Dali Niujie Xiluoya! So Healing to Soak in the Hot Springs After Surfing

Last week, I went to Dali with my bestie and stayed at the Xiluoya Hotel in Niujie. The newly renovated place totally won my heart! As soon as we arrived, we were amazed by the camping courtyard⛺. The milky white tents were decorated with warm yellow fairy lights, and the lawn was covered with checkered picnic mats. In the afternoon, we soaked up the sun while sipping hand-brewed coffee. Every casual photo looked like a Japanese magazine spread, and I was asked for the address 8 times on social media. The best part was the sulfur hot spring pool🌊. The water was warm with a faint sulfur scent. After soaking for 20 minutes, all my fatigue melted away, and my skin felt silky smooth — even for someone like me who’s afraid of water, I tried the private soaking pool nearby. Leaning against the stone edge, listening to the wind rustling the leaves, it was more relaxing than a spa. Surfing was the “unexpected joy” of this trip🏄‍♀️! The instructor was super patient, teaching me how to hold the board and stand up. After falling three times, I finally stood up. When I screamed in the waves, my bestie took silly photos of me splashing water everywhere, which have now become our go-to emojis. The room was an even bigger surprise: the private hot spring pool was large enough, and I added the lavender bath salts the hotel gave us. Soaking while watching the green mountains outside the window, I didn’t even need a face mask! At night, we booked a paid barbecue🍖. The freshly sliced pork belly sizzled and dripped with oil, paired with chilled yangmei wine. We chatted with my bestie until midnight. The hotel’s scenery was stunning — in the early morning, you can see mist swirling around the rice fields in the mountains, and at dusk, the sunset paints the sky pink and orange. Next time I come to Dali, I’ll definitely stay here again!