Tips for Silk Road Tours

The best time to have a Silk Road Trip is from May to October. The summer can be searingly hot. The winter is freezing. During May, the average temperature along the route is around 15 C. the scenery is most beautiful during May. The accumulated winter snow on the tableland is melting. The grass is turning green. Visitors can enjoy this enchanting scenery without suffering extreme temperatures.

 

Even during May and October, topography and climate along the Silk Road vary greatly. Some stretches of the road are high and cold, others low and dry. For example, the city of Turpan (sometimes written "Turfan" on older maps), can reach 40 degrees Celsius in the hottest month, August, while it sometimes dips to -20 degrees Celsius in the coldest month, January.

 

 

However, do not burden your trip with more baggage than you can easily carry. It is best to travel fairly light but well prepared.

 

The Silk Road spans most of China, from modern cities in the central China to isolated villages and towns in the remote west. Accordingly accommodations along the route range from high standard luxurious hotels to somple guesthouse.

 

 

On the Silk Road travelers will easily notice the Islamic influence on eating habits in northwest China. Visitors more interested in traditional Chinese food will have no problem in finding restaurants, specializing in Sichuan, Cantonese, Beijing and Shanghai cuisine.

 

Night markets and small restaurants in every city are the best places to taste local snacks, before you enter, remember to check the sanitary appearance of the restaurant. If you are puzzled with the food names on the menu, remember that the best way to order is by pointing to what other patrons are having or by going into the kitchen and picking out various meat and vegetable combinations. Remember that pork is forbidden in Islamic food.

 

Moreover the various nationalities you can encounter along the Silk Road have their own typical drinks and food.

 

Unlike people in other parts of China, in northwest China people often drinks tea with their meals or even when snacking a piece of bread. In restaurant, popular refreshments like Coca-Cola, beer and fruit juice are always available. You should try local drinks like kumiss, frozen yogurt and tea with milk.

 

When traveling along the Silk Road, a temple is often an important spot visited by travelers. There are some important things to remember, though, in order to ensure a pleasant visit to the temples.

 

Addressing a Monk: ”shi” or “fashi” is the honorable title of the Monks and Taoists, and “zhanglao”, “fangzhang” or “chanshi” of the Governing Monk. “Heshang” and “chujiaren” are regarded as the impolite way to address a monk.

 

Proper Manners: put your palms together and lower your head when meeting with the monks. Attempting to handshake, embrace or touch the head of the monk is considered sacrilegious.

 

Topics of Conversation: topics relating to killing, marriage and eating meat are forbidden. Political and religious topics are sensitive which may lead your Silk Road tour as a bad memory.

 

Visiting Behavior: Be respectful. Do not touch or deface any religious artifacts, and be silent and nonjudgmental during religious ceremonies.