This Remote Escape in China Has Million-Dollar Water Views

MANY TRAVELERS WHO HEAD TO this far-flung corner of China, just north of the Vietnamese border, are here to visit Detian Waterfalls. Known on the Vietnamese side as Ban Gioc, they’re two dramatic, photogenic waterfalls that straddle the two countries.  

If you’ve come this far off the beaten track, you’ll definitely need a place to stay. I didn’t have any expectations before I reached LUX* Chongzuo Guangxi—after an early morning flight and a good two-hour drive from the region’s capital Nanning, I was admittedly a little tired and grumpy. And hungry.  

That all started to change as I stepped out of the car, when ladies in traditional Zhuang dress complete with distinctive fabric coifs, welcomed me with a bowl of da youcha—literally oil tea, made before my eyes. Warming and nourishing, it’s considered essential for bolstering immunity against the often-unpredictable weather in Guangxi. The tea contains ingredients like puffed rice and fresh coriander. It took the edge off.  

After that, I was led upstairs to the lobby, and I really didn’t expect to see what I found there: a massive space open to the elements on one side, perfectly framing the hilly karsts on the other side of the Mingshi River. It was quite the introduction to the falls.  

Also in the lobby, an infinity pond that reflected the jaw-dropping landscape, with two sunken lounges built around sleek fireplaces that can be lit to take the chill out of the cold, damp air. It was warm enough when I checked in that I didn’t need them, but I would have loved to curl up by one of those fires in the evening. The tropical-modernist-meets-brutalist design was the perfect foil for the awesome natural beauty surrounding the site. (When I went exploring and looked back at the resort, the very neutral architecture had another advantage: it’s almost invisible against the fields and trees.) 

My suite overlooking the infinity swimming pool used the same technique of neutral tones and natural textures contrasting with the lush, green karsts of Detian Waterfalls in the distance. There’s a slate bathtub placed right against the window, for guests who want their ablutions with a little theater provided by Mother Nature. I also spent a lot of time on my balcony.  

The resort’s common room—equipped with a library, a game room with billiards and board games, a bar and a tiered seating area with cushions—was the perfect place to relax if I ever felt the need to get out of my gorgeous room.  

The spa, spread across several well-appointed huts, offers a range of relaxing and invigorating treatments. Skiver, the rooftop bar serves custom-made cocktails and more of those jaw-dropping landscapes, and also doubles as an open-air cinema. You can bike, do yoga at dawn, have an aqua gym session in the pool or go fishing. Me? I was here to relax and unwind. Though one day I went for a cruise on a bamboo raft, complete with a huge variety of afternoon snacks and a Bluetooth speaker that gave us the opportunity to share our eclectic musical tastes.  

Then there was the food. Local produce around Detian Waterfalls includes sugar cane, Mingshi duck and wild mushroom—and the tropical fruit at the resort was exceptional. We had a Chinese version of Vietnamese pho, a mango and cucumber salad made from local produce, hand-cut noodles and free-range chicken. My favorite meal was probably the afternoon snack I ordered in Current, the property’s all-day restaurant: four kinds of Chinese pickles (my favorite was the strips of celtuce marinated in numbing mala peppercorns); a clear broth of seafood and pork; snail meat stuffed into little tubes of bamboo and fried; and fried rice. More than enough to cure my grouchiness. 

Guangxi might not be the most obvious destination in China, but you’ll be richly rewarded if you make the trip to visit Detian Waterfalls. Don a dou li (the traditional conical hat known as non la in Vietnam) to shield your face from sun or rain, and you won’t find it hard to fit in at all.  

LUX* Chongzuo Guangxi is located about two hours from Nanning International Airport by car. Its 57 suites and villas range from 80 to 180 square meters. Rates for a Junior suite start at 610 USD a night.  

Images courtesy of The LUX* Collective.

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