Getting There - From Xining, there is a train to and from Chaka Lake. Only one train leaving from xining to chaka at 8am. The train returns 5:10pm. (Chaka to Xining). The train is not packed as Chaka is the only stop. (There is one stop before the lake also called Chaka, but it is for people that work in the are.) The train takes about 4:20 minutes. Attractions - Chaka salt lake Hotels - a day trip is more than enough Entrance fee: 80 yuan (Does not include train. The walk to the lake is much more quiet than the train and short.) Food & Restaurants - Dicos, Huizu cuisine, lots of beef noodles, Shopping - I mailed a postcard abroad. Some souvenir shops. Chaka lake was one of the better tourist experiences as a foreigner living in China. Very easy to get to from Xining, few people on the train. The staff on the train and park entrance did not make a big deal about encountering a foreigner. If you have traveled by train as a foreigner being in China during covid you will be surprised how smoothly it was to get on the train and into the park. For the train you will need the health code with green arrow, stamp showing when you entered China, phone number, vaccine record (phone one with health code is ok). Highly recommended as an easy day trip with not too much walking. Use the bathroom in the information/ticket office.

Qilian county (祁连县) is a small county in the mountainy border-region to South-Gansu. The small town with the same name offers hotels, restaurants and small shops and is quite buzzling. The pictures above where taken in the surrounding countryside, namely close to some small villages around the scenic area of ZhuoErShan (卓尔山风景区). For grassland and mountain view you can go there, it's not bad. But if you really want to hike you have to find a local who takes you there for some money or you just drive through the villages and find a way to the untouched nature by yourself. ↪️ You can come to Qilian county by renting a car or by public bus. There is no train route or airport closeby. 🍂 Summer is warm and dry, winter gets really cold and snowy. #easylife#hiking#summervacation#hikingtrails

We found this lake on our roadtrip from Golmud (Qinghai province) to Dunhuang (Gansu province). Xiaochaidan lake is situated in the north of the Chaidam basin with the elevation of 3171m. It covers an area of 40 square kilometers. You can leave the highway on various points to get to the lake, but keep attention on the traffic! ℹ️ The lake is not "developed" so it's basically pure nature. Some local people sell handcraft and some drinks. The lake is not for swimming, besides salt there are various other minerals inside the lake. ↪️ It's only possible to get there by car. It's far away from any bigger town. Nature ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Adventure ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Comfort ⭐⭐ #naturalwonders#summervacation#hikingtrails

On our North-West-China Roadtrip we drove back to Xining on our last day. On our way we discovered this beautiful oilseed rape flower field. The colours together with the mountains and mountain villages look stunning. Local farmers sell fresh and tasty honey. 🏴 How to get here? You can drive by car or take a bus and train to MenYuan station (门源站). It's a 2-3 hours drive from Qinghais capital Xining. 🍂 When to go? I recommend May-September. The weather is nice and daytime temperature is warm. The sunset is especially nice! 🎟️ There is a scenic spot called 百里油菜花景区. It's not necessary to go there, you have more or less the same view anywhere else. If you want some infrastructure, the scenic spot might be better! #beautifulsunsets#roadtrip#summervacation#hikingtrails

The Chaerhan Salt Lake is located 60 kilometers away from the northern Golmud city, more than 110 kilometers away from the southern Chaidamu. The salt lake is more than 160 kilometers long from east to west and 20-40 kilometers wide from south to north. The thickness of the salt lake is 2-20 meters. The Chaerhan Salt Lake is located in the desert; the weather is dry and hot. With the long-time sunburn and windburn it's necessary to bring sun protection. 🏴 Tourists can rent cars to get to the Chaerhan Salt Lake along the No. 215 National Highway. Hotels or travel agencies might also organized tours. Adventurours without driving license can try to hitchhike. 🎫 Entrance including bus to the final destination inside the lake: 100元/80元 students ✨ You can also rent bikes (if they're not broken) or drones at the final destination. #dessert#hiking#roadtrip#summervacation

Getting There - Go to Xining first and then the train station, it is easy peasy to catch the 8:00 am train to Chaka Salt Lake and return on the 5:10 pm return train. The journey takes 4 1/2 hours both ways, but the scenery is interesting. Attractions - There is an interesting little train ride for 65 RMB that will take you to the far end of the salt lake if you are not able or not interested in the walk along the boardwalk. It can get a little hot in summer, so no judgement. And the lake is great for photos! Hotels - Xining is the place to stay, the Salt Lake is good for an afternoon, a pleasant day trip. Food & Restaurants - There are several good places to grab snacks or eat proper meals, a Dicos for good coffee coffee and ice-cream and others for excellent meat sticks and RoujaiMo, those tasty little bread pockets filled with pork or beef. Yummy! Shopping - We were pushed out the exit opposite our entrance with no possibility of a jump over the gate, to go back to the train, but the exit was filled with shopping opportunities, jewellery, food, candies, beef jerky, handmade woollen items, postcards n the usual. Also more food options. Passports and Vaccine Checks and Health Codes were necessary both entering and leaving the park. Take an umbrella and plenty of sunscreen and use them! #summervacation

I really enjoyed staying for a couple of nights in this city. Highlights were the Wanda Plaza nightlife, Nanguan Mosque and the beef noodles! #summervacation

We found this coffee shop 5 minutes walk from the Mojia street. The coffee is excellent and the owner is awesome! #summervacation

Qinghai Lake, in the northeast part of the province, is the largest inland saltwater lake in China. Both the Mongolian name and the Tibetan name mean 'Blue Lake'. In spring you can see a lot of birds, gulls, swans, and wild ducks. May through October is the best time for bird-watching. 🚌 How to get there? 🚗 Private car - These can be hired from a travel agent for ¥400. If you drive by yourself, it's a little cheaper. 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Tour - A number of companies in town offer trips to the lake. Prices start at around ¥100, which doesn't include entrance fees, as the tours usually don't go to free spots. 🚌 Public Bus - Most westbound buses from the Xining long distance bus station pass by the lake. Just buy a ticket and tell the driver you want to get off at the lake. Remember that the lake is huge and maybe decide, where you wanna go. We didn't do that and just drive around, if you have time it's also a good way. 🏨 Wanna sleep there? Many simple hotels and guesthouses around the lake! #qinghai #qinghailake #roadtrip#summervacation#hikingtrails