Dali Hotels

Dali is a city in Yunnan Province, China famous for its old town and handicrafts. Dali is one of the most popular spots for independent China travellers and hugely popular with those working, teaching and studying in China. Fifty minutes by plane and 5 hours by bus from Kunming, Dali is the perfect place to relax. Dali is the capital city of the prefecture of the same name. It consists of the Dali Old Town. Travellers visit the Dali Old Town for its traditional architecture, minority cultures - mostly Bai but also with many Yi and Hui - and simply to relax. The Old Town has a population of approx. 40,000 and the entire Dali Prefecture around three million people and an area of over 10,000 sq km. When discussing 'Dali', it is important to be clear whether you are talking about the entire city or just the Old Town. There is actually much to do and see in Dali city well outside the Old Town. With the beautiful Cangshan Mountains a short distance to the West of the Dali Old Town (approx 4200 metres at the peak) and Erhai Lake a few km to the East, it has a perfect natural setting. The climate is temperate with moderate Summers and mild Winters, though it can get rather windy in Autumn & Winter. Despite its fame as a backpacker heaven, Chinese tourists hugely outnumber foreigners. Chinese tourists tend to stay in nearby Xiaguan town so Dali becomes thankfully quiet in the evenings. Dali is one of the most popular spots for independent China travellers and hugely popular with those working, teaching and studying in China. Thirty minutes by plane and 5 hours by bus from Kunming, Dali is the perfect place to relax. Dali is the name of the Prefecture, the local city (aka Xiaguan) and the Dali Old Town. Travellers visit the Dali Old Town for its traditional architecture, minority cultures - mostly Bai but also with many Yi and Hui - and simply to relax. The Old Town has a population of approx. 40,000 and the entire Dali Prefecture around three million people. With the beautiful Cangshan Mountains a short distance to the West of Dali (approx 4200 metres at the peak) and Erhai Lake a few kms to the East, it has a perfect natural setting. The climate is temperate with moderate Summers and mild Winters, though it can get rather windy.