journey through the silk road
Kanas : xinjiang
photo from www.mafengwo.cn
Personally, I can said that Kanas (喀纳斯) is the most favourite place in my silk road trip. Sadly while I was there my phone's memory was full! so I don't have pictures to show as much as I want.
After 14 hours on night bus from Urumqi I arrived Buerjin (布尔津) bus station at 10 am. At Buerjin bus station, there was mini-van to Kanas which will departure when got passengers as much as possible. (I need to wait on the car for 2.5 hours before departure with another 3 passengers).
Kanas Nature Reserve Park (喀纳斯湖景区）
When arrived Kanas Nature Reserve Park you need to paid an admission fee+inside park transportation fee (185 RMB 2019 price). Ticket can be used for 2 days. After that take a shuttle bus from the main gate to the transfer center inside the park which take about 1 hour. The transfer center is the tourist hub which has shops, restaurants, hotel and shuttle bus station to each scenic area in park.
photo from www.mafengwo.cn
Guest houses and hostels next to the transfer center.
There are also modern luxury hotels but I didn't take a photo of them.
The staff at the hostel suggested that today I should visit the Kanas lake. Then go to Guanyu Terrace and other six Bays along Kanas Lake tomorrow.
For me, the lake itself was just ok. but the Guanyu Terrace and view of the six bays were more gorgeous.
The scenery along the way I walked to the lake. (You can take a shuttle bus to the lake, the transportation fee already included in the entrance fee you paid. I walked because the hostel's staff told me that it took only 20 mins walk from the hostel)
Below picture is Kanas lake (photo from www.mafengwo.cn)
Actually, if you came to Kanas lake you cannot see the view as below picture. You can see this view from the Guanyu Terrace.
This is what you actually see from Kanas lake
Guanyu Terrace (picture from www.mafengwo.cn) you need to paid 60 RMB. for Guanyu Terrace.
Pictures from Guanyu Terrace
Picture of the view you can see from visit the Six Bays along Kanas Lake
(picture from www.mafengwo.cn)
To see the six bays along the Kanas river, you can start trekking from the first bus stop from Kanas main gate to the transfer station. However, there are bus stops along the way, you can hop-on, hop-off the shuttle bus.
Hemu Village （禾木村）
At Kanas main gate there are many shared taxi to Hemu and Buerjin. I got 90 RMB. shared taxi to Hemu main gate. It took 1 hour from Kanas to Hemu.
At Hemu main gate, the ticket fee was 160 RMB (included shuttle bus fee in scenic area). I left Kanas at 2 pm., arrived the main gate around 3 pm., waiting for other shared taxi passengers and left Kanas main gate until 7 pm., arrived Hemu main gate at 8 pm., took a shuttle bus into the village and arrived hostel at 9 pm.
However, because of Xinjiang uses Beijing time, even it was 9 pm. but the sun still on the sky. My plan was stay in Hemu for 2 nights, but after I saw hostel I booked I decided only 1 night was enough!
Hemu Village is very beautiful if I stayed in better place I might enjoy Hemu more.
There was only one bus per day from Hemu Village to Buerjin at 4 pm.) If you want to leave early you must get out to Hemu main gate and take a taxi (shared taxi).
This bus was strange. The bus ticket start selling at 2pm. of that day only, you cannot buy it before 2pm. I arrived at the small shop which sale bus ticket 5 mins after 2 pm. and found that only 1 ticket left! Oh! That's why the hostel owner told me I should go to shop early and waiting there.
The bus departed Hemu Village at 4pm. (It was direct bus from Hemu village to Buerjin, it did not stop at the main gate) Bus arrived at Buerjin at 8pm. First, I though I need to stay in Buerjin for night because bus to Urumqi left Buerjin at 8pm.
However, I was lucky, after I got off the bus, the bus to Urumqi's driver came to Hemu bus and asked that is there anybody go to Urumqi?, I said 'me!'. Therefore, I got a seat on 8 pm. Urumqi bus, hopped on the bus and left Buerjin.
From Urumqi to Buerjin, Buerjin to Kanas and Hemu, there were many security check points which you need to get off the bus and do the registration. For Kanas and Hemu, I need to stop at the police stations near the ticket offices for registration before entering into the scenic area.
Urumqi - Buerjin bus 180 RMB.
Buerjin - Kanas mini-van 60 RMB
Kanas - Hemu taxi 90 RMB
Hemu - Buerjin bus 60 RMB
Buerjin - Urumqi bus 180 RMB
This article wrote at 2019
the admission fee and transportation cost are based on 2019 price.