China Day 2 – Splitting Away from the Tour Group making my own Detours

New group and slowly getting to know everyone but it was surprisingly quite seamless. We had six bikers including myself and a total of five campers’ vehicles. It was a quick and easy group up as the bikers all more or less stick together with hotels and had our first group dinner yesterday.

Campers had separate place to camp, so I guess we were bonding in different ways. The group chat was also full of positive vibes which makes the starting so much a relief for me. It was a great group and all really independent travellers. The bikers were also all rugged and worn down traveling through Mongolia so expectation was not high and easily met.

Erenhot Monument - National Highway G331

Inner Mongolia - China

We started from Eranhot late morning with all of us going for petrol then to the traffic police station meeting up at 11am. This time the checks and license issuance took barely half an hour, and we were free to go on our own. Our tour guide Joe was a really chill guy barely saying much but always solving every problem like lightning quick.

Bikers all needed coffee but ended up having brunch instead in Eranhot. This delayed the setting off, but all was well. The roads were now good in China, but what I did not expected was the horrible cross wind battering constantly since we were still in Inner Mongolia.

The original route given by www.drivechina.com had no detours for this segment going to Ulanqab city. However, I had way too much time the day before at the customs waiting hence intensive looking at the map and just looking for alternative hidden gems. By chance I saw Wulanhada Volcano Geopark and that became an optional detour for the group.

Wulanhada Volcano Geopark was a string of volcano mount in the flatlands, and I picked out No.6 to do a visit. Tsevtan was following me as we were the two smallest bike and slowest in the group. 

Wulanhada Volcano Geopark No.6

Wulanhada Volcano Geopark No.6

Wulanhada Volcano Geopark No.6

By the time we reach the park it was nearly sunset. Trying to go for the shorter route led us to go off-roading to visit the volcano through the rear side. It was beautiful and a quick stop.

By the time we left the Geopark we had to ride at night to Ulanqab. We found out later that only two of us did the detour. Dropped the bags in the hotels in Ulanqab and quickly we all grab a taxi together to the small street food night market for dinner. 

Edward & Sarah (One of the campers) joined us bikers and after it was back to the hotel with all eight of us plus a dog and cat jumping in the campervan where Diego the van dropped us off.

Travelled on: Nov 2024