The glamorous Norden Camp is set on the Sangke Grasslands in the province of Gansu on the Tibetan Plateau. Situated at over 3,000 metres above sea level, in a clearing of yellow wildflowers, it offers visitors a taste of traditional Tibetan life on one of the most austere parts of the world. Owned by American Tibetan Dechen Yeshi, and her husband Yidam Kyap, the camp offers comfort and luxury combined with sustainability and respect for the environment.
Surrounded by undulating Tibetan grasslands, Norden Camp offers just eight log cabins and four khullu (yak-hair cashmere) tents. All are high-end and eco-friendly, designed in traditional Tibetan style with local antique furniture, and comfortable beds with lush khullu covers. The Norden Restaurant, headed by an American Chef has an innovative menu that incorporates regional dishes with a western twist. Expect yak meat and milk and locally sourced herbs and mushrooms.
The Norden Camp is bordered by a meandering river and also sports a Finnish sauna, and a juniper wood Buddhist prayer altar. Between May and October, the camp shares its grounds with gazelles, owls, hares and migratory birds. Outside the camp are Buddhist monasteries including the sprawling Labrang Monastery. Activity enthusiasts can go hiking, yak or horse-riding and visit local villages. Back at camp, guest can enjoy views of a night sky ablaze with twinkling stars.
Stay Norden Camp offers just eight wooden log cabins and four yak hair tents. Both cabins and tents, have wooden floors and tastefully furnished with Norlha accessories, traditional style furniture and local artefacts. Each has comfortable double or twin beds covered with soft yak hair blankets, and heated with wood furnaces. Ensuite bathrooms have dry toilets with showers and electricity is supplied with solar power. All have wooden decks overlooking the grasslands.
ChildCare Families with older children are welcome to stay at the Norden Camp. Each wooden cabin and tent are spacious enough to accommodate an additional bed. Please note there are no specific facilities for younger children and as such children below 12 years are not recommended.
Dine The in-house restaurant at the Norden Camp is headed by an American chef Andrew Notte, a former chef at the upscale Aman Resorts in Bhutan. His specially designed menu is based on the local pastoral lifestyle and the food derived from it. Contemporary style dishes are prepared with local ingredients including meat and milk from yaks grazing in areas teeming with medicinal plants, herbs and mushrooms from grasslands and cooked in traditional mud brick ovens.
Relax Norden Camp is an ideal setting for special group gatherings; from yoga retreats to corporate conferences to festive weddings. Its an ultimate place where you can disconnect from your electronic devices and connect and retreat into the serenity of the Tibetan Plateau. Find peace and calm with a visit to the historic Labrang Monastery and share a meal with a nomadic family. For relaxation there is a Finnish sauna, a yoga centre and the restorative sounds of silence.
Experience Guests at Norden Camp have a choice of varied activities including yak and horse riding, trekking, birdwatching and guided visit to Labrang Monastery. Norden Travel will customize your experience according to your interests. You can opt to visit local Tibetan families, eat lunch with local monks or visit local monasteries. Some of the highlight activities include bird watching and stargazing in this remote and very beautiful location.
May-Jul, Sep-Oct
10°C
GYS
GMT+ 8
Chinese Yuan (CNY)
Location Located in the Tibetan Autonomous Kenlho Prefecture in China's Gansu province, Norden Camp is approximately 30 minutes from Labrang or four hours from Lanzhou, the capital of Gansu.
Getting there Norden is located just 30 minutes by car from Gannan Xiahe Airport, though if you're arriving at Lanzhou Zhongchuan Airport, the trip will take about 4.5 hours. The staff at Norden are able to arrange for two-way transfers from both airports.
When to go Norden Camp is only open between May and October. From May the wild flowers are in bloom and the camp is covered in flowering bushes. The best time if from mid-June to early September when the temperatures are comfortable. During this time, you'll have a greater chance of seeing pheasants, hares and other wild animals and temperatures with be warm and comfortable. Expect snowfall in October.
Destination
Central, ChinaHotel Type
Tented CampLocation Type
Remote
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