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The Moment It Clicked I remember the exact moment I fell in love with Kashgar. It wasn’t at some famous landmark. It was 10 PM on a Tuesday, I was lost in the old city, and this old Uyghur guy…

Five days gets you from Urumqi to Kanas Lake and the wooden village of Hemu. Here is a tight loop I have driven, with honest advice on what to skip.

The Moment It Clicked I remember the exact moment I fell in love with Kashgar. It wasn’t at some famous landmark. It was 10 PM on a Tuesday, I was lost in the old city, and this old Uyghur guy…

Three days in Urumqi is enough to taste the city and escape to Heavenly Lake and Turpan. Here is how I would spend a short stopover.

Three weeks covers the whole region and the Pamir Highway fringe. Here is how I would pace a long trip so you finish energized instead of drained.

The Moment It Clicked

Dunhuang: the easy one — dozens of hotels from hostels to four-stars. Book ahead in summer; the town fills with domestic tourists. Golmud: a real city with business hotels (Hampton-style local chains, Jinjiang, etc.) at ¥250–450 a night. This is…

Jiaohe Ruins in August: The heat will melt them (and you). Hemu Village in winter: Too cold for little ones to enjoy. Anything requiring 6+ hours of driving per day: Break it up. Kids need to run around every 2…

Vehicle type: the road is paved and in good condition, but it is narrow with cliff edges and no barriers in places. A regular car or SUV handles it fine. Tour buses and vehicles over 9 seats are banned on…

Vehicle type: the road is paved and in good condition, but it is narrow with cliff edges and no barriers in places. A regular car or SUV handles it fine. Tour buses and vehicles over 9 seats are banned on…