Lovely Lijiang

I've just spent a couple of wonderful days in the lovely city of Lijiang. I've heard of the accomadation being a little pricey in some areas but if you want somewhere to stay thats cheap ( 50 yuan ) and comfortable, there is a place right near the bus station. Its called the Ri Yue He hotel. The room price was originally 100 yuan but with a little persueding the price we agreed on was 50 yuan. The room was complete with a large bathroom, double bed and a TV. It was really clean but a little cool. And its only a 10 min walk to the old town. Also there are lots of really cheap restaurants right near the hotel and the food is great. Lots of baozi around the streets everywhere, I love the stuff and it's a really cheap snack anytime of the day. Shop around for them, the price differs only a little and they cost me 2.5 yuan for 10 small ones. I think you need a least a full day to see all the old town properly as there are so many little streets and backalleys to explore. Most of the major streets are full of tourists but the ones further away are very quiet and give you more of a feel of what the old town must have been like. There are some good views of the mountainous backdrops if you climb up beyond the rooftops and they present good photos. All in all the best time to visit the old town is early in the morning while everyone is still asleep but it's also great in the twilight of evening and night, just when all the lights are coming to their brightness.
Have fun!