Notes on Sayram Lake (Self-Driving Edition)

2. Strongly recommend traveling clockwise! The most scenic spots are on the upper half of the clockwise route. Mornings have fewer crowds, as tour groups usually arrive in the afternoon. Going counterclockwise means you'll run into them. 3. Enter through the East Gate. If you want to visit the Guozigou Viewing Platform, exit via the South Gate and navigate to Yunlongqi Hotel. Unfortunately, the platform was closed when I went, so I couldn’t visit. 4. After ticket check at the East Gate, don’t rush to look at the lake—check the road on your right (the side with mountains). There’s a vast field of poppies. If you don’t pull over here, you’ll only get another chance when exiting the East Gate (Pic 10). 5. Inside the scenic area, park only in designated zones (staff monitor this). Stop immediately if you see a beautiful view—once you pass it, it’s gone. 6. Santai Ancient Post (replica ancient architecture) offers lake access (Pic 7). Sit by the lake for photos. Across from the restroom, there’s a CHABAIDAO tea shop (Pics 4, 5). 7. Near Jinhua Zihui, there’s a hillside (left side) covered in flowers (mainly golden larkspur). No boardwalks here—if wearing a skirt, consider pants underneath as the grass is tall (avoid bugs and ticks) (Pics 1, 2). 8. Kele Yongzhu has many swans. The parking area is large but crowded—arrive early. The swan zone is packed (Pic 8), but walk further up for quieter spots with incredibly blue water (Pic 9). The restroom here has boiling water for instant noodles. 9. I skipped Songshutou hiking since I visited the flower hillside. Sayram Lake’s weather shifts fast—sometimes half the lake is sunny while the rest is cloudy. Plan according to the day’s forecast. 10. Nearby lodging is expensive, so we stayed in Yining the night before (arrived in Yining the prior afternoon). Drove 2.5 hours to the lake by 10:30 AM, explored until 4–5 PM, then stayed in Huocheng—saving a lot on accommodation. Other nearby towns (~1 hour drive) also offer lodging. 11. SUNSCREEN IS A MUST—it’s *extremely* sunny! P.S.: The restroom by Kele Yongzhu parking has hot water for instant noodles, plus snack stalls nearby.