Ü - Tibet - page 216

the chu semye (lower springs) resort of Shambhala Source , where staff will let you soak in
the clean hotel pools for ¥10 or rent you a room with private tub for ¥50.
If you have the time and are well acclimatised, you could do a tough day hike up to the
Kiri Yangdzong caves , associated with Guru Rinpoche and Yeshe Tsogyal. The kora trail
heads west from Tidrum to Tengyer Monastery and then ascends to a 5180m pass to visit
the caves, before descending steeply down a scree slope to the Dronger Sumdong Monas-
tery, where a road leads back to Tidrum. Take a guide from the nunnery because the trail
can be hard to find.
Sleeping & Eating
There are four simple guesthouses at the nunnery, mostly catering to Tibetan pilgrims and
patients - none have toilets or running water.
Dingjie Temple Limin Hotel GUESTHOUSE
(dm ¥25-30)
The new guesthouse run by Tengyer Nunnery is probably the nicest place to stay at
Tidrum proper. Riverside rooms have four beds and are arranged around a sunny glass-
roofed atrium. Upper rooms are best. It's on the kora path behind the nunnery's main as-
sembly hall.
Zhigong Dedrong Hot Spring Hotel HOTEL
(, Zhíkǒng Dézhòng Wēnquán Bīnguăn 180 7690 1113; dm ¥40, d ¥120)
This privately run concrete place offers clean rooms and the best mattresses in Tidrum.
The sunny back doubles are easily the best options, and the ground floor restaurant is the
best pick for lunch or dinner.
Shambhala Source HOTEL
(, Dézhòng Xià Wēnquán Hé Bīnguǎn 180 0899 7315; www.shambhalaserai.com ; d without/with
shower ¥200/320, d with private tub ¥450; )
Easily the most comfortable place to stay is this chic resort run by Lhasa's Shambhala
Serai group. The hotel has its own riverside hot springs, 5km before Tidrum, and the best
split-level suites boast their own private hot-water tubs. Simple food is available but don't
expect much in the way of spa service. Towels and flip flops are provided, that's about it.