Xining,
capital of Qinghai Province, is the starting point of your Qinghai tour thanks to its
relatively convenient
transport. The most likely other starting point is for those coming in from Tibet, and
in this case you will first arrive in Golmud. From here you can
just hop on a train or bus to Xining. Most people who are to be found in Qinghai are
usually fast on their way to other regions, and the only people who seem to stay here are
those eager to exploit the region"s possibly rich resources, or those in prison. Day One: In the morning, check in at one of the
hotels.
Then from the railway station, take bus No.11 to
North Mountain Temple,
one of the few Taoist complexes in Qinghai Province, and sneak a view of the entire city
from the 5-storey Ningshou Pagoda. Have your first mouthful of
Qinghai specialties at one of the local restaurants in
town. In the afternoon, take bus No.1, 2 or 23 in the city center and get off at the
Dongguan stop. Nearby is the
Great Mosque, one
of the most important Muslim religious centers in northwest China. In the evening head to
the Water Well Alley Night Market (see Xining Dining) to eat. Day Two: In the morning, take a minibus from
the west entrance of the Xining City Gymnasium (Xining tiyuguan) and go to the Ta"er Monastery. You can spend the rest
of the day in the Buddhist complex. In the late afternoon, take a bus back to town. Return
to your hotel. The rest of the itinerary is dependant upon whether
you are into hiking, camping or the desolate beauty that is the Qinghai Lake. If time is of
the essence it is often easier to take one of the one or two day tours from Xining (see
tours section of the Qinghai
Lake Transport Overview). The following is for those who wish to stay a little longer. Day Three: Catch a bus before 9am
for the Tibetan town Heimahe. From here you will need to hitch on to the main lake entrance, that is close to the
Lake Tent Hotel. Eat at
a local restaurant, or
in the hotel, and then head off to wherever takes your fancy. Later on head back to the
hotel to spend the night or set up camp anywhere along the river banks. Day Four & Five: Decisions are up to you. It is worth
spending a day at the Bird Island,
but apart from this there is a variety of activities that you may try over these two days
(including a boat trip around the islands, fishing, boating, horse riding etc.) Much of
the lakeside activities can be done at the southern shore"s tourist site, but you may wish
to just head off on your own to enjoy a little "Wild China". Day Six: Head back to Heimahe in the early morning, and
then head on to the Chaka Salt Lakes
for a day trip. On arrival ensure return transport routes to Xining for the late
afternoon. Head off to see the sights returning to Xining by early evening. Book into a Xining hotel. (Additional Days: There is no special reason to be heading on to Golmud, unless you are
looking to continue on into Tibet.
If this is the case then catch the train [or bus] in the morning from Xining [see Coming
into Golmud from the east in the Golmud Transport Overview].) |