Author: karl

Minfeng travel guide: how to reach the Taklamakan edge by desert highway and train, where to eat red dates and melon, and plan your G315 oasis stop here.

Yutian travel guide to the last oasis before the Taklamakan. Visit Keriya town, the Darya Boyi desert village, and the Keriya River with practical tips.

Hoboksar travel guide: Xinjiang’s Mongol steppe, home of the Jangar epic and the summer Nadam festival. Transport, best time, food and honest travel tips.

Alashankou travel guide: how to visit China’s windiest Kazakhstan rail port in Bortala, with train times, the best season to come, where to stay, what to

Bortala travel guide: visit Sayram Lake, the Strange Stone Valley and Alashankou port, meet Mongol herders in Xinjiang’s quiet Kazakh-border prefecture.

Our Tacheng travel guide covers the Russian-flavored border town of northwest Xinjiang: winter snow, safflower fields, Baktu port, transport and food.

Mulei Populus Forest is one of Xinjiang’s last wild poplar stands. Learn how to reach the golden woods, the best time to visit, the road, and what to pack.

Altay travel guide to Xinjiang’s skiing cradle: ride dry powder at Jiangjun Mountain, see 10,000-year-old Dundebulake ski art, and plan a winter trip.

Habahe travel guide: how to reach Xinjiang’s northwestern birch forests, when to go for golden autumn, where to stay, and the road to Kanas and Baihaba.

We visited Beiting Ancient City in Jimsar to walk a Tang-era Silk Road capital. Our guide covers access, the UNESCO ruins and the best months to visit.