Lijiang CHINA

I recently returned from a solo trip to Club Med Lijiang in late October and early November, and I can genuinely say this was one of the best experiences I’ve had in a long time.

I originally chose Lijiang for its breathtaking scenery. I’ve always loved mountains, beautiful architecture, and places with a unique atmosphere and culture, and this resort seemed like the perfect place to enjoy all of those things. I knew traveling alone would be a little challenging, especially being so far from home, but I never expected the people I would meet along the way to become the best part of my entire trip.

The G.O.s truly made this experience what it was. From the moment I arrived, I was met with so much warmth, kindness, and genuine hospitality. What I thought might be an intimidating experience as a solo traveler ended up being one of the most welcoming and enjoyable trips I’ve ever taken. I know how hard everyone works, and you can really see the effort they put into making sure guests have a great time. I especially wanted to take the time to recognize some of the G.O.s individually because they deserve all the credit for the part they played in making this trip so special.

Gilbert the Assist. Chef de Village, An absolute gem of a person. Gilbert is genuinely one of those people who makes you feel welcome without even having to try. His attention to detail and thoughtfulness are incredible, but what stood out to me most was simply how kind he was. I loved the energy he brought every single day, and it’s clear how much he cares about both his work and the people around him.

I especially enjoyed our conversations and discovering some of our shared interests. He’s just such an easy person to talk to, and I always appreciated the time he took to chat with me. On my last day, he sat with me for quite a while, and we had a lovely conversation. He’s exactly the kind of person you would hope to have in the position he’s in, and Club Med is very lucky to have him.

Albir is such a lovely person! Albir has one of those personalities that can brighten your day without even trying. He’s incredibly welcoming, energetic, and bubbly, and that enthusiasm is contagious. Whether we were participating in an activity or simply crossing paths around the resort, he always managed to make the interaction that much more fun. He would often sit with me during meals, and I always appreciated him making the effort to keep me company. Even when we weren’t spending time together, he’d wave whenever we passed each other. Those little things might not seem like much, but they really do make a difference when you’re traveling alone.

I had the pleasure of going hiking and participating in several outdoor activities with Amirul. He’s very friendly, approachable, and always made the activities enjoyable. He even took the time to teach me how to play pickleball! I really enjoyed getting to try new things with him, and he was always great company. It’s always nice meeting someone who can make an activity fun while also making you feel comfortable trying something for the first time.

Leah is an absolutely beautiful human being, with an equally beautiful voice. I’ve had some genuinely lovely conversations with Leah throughout my stay. She would often come and sit with me during lunch, and we’d end up talking for practically the entire meal. She has such a lovely presence about her, and I appreciated how she would always make the effort to come over and keep me company.

Mr Leon and Mr Paul both were incredibly kind and always willing to help whenever they could. They also went out of their way to put together a little birthday surprise for me, which made my birthday even more special. I really appreciated the thought and effort they put into it. Celebrating your birthday while traveling alone is already a unique experience, but having people you’ve only recently met make an effort to celebrate with you makes it that much more meaningful.

Phoebe who is at the boutique thank you for having the patience of an absolute angel! Phoebe spent around 30 minutes helping me in the boutique, and I genuinely appreciated her patience and willingness to help me out. She was so lovely throughout the entire interaction, and I couldn’t leave without giving her a mention.

I also wanted to give Eggi a special mention. I really enjoyed our conversations and appreciated how welcoming and friendly he was throughout my stay. It’s always nice when you can strike up a conversation with someone and feel completely comfortable, and I’m glad I had the chance to get to know him a little.

And of course, Sylvenie! Thank you for being such a lovely part of my stay. I really appreciated our conversations and the kindness you showed me. It’s people like you who help make a place feel less like somewhere you’re visiting and more like somewhere you’re happy to be.

And finally, to everyone else I had the pleasure of meeting, including anyone whose name I may have unfortunately forgotten or haven’t mentioned here, thank you. Every conversation, smile, invitation, and little gesture contributed to making this trip what it was. I know I can’t possibly mention everyone, but please know that I appreciated you all!

This was my first solo trip, more than 13,000 km away from home, and I couldn’t have asked for a better experience. Being able to spend my birthday in such a beautiful place was already something special, but having so many wonderful people make an effort to make it memorable meant even more to me. I arrived expecting to enjoy the scenery, food, culture, and everything Lijiang had to offer. I left with memories and connections I never expected to make.

To anyone considering traveling to Club Med Lijiang alone: don’t hesitate! If the breathtaking mountain views, beautiful architecture, incredible food, and surrounding culture aren’t enough to convince you, the people you’ll meet certainly will.

Thank you, Club Med Lijiang, for such a wonderful birthday trip. I hope to cross paths with some of these lovely people again someday!

A big heartfelt thank you to the wonderful Lijiang GO for filling our stay with so much joy, warmth, and beautiful memories. Saori and I are truly grateful for all the kindness, care, and little thoughtful gestures you shared with us. You made us feel so welcomed and special, and it was a real pleasure getting to know you. We will carry these lovely memories in our hearts and hope our paths cross again soon.

Club Med Lijiang is located at the bottom of Jade Dragon Snow Mountain. Very scenic village with rich culture. Nicely designed comfortable rooms with a variety of activities and excursions to join. The campsite at Amaze is a great place to enjoy an afternoon tea with view. Highly recommended village!

We leave Club Med Lijiang with wonderful memories and one strong feeling: this place deserves to be much better known! We don’t know how well known it is in China or elsewhere in Asia, but it certainly seems to receive far too little attention in the West, considering everything it has to offer.

Getting there may require a connecting flight, but the same is true of so many popular destinations around the world! That really shouldn’t put anyone off. We found exploring China much easier than you might imagine without speaking Mandarin: the tools and services available make it easy to communicate, get around and enjoy the experience.

And what a destination! The scenery is breathtaking. From the resort, it is easy to explore the surrounding area and discover its extraordinary culture, food and natural beauty. Meeting local people was also a special part of our trip. We enjoyed so many warm, spontaneous exchanges that made us want to return and discover even more.

We particularly appreciated the opportunities to discover the cultures of the local ethnic minorities, and the efforts to showcase their heritage, traditions and craftsmanship. For Western visitors, discovering China already opens up so many new horizons; getting to know this cultural diversity adds yet another fascinating dimension to the journey.

At the resort, the facilities, the welcome and the care shown by the teams made our stay especially enjoyable. And as a family, what a joy it was to see our children so happy! The childcare, the kindness of the G.Os and the attention given to the children were wonderful. Our children were genuinely very sad to leave… and we completely understood how they felt!

A huge thank you to the Mini Club G.Os: Kiwi, Albir (♥ from Adam), Gloria, Aline, Zheng, Lucie and Gemma! Thank you for your energy, kindness and all the lovely memories our children are taking home.

Thank you also to Gilbert, the Deputy Chef de Village, as well as Daniel, Lily, Amirul, Golf, MJ and Tony, Luka from the sports team, Leon from the restaurant team, Chen and Paul at reception, and Fery, the fantastic bartender!

Thank you all for these wonderful moments. Lijiang and its Club Med truly deserve the journey and much more recognition. We leave with one wish: to come back! ❤️

I stayed at Club Med Lijiang from 22 to 31 October 2026, for a total of 10 days and 9 nights. I booked the package that included flights, and it was one of the best decisions I made for this trip! Everything was taken care of, making the entire experience incredibly hassle-free.

Service & G.O.s

The service at Club Med was amazing! The G.O.s were friendly, approachable and enthusiastic, creating such a welcoming and positive atmosphere throughout our stay.

As we spent quite a bit of time exploring Lijiang, we didn’t get to know many of the G.O.s personally. Nevertheless, I’d like to give a special shout-out to Louis, who welcomed and introduced us to Club Med on our first day; Amirul, who patiently taught my mom and me archery; Ashia, whom we had the pleasure of meeting over dinner on our final evening; and Chen, who kindly assisted us on several occasions at the reception!

We also managed to catch two of the special evening performances put together by the G.O.s. I was genuinely impressed by the quality of the shows! Considering that performing isn’t their primary role, the effort, coordination and enthusiasm they put into entertaining guests were truly commendable.

Rooms & Dining

The rooms were clean, spacious and quiet, making our stay extremely comfortable.

Having stayed for 9 nights and enjoyed many meals at the resort, I was pleasantly surprised by the food variety. While there were familiar staples, I noticed that roughly 15–20% of the food selections changed daily, which helped keep things interesting even during a longer stay.

Resort Location & Scenery

The resort’s location was fantastic, offering beautiful views of Jade Dragon Snow Mountain (玉龙雪山).

It’s also conveniently located near Amaze Campsite (阿美泽营地), a beautiful photography location with picturesque foreground scenery against the magnificent backdrop of Jade Dragon Snow Mountain.

In-House Photography Experience (大师跟拍)

One experience I’d particularly recommend checking out is the photography service offered by the resort’s in-house photography studio, 大师跟拍.

Guests are offered a complimentary photoshoot opportunity, with three complimentary photographs per room and free rental of traditional ethnic costumes.

Optional makeup services are available at ¥100 for simple makeup or ¥300 for a more elaborate look.

Our photoshoot took place at Amaze Campsite, which provided a stunning setting for the photographs. We were also incredibly fortunate to have beautiful weather that day!

What I particularly appreciated was the flexibility of the arrangement. You could simply enjoy the complimentary photographs without purchasing anything additional. However, if you love the results (as I did!), you have the option to purchase more photographs.

I was very pleased with how our photographs turned out, and I’ve attached a few examples to showcase the quality of the photography.

Overall Experience

All in all, this was a wonderful first experience with Club Med!

What stood out most was the relaxing and positive atmosphere throughout the resort. From the friendly G.O.s and comfortable accommodation to the beautiful surroundings and thoughtful experiences, everything came together to make our stay truly memorable.

Looking back, I wouldn’t have made a different choice for my Lijiang trip. I’m really glad I chose Club Med Lijiang!