Songtsam Linka Shangri-la

Hidden in peaceful and green valleys, the retreat is quite close to the famous Gelugpa Songtsam-Lin (Songzanlin) Monastery, in between lying Tibetan villages and Himalayan barley fields. Songtsam Linka Shangri-la is built on a lower hill and adopts Kham-style stone chambers, among which seasonal flora grows vibrantly. At leisure there are lamas in saffron robes and nomadic herders with their horses lingering around the retreat, presenting a scene full of harmony and tranquility. The 90 rooms exhibit a unique combination of modernism and Tibetan aesthetics, elegantly decorated with wooden floors, masonry heaters, wall tapestries and handcrafted copperware. The Chinese and Tibetan restaurant serves local specialties like yak meat hot pot and Yunnan cuisine, while the western restaurant enjoys a spectacular view of the monastery. A 254 sqm spa with four therapy rooms featuring hand-made bronze bathtubs serves the signature Kum Nye Tibetan massage; a third-floor library boasts a rich collection of works on local ethnic cultures with an outdoor tea-tasting balcony; and the 296 sqm Grand Ballroom, a cathedral of wood and bronze, hosts up to 252 guests. Shangri-la, traditionally called Gyalthang — 'into fairyland' — has been the eastern gateway to Lhasa since ancient times and was renamed in 2001 after the paradise of James Hilton's novel Lost Horizon.