Top Zhangjiajie stay …

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→ Pullman Zhangjiajie the place to stay in China’s popular wilderness area …

Where …

Pullman Zhangjiajie

When …

April 2018

What …

There’s a good chance you’ve never heard of a spot in central China called Zhangjiajie.

But if you’re a movie lover, and I told you this is the place that served as a backdrop for James Cameron’s Avatar, you would at least know what the location looks like with dramatic mountain peaks surrounding the settlement that’s a two-hour flight from Shanghai.

Zhangjiajie is China’s “wilderness”, the closest thing most domestic tourists get to a holiday in the great outdoors, and the Avatar peaks sit inside the Zhangjiajie National Forest Park an easy walk from the centre of town.

While the settlement has long been on the local tourist trail – around 20,000 Chinese visitors invade the national park on a daily basis – it’s a new find for foreigners who have two choices when it comes to upscale accommodation.

There’s the Crowne Plaza and Pullman Zhangjiajie, with the latter my address during my three-night stay in this part of China.

Image result for pullman zhangjiajie

The hotel isn’t fancy by Pullman standards — there are signs of wear and tear in the bathroom, the staff is a little blase about service, the breakfast buffet lacks creativity, the walls are thin — but all is forgiven considering the remote location.

The bed is comfortable, there’s ample hot water, the breakfast buffet is adequate, the housekeeping staff do a thorough job, and there’s even soy milk for those of us allergic to dairy.

And it was a calm sanctuary of quiet after a day battling tourists inside the boundary of Zhangjiajie National Forest Park.