China Travel Forum

[SHELLEY]

About Xinjiang, I've read you a lot for some months but I have some doubts about KKH and pass to Pakistan. I will go to Hotan at least, and maybe Qiemo or so... Then:
1) Is the Hotan market also only on a Sunday?
2) Is kashgar the only place to get the KKH to Karakul and Pakistan or there is some else options?
3) I have a Chinese visa with 2 "entries", so I'm thinking to cross the border to Pakistan. Where can I go in Pakistan for 2 or 3 days?
4) What do you think about come back to Turpan/Urumqi across the Taklamakan desert by bus? (*)
Thanks in advance.

[kamal]

Do you already have a visa for Pakistan. You cannot get the visa in Xinjiang province or at the border , but will have to get it in Beijing or HongKong.
The hotan market is teeming in Sunday , on weekday you can also see but not bustling as Sunday.
You can go pakistan, the north of Pakistan is a great place wherever you go to. Anyway, my suggestion you may go to Hunza valley (few hours from the border) and spend there 2-3 days. You'll find a lot of accomodations and you can enjoy your time by walking around.
Take the sleeperbus from Khargilik (Yecheng) to Urumqi through the Taklamakan desert. It is quite good and spectacular (if you fancy deserts ).

[labinson]

Thaks kamal. I'll probably take the bus from Khargilik across Taklamaklan.
About Pakistan I will no stop in Beijing because I'll fly the same day to Lanzhou. But I think I can obtain visa in Madrid before leave Spain.
The question is where can I go in Pakistan for just 2 or 3 days, near (or almost near) the border.
I'm not thinking of buying a Pakistan guide book for just one place and I didn't know anything about the area, so any help will be apreciated.
The few references I've read talk about silk road and this is my plan for this travel. Silk road in China... and maybe a few of Pakistan.

[SHELLEY]

Thank you , so much to everyone that replied! I decided to reconfigure my itinerary, still hitting the same spots (but also stopping in Khargilik and Hotan) but doing Karakul before Kanas and also traveling all the way to Tashkurgan. Now I just have to combine all of this new (and excellent; I'm really impressed/grateful) information with my already absurd amount of prior research...

[missigan]

I'm planning a similar trip in September, some great information here thanks to everyone who contributed, I might have found this thread a bit too late
You guys Look up places such Karimabad / Altit and Gulmit (in Hunza) for stops on the KKH. I looked into to doing this but I decided to Stay in Xinjiang too much to see there! I will go up to Tashkurgan though.
Does anybody know if you can hitch or bus from Tashkurgan to Karghalik or Yarkand? I though it would be an interesting journey as I understand the road is closed to foreigners?

[Kristane]

Hope I am not too late.. but we are in Kuche right now, and we found out from the locals that there are a canyon that worth checking out. Tian Shan grand canyon, located about 80 km from Kuche, we took a public bus that run at around 10:30 and also 1:30 Beijing time, cost 9.6yuan for 1.5hours, and admission to the Canyon is 40yuan (was 10Y in 2002, 20Y in 2003, 30Y in 2004, and 40Y in 2005), and we are welcomed by the view similar to mini Grand Canyon in the US.
Really worth visiting, you can spend minimum 3 hours in this area, exploring gorges, caves, and stuff and take public bus back to Kuche that passed by every few hours (same schedule from the opposite direction) for same price.
The entrance office, has a basic lodging for 20Yuan per bed per night, and a small restaurant.
Renting a taxi cost about 200yuan, depending on your bargaining skill. The road along the way is very beautiful.