[2024 Haixi Prefecture Attraction] Travel Guide for Xiaochaidamu Lake (Updated Oct)

A hidden gem! Xiao Chai Dan Lake, unlocking the blue-green miracle of the Northwest.

Take you to Xiao Chai Dan Lake in Haixi, Qinghai, where the purest blue and green of nature are hidden, as if it is an emerald inadvertently left by the earth! 💎🌊 🌈The first sight of Xiao Chai Dan is the tenderness of the dawn. The lake is like a mirror, reflecting the gradually changing clouds in the sky. At that moment, time seems to stand still. 🌅📸 I stood by the lake, and what surged in my heart was infinite awe and gratitude for this unknown beauty. Here, I learned to be silent, to talk to nature, and to let my soul be washed in an unprecedented way. 🚗The road to exploration, self-driving is the best way to travel in the Northwest, driving slowly along the lake. Along the way, there are endless Yardang landforms, reflecting each other with the lake water, forming a shocking picture. 🏞️🚗 Remember to bring a camera, because every corner may be the next cover of the circle of friends!

Xinjiang is not as far as imagined, but it's great for photography

When traveling I like to enjoy the scenery along the way I like even more the moments when the scenery is captured Summer is not far away The most beautiful summer I am willing to dedicate to Yili, Xinjiang The splendid summer flowers The deep blue lakes The snow-capped mountains reaching into the clouds The comic-like forests All can be found here Many sceneries have become the ultimate beautiful spots that go viral on social media Perfect for travel photography and check-ins Actually, with proper planning Going to Xinjiang is really not that far and expensive 🚗Itinerary: 1⃣️Day One: Chengdu to Aba County, the scenery in Aba County is really not to be underestimated, especially the view from the observation deck of Langyi Temple overlooking the monastery and the grasslands. 2⃣️Day Two: Aba County to Delingha, mostly taking the Dema Expressway, but it's important to fill up the tank at the first service station after leaving Jiuzhi, as there are no gas stations for the next 600+ kilometers before reaching Delingha. 3⃣️Day Three: Delingha to Dunhuang, you can take a detour to see Lake Xiaochaidan and the 315u-shaped highway. The journey that seemed far is actually quite fast when you're enjoying it, and the scenery along the way is very unique, making the trip particularly interesting. 4⃣️Day Four: Dunhuang to Urumqi, the Xinjiang tour begins, although the previous part is on the road, but the scenery along the way is very good, and it's also half of the Northwest loop, which is very worthwhile. The rest of the time is for traveling the Yili loop, which you can plan according to your own preferences. But I think Sayram Lake, Yizhao Highway, Xiatat, and Qiaxi are must-visits. Whether for landscape or portrait photography, they are great. A basic route to consider: Urumqi-Sayram Lake-Huocheng Lavender-Yizhao Highway-Zhaosu Xiatat-Kalatahai Town-Qiaxi-Nalati-Duku-Urumqi. Among them, Sayram Lake and Qiaxi are very suitable for camping in the wild. Self-driving trips will be quite long, if you only have 7-8 days, you can fly directly to Urumqi or Yining, and then rent a car to travel

Xiaochaidan Lake "Run in the wilderness and lakes!"

Xiaochaidan Lake is also located in Haixi Mongolian Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, Qinghai Province, and is a typical alpine glacial lake at an altitude of about 3000 meters. This is the most shocking stop in the three-lake loop for me, driving on National Highway 215, with a desert on one side and a snow-capped lake on the other. Stop by the roadside, run! Run! Rest by the lake, how beautiful! How beautiful! This is the second stop of the three-lake loop. You can get infinitely close by stopping by the roadside. The Qilian Mountains are covered with snow in front, and there is an endless desert behind. There is no special shooting point, it looks good no matter how you shoot!

Qinghai-Gansu Tourism｜Fresh 7-day travel guide for Qinghai-Gansu loop

Day1: Depart from Xi'an——Xining——Qinghai Lake——Chaka Town (stay) Depart by early flight, rent a car online in advance, choose airport pick-up, have lunch, then buy snacks, water and fruits for the road First stop at Qinghai Lake, we did not choose to go to Qinghai Lake Scenic Area Navigate to Heima Town, then go 15km ahead where there is no charge, there is a camping site, you can camp there to watch the sunrise Day2: Chaka——Xiaochaidan Lake (pass by)——Chaerhan Salt Lake——Xiaochaidan Lake (pass by)——Dachaidan (stay) Chaerhan Salt Lake, we went to Chaerhan Salt Lake, if time permits, you can go to Emerald Lake, it is not recommended to go to Chaka Salt Lake The Xiaochaidan Lake we passed by on the road is really super beautiful, (you can bring some bread to feed the seagulls) You must bring sunglasses otherwise you can't see anything, it's too dazzling You must do sun protection, it's best to bring a hat or an umbrella, take photos and then take it Go to Dachaidan town to eat their hand-grabbed mutton and kang pot beef, it's very delicious and has no mutton smell Day3: Dachaidan——Liuge Expressway (small U-shaped road)——Dangjin Mountain——Petroleum Town (filming location of Nine-layer Demon Tower)——Aksai——Dunhuang (Mingsha Mountain Crescent Spring)——Shazhou Night Market——Dunhuang City Area (stay) Mingsha Mountain Crescent Spring, the ticket can be used for 3 days, bought a round-trip sightseeing car, bought sand sliding, you must find a ladder to climb when you enter the desert, otherwise it's really tiring, the sand is really soft, it is recommended to wear sandals, there will be a star concert at eight thirty, the whole audience sings. Day4: Dunhuang——Mingsha Mountain Crescent Spring (photo shoot)——Dunhuang Qili Town (stargazing)——Dunhuang City Area (stay) Mingsha Mountain Crescent Spring, we were tired from playing the day before, slept late the next morning, went out for lunch, went to the entrance of Mingsha Mountain Scenic Area to do makeup and then took photos, after taking photos, you can ride a camel with makeup Qili Town stargazing, a few minutes drive out of the city, stars all over the sky, and faintly saw the Milky Way, the moon was like a lamp that night Day5: Dunhuang Museum——Guazhou——Son of the Earth——Jiuquan (stay) Dunhuang Museum, we didn't get Mogao Grottoes, if you want to go to Mogao Grottoes, remember to buy tickets in advance, otherwise you can't book, you can only see four grottoes with the ticket Guazhou Son of the Earth, there are several sculptures on the way from Dunhuang to Jiuquan "Son of the Earth" "Han Wu Xiong Feng" "No Bound" "Gobi Ark" Day6: Jiuquan——Qicai Danxia——Zhangye (stay) Qicai Danxia, you need to take a bus to each viewing platform, the last one, Hongxia viewing platform has the best view Day7: Zhangye——Biandukou——Qilian Mountain Grassland——Xining——Xi'an Qilian Mountain Grassland, the three of us rode horses and played for an afternoon, it was very good.

Xiaochai is a town not far from Dachaidan, where you can rest and go to Xiaochaidan Lake. Xiaochaidan no man's land should be counted is the last piece of pure land on the earth, has always felt full of mystery and awe, do not bother each other, each is the most beautiful, in the Xiaochaidan no man's area to enjoy enough.