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Today's blog post is from our amazing tour leader, Alexis, who has just travelled through China with one of our groups. They are currently in Malaysia, but this post covers their time travelling through China.
This trip is part of our long overland trip from Istanbul to Singapore, with Alexis picking up the group after they arrived into China via the Torugart Pass crossing from Kyrgystan where they left Dawso and the truck. We travel through China mainly using the efficient and fast train system, and staying in local hotels and guesthouses.
We started in the fabled Silk Road city of Kashgar in Xinjiang which was deeply interesting and a very clear continuation of the Silk Road journey I took groups on through Central Asia last year. Unfortunately I did acquire one of the worst bouts of food poisoning I’ve ever had the day I picked up the group at one of the wildest border crossings in the world, the Torugart border of China and Kyrgyzstan.
The following day we took our first Chinese overnight train to the city of Korla, our last stop in Xinjiang before flying to Dunhuang, home of the famed Mogao Caves or Cave of a 1000 Buddhas. This lovely town on the edge of the Gobi desert was the departure point for Jiayuguan, home of the western most section of the Great Wall of China and its most important pass. A short train then took us to the large, bustling city of Xining in Qinghai province where we saw the world’s longest Buddhist scroll painting (618 meters long!) at a museum celebrating Tibetan culture and history. Tibet is next!
We made it to Tibet on one of the most iconic trains in the world, the incredible high altitude train to Lhasa. The train took 20 hours and at points got as high as 5800 meters above sea level. Thankfully they pump oxygen through the train cars! Lhasa has always felt like a mythical place I would never get to visit and at first glance was absolutely not what I was expecting with its massive developments and KFC and Pizza Hut in front of Potala Palace, but delving deeper, you feel the deep spirituality and history and it feels different than anywhere I had been before. After Lhasa we visited Shigatse, the 2nd largest city and its famous monastery built in the 15th century by the 1st Dalai Lama.
Next day was a dream fulfilled for many including myself. An incredibly scenic drive brought us to Everest Base Camp!! Unlike the Nepalese side, in Tibet you can drive right there! It was also way more developed than I expected with Chinese tourists being brought in by the bus load, but sleeping there at 5200 meters brought a morning of quiet and an Everest that cleared herself completely of clouds and crowds. Amazing. This area is also home to Rombuk Monastery, the highest in the world!
Tingri town and Gyantse city were next, mostly stopovers in route back to Lhasa for what was meant to be a 36 hour train to Chengdu. This did not go according to plan. We arrived at the train station only to be told the train to Chengdu had been cancelled so frantically flights were booked for the same night. We needed to leave as our permits to be in Tibet were expiring this day. We arrive at the airport only to be told the flight also has been cancelled 🤣 More frantic phone calls to try to get our permits extended, a hotel booked and flights for the following day. All turned out well and I truly don’t think anybody was mad we couldn’t take this 36 hour train!
Our Chinese journey next took us to my favorite city in the country, Chengdu. All I can say is the place has vibes. Also helps that all the best guides I’ve had in China hail from here including this trip. We started with a killer hot pot evening as can you even say you’ve been to Sichuan province without it! Chengdu, of course, is also home to the Giant Panda Breeding Center and Research Base. Do you have to fight hordes of people and run a gauntlet of panda merchandise vendors, yes, but PANDAS. Next up another great Chinese city, the famed city of Xi’an with its Terracotta Warriors and ancient city walls. I am not sure everyone enjoyed the warriors in 100 degree heat and fighting thousands of other tourists, but what a remarkable thing to see in person.
Speaking of, an overnight train then took us to Beijing where we visited the Great Wall at Mutianyu which somehow was blissfully free of crowds (presumably they were all at Badaling) so this was a pretty special experience. We cannot say the same for the Forbidden City and Tiananmen Square but you can’t win them all! Only 1 night in the capital before we were whisked back to Chengdu on a bullet train having said goodbye to some of the group and welcomed some others. I will never complain about extra time in Chengdu! Now it’s time to make our way towards Laos stopping in the underrated Kunming and finally Jinghong, a city on the Mekong with far more in common with Thailand and Laos than anywhere. The culture, language and tropical climate got us ready and excited to cross the border into Laos and begin our 2 months in SE Asia!
Oasis Overland Trips You Can Take To Experience This Journey
ISTANBUL to BEIJING (16 weeks) Turkey, Azerbaijan, The Stans & China
Set out on the Ultimate Expedition and retrace the paths of Alexander the Great and Marco Polo. This innovative and demanding adventure will guide you through ancient trading routes.
BISHKEK to SINGAPORE (105 days) Indochina Explorer
Experience this overland journey, where you'll enjoy the outdoors from bush camping and yurt stays in the mountains of Kyrgyzstan to lodge stays in Sumatra's rainforest, all while immersed in history, culture, and natural wonders.
KASHGAR to BEIJING (22 days) China & Tibet Explorer
Travel across mainland China from ancient Kashgar to the Great Wall, including a high-altitude train to Lhasa, Mt. Everest Base Camp, Chengdu’s Panda Sanctuary, Xi’an’s Terracotta Warriors, and Beijing.