Banyan Tree Ringha

At 3,200 metres in Yunnan's Shangri-La highlands, Banyan Tree Ringha's 32 suites and lodges are built from reassembled old Tibetan farmhouses, pine pillars and carved wooden beams. Expect wood-burning fireplaces, hand-carved wooden bathtubs and balconies looking out over the valley or the Shu Du Gang River. Some suites come with their own mineral-rich hot spring pool. One lodge, Ringha Lodge, was originally a Tibetan family's farmhouse before it was taken apart and rebuilt here piece by piece.

Guides lead tours on foot, horseback or by four-wheel drive out to Songzanling, the largest Tibetan Buddhist monastery in Yunnan, or to Bita Lake for birdwatching among forested mountains. Hotel restaurant Llamo serves Tibetan, Chinese and Western dishes including deep-fried yak tenderloin, while Chang Sa specialises in Tibetan hotpot and the Jakhang teahouse holds an enormous collection of local teas by the fire. For something unique, a Highland Romance dinner can be set up by the riverside after a horseback ride through the plains.