Kanas Lake: National AAAAA-level tourist attraction, National Geological Park, National Forest Park, Chinese Nature Reserve, National Natural Heritage, National Low-carbon Tourism Experimental Zone, China’s Most Beautiful Lake. With towering snow-capped peaks and lush green forests surrounding its shimmering waters, Kanas Lake offers breathtaking scenery and is praised as ‘a fairyland on earth, the garden of gods’.
’Kanas’ is a Mongolian term meaning ‘beautiful and mysterious lake’. Kanas Lake is located in the north of Burqin County, Altay Prefecture, Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region. The lake water comes from the glacial meltwater of mountains such as Kuytun and Friendship Peak, as well as local precipitation. The lake is situated at an altitude of 1,374 meters above sea level, with an area of 45.73 square kilometers. The maximum depth of the lake is 188.5 meters at an elevation of 1,181.5 meters, and its water storage capacity reaches 5.38 billion cubic meters. It is the deepest moraine dammed lake in China, a high-altitude lake nestled in the dense forests of the Altai Mountains, and an inland freshwater lake.
The Kanas Lake scenic area integrates unique natural landscapes such as mountains, rivers, forests, lakes, and grasslands; historical and cultural relics such as the platform where Genghis Khan’s western expedition army gathered troops and ancient rock paintings; and the unique culture of the Mongolian Tuwa people. It has major attractions such as Camel Hump Bay, Color-changing Lake, Wolong Bay, and Fish Viewing Terrace, and has extremely high value for tourism, nature conservation, scientific research, and historical culture.
Kanas Lake has several wonders. One is the kilometer-long deadwood causeway formed by floating wood in Kanas Lake being blown upstream by strong valley winds and piled up at the upstream of the lake. The second is the giant "water monster" in the lake, which often drags horses drinking water by the lake into the water, adding a mysterious atmosphere to Kanas. Some people believe it is caused by a local specialty, the Humpback Salmon (Taimen). The third wonder is the cloud sea and Buddha’s light over Kanas Lake, which only appears after the rain clears up.
Kanas has different seasons and different beautiful scenery.
So how much does it cost to charter a car in Kanas?
Self-guided tourism, also known as DIY tourism, is the same as self-service tourism and is an emerging travel method in recent years. The difference between self-guided tours and package tours is that package tours are arranged by travel agencies in terms of accommodation, transportation, and guided tours. Self-guided tours do not require joining a group and do not have a tour guide accompanying (if it is a chartered self-guided tour, the driver may serve as a part-time tour guide). The travel itinerary and route are completely selected and formulated by the tourists themselves, and meals are also decided and arranged by themselves. Self-guided tours represent a high-level demand for travel services and are also an important manifestation of personal prestige in modern society. Chartered car consultation number: 0991-8585456
I. What are the advantages of self-guided tours?
1. A family or a group of friends going out to play together.
2. There is more freedom in time and space, with no need to wait for a group at a fixed time and location.
4. The itinerary is more flexible. You can go and stop whenever you want, and stay longer at places you like, making the travel experience more fulfilling and comfortable.
5. You have control over accommodation and meals. You can enjoy local specialty foods and stay in high-quality and affordable homestays or hotels without spending too much money.
6. The personal experience is more authentic. For self-guided tours, tasks such as planning the itinerary, budgeting expenses, booking transportation (flights/trains) and accommodation, and reserving tickets for various attractions before departure are all personally planned and arranged. The smooth realization of the entire self-guided tour journey allows us to learn a lot and improves our independence and self-reliance abilities. During the trip, we can truly feel the advantages and disadvantages of this travel plan, which are all our own treasures and can accumulate a lot of experience for the next self-guided tour. In addition, the satisfaction and sense of accomplishment obtained in self-guided tours cannot be experienced in package tours.
II. It is said that the most beautiful scenery is on the road, especially in Xinjiang, which occupies one-sixth of the country’s territory, spanning a vast land of 1.66 million square kilometers with countless beautiful scenery. Therefore, chartered car self-guided tours have become a favorite travel method for more and more travelers in Xinjiang.
The characteristics of chartered car free-and-easy travel in Xinjiang are: Itineraries and time can be arranged and customized according to one’s preferences by the tourist chartered car company in charge of reception, saving worry and providing comfort. In addition, there is the enthusiastic and attentive service of the driver who doubles as a tour guide. Since the drivers are familiar with local conditions, encountering a reliable driver can save you a lot of effort and money. Another point is that China’s top ten beautiful highways include Xinjiang’s Duku Highway and Yizhao Highway, and only cars with less than 7 seats are allowed to pass through these two highways. The breathtaking scenery along the way is unreachable and unexperienceable by tourist buses in group tours.
III. What is the price of chartered cars for free-and-easy travel in Xinjiang? Let me first explain to fellow travelers that because Xinjiang covers a vast area, the distances between tourist attractions are very far apart, often involving hundreds of kilometers of travel each day. Therefore, the prices of chartered cars for tourism are relatively higher than those in the mainland.
1. 5-seat sedans cost around 1000 yuan per day (models such as Camry, Teana, Accord, Passat, etc.), and economy cars and domestic cars cost around 900 yuan per day.
2. SUVs for urban driving cost around 1100-1500 yuan per day (models such as Hyundai, Kia, Honda CRV, Nissan X-Trail, etc.), and domestic SUVs cost around 1000-1200 yuan per day (models such as Great Wall, Chery, Changan, etc.).
3-7 seat commercial vehicles cost around 1200-1600 yuan per day (a representative model is the Buick commercial vehicle, known as the land business class, with spacious space, luggage capacity, and high comfort, suitable for long-distance travel).
4-5 seat SUVs cost around 1500-1800 yuan per day (commonly used models include Mitsubishi Pajero, Prado, Toyota Land Cruiser, etc.).
Specific chartered car price consultation hotline: 0991-8585456
The above prices include the driver’s labor fee, fuel fee, toll fee, and parking fee. They do not include the driver’s board and lodging expenses, which need to be borne by tourists separately. (Both parties can negotiate on this. If neither party minds, the driver can eat at the same table and share a room with the tourists. If it feels inconvenient, tourists can arrange separate board and lodging for the driver or pay an additional fee for the driver’s board and lodging, typically at a standard of 180 yuan per day, to be arranged by the driver themselves.) In addition, the above prices are for reference only and may fluctuate according to the high and low seasons and the condition of the vehicle.
We hope that on our journey in Xinjiang, we can broaden our horizons, maintain a peaceful mindset, and feel cheerful. Perhaps, the meaning of traveling lies in letting our bodies immerse in nature and our souls freely soar. And the reason why we are so persistent in this is simply because good times are always fleeting.
Chartered car consultation hotline: 0991-8585456