Baotou accommodation from AU$116

With a population of over 1.7 million, central Baotou is comfortably urban and the place to check out the nightlife around the many squares or do your souvenir shopping for unique items like Mongolian silverware or decorated knives. Just make sure they won’t be taken by customs back home! However, Baotou’s real wealth lies beyond the city limits where the many beauties of Inner Mongolia will amaze you.

The Resonant Sand Bay is 50 kilometres south, and the sounds from its dunes as you walk or when winds pick up have earned it a more popular name – Singing Sand Ravine. Add in the chance to take to the desert on camel back or visit the Genghis Khan mausoleum in Ordos City while you’re there, and the adventure has well and truly begun.

As you explore more of the region around Baotou, you’ll see spectacular and sudden changes from barren stretches of sand to verdant grasslands and then the jagged peaks of the Yinshan Mountains to the north. The areas around Wuliangsu Sea to the west and Xilamuren River are stunning, great places that will fill your camera’s memory up in no time.

For all its beautiful sights, Baotou matches it with cultural attractions as well. If you are having trouble choosing from its many temples and historic sites, Wudangzhao Lamasery offers something quite unique. One of the few surviving Tibetan lamaseries (a monastery of spiritual masters and teachers) in Inner Mongolia, this large complex has buildings, rooms, sculptures and art that will absorb you for hours. It is located 70 kilometres to the northeast of the city.

Should you travel to Baotou in July or August, check and see if the Nadam Fair overlaps your visit. For several days, the Mongolian region of China bursts into a frenzy of activities, competition and entertainment. From colourful stage performances to horse racing, wrestling and archery, you’ll get the very best display of Mongolian recreation and pastimes. On top of that, you can sample their barbecued sheep and mare’s milk, among other delicacies.

But of course, at the end of the day, you’ll be staying in Baotou itself, so its metropolitan qualities count. For meals, you can dig into anything from Mongolian mutton hot pot, to traditionally-prepared pizza. Shopping is easily added to the agenda too, with a number of large shopping malls in the city.

So wot are you waiting for? Book your Baotou accommodation today and let Inner Mongolia thrill your mind and senses. If you need a flight to Beijing, check out our range of cheap flights.