English-speaking guide and driver to deliver you from airport to hotel and then off into the abyss. Although travelling by tour group is not ideal for adrenaline craving adventure seekers, trekking through a desert can be challenging without relevant experience and knowledge. Then again, each trip is always as unique as the beholder.
A hearty Chinese breakfast is the best foundation for any sort of excursion, including a venture to the Alashan (Alxa) plateau. Traversing the Yellow River and following a scant industrial backdrop, a fascinating mountainscape seemingly appears from nowhere. White flocks of sheep become visible at the foot of a severely weathered section of the Great Wall as you cross the border to Inner Mongolia, making your bumpy way to the edge of the Tengger desert where the daze begins.
Daredevil Jeeps catapult their passengers in all directions as they ride through the transitioning sand dunes. Climbing up the dunes on foot is necessary to digg your toes into the sand, follow the busy scarabs around without going anywhere specific, make sand angels and then take pictures showcasing the collection of sand in every crevice of your being.
When not galloping through the dunes try racing around on listless desert horses, kicking up some sand in a dune buggy, letting your legs dangle in a cool desert lake, conversing with animated camels, or
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unravelling the mysteries of the desert, like learning the painful way why the nearby Mosquito Lake was named Mosquito Lake. Of course it is crucial to bring along your essential life supply for desert survival – water, water and more water. Your body demands hydration in such dry heat. Although the temperatures can be quite tolerable on an overcast weekend, you should also beware of sandstorms that can whip up entire walls of sand and lash against our cheeks with painful force. A stunning oasis amidst a sea of sand can be booked for accommodation at a tasteful ‘eco’ resort on the banks of Moon Lake. The resort features large bungalow homes as well as a little settlement of individual ghers that can be rented out for the night. The standard hotel package includes a two-man band in Mongolian costumes that magically materialises each time a new guest arrives. Yet aside from the occasional ensuing welcome ritual, the silence of the resort resembles a serene paradise.
For those watching the pocketbook or wanting to be closer to nature, camping out in tents is another option. Campers can still take full advantage of the hotel facilities, such as equipment storage in the hotel lobby, without having to check in. This comes in handy when returning from excursions to change the sweaty desert attire, freshen up, or gather provisions for the next course of action. A table at the lovingly constructed wooden terrace area portrays a blue lake with waterbirds soaring above the thick green rows of reeds and a line of camels striding by on the yellow desert horizon, transporting you into a world far away from the China you thought you knew.
The tour organizer was Winser Zhao of China Travel 2.0 (http://www. chinatravel20.com). You can reach him at [email protected]
Avid Jeep driver and German Chamber member Peter Küsters regularly organizes his personal Jeep treks to China deserts that can be joined either by individual hardcore 4WD enthusiast from the community or the entire family depending on the destination, terrain and routes. You can contact him at [email protected]
www.china.ahk.de
The hotel makes a great vantage point for several activity and excursion options, whether you are travelling with friends, family, adrenaline-seeking extremists, eager trekkers or simply looking for a scheherazadian backdrop to kick back to with a good book. There are numerous tourist attractions to venture out to from here such as the well-known Swan Lake, or sacred Helan Mountain.
No desert vacation is a real desert experience without a camel trek. While soaking in the beguiling landscape in the windstill moments, it becomes easier to gradually adapt to the rolling gait of the Bactrian digitigrades and acquire an appreciation for their large dark eyes, long eyelashes and wide cushion feet that carry souls amid the volatile dunes with amazing steadfastness and poise. Most find it difficult not to connect with the peculiar but admirable creatures that never complain, as they are so perfectly fit to the misanthropic environment – true desert hovercrafts and indeed quite endearing characters.
A weekend in the desert can undoubtedly leave you exhausted, but none the less brimming with all the excitement and adventure you could have dreamed of for just a few days.
Leaving you with one piece of advice for the flight back home – lean all the way back into the seat, whether it be first class or economy, and hold out a plastic bag to collect all the sand that will pour from every crevice of your body.