Inner Mongolia Hohhot Desert and Grassland Trip | Crank Up the Crazy Mode

📍 Auckland · 👁 6466 reads · ❤️ 27 likes

I used to fantasize in my mind, if one day I go to the desert and grassland, what would I do? Maybe I would run wildly in the desert or grassland, throwing away all worries. I also fantasized whether the desert or grassland would be as spectacular as posted online. However, by chance, I immediately booked a plane ticket and started my Inner Mongolia grassland and desert trip!

This is my first time writing a travel journal. If you like it, give a thumbs up for support!

Day 1: Chongqing to Hohhot, sightseeing in the city

Day 2: Hohhot to Xilamuren Grassland

Day 3: Xilamuren Grassland to Xiangshawan DesertjQuery17108996528711348557_1627285912730

Day 4: Xiangshawan DesertjQuery17108756590788045162_1627286825930 to Ordos

Day 5: Hohhot to Chongqing

Day 1: Arrived in Hohhot relatively early, got off the plane at 11am. Our group of five spent the afternoon wandering around the city, visiting Dazhao Temple and Saishang Old Street, and eating local specialties!

① Dazhao Wuliang Temple, also known as Dazhao Temple, is a Tibetan Buddhist monastery located in Hohhot city center, built in 1580 over 400 years ago. It is the earliest and largest Tibetan Buddhist temple in Hohhot. Personally, it's not much different from those in western Sichuan and Tibet, but it's worth a visit. I suggest hiring a guide; otherwise, you'll just wander around blindly!!

② Saishang Old Street: When you exit Dazhao Temple, Saishang Old Street is on the right. It is known as a condensed reflection of old Hohhot, mainly selling various snacks, antiques, and Mongolian specialty souvenirs. However, the prices are higher than elsewhere. It's recommended to just take photos and check in.jQuery17105733478118819837_1627305852324

③ Food recommendation: [Deshun Yuan] - A Chinese snack shop that became popular through short videos!

Shaomai (steamed dumplings): Different from the traditional shaomai we eat. Here, the shaomai has thin skin and thick filling, mainly lamb and green onions. They sell shaomai by weight (liang). One liang has about 8 pieces, very generous portions. Locals buy it by the jin (half kilogram).

Guoyou Rou (fried pork slices): The meat is first fried in oil, then stir-fried. The meat is tender! Personally, it's a bit salty and greasy after eating too much.

Shacong Tusi (sand onion shredded potatoes): Sand onion is a plant that grows in the desert, looks similar to green onions. I really like it!!!

④ Gerile Ama Milk Tea House: A top-three recommended Mongolian restaurant, featured on 'A Bite of China', and many celebrities have checked in here. Recommendations: Mongolian ice cake, lamb offal, sour soup beef, stone-grilled meat! But I'm not used to eating lamb, especially blood sausage which tastes very gamey. Friends who like beef and lamb can go try it!

Day 2: One-day tour of Xilamuren Grassland. Upon arrival, started crazy photo mode. In the morning, horseback riding. It was really my first time riding. At first, I was nervous and didn't dare move on the horse. There was a little incident (a companion, who was very afraid of horses, fell off halfway, fortunately unharmed). The riding lasted about 40 minutes. The overall experience was very good. Gradually overcame fear and became more skilled!jQuery17101582281375175909_1627308486116

After riding, it was noon, had lunch. In the afternoon, took photos on the grassland, but the weather was bad, thick clouds, couldn't get that blue sky feeling. Around 5pm, the wind on the grassland was very strong, triggering my rhinitis, kept sneezing! Stayed overnight on the grassland in a Mongolian yurt (conditions on the grassland are limited, so don't expect hotel-level comfort, but it's a good experience! Everything has pros and cons. Traveling is not just about having fun, but also experiencing different ways of life.)

Honestly, Xilamuren Grassland was a bit disappointing. I expected it to be like Hulunbuir with lush tall grass, but the grass was very short. Locals said that due to tourism development and grazing restrictions to the front pastoral area, the grass we saw was short. The really beautiful grassland is in the back pastoral area, but we couldn't go in. Also, locals said that to protect the prairie, they no longer live a nomadic life but have settled in the front pastoral area, with each person allowed to raise only 30 sheep and cattle!

Day 3: This was the day I looked forward to most. I had been to Ruoergai Grassland before, so my expectations for grassland were not as high as for the desert, since it was my first time entering a desert.

Today was mainly a one-day tour of Xiangshawan DesertjQuery17107713503365400922_1627308535309. Seeing the desert for the first time, I was so excited! Just as we arrived at the entrance, we ran into a corporate group tour of about 100 people, all in red dresses. I thought, 'Good thing I didn't wear a red dress, no outfit clash' (smirk + relief). To enter the scenic area, first take a cable car to a desert transfer station, then take a car to reach Xiangshawan. The Lotus Hotel inside Xiangshawan reportedly costs 2000+ per night (too expensive, friends with money can go try it).

Upon reaching Xiangshawan, there is a large water park. You can bring your swimsuit and have fun, then ride camels! Since Chongqing has water parks everywhere, we skipped that part and went straight to camel riding. After riding, we started posing and taking photos in the desert!

Under the blue sky and white clouds in the desert, I couldn't help but recall the grandeur of the poem: 'A solitary smoke straight in the vast desert, the setting sun round over the long river.'

Day 4: After playing in the desert all day, we were very tired. So on the fourth morning, we strolled around Ordos city, had some fire-pot barbecue, and returned to Hohhot in the afternoon!

Day 5: In the morning, bought specialties and wandered (bought lots of beef jerky and milk tablets). At noon, went to the airport to go home.

One: The weather here is very dry, must replenish water. In Inner Mongolia for 5 days, rhinitis and tonsillitis were really uncomfortable!

Two: Sun protection - Inner Mongolia has strong UV rays. It gets light at 4am and the sun sets at 9pm. Remember, remember, sun protection must be done well! Got severely sunburned that day in the desert.

Three: Respect local customs and cultural habits. When entering temples, it's best to wear long pants to show respect.

Finally, travel is about going from a place you're tired of to a place others are tired of, to experience a different life. It is precisely this scenery on the road that brings peace of mind. This pleasant trip has ended, looking forward to the next journey!

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