A Refreshing Summer Journey to Tianshan Mountains

Tianshan Mountains offer you a refreshing summer experience. This time, I traveled over 3,000 kilometers alone to visit the long-awaited Xinjiang ❤️ I chose to depart at the end of May, before the peak season, when the grasslands have turned green and flowers are in full bloom. 🏔️ There are direct flights from Hong Kong, and you can choose seat A for the outbound flight and seat F for the return flight to enjoy views of the Tianshan Mountains. I opted for a round-trip from Urumqi and joined a small group of four people. 🔺 Self-driving is not highly recommended unless you truly love driving. Each journey takes several hours, which can be exhausting, and unfamiliar road conditions may pose risks. If you have three or four people, hiring a car for a private tour offers a better experience. Alternatively, you can join a local tour with fewer participants, like I did, as fewer people mean fewer hassles. I was fortunate to meet three friendly travel companions this time. We dined together, took photos, and had fun. Plus, most of the days during the trip were sunny 🌞, which made me very happy. We traveled along Provincial Road S101 and visited the Bai Li Danxia and Kenswat Reservoir. On the way, we encountered flocks of sheep—plump and adorable, making me want to pet them. The sheep grazing on distant hillsides were also very soothing ☺️. Highlights: Self-driving around the lake—if you have enough time, consider staying overnight 🏕️ to explore Sailimu Lake more deeply and leisurely for a better experience. Visited 🌸🌼 🔺 However, if you choose the "Air Grassland" option at Nalati Grassland, I wouldn’t recommend it. Even though it wasn’t peak season, there were already so many people, traffic jams, and long waits for shuttle buses. Interestingly, the most beautiful part was the journey up on the shuttle bus, while the destination itself wasn’t as impressive 😅. As for "Pastoral Family," I didn’t visit it, so I won’t comment. Since I joined a group tour, it wasn’t included in the itinerary 😭. Personally, I was most eager to visit Panlong Ancient Road. 🔺 At Kanas Grassland, the weather was sunny, and although we took shuttle buses, there weren’t many people, and we didn’t have to wait in long lines. The experience was much better. The mountain was adorned with wildflowers in yellow and blue, complemented by the blue sky, white clouds, and distant snow-capped mountains—a truly stunning view. 🔺 Two or three grasslands are enough to visit; seeing too many can make you feel indifferent. Interestingly, many of the most beautiful landscapes are along the way, while the actual scenic spots may not be as breathtaking 😂. Unexpectedly, both roads opened earlier than expected, allowing me to enjoy their scenic beauty along the way and making this trip even more fulfilling 😁. 🔺 The only regret was not being able to see vast fields of lavender, as it wasn’t the right season yet. Lavender blooms beautifully around mid-June. While passing by, I did see some lavender, but only a small portion was in bloom. (Leaving some regrets for next time 😉).