On the morning of 3 Sep, after our last precious moments in Hemu, we took the shuttle bus back to Hemu Tourist Service Centre. From there, we drove for about 1.5 hours and parked at Jiadengyu Tourist Direct Bus Service Center.

We purchased tickets there and boarded the shuttle bus bound for Kanas Tourist Service Center; the ride took roughly 1 hour. Again, you may bring your luggage on the shuttle bus, but it is more convenient to only pack an overnight bag. Keep in mind that temperatures can fluctuate greatly within a single day. Layering is the key.

I am very glad I read this notice in front of the ticket hall, which states:

Notice

There are two boarding points for entry into Kanas Scenic Area: Jiadengyu Tourist Service Centre and Jiadengyu Direct Bus Service Centre.

All sightseeing buses will terminate at Jiadengyu Tourist Service Centre upon exiting the scenic area. If you need to get to Jiadengyu Direct Bus Service Centre, you may transfer to the free shuttle bus provided by the scenic spot.

This helped us understand the situation when we were dropped off at Jiadengyu Tourist Service Centre while exiting Kanas.

To clarify the procedure, here are the maps of Jiadengyu and Kanas.

Upon arrival at Kanas Tourist Service Center, we went to join the queue for Line 1 bus for Kanas New Village where our hotel was located. (Sometimes they mention Hanas Village, sometimes Kanas Village — very confusing.)

After a few minutes, we got off the bus at the first stop, where our hotel was right behind the bus station.

After lunch at a restaurant nearby, we took Bus Line 1 back to Kanas Tourist Service Center, from where we took another bus to Kanas Lake. When we were there, the buses ran in a loop. We travelled the whole loop to get back to Kanas Tourist Service Center, though you can also walk there (I assume it is about a half-hour walk).

Upon arrival at the Kanas Lake stop, follow the crowd and you will reach the lakeshore. We did not stay long here as we needed time to explore the whole scenic area. My tip: stay 2 nights inside Kanas Scenic Area, so you can experience the lake region by hiking its trails. I will post a separate blog post introducing hiking in Greater Kanas. Next time I am there, I will definitely take the hiking routes.

Since we only had one afternoon in Kanas, to get a better sense of the destination, we split into 2 groups to explore different places. Here are the highlights of Kanas Scenic Area that we visited.

Fish-Viewing Platform (Guanyutai) 

Perched on Halakat Peak (Camel Peak) at 2030m above sea level, the Fish-Viewing Platform stands 660 metres vertically above Kanas Lake. It is the prime vantage point for sweeping lake views. Visitors first take a shuttle bus to the mountainside, then climb 1,068 wooden steps to reach the top. Pictures cannot capture the feeling of standing on the mountain top, with the lake stretching out before you. It was simply amazing and rewarding.

We also took the shuttle bus to visit the three bays.

If your visit only allows brief shuttle-bus stops at each bay, these are the views you get:

Shenxian Bay

Moon Bay

Wolong Bay

If you would like to walk the boardwalks, these are the views you get along the way (note: we only covered a small section of the boardwalks).

If you accidentally stray from the boardwalks and get a little lost on the woodland trails, these are the views waiting for you.

Then it’s time for a beautiful evening stroll and a warm dinner!

The next morning, we enjoyed a lovely moment with a kitty in the hotel yard before boarding the shuttle bus to Jiadengyu Tourist Service Centre. From there, we took another shuttle bus back to the Jiadengyu Tourist Direct Bus Service Center, where our car was parked. That concluded our trip to Kanas.

Kanas delivers breathtaking alpine scenery of lakes, forests and snow-capped peaks. For a proper deep dive, we recommend staying for a minimum of 2 nights. Kanas caters to both casual sightseers and hiking lovers. Every turn reveals stunning scenery that photos can hardly capture. You will also have time to explore Kanas (or Hanas) Old Village and connect with local people and culture — something we missed on our visit.

I do hope the official instructions and signs were more consistent and clearer. For instance, several official guides give different estimates for the hiking time from Shenxian Bay to Moon Bay, and we are unsure which is accurate. (We did not actually hike this route fully, but I would estimate it takes about one hour.)

Yours Truly

Angie Guo - Charmission Travel