Month: June 2010

Kashgar ‘off the beaten path’

Shipton’s Arch was by far the highlight of my trip to Kasghar.

I had found a local guide that was helpful from start to finish to arrange any trip in and around Kashgar. It was a local person from the local Uyghur ethnicity which is always the good decision to make.

We did it as a jeep tour arranged by Imam which was a good half day, but as a foot trekking it could be a 2 day tour. Personally, I’d recommend the foot trekking as the way is not too difficult and the vista’s are absolutely stunning. I simply did not know where to look all the time. A few wandering sheppard’s and some flock of goats making impossible jumps on the mountain were all encountered. No tourism to speak off, and definitely off the beaten path. The arch itself is reached after a good half hour climb that brings you to 2800 meter after the riverbed ends, and it is an overpowering view. We had a clear day and you can see the 4 layers of mountains growing up before you. STUNNING.

Other than the arch, the road itself to get there was a constant shift of nearby and extremely far viewpoints each worthy of many pictures in anybodies photo album.

Anyway, the short of it, extremely highly recommended for people that want a little more than the tourist stops with camels and guards.

We spent two days in Kashgar this april, arriving with the train from Turpan. During this time Imam was our guide.
We visited the Old City of Kashgar, the Idgah Mosque and the Apak Hoja Mosque. On the other day we went to the life stock market and the Bazar, which was so colourful and a highlight on our Chinatour. The stay in Xinjiang was an wonderful experience for us and an interesting contrast to the rest of China.
We want to thank Imam and his team for the professional tour. We can highly recommend Kashgar Guide to explore this region.

Katja and Oren, Switzerland

“Sooo pretty!” the KK highway with its breath taking tip pins views and the ruins at Tashkorgan were my favorite (New York) Our driver and guide were really nice, helpful and making the trip more meaningful. Many Thanks to www.kashgarguide.com Team. (Jennifer)

We were in kashgar area for 5 days and we had wonderful experience with the Uyghur people and their culture. Uyghurs are extremely friendly and hospitable for tourists. The areas around kashgar are very beautiful; our guides are very professional and did a good job showing us around. They brought us to Tajik family in Tashkorgan.it is very beautiful and interesting place in contrast to rest of china. if you want to have some flexibility and to make good use of your time in Kashgar to travel around, contact Imam ,he will help you.(Katherine Hong Kong)

Una experiencia inolvidable y ampliamente recomendable, xinjiang es hermoso y tiene mucho que ofrecer. Imam y su equipo brindaron un excelente servecio,amigables atentas y professionales y sus precios accesibles y transparentes. Ademas fue posible ver mas de cerca,la cultura uyghur que es realmente interesante y bella.(Karla Batsta Mexico)

Nous avons eu le plaisir de faire 2 excursions avec Imam et son equipe.
 2 jours dans le desert du Taklamakan: une experience inoubliable avec soiree autour du feu et des musiciens Uygours.
 2 jours autour du lac Karakul et sur la route du Karakorum

Nous avons apprecie le service, l’ecoute et la gentillesse de l’equipe. Nous avons passé un tres bon sejour dans des paysages fantastiques et rencontre des gens tres accueillants.

Nous recommandons “Kashghar Guide Team” pour decouvrir cette magnifique region.

Elisabeth et Emmanuel