Inner Mongolia Roadtrip
“Let’s rent a car – we can sleep in it to save money and explore the grasslands!”
My friend and I when we realised Covid was spreading in our cities and we didn’t want to go back to them in a hurry.
Coming from Australia, road trips were a common way to spend weekends and holidays. As soon as I was old enough I got my license and started driving myself down the coast. Sleeping in my car meant I could listen to the waves under the stars in the dark, then wake up and jump straight into the ocean. Having lived in China for over 3 years at this stage however, I hadn’t done something of this nature in a long time – until August, 2021.
During my backpacking trip around China, I had met a lovely girl in my hostel in Xi’an. When I told her my rough itinerary, she agreed to meet me in Inner Mongolia and told me she had local friends in Hohhot.
Fast forward a month, I was greeted at the Hohhot Railway Station by friendly smiles of my new local friends. Little did I know, we’d soon be great pals! We headed straight for the grasslands, listening to Mongolian folk music and admiring the vastness of the place.
Inner Mongolia vs. Mongolia
Mongolia is an open country with a democratically elected government. Inner Mongolia is a province in Northern China that was claimed in 1947. Both were traditionally home to Indigenous Mongolian people. Despite the large Han
population in Inner Mongolia, much of the Mongolian culture remains
(eg. Cyrillic alphabet on signs, food & music).
Wulanhada Volcano Geopark
After about 2-3 hours of driving, we reached Wulanhada. There are 8 main volcanoes scattered in the park. Considering the majority of this landscape is flat, the volcano mounds were a fascinating sight. We visited No. 3 Volcano (The North Alchemy Furnace) where, hilariously, tourists were renting astronaut attire for their photoshoots in the moon-like scenery. We also got to witness a paraglider soar off the edge!
It was also here that I realised, had I continued my travels in Inner Mongolia alone, I really would have struggled to get around. This is definitely a part of China where you need a drivers license and a rental car, or to book a tour.
Yurts, Mongolian Folk Instruments & Throat Singing
Back in the car, we drove for another hour or so before we reached, well, the middle of nowhere. And in the middle of nowhere is where we found a tiny village of yurts! On arrival, the local Mongolian people welcomed us with traditional scarves and a questionable serving of rice wine.
Feeling nicely tipsy, we settled in for the delicious dinner they had prepared earlier. It seemed that this, and similar villages nearby, were a popular destination along the road trip route. This explained the staged welcome and the 20-person sharing table ready on arrival.
We spent the evening eating, drinking and (most significantly) listening to authentic Mongolian music performed for us on traditional instruments like the horsehead fiddle (Morin Khuur). This was paired with the very impressive local throat singing that I was quickly becoming very fond of.
I went to bed feeling so privileged to be experiencing this culture, and thankful for my new friends who generously let me tag along! My alarm was set for sunrise, and I woke to the sound of pitter-pattering rain on my yurt, with fairy floss skies just outside the door.
After our small trip out in the grasslands, we got back to Hohhot and hit the town. A Mongolian style restaurant was on the agenda for the evening and it EXCEEDED expectations. Not only was the interior stunning, I had the best milk tea (famous to the region) AND there was a band playing Mongolian tunes like Hanggai.
CAN’T STOP WON’T STOP
Soon, we were longing for the grasslands again. There was a bit more to the decision, though this kind of spontaneous adventures takes zero leg-pulling from me. The pandemic was making its rounds around China once again, which meant no work for my friend and, temporarily, no province hopping for me.
After a quick look at the map for a general direction, we rented a car (very easy on Chinese apps) and decided we could sleep in it at rest stops. Snacks topped up and keys in hand, we set off!
This was my first time doing a proper road trip in China, and what a phenomenal place to be doing it. Hardly anyone on the open roads, and horses and cows nodding hellos to our left and right. What a dream!
With around 30% of this giant province consisting of grasslands, the views out the window were unlike anything I had seen before. The vastness of this place was overwhelming. Without many restrictions, the cows, horses and camels seemed to be smiling, stoked with their endless feed.
The reality of living in a car in Inner Mongolian grasslands in August is that it is freezing at night. For anyone wanting to do the same journey, PACK A BLANKET AND PILLOWS. Despite the discomfort and the less than glamourous setup, there’s nothing more thrilling than having full control of where you’ll wake up the next morning.
AN INNER MONGOLIA DREAM
One morning, we woke just before the sunrise at 5am. Goats strolled freely across the carpark with a backdrop of the sun’s burning pink, purple and orange hues. Quietly, we stepped out onto the field nearby, the crisp air waking us up instantly. We only dared to whisper a few words. Undisturbed, the horses and camels munched on the damp grass. The world was still and the beauty of nature induced genuine awe.
Then came a reality check. For those unfamiliar with China, it’s common to find that hotel systems cannot input foreign passport numbers. Sure, if you’re in major cities, you usually have no issues (though I experienced this once in the heart of Xi’an). But I’ll let you take a guess how we went trying to check into a hotel deep in Ulanqab, Inner Mongolia…
no chance.
Having found a hot springs hotel, we decided to treat ourselves. Shocked to see a foreign face in such a remote area, they let us in before finalizing the check in process. Not 10 minutes into our soaking, they came and informed us that wai guo ren (foreigners) cannot check in. At this stage, we had promised ourselves a nice place to sleep, but all attempts were met with the same answer. Another night in the rental, then.
Despite parking in places unfamiliar to us, we had no concerns. My absolute favourite thing about China is how safe it is. Never in my day to day life in Shanghai, my solo travels in various provinces nor this trip have I felt unsafe. This really made my time in China that much more pleasant.
Unfortunately, parts of the region had cases popping up, limiting our range of movements. We eventually turned back to Hohhot and spent our last days there with our new Hohhot family. The city has some phenomenal restaurants and top quality nightlife, though I’m not sure how easily I’d have found these places on my own. I wrapped up this part of my trip soon after, but I’m still reliving the memories to this day.
