A base stay should be judged by daily usability, not only by scenic reputation
Families often start by comparing which place sounds more scenic. But a base stay earns its value through repeated daily actions: how smoothly breakfast leads into departure, how easily the group can finish early and how much recovery remains after lunch or dinner.
For first-time Ili trips, the stronger base is usually the one that makes those repeated actions easier for everyone.
Tekes usually works better when the trip needs a stable family rhythm
Tekes often feels more like a usable mid-route base. That matters for seniors and children because stability at dinner, bathing, sleep and next-morning departure is part of the trip quality itself.
If the group wants fewer late finishes and fewer daily resets, Tekes usually supports that better.
Zhaosu fits better when deeper grassland experience is a conscious priority
Zhaosu is not the wrong choice. It simply makes the most sense when the family already knows that a more open and deeper grassland feel is worth carrying some extra pacing cost.
If the group is still testing its road rhythm, that trade can be harder to justify on a first mixed-age trip.
On a first mixed-age Ili route, comfort over three days is the real test
The most useful question is not which base sounds more impressive, but which one can keep the group comfortable across several consecutive days.
For many first-time family groups, that practical test points to Tekes before it points to a deeper scenic push.