Disclosure: this post contains affiliate links. If you book through one of them I may earn a small commission, at no extra cost to you. It does not change what I write about a place, as this review should make obvious.
I spent one night at Cloud Way Homestay (云途·山舍) in Bendiwan, the village where almost everyone hiking the Tiger Leaping Gorge High Trail stops for the night. It cost about US$60 for a 35 m² room with two double beds and a snow mountain view, which sounds like a lot for the money on paper.
Short version: the view is spectacular and the sunset from here is one of the best things I saw in Yunnan. A couple of other things kept the room from feeling worth what I paid, and one of them is something no listing could really warn you about. Whether it suits you depends a lot on how you arrive.
Where Cloud Way Homestay actually is
The High Trail runs along the Haba Snow Mountain side of the gorge, which means you spend the whole day walking with the Jade Dragon Snow Mountain range directly across from you. Bendiwan (本地湾) is the cluster of guesthouses roughly two thirds of the way along, and it is where Halfway Guest House (中途客栈) sits. Cloud Way is a few minutes from it, on the same stretch of road.
| Name | Cloud Way Homestay / 云途·山舍 |
| Address | No. 9 Bendiwan, Yongsheng village, Hutiaoxia town, Shangri-La, Yunnan |
| Location | Tiger Leaping Gorge High Trail, next to Halfway Guest House |
| Room I stayed in | 35 m², two double beds, snow mountain view |
| Price paid | About US$60 per night (₩83,000) |
| My rating | 2 out of 5, mostly on value for the price |
Where I stayed
Cloud Way Homestay, Bendiwan
35 m² twin room with a snow mountain window. I paid about US$60 for one night in May.
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Almost everyone who reaches Bendiwan gets there on foot. That one detail doesn’t come up much in reviews, and it quietly changes how the room feels when you finally put your pack down.
The view, and why it landed differently than I expected
Every listing in Bendiwan sells the same thing: a window facing the snow peaks. Cloud Way does have that window, and it is a genuinely nice one, big and south-facing with good light in the morning.
We took photos the moment we walked in. It is that kind of window, and I want to be clear about that before I complain: the view is objectively stunning. Anyone would stop and stare.
What surprised me was how quickly it faded into the background. I had just spent an entire day walking toward those mountains, six hours of them filling the whole horizon. By the time I dropped my pack, the daytime view outside the window was something I had already been looking at since morning. It was not that the view was weak. It was that I was full.
Sunset was another matter entirely. When the light turns and the peaks go gold, it stops being the same mountains you walked past and becomes something you have not seen before. That half hour genuinely moved me, tired legs and all. If you stay here, do not be in the shower when it happens.
So the honest version is this. If you arrive by car, the view alone may be worth the room. If you are trekking in, expect the daytime view to feel familiar, let the other things guide your choice, the bed, the shower, the food, the price, and then stay up for the light. The evening is the part nobody arrives too tired for.
The rooftop is the same story. There is a photo spot up there, and at sunset the peaks really do turn beautiful. It is just that the guesthouse next door looks out on the same peaks, and so does the one after that. The view is Bendiwan’s, not any one guesthouse’s, which is worth knowing before you pay extra for it.
Inside the room
Thirty five square metres is a lot of space for a mountain guesthouse, and the two double beds mean four people could share it. The finish looks recently renovated in photographs.
In person it feels a little bare. There is no fridge, and the small comforts are thin on the ground. I kept walking around trying to name what was missing, and the closest word I could find was empty. The renovation seems to have gone into the surfaces first, and the details have not quite caught up yet.
What is provided:
- Bottled water
- Slippers
- Hair dryer
- Hangers
The table by the window and the lighting were both decent. Those were the parts I liked.
One thing worth knowing before you arrive: every socket in the room ran at 110V. China runs on 220V, so this caught me off guard, and I have not seen it mentioned in a single listing. The guesthouse lends adapters at reception, so ask when you check in. Most phone and laptop chargers are dual voltage and will say 100-240V somewhere on the label, in which case you are fine either way. Anything rated for 220V only will need the loaner.
The bed, and the one thing I would change
If I could fix one thing about this stay, it would be this.
The bed frames creak. Every time I shifted position it creaked, and getting up creaked. At one point I got out of bed to use the bathroom in the middle of the night and the noise woke my friend in the other bed.
After a full day on the trail, sleep is what you are really paying for, so this is the detail I would most like to see sorted. If you are sharing the room, it is worth knowing in advance that you may wake each other up. A newer frame would change this stay completely.
The bathroom, and the towel question
The bathroom is ordinary. Clean, nothing special, and extremely slippery once it gets wet. Watch your footing, especially with tired legs.
One thing that surprises a lot of foreign visitors: at check-in they ask whether you want disposable towels or regular ones. My instinct was that regular towels are obviously better, but disposable towels are a common hygiene preference in Chinese hotels rather than a downgrade. Either answer is fine. Just know the question is coming.
What was genuinely good
Two things, and I want to be fair about them.
The night sky. There is effectively no light pollution in the gorge. Standing on the rooftop after dark, the stars are dense enough that the phrase about stars pouring down stops being a cliché. This was the best moment of the stay.
The telescope in the corridor. A small, thoughtful touch, and the kind of detail that suggests someone here cares.
The same caveat applies as with the view: every guesthouse in Bendiwan sits under this sky. It was still the best hour of the trip.
Who I would recommend it to
If you are driving in, Cloud Way is a reasonable pick. The room is large, the window is genuinely good, and you will arrive with your eyes fresh enough to enjoy it.
If you are walking the High Trail, I would think twice, though not because of the view. At around US$60 it sits at the higher end for Bendiwan, and the things that matter most after a long day, a quiet bed and a room that feels lived in, are the things I would want more from at that price. The sunset would still be waiting for you at the guesthouse next door.
Either way, my honest suggestion is to compare two or three guesthouses in Bendiwan before booking, and to weigh bed quality and dinner more heavily than the window. On the High Trail, everyone has the window.
None of this means the place is bad. The photos you have seen are accurate, the sunsets are real, and someone clearly thought about that telescope. It just did not add up to sixty dollars for me, arriving the way I did.
Decide for yourself
See what Cloud Way costs on your dates
Rates move a lot by season here. Worth comparing against the other Bendiwan guesthouses before you commit to any of them.
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Practical notes
| Power | Every socket in the room ran at 110V, not the 220V used across the rest of China. Reception lends adapters. |
| Bathroom | Very slippery when wet |
| Towels | You will be asked to choose disposable or regular |
| Best moment | Rooftop after dark |
| Worth comparing if | You are trekking in and sleep matters more than the view |
Frequently asked questions
Is Cloud Way Homestay the same as Halfway Guest House?
No. Halfway Guest House is the well known lodge in Bendiwan. Cloud Way is a separate, smaller guesthouse a short walk away on the same stretch of the High Trail.
Do I need to book accommodation in Tiger Leaping Gorge in advance?
Bendiwan has several guesthouses along the trail, so there are options when you arrive. Booking ahead is the safer choice in high season, but if you want to compare rooms in person, walking the village first is realistic.
Is the snow mountain view worth paying extra for?
The view itself is genuinely spectacular, so this is really a question about timing. If you hike the High Trail you will have watched those peaks all day, and the daytime window may feel familiar. If you arrive by vehicle it is a strong reason to book. Either way, sunset is the part worth planning around, and every guesthouse in Bendiwan gets it.
Do I need a power adapter at Cloud Way Homestay?
Quite possibly, yes. Every socket in my room ran at 110V rather than China’s standard 220V, which is unusual and is not flagged in the listings. Reception lends adapters. Check your charger label first: if it reads 100-240V it is dual voltage and will work as it is.
What should I actually compare between Bendiwan guesthouses?
Bed and mattress quality, how well the room is heated, whether dinner is available, and the price. The view is effectively identical everywhere in the village.
I stayed at Cloud Way Homestay for one night while hiking the Tiger Leaping Gorge High Trail in Yunnan, China, and paid for the room myself. This review is based on that stay.