Xinjiang Yughur Autonomous Region Travel Guide

This place took my breath away. People live in either mud huts or buildings made with precast concrete slabs. Most of the inhabitants there don't look Chinese at all, many of them have an Arabian influence. And they don't speak Mandarin or Chinese, they have their own language and also characters. You wouldn't say that you're in China. Kashi is famous for the Sunday Market, which is defenitely worthwhile visiting. People travel long distances often with donkey carts to get there to sell and buy things, mainly veggies, fruits and meat. But also animals, kitchen utensils, TV's and some souvenirs can be bought there. It's a very lively place - and they leave tourists alone, they're not pushing or forcing foreigners to buy anything. When being in Kashi I recomment to take a two or more days trip to the Karakul Highway towards Pakistan. The scenery is fantastic. First you drive through a rocky deseret and suddenly a huge mountain range appears in front. And in the background there are tall mountains. Lake Karakul for example is such a picturesque and quite place with the Mutzagh Ata (7,500 m tall). You can stay there in Yurts. There are official Yurts for tourists, but if you're lucky you can also stay privately in one of the Yurts. In order to get there I would suggest to hire a driver - possibly through a travel agent in Kashgar/Kashi.

Don't do a whirlwind tour of the area through CITS agency.  It looks cheaper upfront, but it isn't.  You must also pay for each entrance fee.  You see more places, but are rushed.  Emin Minaret is a wonderful walk on the out skirts of town, and is best seen at sunrise.  In the bus station lobby there are a few agencies where you can hire a car for the day - don't be afraid to bargain!  You should be able to hit up a few places for well under Y200/person.  Don't bother paying to see the "Flaming Mountains".  You can get your driver to slow down (sometimes local cops keep people from doing so in order for them to buy a Y40+ ticket to see them), and grab a few shots from your window.  Tuyok is a must see!  There are pictures galore and is best done in the morning due to temperatures.  Be careful of taking pictures of locals, they may insist on your paying for the picture.  Gaochang ruins can be seen on the way back from your car ride.  Jiaohe ruins is a short taxi ride away or a pleasant bike ride.  The cheapest and cleanest place to stay is the bus station hotel and its much easier to travel back to Urumqi via bus to catch a train to your next location.  The best time to visit is during the fall or spring seasons since the region does get bloody hot and cold.

It's worth paying the extra yuan to take a taxi from Kashgar out to Karakul Lake, which is found by the Karakoram Highway in Xinjiang Province, China, instead of the public bus. The road through the Pamir Mountains is spectacular and you will then be able to stop and take photos. Make sure you let the driver know you intend to do this, otherwise he might get very grumpy. Ask him to drop you off a few hundred metres before the entrance gate to avoid paying the ridiculous entrance fee. It's worth spending the night there in a Kirghiz yurt, as the ever changing light on the lake is simply mesmerising! You can hire horses to go around the lake.