Lisu Lodge was designed to blend in with the houses of the village and the landscape. We adapted hill tribe design to meet the desires of our western guests; the other houses in the village do not have windows, for example. The roof is thatched; the frame is of wood and all the walls are of woven bamboo. Floors are made of rattan. All decorations are either made by the village or within the local area.

There are six rooms at present, since many guests would be likely to affect the life of the village too much. Each room is 16 feet by 14 feet. Comfortable mattresses (two per room, with a third one available) are on a hill tribe-style bamboo "sleeping platform", enclosed at night in a large mosquito net. We provide a fan - the area is cool at night throughout the year - a table and storage space. Each room has a private bathroom with hot showers and western-style flush toilets and wash basin.

The bedrooms surround a large living area, which also serves as a restaurant. We have low Thai style ‘khan toke’ tables, and a choice of either traditional ‘Mon Kwan’- triangular padded cushions - or more conventional tables and chairs on the covered verandah. These areas look out over fields to the mountains beyond. The lodge is located on the edge of a Lisu village 50 kilometers (30 miles) north of the city of Chiang Mai. The village of Dton Loong has a population of 750, including 20 families of another tribe, the Akha. We lease the land from the village, and we are very much part of the village, joining in with their celebrations. At Lisu New Year, in early February, our guests are strongly urged by the village to drink the Lisu whisky and to become, like the rest of the village, blind drunk (optional!).