Panba Courtyard Guesthouse and Hostel Reviews

Nice, helpfull staff, daily transportation to the Tiger Leping Gorge, pleasant atmosphere!

This is my second time at the hostel and it is my first choice in Lijiang. A great staff and a good atmosphere. With the addition of a full bar, it is a like an alcoholic traveller's dream come true. The only problem is actually getting to the hostel. I showed the address to several cab drivers and they refused to take me. Lijiang cabdrivers are real a**holes. The hostel should provide directions of how to get there by bus or walking.

Great staff. friendly and helpful and they are helpful in arranging transportation to tiger leaping gorge. food cooked here is better than any touristy restaurant. Internet is spotty tho.

Panba hostel is definitely among the best hostel that I ever stayed, the stuffs there were superb. Especially thanks go to River and Richard :D

Excellent place. Would stay again. Very helpful staff. Staff had good information. Would send others. Lowest cost for a hostel to buy your train and bus tickets. Robert Wilkinson

The guys who run the hostel are great! They are so helpful and nice. They help you with everything you ask them. They make the stay very comfortable. The rooms are nice and spacious. The food is nice and the location great. I would love to stay here another time.

This is a nice hostel with decent (private) rooms in a fantastic location with great staff and pleasant surrounds (in particular, a nice courtyard and rooftop chill-out area). However there are several little things that could be done to improve the place... the hot water is never more than warm, there is no soap in either the private ensuite or communal bathrooms, our rooms were not cleaned (and toilet paper etc. not replaced) during our three night stay and food was not always available.

I have not stayed at a hostel in a very long time. I was hesitant at first but did not want to say No to my friend. The thing I liked best about Panba is the people who run it. The owner and staff are so passionate about what they do; they are knowledgeable and sincere in their recommendations of what to do and see in Lijiang and surrounding areas. They are just thoroughly friendly, decent and warm hosts! Panba is also physically quaint and charming, with local design touches. Great place!

Panba's management and staff is what makes our stay at the hotel so pleasant, memorable and fun. The manager and their staff are passionate, honest, very helpful and friendly, and they speak English. Food is good and reasonable. The twin bed rooms are spacious, and the attached bathroom is as good as any average hotel. Panba does make a holiday into an unforgettable emotive experience.

Absolutely great. One of the most helpful staff I have ever experienced. Thanks for making our trip easier, you are the best! Rubén

The hostel was awesome! Made the trip to Lijiang worthwhile! The host, Richard was incredibly helpful and welcoming.

I'll definitely recommend this hostel if you come from foreign country. There is everything you want. Don't hesitate to choose it.

As is mentioned elsewhere, the Panba staff are friendly, speak English well (still rare in this part of China), and are very eager to make your stay in Lijiang smooth and fulfilling. They recommended a typical local restaurant, the 88, our first night there, got bus tickets for our onward journey, and served their clients pleasantly and cheerfully. I wished we could have stayed longer.

This has been one of the best experiences of my life. The people responsible of this nice Hostel are very kind people. If you want to have a great experience in Lijiang, I encourage you to be at Panba Hostel, you will make a lot of friends, in fact, now I consider the receptionist and the people at Panba my friends. Nice place, nice atmosphere, GREAT EXPERIENCE!!!!

Maybe our age is showing given this is a hostel, but panba was extremely noisy late every night (2am), despite the posted 11PM curfew. Also very limited assistance with what should be standard room services--towels, trash, bedding. We endured three nights but moved on the fourth with 2am wailing and commotion in the courtyard.

The hostel is set in a quiet part of the old town of Lijiang and is a great place to be based. Staff are very friendly and supportive and the accommodation is excellent.

Room is clean - staff very friendly and helpfull ...recommended to everyone ...GH is on near old town

I stayed for a week and thereby had a good opportunity to review Panba. The owner and staff were excellent hosts - friendly, attentive, very knowledgeable on the local tourist sites. They gave me invaluable advice on Tiger Leaping Gorge and helped organise my three day trip there. The rooms are clean, simple and spacious with a great selection of latest movies, pool table, good wifi and excellent local home cooking at very reasonable prices. Very cheap bike hire as well for outlying villages

We really enjoyed our stay in Panba Hostel. The location is quite good and the staff is very friendly and extremely helpful.

It was very expensive for valentines day.