One of China's best dorms is located in the massive Qini Bagh Hotel in Kashgar, and the price reflects it. All the taxi drivers and locals know it's where the foreigners stay. The hotel is located only a few minutes' walk from the Idkah mosque and some of Kashgar's most interesting streets. Bus stations are a fifteen-minute walk, but if you arrive by train or plane you will need to take a taxi. Most taxi drivers will understand where you want to go.
Qini Bagh has both dorms and private rooms. Dorm rooms contain three beds. You pay a key deposit on arrival that is reimbursed on departure. All the rooms have a private bathroom with hot water and a television and air conditioning -- essential in the Kashgar summer (as long as it's working)!
Eating at the hotel is expensive, so you're much better to eat out on the street. The fantastic Caravan Cafe is just a minute away, with great coffee and other western food. The hotel has a travel information desk from which you can book onward travel arrangements or tours of the local area. It also has internet, although it is cheaper to go to a cafe on the street. The hotel attracts people of all nationalities including central Asian traders and business people.
There is no central common area but most travelers chat in the internet area (where there is also a small bar) or going up and down in the lifts. You tend to see the same people here that you've seen elsewhere in XinJiang. The best day to arrive is on a Friday, which gives you time to get oriented to the city before the famed Sunday markets. Most people stay in Kashgar until the Monday and then travel onto Pakistan or other silk road destinations.
— Exclusive Hostelz.com Review
February 2008
Location/Contact