[Photo by Matt Hodges/chinadaily.com.cn]

Baotou lies within 1.5 hours’ drive of the Mei Li Geng scenic spot, just west of the Yinshan Mountains. You canspend a few hours hiking up alpine streams (or take the cable car for 110 yuan both ways) and shower at the bottom of a 66-meter waterfall.

From there you can drive to the serene and Tibet-like Wudangzhao Lamasery (Mongolian for “willow”). Built in 1749 during the Qing Dynasty, it is perched atop a cool plateau and ranks as one of the four most famous lamaseries in Inner Mongolia.

Its white walls and prayer flags are a welcome anachronism, undisturbed by the last few decades or centuries. Entry tickets cost 60 yuan, and a guide about the same. After having your Buddhist prayer beads blessed, settle back into that adjustable driving seat and put the power steering to use as you move on to the Xiangshawan desert, where camel, sand buggy and sand board rides await. That huge inflatable tent is actually a theater. Head there to enjoy a raucous rendition of a traditional Mongolian wedding ceremony.

The desert also entails a medium-length drive, so pack one of those ugly neck cushions that always seem to come in pink, too.

Driving your own vehicle is the best way to get around this rugged province. Forget about trains. We did it by minibus but were soon hankering for heated, well-cushioned seats and the kind of friendly suspension an SUV offers. Most of the roads are fine but some are treacherous – more craterous than the moon, more nausea-inducing than love scenes from Titanic the movie.