Banyan Tree resort in Ringha, a high-altitude valley close to the nearby town of Shangri-La

The Observer | Travel | Height of luxury in Shangri-La: "Even when Tony Blair came to power, Shangri-La was still being described as the archetypal one-horse town. Back then, motorised travel meant flagging down a lift in the policeman's sidecar. The arrival of the Banyan Tree and the opening of a modern airport will ensure that Shangri-La quickly stumbles from the stuff of legend into the consciousness of a curious wider world. Like much of China, it won't stay like this for long."