This was an awesome hotel. Wei Wei and her husband's advice are worth the room rate alone. They are a very trusting couple. I arrived early and they arranged a pick up from town. They helped me plan out my short trip with plenty of things to do within my budget. I ended up renting a bike from them and it seemed to be way better bike than most rentals in town.

The rooms were clean, the location was awesome, and I had a great nights sleep. I went there for the scenery, so the location out of town was not a problem at all, (more like a bonus) Unless you're there for West Street, I doubt the location would be a problem for anyone. When I was in Yanshuo, I had an uneasy feeling that I couldn't trust anyone because there were a lot of Hawkers. Wei Wei and her husband gave me the opposite feeling and I think the place was worth every cent.

It was a bit cold in the evenings. But I was there in the winter season. I wouldn't even consider that a complaint because I like sleeping in the cold and if I would have said something, I'm sure they would have been accommodating somehow.

I booked the reservation about 4 months prior to our trip via email. The proprietor, Wei Wei, wrote me in English and confirmed my request for three rooms with view, air conditioning, and warm water shower. The rate was about $17 US per night per room. Cash only. I asked about confirmation numbers and deposits, Wei Wei wrote back that no deposits are needed, she just hopes we can come. She asked if I needed an airport pickup (car or van, both for under $50 US for the 90 min ride from Guilin International Airport).

Fifteen hours flight from Los Angeles to Hong Kong, 2 more hours flying to Guilin. Exhausted, we begin the 90 minute crazy drive to Yangshou. Hong Kong felt like an American/European city – exiting the airport in Guilin, the real experience was beginning. Out the back dirt road, we were introduced to driving in rural China – no rules. Despite nightfall, water buffalo were in the road, swarms of bikes were everywhere (sometimes towing bikes), strange 3-wheeled vehicles, families of 6 on single small scooters, 4-year olds unaccompanied walking in the road, families drying rice and peppers, spread out on the highway…. Suddenly the LA freeways looked safe. To say car horns are used liberally would be a major understatement. Seatbelts, who uses seatbelts? Despite the terror of the ride, this opening picture into a different world was fascinating. About 10 minutes outside of Yangshou, we turn off the road into a rural village. Families complete their chores along the narrow streets, not designed to accommodate the van in which we were traveling. We arrived at the Moon resort (located in the back of the village) around 11 pm. Wei Wei, with whom I communicated, and her husband warmly greeted us. She lives onsite with her young daughter and parents.

The upper 3 levels are guest rooms. The family resides on the first floor. There is also a lobby/sitting room which opens out onto a large outdoor patio (dining can take place inside or outside). There is a computer for guests to use with high-speed internet (a true anachronism given the surrounding village; relatedly – cell phone coverage extends even to the most rural reaches of China). Cold water (~0.20 cents), drinks, and beer (about $1 US for a large beer) are available. There is a large clothes line in the back (and hose) should you wish to wash clothes by hand. The hotel is very well cleaned and maintained. Not a speck of dirt on the stairs. They will ask you if you want your room cleaned daily (or not). Linens and toiletries are not replaced daily unless you ask. The room was very clean. There were minimal furnishings in the room, but enough space for two people and several suitcases. The AC cooled the room down quickly – it was very warm in September. Plenty of lights in the room. The bed was not huge and the mattress is hard (like everywhere in China – I liked this, my wife did not). TV with a couple of English speaking channels was another surprise. The bathroom had a western style toilet, sink and mirror, and shower that drained into the floor (this was new to us, but hey, it cleaned the floor regularly). The drain had a tendency to emit a not-so-pleasant odor, but it was not too aversive and did not extend beyond the bathroom (especially if the door was kept closed). Wei Wei and her husband insisted upon schlepping our heavy bags up the stairs.

Despite the late hour, Wei Wei insisted upon making dinner. Her and her husband are very good cooks and the food was delicious. It was no problem finding plenty of vegetarian items. Most entrées are under $2 US. After a good night’s sleep, we awoke to see the Moon Resort in its full beauty! The karsts surround the hotel – a beautiful backdrop complete with rice fields and fruit trees. Hot air balloons complement the scenery as they soared in the distance. Breakfast offered a mix of western and eastern delights – the home-made soup was delicious. After breakfast, Wei Wei and her daughter walked us down the road to Moon Hill for a wonderful hike. We returned for lunch for another marvelous meal.

Yangshou and the surrounding area offer weeks of activities! Having only 4 nights, we were grateful that Wei Wei offered suggestions on hikes and activities. She helped us arrange hot air ballooning (by help I mean she called, arranged pick-up and drop-off, and pretty much everything else). Wei Wei gave us instructions on how to use the convenience and dirt-cheep Minibus to Yangshou. She’d call us a cab whenever needed (about $4 US to the city). She arranged a raft trip on the Li River and for bikes to be delivered for a ride along the Yulong River. An aside, the bike trip along the Yulong River was one of the vacation’s highlights! Several hours through old rural villages and spectacular scenery as we biked a relatively flat 4 hrs to the Dragon Bridge. The afternoon was spent eating and rafting back down the river (the bikes were returned by truck and waited for us at the end). Wei Wei’s husband escorted us for over 2 hrs, guiding us along the path. On the final morning, Wei Wei arranged transportation so that we could visit Longshend (the rice terraces high in the mountains 60 min north of Guilin) before returning to the airport.

I cannot say enough about how nice the hosts were. For example, when we arranged for the hot air balloon co. to pick us up at 5 am, Wei Wei woke up to make sure we were off smoothly. We felt like we were staying with the family, and yet had the comfort of our air conditioned rooms. They really worked to make sure our entire experience was fantastic! I should mention that the Moon Resort is not a resort by western standards. If you’re looking for the Hilton, go elsewhere. It is not posh. There is no room service, business center, salon, etc. If you need pampering, go elsewhere. If you want a window into rural China (a safe, clean, air conditioned window with real western toilets and fabulous English speaking hosts), I highly recommend this place. This is real – the hosts really worked hard to ensure our experiences were top notch. Despite the air conditioning and internet, it is somewhat rustic. Nevertheless, the establishment was very clean, the food was well prepared and very tasty, free use of the internet, etc. Being in the village gave you a nice buffer from the noisy Yangshou city – easy to visit, but then you could escape to the peace and quiet back at the Moon Resort. It was a good launching point for hikes and bike trips. Overall, I felt that this was a highly affordable and extremely unique experience. The Moon Resort was the highlight of our trip to China and we are truly appreciative of our hosts for giving us this wonderful experience. I highly recommend!!!

My wife and I arrived late at night from Hangzhou, so it was pitched black outside and could'nt see a thing. But when we woke up the next morning and look outside our window, my first words were "Wow, oh my god" The view from the hotel was absolutely stunning, and It was so serene & quiet.

This was formerly a farm house expanded and converted into a small guest house. The host was hospitable and eager to help in every which way. You lived 3K away from Yangshuo, and avoid all the noise and action of the town, yet transportation can easily be arranged for a minimal fee. You can wake up in the morning and have fresh cooked breakfast prepared by the host for a small charge, then head to town or river for the tours. Just remember to come back at night for the best freshly cook beer fish . Is'nt that like heaven?

My family and I stayed at Moon Resort in June; the room was adequate, very clean and great value for 80RMB. It was equipped with T.V, Air Con, western toilets and a spectacular view of the Karsts Mountains. Moon Resort is located about 15min out of Yangshuo town in Moon Hill Village. I was glad to see that the hotel was located in a village with 3 or 4 restaurants. I guess they photoshoped out all the surrounding building, for a more scenic shot for their website (www.moon-resort.com). I was a little worried that if the hotel was very isolated and the food was not good, we would have to travel back to Yangshuo for meals. All my fears were laid to rest at dinner the first night. The beer fish we ate was even better then the one we ate in Yangshuo and my kids loved the French fries and onion rings. We ended up eating almost every meal at the hotel. It was cheaper then in Yangshuo and we didn’t have to travel. Dennis the cook was very accommodating to our requests. Wei Wei the wife of Dennis was our tour guide the next day and took us to Puyi Town, on electric scooters. You could do it on bicycles for a lot less but the scooters were great fun. They both spoke English and they told me they were self-taught. If you don’t mind the quite nights, Moon Resort is in a great location. Close to Moon Hill, Banyan Tree Park, Moon Cave, Buddha Cave, and the bamboo rafting on the Yulong river. If you call them they can pick you up in Yangshuo for 40RMB, which might be a good idea because our taxi drive was unfamiliar with the narrow streets and opted to park the taxi near the main road and walk us into the village with all our luggage in tow.

We had a wonderful stay at Moon Resort. Wei Wei and Denis went out of there way to help us. My wife’s digital camera broke during our bamboo ride and Wei Wei lent us their camera and helped us bring our camera into town the next day to try to get it fixed. My family and I will definitely be returning to this little hotel in years to come. Try to avoid the major Chinese Holidays, Chinese New Year, Golden Week and the week of October 1st. They told me they are already fully booked for Chinese New Year 2008.

Ray

I can't believe the changes in Yangshuo since I first came here in 1982 when Yangshuo was just a transit point following the river trip from Guilin. Every time I came back, the countryside was just as beautiful but the little town has grown and every place I stayed was like staying in a big city. This time I am stayed at Moon Resort (actually more of a small hotel) that overlooks rice fields and the mountains, but is near the main road into Yangshuo. It is also close to the Buddha caves (one time was enough) and Moon Hill that I have climbed on every visit.

I stayed for four nights in an air conditioned room with a great view. I ate at the hotel twice and was surprise how good the food was for such a small establishment.

I didn't need help, but a couple of Australian backpackers were fixed up with a guide who took them bicycling through the mountains. The hotel managers are a nice family with OK English skills and are very accomodating.

Jerry Wagman , California