8-Day Autumn Tour of Northern Xinjiang Altay: Wandering the Twin Lakes (Lake Sayram Loop + Haba Village Light Photography + Kanas Three Bays + A-He Highway + S21 Desert Highway + World Devil City + General Mountain Sunset)

This trip to Xinjiang was incredibly smooth thanks to Ma Zhong, our driver, and Xiao Jing, our concierge! Master Ma's driving skills are solid. Whether it was the winding mountain roads of the Altay region, the natural roads from Hemu to Kanas, the lakeside road around Sayram Lake, or even the long highway stretches, he drove so steadily that we felt safe the whole time, never worrying about bumpy roads. 🚗💨 Master Ma is not only an excellent driver but also incredibly warm and considerate! He helped us plan our time wisely and recommended many unique local delicacies that only locals know about. He always offered to help with our luggage, and he always had bottled water and fresh fruit in the car – these little details were truly touching. ⭐ Along the way, when we encountered breathtaking scenery, such as the log cabins of Hemu, the stunning Three Bays of Kanas, and the Songshutou (Pine Tree Head) and blue waters of Sayram Lake, Master Ma would thoughtfully pull over and wait patiently while we took photos to our hearts' content, never rushing us! I highly recommend him to anyone planning a trip to Xinjiang – whether it's a classic route or a lesser-known spot, you can't go wrong with him! 👍 Of course, Xiao Jing, our concierge, was also fantastic, sending the next day's itinerary, weather forecast, and precautions to the group chat every day, and arranging airport pick-up and drop-off perfectly. Super awesome. ❤

Attractions: D1 Airport pickup, D2 Urumqi - S21 Desert Expressway - Kalamaili Nature Reserve - General Mountain Sunset Cable Car - Mountaintop Rave - Outdoor Alpine Cinema - Altay, D3 Altay - Ahe Highway (passing through Wuxilike - Tongba Forest - Tuolehait Great Prairie) - Hemu Village - Light Photography Tour - Bonfire Party - Hemu Log Cabin, D4 Hemu - Hemu Village (God's Reserved Land) - Kanas Lake (Wolong Bay - Moon Bay - Immortal Bay) - Burqin Internet Famous Bridge - Burqin, D5 Burqin - World Devil City - Dushanzi/Kuitun, D6 Dushanzi/Kuitun - Sayram Lake - Self-driving around the lake - Sayram Lake East Gate Hotel, D7 Sayram Lake - Second entry to Sayram Lake - Moon Bay - Urumqi, D8 Return to Urumqi Accommodation Options: The accommodation was generally much better than I expected. I especially liked the room types on the second night and in Burqin. The accommodation conditions in the log cabin were not as bad as the internet said, much better than I expected. It felt like an oil painting, with blue sky, white clouds, morning mist, and a swing chair right outside the door. How wonderful! Tour Guide: Our team leader, Xiao Ma Ge (Little Ma Brother), was the essence of this trip. He was diligent and dedicated throughout the journey, not even daring to eat too much to avoid affecting the itinerary. His unique and hearty laughter was impressive. He was a bit silly, but overall, he was a very cute and kind (smiling) team leader who added a lot of fun to our trip. It's a pity that I was a bit slow to warm up in the first few days. It wasn't until the last two days that we slowly got to know each other, bickering, singing, playing, and making noise, sharing our stories with each other. We even had a remote video call with Ma Ge's wife, such a warm scene! We increased our trust in each other during the trip. Before leaving, Xiao Ma Ge patted me on the shoulder and said, "Take care of yourself"... Lao Ma (Old Ma), Lao Ma, thank you! I will definitely go to your house next time to eat the meat you grilled!! Transportation Options: I don't think the car is spacious, especially the back seats. It's uncomfortable for tall people to sit with their legs unable to stretch.

The itinerary was well-planned, the accommodations were comfortable, and the driver was kind and friendly, taking good care of everyone. Highly recommended! Attraction: Moon Bay

Overall, I'm quite satisfied, especially with the customer service and the driver. However, both the platform and the travel agency's concierge were unprofessional. We often had to follow up to ask about basic itinerary arrangements, and the message response was slow. Moreover, they often seemed clueless, leading to a very poor communication experience.