Inner Mongolia: Kubuqi Desert (Day 4)

After a refreshing night in Baotou city, we were up early once more, and started making our way to the Kubuqi Desert in Ordos.


Desert Landscape 2I’ve never seen a desert in my life before (tell me where to find one in Southeast Asia and Central Europe), so this was pretty exciting stuff. I realise I’m always super excited when planning for trips, but just before arriving at a place, there’s always this short fleeting doubt to whether the place is indeed going to be as awesome as I expected. I think it’s the fear of disappointment. So I desperately try to tone down my excitement some notches down just before arriving. “Meh, it’s just a place with a lot of sand innit?” (Am I the only one who feels this way when travelling?) I’m sure I’m not the only weird one out here~ Most times, I end up being blown away by how the place exceeds my original expectations.
Desert Yurt 2This desert was the same. I won’t lie, it was pretty strange to see a mini desert themepark at the start of the desert. For a 280yuan entrance ticket, you get to sit on the cable cars back and forth, play desert golf, watch an Ordos wedding musical (huh?), free dip in a pool, hire a camel, hire a wrangler, and many other stuff.

I see a pool...or is that just a mirage?
I see a pool…or is that just a mirage?

I also did some Ziplining (Flying Fox), and Sand Sliding for additional 80yuan altogether. D wasn’t able to do either, unfortunately due to the 180cm height limit (that guy’s too tall for China) and adding to that, his broken shoulder.

More work in progress before the actual desert started.
More work in progress before the actual desert started.

All that themepark-ish activities over, we explored out further into the desert, getting these pictures on foot, from on top a camel, and from a wrangler.

Desert Camels Desert Jeep

I’ve never seen so much sand and drank so many bottles of water before. But all in all, it was a good experience popping my desert cherry at the Kubuqi Desert.

D the explorer.
D the explorer.

I came to the desert, and the desert left with me…quite literally.

Desert Aftermath

Desert Roadtonowhere

Desert Tents

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