JJeeaannOur stay at 小山居 (Xiao Shan Ju) was hands-down the highlight of our Yangshuo trip. We spent five days in Yangshuo and tried two different accommodations… but let’s just say our hearts checked in and never checked out of 小山居.
Yes, the location is a little more on the remote side, but honestly that’s part of its magic. It’s easily reachable by Didi or scooter, yet tucked away enough to feel like you’ve escaped into a quiet countryside village. They kept the charm of the old village house while giving it a modern, comfy upgrade. Bonus: the blanket was SO comfortable we literally flipped it over to find the brand because we wanted to buy it for ourselves.
And then there’s Aimee—the soul of the place. Warm, thoughtful, impossibly accommodating… and an amazing cook. She can whip up both Western-style brunches and Chinese breakfasts, all delicious, but a special shoutout goes to her 葱油面. It was so good we shamelessly asked for the recipe, which she kindly shared. Her food was so addictive that even after we moved to our next accommodation, we still went back for dinner.
If you’d like Aimee to cook for you, just let her know in advance—she buys her ingredients fresh from the market, and the veggies come straight from her garden!
If you’re heading to Yangshuo, we highly recommend staying here. Aimee also gives fantastic local recommendations—every single one was a hit, never a miss, never even a “so-so”.
We’d go back in a heartbeat. 💛
AAlberta FilaferroThis is a wonderful family run guesthouse, where you can enjoy peace away from the hustle of Xingping Old Town. Differently from other types of accommodation we have seen in Dahe Bei village, this guesthouse is a hidden gem with charme and character. The food was excellent and abundant, freshly cooked by the owner herself. The owner picked us up from the Dahe Bei ferry dock, organised an electric moped rental in Dahe Bei (we didn't see many on that side of the river) and gave us plenty of tips and suggestions for where to go and what to do around there, including a sunrise hike to a nearby mountain that you can reach directly from the guesthouse - if you're into hiking (it's a 1h walk uphill through pomelo and orange orchards, followed by a series of staircases), it's a great spot, as we found only a few photographers when we got up there. The ginger cat and the house dog are cute and extremely friendly, adding to the overall wonderful atmosphere. Our room was spacious and clean, with plenty of hot water for showers after a day of hiking or driving around to see the surroundings. If we were to travel again in this area, we would definitely go back. Highly recommended!