Yangshuo Yulong River Castle Hotel

Opposite the karst peaks lining the Yulong River, this four-star property in Jima Village sits roughly eight kilometres from Yangshuo's West Street—far enough to escape the night-market noise, close enough for an easy taxi ride.

The castle-style architecture references European fortified manor houses against a backdrop of rice paddies and limestone formations. Rooms face either the surrounding farmland or the interior courtyard, with the rural setting providing little light pollution after dark.

Jima Village is cycling country: the Yulong River route to Fuli Old Bridge is a flat thirty-minute ride through some of the most photographed countryside in Guangxi. Bamboo raft operators work the river stretch directly below the property.