Lady World Explorer

Dreams first, practicality second

Tengger Desert, Inner Mongolia

The Tengger, Endless Waves of Sand

Trip Highlight

My first thought at the edge of the Tengger was a simple one. How does anyone walk across a desert this size? The answer is that you do not, at least not all of it. That is what camels are for.

The real highlight was not the sand though. It was our hosts, farmers and herdsmen who live and prosper in the desert. We camped a night on their land and shared the dinner they cooked for us. All day their goats and sheep wander far into the dunes looking for blades and turfs of grass. At dusk they come home from every direction, small dots on the sand, all walking toward the same warm place.

That evening, so were we.

Moments from the trip

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Tengger Desert in Inner Mongolia, China. Living and working in Beijing for several years, offered opportunities to travel this diverse and beautiful country. Travel was often made possible by becoming a member of the Beijing Hikers. Beijing Hikers is a family-run business that has been organising hikes and expeditions around Beijing and greater China since 2001. The name of the Tengger Desert comes from the Mongolian word for “sky.” The Tengger is endless waves of sand dunes.

See more through my eyes

A few more glimpses from this trip.

Plants grow in the desert. Shocked to come upon this wonderful burst of purple iris.
The sunsets are spectacular.

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