[2025 Basu Hotels] Travel Guide for Songtsam Laigu Lodge (Ranwu) (Updated Jul)

🏔️Day 1: The Ultimate Challenge of Nujiang 72 Hairpins Morning flight to Bangda Airport, rented a Tank 300 and headed straight to the Nujiang 72 Hairpins! 130 dizzying switchbacks later—worth it for the jaw-dropping canyon view from the pass! ⚠️Not for beginners—even this self-proclaimed "Mt. Akina Drift King" broke a sweat! Afternoon at Yela Mountain's cliffside glass platform, knees shaking but scoring Instagram-worthy shots: sea of clouds beneath my feet, captioned "After detours, life is all smooth roads." Overnight at Baxoi Town's "Cloud Lodge," munching yak jerky with an oxygen tank (complimentary from the owner!). 🌊Day 2: Frozen Love Song of Blue Ice & Sacred Lakes Dawn raid on Ranwu Lake! Winter splits it—half turquoise, half cracked ice. Sprint across in bright gear for mirror-perfect reflections❄️~ Noon at Ragu Glacier, hiking an hour to touch millennia-old blue ice. Sunbeams through ice caves felt like Elsa’s magic! (Secret lick: it’s sweet!) Evening at Songtsam Lodge, soaking in Tibetan herbal baths under starry skies—worth every penny~ 📜Day 3: Time Travel Through Salt Terraces & Dinosaurs Sunrise at 1,300-year-old Yanjing Ancient Salt Terraces! 3,200 pans along the Mekong resemble eyeshadow palettes. Helped grannies harvest salt in Tibetan robes (got a salt-carved calf🐮~). Afternoon at Qamdo Museum: dinosaur skeletons + Tea Horse Road dioramas. Karuo Ruins’ 4,000-year-old fingerprints on pottery… Bought rose-salt souvenirs for friends! 💡Survival Guide (Solo Edition) 1. Transport: Rent SUVs at Bangda Airport (¥500/day); carry chains for 72 Hairpins in winter 2. Altitude: Drink rhodiola tea pre-trip! Pack ibuprofen + glucose—oxygen tanks free at hotels 3. Perks: Free winter entry (saves ¥200+); ¥30 salt-making experience 4. Safety: Spotty signal—download offline maps; always carry ID (frequent checkpoints) 5. Gear: Waterproof boots + 3-in-1 jacket, bright scarf for pop; sunglasses against snow blindness!

❄️ Complete guide to visiting Laigu Glacier | Exploring the last secret realm of the blue planet 🌍 📍Location Ranwu Town, Basu County, Changdu City, Tibet Autonomous Region (next to Ranwu Lake) 🚗Transportation - Self-driving: The best section of China National Highway 318, about 1.5h from Ranwu Town (⚠️snow chains required in winter) - Chartered car: Find a Tibetan driver in Ranwu Town (about 💰CNY 300–500/car) - Hiking: About 4h from Ranwu Lake (only recommended in summer) 🎫Tickets: CNY 150 + CNY 60 for the eco-bus (you can walk in winter when the lake is frozen) ⏰Best season - January–March❄️: The ice walls are most spectacular, and you can walk into the blue ice cave - April–May💧: Glacier melting season, the lake gradually appears - November–December🌨️: The first snow covers the area, fewer people and beautiful scenery 📸Must-try experiences 1. Blue ice cave exploration🔷 - A guide is required (about 💰CNY 200/person) - Best shooting time: 10:00–14:00 (sunlight penetrates the ice) 2. Horse riding at Dongga Glacier🐎 - Tibetan guide leads the horse (about 💰CNY 150/round trip) - Touch the ten-thousand-year-old blue ice up close 3. Stargazing🌌 - Stay near the glacier, the Milky Way + glacier in the same frame at night 🏠Accommodation recommendations - Songtsam Laigu Lodge🏔️: Cliff hotel, facing the glacier (💰CNY 2,000+) - Ranwu Town: Many affordable options (💰CNY 200–500) ⚠️Precautions - Altitude of 4,000+ meters❗ Take Rhodiola in advance - Must bring: Sunglasses🕶️ (to prevent snow blindness) + crampons (rental CNY 20) - Do not walk alone on unfrozen ice! 💡Hidden gems: Take a day trip to Renlongba Glacier (more original and wild) Walk into the cover of Chinese National Geography and touch the tears of the Third Pole💎

The place I was most looking forward to on this winter trip to Tibet was the Yalong Glacier. Although I had seen it countless times online, I was still deeply amazed by the wonders of nature when I was there in person. The huge ice wall is a pure blue, and when you look closely, you can see all kinds of different details. It is very magical, making you feel as if you are in the real-life world of Frozen. 📍Basu County, Chamdo, Tibet (navigate to Daba Village) 👉🏻Tips 1⃣️Laigu Glacier and Yalong Glacier (also known as Laigu B Line) are two separately managed scenic areas (in fact, Laigu Glacier is just a glacial lake downstream of Yalong Glacier). You can actually visit both in one day. If you are short on time, Yalong (blue ice wall + ice cave) is more recommended. It is more spectacular, while Laigu is mainly ice caves and more popular online. 2⃣️If you enter from the Laigu scenic area entrance, you need to pay CNY 160 (ticket) + CNY 50 (shuttle bus) to visit either Laigu or Yalong. Yalong Glacier also requires a separate CNY 200/person off-road vehicle fee (self-driving is CNY 100/person, but it is not recommended due to the steep mountain roads). 3⃣️If you only plan to visit Yalong, navigate directly to Daba Village, and set "Kaduo Village" as a stopover (remember to use Amap). You can reach Daba Village smoothly. You can continue to take a car from Yalong Glacier to Laigu Glacier. In other words, choosing Yalong means you can visit both glaciers. 4⃣️You can choose to stay in the Laigu Glacier scenic area (Laigu Village). The advantage is that you can go to the glacier early in the morning (or take night photos, but it is not recommended). If you buy a Laigu ticket, you can get a CNY 125 refund per person. The disadvantage is that the accommodation conditions are poor (but there is actually a Songtsam there). You can also choose to return to Ranwu or Bomi for accommodation. 5⃣️There are no supplies in the scenic area, so you need to bring your own food (remember to take your trash with you). It is recommended to bring your own crampons, which are very cheap. Renting them in the scenic area costs CNY 20 per pair.

If we must say what are the benefits of staying at Songtsen, it is that at least there are free afternoon tea and breakfast, and you don’t have to pay extra for them. However, the overall catering level of Songtsen is not high, especially breakfast, but this is also a common phenomenon in Tibetan areas. However, compared with the room rates of three or four thousand yuan, it is still very mismatched. As long as you work hard, you can easily do better, and you should do better. . Laigushanju is relatively small in scale. There is only one restaurant, where afternoon tea and breakfast are served. Compared with the size of 20 rooms, the restaurant is quite spacious, but the decoration is rather plain and unpretentious, without the exquisite feeling of Meishanju. Although the snow-capped mountain view outside the window can make up for it a little, it is just the same as the room. . The afternoon tea offers 4 kinds of fruits, 4 desserts and 5 snacks, which is a good configuration compared to other Songtsam stores, especially the pistachios and dried mangoes, which are very filling. The desserts are of average quality, and only the yak yogurt is very good. . The breakfast is buffet style, with freshly squeezed watermelon juice and freshly ground coffee. There is also a freshly cooked noodle stall but the taste is poor. Other than that, there are only vegetable porridge, egg rolls and chicken sausages that don't look good, and some basic cold cuts and baked goods to choose from. The quality is not high. The room price is several times higher, but it is not as attentive as that of Meishanju. It can only be said that you can barely eat enough, but you have to eat enough, after all, the main activity during the day is high-altitude glacier hiking. . Please make something better. It's ok for me as a single traveler, but those who have spent a lot of money to join a tour group will probably not be satisfied, because this breakfast is only at the level of a budget hotel.

| A poetic dwelling deep in Tibet. In Baxoi, there is a place like a paradise on earth - Songtsam Laigu Lodge. It quietly nestles at the foot of the Laigu Glacier, like a gift from nature. From a distance, the traditional Tibetan architectural style blends with the magnificent snow-capped mountains and the blue lake, creating a stunning picture. In the morning, the first ray of sunlight shines on the snow-capped mountains, reflecting a golden light that shines on the window lattice of the lodge, gently waking up the sleeping travelers. Looking out of the window, the glacier is so close that it emits a faint blue light, making people marvel at this natural wonder that has existed for billions of years. In the afternoon, take a stroll by the lake, where the water is crystal clear, and the breeze stirs up ripples. In the distance, the smoke rises from the tents of the herdsmen, and the cattle and sheep graze leisurely on the grass, like a scene from a pastoral poem. Back at the lodge, enjoy a cup of fragrant Tibetan sweet tea, sit by the warm fire, and feel the tranquility and peace inside and outside. Every corner here exudes a strong Tibetan cultural atmosphere, with exquisite Thangka paintings and simple Tibetan furniture telling the story of this land. At night, the stars twinkle, and the Milky Way spans the sky. In this place far away from the hustle and bustle, there is no noise and disturbance of the city, only the sound of nature's breath and the peace of your own heart. Here, you can let go of all your fatigue and worries, talk to yourself, and embrace nature. If you long for a trip away from the world, then Songtsam Laigu Lodge in Baxoi is your best choice. Here, you will have an unforgettable trip to Tibet and leave with precious memories for a lifetime. 💕

1. 🏔️🌄 At Songtsam Laigu Lodge, greet the first ray of sunshine in the morning and feel the magnificence of the snow-capped mountains. 2. 🌟🏞️ Songtsam Laigu Lodge is hidden in the valley and integrated with Tibetan families, allowing you to experience authentic rural life. 3. 🌿🏡 The stone Tibetan-style building is covered with green vines, and the courtyard is full of vitality, allowing you to feel the embrace of nature. 4. 🖼️🌄 The painted glass and the large terrace on the roof offer a panoramic view of the valley, allowing you to enjoy the warmth and loveliness of home. 5. 🌄🏔️ Meili Snow Mountain, one of the eight sacred mountains of Tibetan Buddhism, is like the essence of the mountains and rivers of Songtsam Laigu Lodge. 6. 🌤️🌲 At an altitude of 3,600 meters, the place is shrouded in mist all year round, and the peaks outside the window seem to be within reach. 7. 🍃🌾 Self-sufficient, you can grow vegetables, pick fruits, visit neighbors, chat, visit the lacquered wooden bowl production process, and experience Tibetan culture.

I think Songtsam is the best hotel brand in China, and Songtsam Laigu Lodge, the highest altitude among them, has the most magnificent view! Although the altitude is over 4,200 meters, the hotel is fully oxygenated, and the interior offers a panoramic view of the snow-capped mountains and glaciers, making it comfortable and cozy. I took a Land Rover from Songtsam to Laigu from Bomi. This section of National Highway 318 is full of National Geographic-level scenery. Having been to more than 30 countries, including Iceland, Africa, and South America, the grandeur of the Tibetan region still leaves me speechless. Far from the hustle and bustle, the beauty speaks for itself. A must-stay!

The location is excellent, situated in Laigu Village at an altitude of 4100 meters, the hotel faces the valley between Laigu Glacier and Dongga Glacier. Standing in front of the large glass windows at the reception, to the left is the Laigu Glacier, to the right is the Dongga Glacier, opposite are the snow-capped mountains, and below are the pastures. The accumulation of ice from the Dongga Glacier and the blue ice lake formed by the Laigu Glacier are fully visible. Due to the high altitude, the entire Laigu Village is surrounded by snow-capped mountains in May. The village houses and pastures are interspersed with each other, and horses, yaks, and various birds can be seen everywhere. At night, the Milky Way is right above your head, and the oxygen concentration in the rooms is constant. Inside the hotel, you don't feel the altitude of 4100 meters. Worth it!!!

Songzan Laigu Mountain Residence in Basu, the feeling is real, the room is small, the scenery is beautiful. I think it's the most remote and toughest environment in the Songzan series, and it's hard to avoid the big traffic jam on 318 no matter whether you come from Nyingchi or Qamdo. At an altitude of over 4,000 meters, friends with altitude sickness are advised to think twice. Next to it are Ranwu Lake and Laigu Glacier, it is recommended to stay for a few more days, so as to avoid the fatigue of travel. You can stay at the Songzan in Bomi on the first day from Nyingchi, Ranwu Lake on the second day, and Laigu on the third day. The scenery is beyond words, staying in the largest suite, you can see two sides of the glacier, you can see the distant blue ice, there is a kind of feeling similar to Iceland.

Sonzan Lhaigou Mountain Residence is located at an altitude of 4200 meters, in Lagu Village, Ranwu Town, Basu County, Changdu, Tibet, upstream of Ranwu Lake, encompassing glaciers, valleys, wetlands, and lakes within the hotel's view. On a moonlit night, when the ancient full moon shines on the millennia-old glaciers, facing this almost eternal dialogue of time and space, how can we, as insignificant as dust, not shed tears. Lagu Mountain Residence, it feels like a place where immortals rest. The rooms are hard to book, but worth experiencing. Looking up at the sacred mountain with devotion, it is a place to cleanse the soul. The hotel is also very well decorated, far from the hustle and bustle of the city, deep in the mountains, looking for another self. Here, being in a daze is the only happiness. Don't think too much, just look into the distance. The glacier close at hand, and the wetland river under the snow mountain glacier, form a beautiful scenery that is difficult to depict in any painting. The hotel has 24-hour oxygen supply, so you don't have to worry about altitude sickness even at a height of four thousand meters. Drinking tea, reading books, watching mountains, admiring snow... here must be a good place to cleanse the soul and yearn for freedom!

Setting off from the Songzan Mangkang Rumei Mountain House in the early morning, it is about 430 kilometers to the Songzan Laigu Mountain House where we will stay today. The scenery along the way is rich and colorful, the road conditions are sometimes good and sometimes bad, and we encountered two road constructions that allowed one-way traffic, which delayed us for several hours. We drove more than 400 kilometers for more than 9 hours and arrived at Laigu Mountain House at five o'clock in the afternoon. Laigu Mountain House is built in the quiet Laigu Village at an altitude of 4200 meters, surrounded by glaciers, snow-capped mountains, and lakes. Pushing the window, you can see the beautiful Laigu Glacier and the calm Ranwu Lake. At night, the stars on the plateau are all in sight. Anyone who stays in the Songzan Mountain House series of hotels will be given a pair of handmade thousand-layer sole cloth shoes and free afternoon tea. The hotel organizes activities for individual guests outside the custom group, which requires an additional fee to participate. We participated in the horse riding to Duosongcuo activity: riding a horse over the hillside opposite the hotel and entering the mysterious Duosongcuo. I asked Dawazhuoma, who was leading the horse, how many people are there in Laigu Village now, she said: There are only 50 households and more than 500 people in the village. After all, it is not very convenient for transportation in high-altitude areas, and it is not easy to build a mountain house here. In the afternoon, I went to find blue ice and ice lakes. The temperature is relatively high in early November, probably more than 20 degrees outdoors. The lake has not completely frozen. If you want to walk to the largest ice tongue and ice wall, it is still out of reach. Just appreciate it by the ice lake, it is also an indescribable extreme beauty.

| A wild luxury hotel hidden at the end of the world. Songzan Lagu Mountain Residence Study Once again participating in the Songzan tour and coming to Songzan Lagu Mountain Residence This time it is in the cold winter, the view outside the hotel window is completely different from when I came in September. The only thing that remains the same is that eternal desolation... The view outside the hotel window All guest rooms, restaurant and study of Songzan Lagu Hotel are a giant screen between heaven and earth. The snowy mountains in winter, the huge blue glaciers, the vast mountain ranges, a beautiful landscape is being staged here. Wherever you look, it is a beautiful scenery. Vultures and crows often fly by... Hotel location This is a plateau pure land rarely visited by people and neighboring glaciers. It is located in the Songzan Lagu Mountain Residence of Ranwu Lagu Village in Tibet. It is hidden in the surrounding undulating snow-capped mountains and under the sky. It is very difficult to come here. You need to overcome the physical reaction of the plateau, but I don’t feel anything myself haha Hotel facilities Because the altitude of the hotel has reached 4200 meters, the indoor public areas of the hotel, including the guest rooms, are supplied with oxygen 24 hours a day. Songzan Lagu Mountain Residence has set the highest altitude and the most difficult construction record in Songzan history. The entire hotel is embedded in the cliff. Nearly half of the buildings are hidden in the mountain body, forming a very harmonious relationship with the original village mechanism. The hotel uses dozens of prefabricated modules to build in Shanghai and then transported thousands of miles here. The hotel's 16 guest rooms and 4 deluxe suites, as well as the study and restaurant, all face the valley where the two glaciers meet.

Record it now, the Cliff Hotel in the Glacier. Fairyland Hotel, it's really beautiful~ The Songzan Lagu Mountain Residence only exists in the Songzan chain hotels in Tibet, which are built in places with beautiful scenery. Located at an altitude of 4200 meters, the Cliff Hotel Opposite is one of the three largest glaciers in the world--Lagu Glacier. Each room faces the glacier and snow mountain. You can see the stars at night and the sunrise in the morning. The entire hotel has only 22 rooms. The hotel is built by a team from more than 20 countries and regions. The designer built all parts of the hotel in Shanghai to protect the ecology, and then assembled them here with 23 trucks. The service is super enthusiastic and thoughtful. After arrival, the hotel staff will help you check in all the way, without you having to do it yourself. There are also welcome cookies made from highland barley. They are delicious. Room facilities: One word 'beautiful'. The decoration style of Tibetan + American fusion, the overall wooden structure, super warm. And the room is diffused with offerings 24 hours a day, covered with Danish floor heating, there is no need to worry about high altitude sickness. Say something~ Songzan Hotel Glacier Cliff Basu Songzan Lagu Mountain Residence is located at an altitude of 4200 meters, which is currently the highest Songzan hotel. A building miracle at an altitude of 4200 meters, a closed full-oxygen hotel embedded in the cliff, the entire hotel is embedded in the cliff, facing the glacier, surrounded by snow-capped mountains and lakes. The designer used the original terrain to hide nearly half of the building inside the mountain. In this way, from a distance from the village, you will see a small building top, which forms a very harmonious relationship with the volume and texture of the original village. Different from the architectural structure of other Songzan hotels, the guest rooms, restaurants and book bar areas of the Ranwu Lagu Mountain Residence all adopt the form of steel structure ecological module rooms. Each module is combined based on the minimum unit modulus of 3x6x3.3 meters, and finally forms the entire building. The hotel uses the central molecular sieve oxygen supply technology provided by 'Fish Leap' to achieve 24-hour closed oxygen supply, Danish imported floor heating for continuous heating, and three-layer LOW-E floor-to-ceiling vacuum glass not only provides sun protection and insulation, but also allows the glacier snow mountain lake in front of you to be unobstructed.

Located at an altitude of 4200 meters, the 'Laigu Village' Living in the snow mountains, facing the glaciers This cliff dwelling, in the secret land, gathers with ice and snow The four-story hotel building is half embedded in the cliff rock Accompanied by Ranwu Lake Facing Laigu Glacier Surrounded by rolling snow-capped mountains Standing alone under the sky There are 20 guest rooms, including 4 suites 24-hour closed oxygen supply The view from the room can be described as shocking Between looking up and down, it seems to share a pillow with the snow mountain Each room has a whole floor-to-ceiling window Like a giant screen of heaven and earth Holding the dust-free scenery of Laigu Snow mountains, glaciers, lakes, canyons, glaciers, star rivers... Stay at Songzan to see the glacier this season Here you can see 6 marine glaciers Such natural landscapes are unique in China and even the world Now the ice layer is frozen, you can walk on the glacier to see the cold dreamy blue Feel the desolation and eternity of this polar peak

Songzan hotels are built in places with extremely beautiful scenery, and the location of Songzan • Laigu Mountain Residence is even more unique. The Laigu Village at an altitude of 4200 meters was once praised by 'China National Geographic' as 'the village with the most beautiful scenery'! Hidden under the continuous snow-capped mountains and the sky, it is like a secret realm outside the world. From the hotel, you can see 6 marine glaciers, such rare scenery is very rare worldwide. The glaciers converge into a huge glacier extending to the foot, quiet and majestic, this is a pure land of the plateau that is independent of the world. Design In order not to destroy the atmosphere of the original village, the designer used the terrain to embed the entire hotel on the cliff, which is a milestone building in the Tibet region. It has also created many breakthroughs in the architectural field. Each room faces the snow-capped mountains and uses a lot of wood to maintain the affinity and traditional style of the building. Holding warm ginger tea, admiring the glacier scenery outside the window, feeling the wonderful power that nature gives to people's hearts between snow-capped mountains, glaciers and lakes. Room The hotel has a total of 20 guest rooms. Due to its location at an altitude of 4200 meters, all areas of the hotel use 24-hour diffuse oxygen supply. The 3-layer LOW-E vacuum glass and Danish floor heating are not afraid of plateau reactions even at high altitudes! The interior decoration uses very high-end Canadian logs, and each window can see the snow-capped mountains and lakes. Opening the curtains is a beautiful landscape scroll. Due to the limited conditions, the room area is not large, but the washbasin, door plate, key ring, etc., are all made of hand-wrapped copper, with a very full texture. Food Even at an altitude of 4000+, you can still encounter ingredients along the entire Yunnan-Tibet line: yak meat from alpine pastures, free-range Tibetan fragrant pork, vegetables from Bomi, walnuts from Tacheng, Shangri-La wine... and bartenders carefully prepare cocktails for guests. Accompany meals or single products. Service The hotel's service is perfect and sincere enough, they are all local Tibetans, and the brothers and sisters will always greet you with a smile. The attached experience is also very rich: watching the sunrise over the golden mountain, exploring the Laigu Glacier, visiting Tibetan houses, praying for blessings at Xudeng Temple, etc., are all worth a try.

Songtsam Laigu Mountain Residence is located in Basu County, Qamdo City, Tibet Autonomous Region, about 32 kilometers south of National Highway 318. If I hadn’t been heading to Laigu Glacier, I would definitely not have considered staying here. If it weren't for my profession, I would not have chosen Laigushanju. As a consumer, I think this hotel has a very low cost-performance ratio, and the Laigu Glacier in the hotel's view is not beautiful. The room is very small, shown as 27 square meters, but this is only the building area. I don't think the usable area is more than 20 square meters, maybe only 16 to 18 square meters. Compared with the price of 2500+, it is really not worth it. Of course, the money is another matter. After all, the cleanliness level is absolutely unmatched compared with the Tibetan areas, especially the area where it is located. Anyone's written description is more or less biased, so it is more realistic to look at the photos, which also include drone aerial photos, which can clearly show the hotel building and the surrounding environment. #ChinaTravel #Tibet #Cost-EffectiveHotel #HotelIntroduction #HotelExperienceOfficer #HotelAccommodation #LaiguGlacier #Lake #Glacier #Songtsan #tibet