- Tours in Xinjiang usually include a long distance driving since the province is a vast area. Road condition will sometimes be poor.
- Hotels and restaurants in remote areas are usually basic.
- Xinjiang is rich in a variety of fruits, but do not eat too much for lowering the risk of diarrhea.
- Around such a minority area, please respect the local custom. Visotrs are only allowed to enter into the local family or mosques with permission, please dress properly, not in short.
- There is no public toilet at countryside.
- In many places especially in villages and neighborhoods where there are many children. They might follow you, ask you to take photos and then ask for money from you.
Travel Tips for the Silk Road
Things to bring
1. Bring warm clothing even in hot summer as the temperature can differ greatly between day and night in some places on the route. Jiayuguan, between high mountain ranges, can be decidedly cool in summer after a snowfall on the peaks.
2. Bring shoes suitable for walking.
3. It is advisable to use sunscreen, sunglasses and lip creams to protect your eyes and skin. You may also want to bring a moisturizer as the air is very dry in the desert areas.
Living on Silk Road
For hotels, there is clear division for peak (Jun. to Oct) and low season (the rest). If you are traveling during Mar. hotels would offer few kind of sorts for breakfast, even cut off air-condition service because of 5-10% occupancy only. And when traveling around the rude area (eg:Kuche, Hetian), there might be only 1 or 2 hotels could serve foreigners loging in with basic facility-standard room with private washing room and simple breakfast, no more.
Culture Issue
Please do not talk about sensitive issues such as religions and politics when in Xinjiang.60% of the total popular of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous is minority, who are mainly belief in Muslem, please do respect their custom (no pork), and follow your guides' advice when visiting the specified family or entering into mosque.
