Hey guys,

We're actually planning to do this crossing at just about exactly the same time as you - probably around mid - July 2013. We'd be really happy to join a group if we could to split costs. However, I've been looking into it and I think the cheapest option might be to go with the CBT (community based tourism) from Naryn, booked in country rather than in advance. It's still expensive, $175 p/p based on two people, cheaper if you can fill the transport, but options are limited in that area!

My boyfriend and I are also just looking into out Chinese visas at the moment; can any of you guys share your experiences with me for applying for a visa when you'll be doing a border crossing into a restricted area (ie. Xinjiang)? At the visa office we've been told that they won't give visas to anyone planning to go into Xinjiang, and we need to produce a flight ticket, itinerary and even some hotel bookings to get our visa for anywhere in China. We've been in and out of China for the past three years, and we've never had to do any such thing until now! I'm also wondering, if China is so desperate to keep foreigners out of Xinjiang, why is the Kyrgyzstan border still open for tourists at all? Does any one have any recent reports to confirm we really could get through the border at all?

Cheers guys, get back to me on this thread or pm me if you want.