Altay Relaxing Six-Day Tour — Finally Surrendered to Kanas Lake

On the first day, we stayed in Altay City, which was cool, comfortable, and clean. We strolled around, and the lively Kuran River in the city center enhanced the city's leisure comfort and vitality. The black mushroom mixed noodles at a popular online shop were very delicious; we went twice. On the second day, we woke up naturally around noon and took the newly opened two-way Ahe Highway on July 1st to Hemu. No reservation or border permit was needed. The scenery along the way was picturesque and ever-changing, the air was fresh, traffic was light, the road was paved without potholes, and there were almost no speed limit or speed monitoring signs. There were no gas stations along the way (under construction), but there were many viewing platforms and parking service areas about every 10 kilometers. We stopped at several parking spots to enjoy grilled lamb skewers and handmade yogurt, which were affordable and very tasty. The driving experience was wonderful and comfortable with frequent stops to eat and enjoy the scenery. We arrived at the Hemu Village ticket checkpoint after 7 p.m., parked the car, carried our luggage, and took the scenic area shuttle bus for about half an hour to the village. We stayed in a Tuva wooden cabin. It was still bright outside, so we went for a walk by the river. The village was bustling and lively at night. On the third day, we leisurely explored Hemu, played by the water near Hemu Bridge, took photos, climbed the viewing platform, and daydreamed on the grassland above. Then we visited the birch forest and century-old houses. Around 5 p.m., we took the shuttle bus and arrived at the parking lot after 6 p.m., paid 25 yuan for parking, and drove for two to three hours (over 60 kilometers, with some traffic jams leaving Hemu, crossing mountains). Around 10 p.m. (still bright), we arrived at a hotel next to the Jiadengyu Service Area (the entrance to Kanas Scenic Area) and checked in. On the fourth day, we woke up naturally after 10 a.m., parked the car at the hotel, had breakfast, and took the scenic area bus for about an hour. We arrived at the Kanas transfer hub around 2 p.m., took the shuttle bus to the new village to drop off our luggage at the guesthouse, then returned to the transfer hub to queue for the bus to Fish Viewing Platform. Climbing the 1,068 steps, we moved through changing views and kept marveling at the unreal, crystal-clear blue of Kanas Lake. Personally, I think Fish Viewing Platform is the most stunning viewpoint of Kanas Lake. The round-trip queue time for the bus is about 20 minutes. Going in the afternoon is wise because the lighting is favorable, and the lake surface changes colors constantly under the sun and cloud shadows, like a dream. After coming down around 7 p.m., we took a few minutes by bus from the transfer hub to Kanas Lake again, but unfortunately, it was backlit in the afternoon and not particularly impressive. The transfer hub has buses running to and from all scenic spots until 10 p.m. Within the scenic area, any bus transfer is free without ticket checks, and there are many buses, making it very convenient, not as complicated and troublesome as some online comments suggest. On the fifth day, we wanted to see the morning mist at the Three Bays, so we woke the kids at 8 a.m. and took the bus from the new village to the transfer hub at 9 a.m., then took another bus to get off at Fairy Bay, but the mist was already gone. We then hiked 3 kilometers along a quiet forest boardwalk to Moon Bay, which was enchanting and beautiful. Next, we walked along the stunning lakeside boardwalk to Wolong Bay. This section became more and more breathtaking and surprising as we went. There were few people in the morning, allowing us to sit by the lake and immerse ourselves in the stunning, otherworldly dreamscape. We lingered here until after 2 p.m. After lunch, we went to Kanas Lake hoping to take a boat or raft, but it started raining. We then visited the old village, toured the museum, picked up stored luggage in the new village, and around 5 p.m. bought tickets at the transfer hub for the shuttle bus to Baihaba, the "Northwest's First Village." This spot is also part of the Kanas Grand Scenic Area but requires an additional 75 yuan ticket and shuttle bus ticket, valid for 48 hours between Baihaba and the Kanas transfer hub. So, we stayed one night inside the Kanas Scenic Area and one night in Baihaba, only needing to buy a one-day Kanas entrance ticket (the guesthouse owner said as long as you don't leave the Kanas Grand Scenic Area, you can stay with a one-day ticket until winter before exiting). Contrary to online claims that buses to Baihaba run every two hours, during peak season they run every 20 minutes. After about an hour, we arrived at the ancient village of Baihaba without any border permit checks, though we had one. We stayed in a Tuva wooden cabin here, which was more than half the price of those inside the Kanas Scenic Area and more spacious and comfortable. It was still early after 7 p.m., with bright sunshine. We took the village shuttle bus (like Kanas, multiple routes with free boarding and alighting) to visit the big rock scenic spot of Northwest's First Village, overlooked the old village, hiked the forest trails in the ancient village, strolled the main street, ate mixed noodles, barbecue, and Hami melon, then returned to the cabin to sleep after 11 p.m. On the sixth day, we woke up naturally after 10 a.m., took the village shuttle bus to the viewing platform to see the aerial grassland and the lonely tree from the film "My Altay" summer pasture. After 1 p.m., we took the large shuttle bus for over an hour back to the Kanas transfer hub. This time, we walked down from the stable direction of the transfer hub and reached the lakeside in a few minutes. We walked about three kilometers along the lakeside boardwalk toward Kanas Lake Station, which is also the rafting route. We encountered fewer than 10 tourists: one secretly swimming in the lake, one lying asleep by the boardwalk, and one daydreaming under a tree by the lake. It's hard to imagine the transfer hub is crowded, yet here it was almost deserted. We enjoyed the exquisite scenery alone for a long time, slowly savoring multiple best photo spots, walking and stopping for over three hours. After reaching the rafting starting point (Kanas Lake Station), we tried to buy rafting tickets, but due to the large crowd, ticket sales were intermittently suspended, so we gave up. We took the bus back to the transfer hub, then took the large shuttle bus to the Jiadengyu exit. We couldn't resist getting off at Wolong Bay (the three bays—Fairy Bay, Moon Bay, Wolong Bay—are connected in a line on the shuttle bus route exiting the scenic area, allowing free boarding and alighting at stops) to quietly admire the stunning, dreamlike lake surface. Then, with awe for nature, we reluctantly took the large shuttle bus again and returned to the Jiadengyu Visitor Center after 40 minutes. Note that the ticket entrance and exit at the visitor center are not in the same place, about 2 kilometers apart, but a free shuttle bus connects them, effectively dispersing crowds and avoiding congestion and confusion. Although many tourists complain about the complexity of the Kanas Scenic Area shuttle system, I think it is quite good overall. Waiting times are not long, and over 200 shuttle buses circulate slowly and continuously on various routes, safe, clean, intelligent, and efficient. For a top-tier attraction like Xinjiang, managing so many visitors in an orderly and quick manner is not easy. A driver told me this busy operation of over 200 buses ends on October 16 each year, after which most drivers, guesthouse, and restaurant staff go on vacation until May 1 the following year. During this period, self-driving is allowed to enter and tour... The journey is not over, the scenery is still fresh, but the dreamlike, magnificent fairyland of Kanas has deeply enchanted my heart, slowly surrendering me.