China Travel Forum

[sipsip]

Can anyone recommend an individual guide, either based in Burqin or Urumqi, who speaks at least a little English and can navigate with me through the Urumqi-Kashgar-Hotan route? Oh, and uh, how do I get back to Urumqi from Kanas now?!

[kamal]

You might struggle a bit if you're on your own and don't speak Chinese. I used some Survival Chinese that I've picked up after 3 months in the country to get by - it wasn't always easy.
If you want a guide for the area then go to the 5 star hotel in Urumqi that's listed in (out of date) guides as Crowne Plaza/Holiday Inn (I think that it's now called Xinjiang Grand Hotel). There's a travel agency called muztagh travel service. The staff there are extremely helpful and will give you contact details for a local guide (I think his name was ilham). They don't even try to sell you their own tours.