Day
01 Cross
the Tuogart Pass on the border of China and Kyrgizstan, further
transfer to Kashgar. Check in your hotel. The distance today
from the border to Kashgar is about 200 kilometers. It is mostly
sand road. It takes you 4 hours by driving to get Kashgar
Day
02 Free day in Kashgar. The old city, once known as Kashi,
is an exotic Central Asian trading oasis unrivalled anywhere in
the Chinese and Soviet Empires. Despite its situation between
the awesome physical barriers of the Tien Shen, Pamir and Karakoram
Mountain ranges, this town was the meeting point of at least four
of the main Silk Road arteries. Over the years, the collision
of cultures between the Pakistani's, Kirghiz, Soviet and Chinese
has helped Kashgar to flourish. Even today, a stroll around one
of Kashgar's numerous bazaars will take you back in time, as you
mix with the throngs of traders and their livestock. Muslim Uighurs,
who account for 90 percent of Kashgar's population, are the dominant
ethnic group that you will encounter in Kashgar's thriving town
centre. At the same time, the Chinese continue their efforts to
change Kashgar into a modern town with an airport, ring road and
numerous bars and nightclubs. To spend a day in Kashgar is a not
only a delight but a wonderful insight into the color ful way
of life of the peoples of Central Asia. Altitude at Kashgar: 1205
metres.
 Day
03 Leave Kashgar, the typical Uygur city and towards
to Khoten. Stop at Yarkand for 2 hours in order to visit the old
part of this town where used to be a important station on the
Marco Polor Route. When you walk in this old part, when you watch
these local men who are making some handcrafts with super and
old skill in wood carving, I am sure you will feel as if you were
back to hundreds of years ago.
I
am sure you never believe such old techniques are still used today
in this part of the World if you are not here. Then after your
short but remarkable trip in this old town, you have to continue
your journey to Khotan. When you arrive there in the late evening,
check in your hotel and stay for night there. The distance today
is about 550 kilometers, highway.
Day
04 Do sightseeing in this famous old town, visit ailikwat,
Shuppla in the morning, share your lunch with a local family.
Then do visit a fabric work studio which looks a very old style.
Day
05 Then continue your journey along the
southern ancient Silk Road, maybe stop for an hour at Minfeng
(Niya) town for your lunch. Then enter into this famous and the
biggest desert, Taklamakan. Finally, arrive at Yatongus village.
Find a good place out of this village for your camp. The distance
today is bout 480 kilometers, good highway.
Day
06 Relaxing day. Please do your last checking and preparing
before starting your trekking on the next day. After all done,
do sightseeing in this remote tribe village, and take a walk in
the sand dunes as the acclimatization training. Meanwhile, the
Chinese staff will have a long negotiation for your camels even
you have booked in advance.
Day
07 Today, we set off trekking into the desert, accompanied
by our Uighur camel drivers and their animals. Heading eastwards,
for the first 3 hours or so, we encounter some low trees and bushes
and then we begin to walk between the sand dunes. Each day, we
aim to establish camp in the late afternoon, leaving plenty of
time to relax and enjoy the sunset and to sit around the campfire
gazing at the unbelievably bright stars.
Day
08/12 Trekking to Endere. The distance from the Yatongus
village to the Endere River is about 90 km, where your vehicles
will pick you up. On the way to visit Dozlik ancient ruin, Aquik
Kaoqik ancient ruins, Xia Yangtagh ancient sites and Buddha Pagoda,
I am sure you will have more unexpected discoveries. Among these
5 explore days, you may have 2 nights as reserve days. Here is
some information about the Endere ancient sites as below. It can
help you realize more about the Endere sites: Dozlik Ancient City.
It is 20 km far in the Southeast of State Farm Endere (I will
give the exact longitude and latitude in my next message). This
city looks circular, diameter is about 130 meters, the city wall
is still 7 meters high. There are many ruin of temples and other
construction in the circular city now. Pieces of pottery and metal
are everywhere on the surface ground. It is not late than Tang
dynasty;Aqik Kaoqik Ancient City: It is about 20 km far in the
Southwest of the State Farm Endere. It looks circular, too. The
City Walls are still there. The typical mark of this site, the
City Wooden Gate in the Southeast is still standing there;Xia
Yangtagh Ancient City, next to the State Farm Endere in the Southeast,
about 20 km far. The city ruin looks a square, 100 meter long
and 100 meters wide; vestiges of streets, houses are still appeared
clearly. Ancient potteries, coins, millstones are everywhere on
the ground;Buddha Pagoda: This is 3 - floor bricks construction.
Its foundation part looks square, 8.2 meter long and wide, the
diameter of the tower is 4.9 meters. The top part has been damaged
already but it is still about 7 meters high;
Day
13 It is a easy day today, the trekking
distance is not long but only 5 or 6 kilometers. When you finally
reach the Endere River bed, you will see your vehicles are waiting.
When you meet your supporting team there, it is time to say Good
Bye to your camel drivers. And further transport until meet the
state road 315. Camp for night somewhere.
Day
14 After 130 kilometers sand road to the
east, you may meet another new sand highway, off the state road
315 and move to the north until you meet the state road 312 and
keep your moving eastwards Kurla. It is a long driving day. You
may arrive at Kurla in the late evening. Find your hotel and check
in.
Day
15 Keep your along the state road. The
driving takes you 7 hours to reach at Urumqi, the capital of China
Xinjiang Uighur Autonomous Region, where is your final station
on your trip in China. Check in your hotel
Day
16 This is a lazy morning, but if you
want to see how the Chinese people do their morning exercises,
you should have to get up early and go to the Peoples¡¯ Square.
Then you will see: some people playing Taiji Boxing, some people
playing Beijing Opera, some people dancing, some people playing,
the Yang Ge, a kind of traditional Chinese dancing ¡Leave for
the Heavenly Lake. the driving takes 2 hours to arrive at the
lake, which is located at the foot of Mt.Bogda (5445 meters),
the highest peak in the east part of Tian Shan Mountains. The
altitude of the lake is about 1900 meters above the sea level.
Go and visit some local Kazak families in the yurts in the forests.
Lunch is arranged in the yurt. Take a boat trip on the lake in
the afternoon. Come back to Urumqi and it takes you 2 hours to
visit the Xinjiang Historical Museum, which you worth to visit
! Then climb up to the top of the Red Hill to get a bird views
of this whole city. After all today, I suggest you to take a look
in the biggest Night Food Market.
Day 17 You take the evening flight
XO711 and fly to Almaty (or morning flight XO717 and fly to Bishkek),
all the services end. ITMC-Tien Shan, the best agency in Kyrgizstan
will take a good care of you not only in Kirghizstan but also
in Kazakstan.
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