Things to do in Bortala

We slept at the Sayram Lake service area that night (it seemed to be under construction, but it looked quite large). Around midnight, the sky was filled with stars—absolutely beautiful. We got up early the next morning and entered Sayram Lake. We bought self-driving tickets, and only needed to scan one person's ID to enter. It truly lives up to its name as the "last tear of the Atlantic Ocean"—the scenery is truly stunning. Climbing Songshutou Mountain offers views of the Guozigou Bridge.

Just as I wanted, it has many small pools! The water is very clean, and there are many different water temperatures to choose from! The environment is beautiful, and it's great for taking photos! It's a great place to escape the summer heat!

Entering Guozigou, you feel like you are in a fairy tale wonderland, and you can't help but imagine. Leaving Sayram Lake, you climb up to the top of the pine tree, where you can see thousands of wounds and ravines, and the pine waves are breathtaking. The road twists and turns down, sometimes steep cliffs, sometimes like facing the abyss. The clouds and mountains send waves of pine waves, and the wild fruits bring wisps of fragrance. The gurgling springs come and go, and a wooden house and felt tent are hidden in the green leaves and floating on the green grass. It is a combination of danger and beauty, and reality and fantasy are intertwined.

新开的景点，第一次见到沙漠，景色不错。景区内的atv和滑沙都挺好玩，从托托镇开车进去还能经过一片生态保护区，有很多胡杨，秋天应该也很漂亮。

Strange Stone Valley is filled with wind-eroded granite formations, each with its own unique shape, resembling a natural stone sculpture wonderland. Lacking extensive greenery for shade, the strong sunlight makes it a convenient spot for sightseeing; remember to bring sun and wind protection.

In Xinjiang's Sayram Lake, there is a wonderful landscape called Kele Yongzhu. "Kele" means "all springs" in Kazakh. This is the area where the undercurrent of the entire Sayram Lake is most concentrated. On the lakeside, countless springs continuously gush out clear spring water. They gush out from the lakeside gravel layer, like strings of pearls jumping and jumping on the colorful pebble lake bed, flashing charming light, and "Kele Yongzhu" is named after this. These spring waters are filtered through layers of gravel layers and meadows. The water is sweet and refreshing. You can pick up a handful and drink it directly, which makes people feel refreshed. In addition to the lively spring water, Kele Yongzhu is also a paradise for swans. Every spring and autumn, flocks of swans fly from Siberia to live and play here. The clear lake water reflects the elegant swans, who sometimes sing loudly, sometimes comb their feathers, and sometimes swim happily in the water, splashing layers of water. Tourists stood by the lake, quietly appreciating the scene and feeling the beauty of harmonious coexistence between man and nature. This is also a paradise for photography enthusiasts, whether it is the first light in the morning or the afterglow of the sunset in the evening, you can take beautiful photos here.

It is worth going. Standing on the top of Songshutou Mountain, you can see the panoramic view of Sailimu Lake on one side and overlook the Guozigou Bridge on the other side. It is great! It takes more than 900 steps to walk to the middle platform, and a total of 1962 steps to the top of the peak

2. Sailimu Lake Dianjiangtai (Rating 5.4, Free) The nostalgic landmark where Genghis Khan was said to have inspected his troops: • Highlights: Standing on the high platform and overlooking, the magnificent Sailimu Lake and the vast grassland are in the same frame. The lake breeze seems to be able to trace back to the wars of thousands of years ago. The view is excellent and free, suitable for history fans or taking panoramic photos. • Shortcomings: Pure original ecological viewing platform, no supporting facilities (even no clear signs), it is recommended to drive and check in (with a trip around the lake), and it is not cost-effective to go alone. → Suitable for: Tourists who are obsessed with "history + vision" and need to bring their own imagination to check in.

I'm dying of laughter! Apparently, it's called Pattaya because they actually created a Pattaya! Hahahaha! The hot spring next door had ridiculously long queues during Chinese New Year, so I went to Pattaya instead. It was still crowded, but luckily I arrived at noon and managed to get a soak. The environment was quite nice, and there were tons of kids. It's definitely a great choice for a family outing. Remember to wear your own swimming cap! Swimming caps are mandatory in the pool! Although it wasn't the kind of romantic hot spring I was hoping for, it was still a lot of fun!

Warning for taking your kids to visit the grassland twice! The healing power of Xihai Grassland is engraved into your DNA after one visit🌿 Who understands! I dragged my two "little beasts" to play crazy in Xihai Grassland for 3 days. After returning home, my kids kept saying "I want to go to that place with big lawns and stars" - as an old mother, I understand this feeling of being healed by nature. This place really deserves to be included in the list of parent-child travel ceilings! • The safety factor is full: there are no steep mountain roads, and large and gentle meadows are like green velvet carpets. Kids can run and jump happily, and old mothers can just sit in the wild flowers and watch them, without chasing them and shouting "slow down"! • Every shot is a fairy tale feeling: the mountains in the distance are as green as if they have been washed, and the small wild flowers nearby are purple, yellow, and white, dotted with the grass. The two kids are chasing butterflies. Any shot taken with the phone is a healing wallpaper. • The pace is slow to the bone: no need to rush the schedule! Being woken up by birds in the morning, drinking salty milk tea in the herdsmen's tent at noon, and watching the sunset dye the clouds orange in the evening, this sense of relaxation is the most luxurious gift for traveling with children. 3 things you must experience when traveling with children 1. Wild plan on the grassland Bring a bubble machine and a kite, put them on the lawn, the bubbles are shining in the sun, the kite flies higher than the windmill in the distance, and the screams of the two children chasing the bubbles are better than any nursery rhymes. When you are tired, spread a picnic mat, eat the herdsmen's freshly roasted mutton jerky, and watch the clouds in the sky slowly float. 2. Surprise encounter with small animals We were very lucky and encountered a group of lambs! They ran after the mother sheep with fur, and the children carefully touched their fur, their eyes were as bright as stars. The herdsman uncle also taught the children how to distinguish the gender of the lambs. This kind of knowledge outside the textbook is a hundred times more vivid than the picture book. 3. Whisper under the starry sky If the weather is good at night, you can see the Milky Way! Wrap the kids in a thick coat, lie on the grass and point at the stars, and tell them which one is the North Star. The elder brother suddenly said, "Mom, the stars here are brighter than those at home, because they are closer to us?" At that moment, I felt that all the hard work of rushing on the road was worth it. Tips from an old mother • Outfit: Be sure to bring a windproof coat for your baby! The temperature difference between morning and evening on the grassland is large. Wear short sleeves at noon and a coat in the evening. Choose light colors, and the photos will match the grassland. • Equipment: Bring a small folding chair (a magic weapon to free the waist), mosquito repellent stickers, wet wipes (the baby can wipe his hands in time after touching the lamb), and prepare a small first aid kit just in case. • Eating: You must try the pilaf and yogurt at the herdsman's house! The baby doesn't like sour food? Add some sugar, the brother ate two bowls in one breath, and the sister also took a spoon to learn from the herdsman uncle to "cheers". When we left, my sister held the wild flowers she picked on the grassland and refused to let go. My brother said, "Mom, can we bring a tent next time?" It turns out that children understand the goodness of this grassland better than we do. Xihai Grassland is not the kind of scenic spot where you can "check in and leave". It is the kind of place that people will remember and want to visit again. Next time, I will bring a book and take a good look at this grassland that slows down time while my child is having fun. (Secretly: When I sorted out the photos after I came back, I found that I took more than 100 photos of my child's smiling face. I couldn't bear to delete them even when the memory was full~)