PACK tropical clothes for day and a fleece jacket for windy nights if visiting Inner Mongolia in late spring and summer. Warm clothing is needed to cope with the cold seasons when temperatures can dip to -10°C and -23°C in the south and north-east respectively.
Set aside cash for mineral water and higher-end eateries if you haven’t got an iron-cast stomach that can deal with cheaper street and hawker food. Credit cards for smaller amounts tend not to be popular.
Antiseptic wipes, tissues and dairy-free energy bars are lifesavers when you’re outside tourist centres and on long road journeys where it is hard to find clean restrooms and eateries.
Invest in quality skincare products to cope with the arid climate and summer heat. Flare-ups on sensitive or dry skin can be a drag when you’re on an adventure-type holiday!
Have good walking shoes and get fit before your trip as tourist sites in Inner Mongolia are vast and you need to do a lot of walking to cover them.
Buy a prepaid phone card from China Mobile as top-up and service stops can be found even in Inner Mongolia’s “cowboy towns”. Landline phone services, even at Hohhot’s five-star hotels, can take a few hours to connect. Otherwise, international roaming on mobile phones is clear and you can send and receive even while driving through mountain passes.
Avoid straying from your tour group, especially if you don’t speak Mandarin. English is not widely spoken and experienced (Malaysian) travel agents who cover the China destinations advise against travelling alone or only in pairs in Inner Mongolia. Related Stories:Home on the plain Check these places out
Set aside cash for mineral water and higher-end eateries if you haven’t got an iron-cast stomach that can deal with cheaper street and hawker food. Credit cards for smaller amounts tend not to be popular.
Antiseptic wipes, tissues and dairy-free energy bars are lifesavers when you’re outside tourist centres and on long road journeys where it is hard to find clean restrooms and eateries.
Invest in quality skincare products to cope with the arid climate and summer heat. Flare-ups on sensitive or dry skin can be a drag when you’re on an adventure-type holiday!
Have good walking shoes and get fit before your trip as tourist sites in Inner Mongolia are vast and you need to do a lot of walking to cover them.
Buy a prepaid phone card from China Mobile as top-up and service stops can be found even in Inner Mongolia’s “cowboy towns”. Landline phone services, even at Hohhot’s five-star hotels, can take a few hours to connect. Otherwise, international roaming on mobile phones is clear and you can send and receive even while driving through mountain passes.
Avoid straying from your tour group, especially if you don’t speak Mandarin. English is not widely spoken and experienced (Malaysian) travel agents who cover the China destinations advise against travelling alone or only in pairs in Inner Mongolia. Related Stories:Home on the plain Check these places out
