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Thread: Transport questions: Qinghai -- Xinjiang -- Gansu

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[quote=ELLYSE,237863]My friend and I will have about 20+ days to do the route(s) outlined below. We'll be arriving on 1/7 evening in Xining, and he needs to fly out of Hong Kong on 28/7. We need to get back to Shanghai before Hong Kong in order to take the train to Hong Kong by 26/7, or fly to Guangzhou by 27/7.

Option 1: Xining -- Huatugou -- Charklik (Ruoqiang) -- Hotan -- Karghilik (Yecheng) -- Yarkand (Shache) -- Kashgar -- Karakul/Tashkurgan -- Tashkurgan/Karakul -- Kashgar -- Yining -- Bu'erjin -- Hanas Lake -- Tian Chi -- Urumqi -- Turpan -- Dunhuang -- Lanzhou -- Shanghai

Option 2: Xining -- Lanzhou -- Dunhuang -- Turpan -- Kuqa -- Luntai -- Cross-Desert Highway -- Niya (Minfeng) -- Hotan -- Karghilik (Yecheng) -- Yarkand (Shache) -- Kashgar -- Karakul/Tashkurgan -- Tashkurgan/Karakul -- Kashgar -- Yining -- Bu'erjin -- Hanas Lake -- Tian Chi -- Urumqi -- Shanghai

1) For option 1, are Cherchen (Qiemo), Niya (Minfeng), Keriya (Yutian) and Yengisar also worth stopping at?

2) For option 2, what bus timings would be best scenery-wise? Leaving early or late from Luntai/Urumqi?

3) We want to go on the Karakoram Highway but NOT all the way to Pakistan, only as far as Tashkurgan. Is it easier to do Kashgar -- Karakul, Karakul -- Tashkurgan and then Tashkurgan -- Kashgar? Or easier to do Kashgar -- Tashkurgan, Tashkurgan -- Karakul and then Karakul -- Kashgar? How long does it take for each of these journeys? How much would be the bus fare? How much time should we allow for going on the KKH round-trip this way?

4) From this thread, I see that the road for Yining -- Kuqa is under construction. Are there buses for Yining -- Kuytun, Yining -- Karamai or even Yining -- Bu'erjin? Would like information about price, duration of journey, schedule and road conditions. For option 1, is Kashgar/Kuqa/Korla -- Yining possible without going through Urumqi? Might Kuqa -- Yining be possible with a transit at Kuytun?

5) Is there ANY way to go directly from Xining/Golmud to anywhere in Xinjiang province?

6) What would be the average amount of time needed for Xining/Golmud -- Huatugou -- Ruoqiang (Charklik)? From some online searches it seems that there're now direct buses for Xining -- Huatugou? Someone said on another forum "1 long day can do if you get a good connection (and pay for it)". How much money are we talking about?

7) I read somewhere about a direct bus for Xining -- Bird Island. By any chance, does anyone know what time this bus leaves? And what time is the return?

8) Just curious, how do the sceneries of Cross-Desert Highway and KKH compare up?

9) Is the bazaar in Hotan on Friday or Sunday, or on both?

In general, which of the 2 options would be easier to do? Do we have enough time? If not, what should we skip? Our primary must-sees are: Kashgar Sunday bazaar, Hotan bazaar, Hanas Lake, Tian Chi, Tian Shan and Mogao Grottoes. Secondary on the list would be: EITHER KKH or Cross-Desert Highway, Karakul, Turpan and Yining.[/quote]

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