts to the rooms - we were on the 3rd floor so a bit of a pain overall good value and would stay there again.

Supposed to be a romantic hotel with dimly lit rooms.there are 3-4 floors with no lifts and thank god we managed to get the ones on the 1st or ground floor.

Our room (2032) was on the third floor (no elevator) entered by an open walkway overlooking one courtyard and the windows of the room overlooking another.

No elevator might be a negative to some travelers

no elevator,had to bring my suit case by hand.

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