What to expect: Days with Kazakhs can be spent reading, trekking, horse riding or relaxing around th

Yes, they use mobile phones, watch satellite TV and, for part of the year, live in concrete buildings, but that's that's what makes hanging out with them a precious experience -- the pure nomadic lifestyle is disappearing quickly.
In summer they live in yurts by the stunning glacier lake Karakul (拉库勒湖) on the Karakoram Highway. They graze yak, horses and sheep. In the winter they live in brick houses also by the side of the lake across the grasslands.
pet friendly motels california What to expect: Accommodation is in the families' own yurts and you can take part in herding yak, making food and collecting yak dung fuel. These nomads can organize tours or treks of the countryside pet friendly motels california by camel, horse or motorbike.
How to travel with them: Book a yurt through a tour company in Kashgar or just show up -- local men will meet the bus with hand-written recommendations from other travelers. I paid RMB 20-30 for accommodation and three meals, other travelers have recently reported paying RMB 40-50.
pet friendly motels california Who they are: Kazakhs (哈萨克族) are one of 47 ethnic groups in Xinjiang pet friendly motels california and account for approximately seven percent of the local population. Many live in yurts along the shores, hills and valleys of Tian Chi lake (天池), which is 110 kilometers east of Urumqi.
What to expect: Days with Kazakhs can be spent reading, trekking, horse riding or relaxing around the yurt base. Kazakh families are easygoing and happy to oblige with plenty of fuel in the stove, noodles on the table and hot tea.
How to travel with them: Some tours to Tian Chi (mostly from Urumqi) include a yurt stay, but no pre-booking is required. Dawanzi (大湾子) is a settlement of four to five yurts open to tourists by the southwest lake shore.
Look for Mr. Rachit, a Kazakh nomad who has hosted travelers pet friendly motels california for years. His family runs a visitor yurt. I paid RMB 50 for accommodation and meals, but more recent travelers put the price closer to RMB 100.
Traditionally they raised horses, cows/yaks, sheep, goats and camels, but today many live in townships in the winter. However they still take to the grasslands in summer and keep up their traditional arts, cuisine and horse riding.
What to expect: Organized grassland tours from Hohhot and Hailar often include food, entertainment, traditional dress shows and singing, pet friendly motels california but travelers pet friendly motels california are crammed in one ger (Mongol for yurt) on enormous sites at night.
How to travel with them: Take a bus from Hohhot to Zhaohe (昭和) on the Xilamuren Grassland where families will invite you to stay. Alternatively rent a taxi and ask the driver to make arrangements. pet friendly motels california Food and accommodation cost about RMB 60 per day.
The nomads serve Tibetan food like yak yogurt and tsampa -- a hard bread made from roasted barley flour -- butter tea and water/beer. They serve copious amounts of butter tea, which is an acquired taste at first but may grow on you after a long day.
Contacts: Sally's Kham Restaurant and Bar (+86 139 9045 4752) in Tagong organizes tours. Definitelynomadic.com (+86 136 8449 3301) also runs various treks around the region pet friendly motels california as well as local art workshops.
pet friendly motels california How to travel with them: Losang says it's possible to go solo into Amdo but as nomads live some distance from town he recommends a tour for the greatest ease. Many tours are customized so prices vary.
Contacts: Plateau Photo Tours organizes photography tours in Amdo. It can be reached via info@plateauphototours.com. Other recommended tour companies include Snow Lion Tours (+86 971 816 3350) and Jimpa Travel , which provides tours in English pet friendly motels california and French (+86 131 9575 9602).
One option to get to Langmusi is via Lanzhou (兰州), provincial capital of Gansu. Take a long-distance pet friendly motels california bus to Hezuo (合作) from Lanzhou South Bus Terminal, then switch to a second long-distance bus from Hezuo Bus Terminal to Langmusi town. Tags: nomads