ผผู้เข้าพักMe and my girlfriend got picked up at Congjiang train station which was very convenient. Right from the start the owners of the hotel were extremely friendly and helpful. The accomodation is located at the back of the village next to a field where they grow rapeseed flowers and rice during the year. For us the location was perfect as it is very peaceful and quiet but simultaneously litterally a few steps away from the beautiful vibrant little village. The room was very spacious and clean with a gorgeous view on the field. The interior is very well matched and has great facilities. There was even a small laundry machine so we could do some laundry ourselves. So far during our travels in China, this stay was the best we had!
There is a very stylish and cute coffee/restaurant located on the first floor of the building. This is also where you will have a delicious breakfast and where Ni Li and her sister will greet you with a smile every time you walk by.
Ni Li, her husband Tao Mingqing, her sister and brother played a crucial part during our stay as after the first night my wife got very sick due to an infection and barely left the room during our stay. The second night I got foodpoisoning which made the situation even worse. (Not from the hotel!). We ended up extending our stay due to her condition. Luckily Li's English is very good so that helped us a lot in navigating the medical difficulties. We were extremely lucky to be staying with Li and her family as they took care of us like we were their own family. Preparing custom meals and dinner tailored to our needs every single day, preparing us tea, calling the local doctors and translating and taking us to the local hospital back and forth multiple times. We were there during the Qingming festival so no cars were allowed in the village which made it more difficult to reach the hospital. This didn't stop Tao Mingqing as he took us to the local hospital several times on the motorbike, one by one! The last time I even forgot a bag and he even went back to get it for me! He truly is a legend. Fortunately, my recovery was fairly quickly so I had the chance to explore the village a little by myself and spend time with Li and Ming while staying close to the room for my girlfriend.
On day 4 my girlfriend's fever was coming down and she improved a little. Li and Ming invited us to have tea with them. Ming showed me his vast collection of tea and made sure to prepare the best tea suitable for our condition. The tea was truly amazing and he ended up filling a big bag with different kinds of teas as a gift for us! And that was not it, to make sure we would never forget them and drink tea mindfully the Chinese way when we're back home, they gave us the tea cups we used traditionally decorated with the blue dragon and phoenix.
It was a very stressful situation and when we felt at our most fragile, they were there to take care of us, strangers they just met. This says everything about these wonderful people. Even though the illness of my girlfriend and the rough situation, we think back to our stay with a very warm hearth as our special experience forged a bond we'll never forget. We are incredibly lucky to have met Li and her family.
We have said thank you to them 100s of times already, but I can't express enough how grateful I am for this people. Thank you for taking care of us like your family!!! <3
If you are unsure about staying here, there is truly no reason why you shouldn't! Whatever the situation, Li and her family will do everything they can to improve your stay. I'm sure you'll have a blast!