Cowboys and aliens just part of life of the prairie(3)

The forbidding exterior of Honggeerbao, a fortress-cum-theme park at Xilamuren. [Photo by Matt Hodges/shanghai star]

The mountainsides near the desert look like rainbow-hued sherbet due to all the mineral deposits.

The desert trip involved cable cars, camel treks, sand buggy rides and, my favorite, an all-singing, all-dancing Mongolian wedding show.

The dunes look beautiful at sunset, and those with enough moxie can sandboard down them. Our guide said foreigners like to spend the night camping here in tents, but a four- or five-star hotel is also now under construction.

Ethnic Mongolians make up about 17 percent of the population in Inner Mongolia, but many indigenous people still make trips to worship at Khan's mausoleum in Ordos, a prefecture-level city south of Baotou. Most other residents trace their ancestry to Shanxi or the three northernmost provinces of dongbei.

No one is privy to the Khan's remains, as he was buried in an unmarked grave, probably in central Mongolia, after he died from battle wounds in Gansu in the early 13th century. But some of his headdresses and personal armory are on display, along with murals illustrating the warrior-god's biography and links to shamanism.

Then it was on to Xilamuren to watch old ladies milk cows and make Mongolian candy, which looked like reef coral. We also ate mutton foie gras and learned about the Mongolian practice of piling rocks to serve as road markings, which later became a form of deity worship known as aobao.

Everyone had great expectations of this trip, but seeing a UFO fizz through the night sky as we sat outside the yurts was one for the record books.

The next morning, reported sightings were pasted all over local news sites and blogs. The moral is: You cannot escape social media, even in the middle of nowhere. In fact, the biggest surprise was that the Martians didn't WeChat us to announce their arrival.

As it turns out, unknown spaceships have been spotted in the sheltering skies here before, notably on Sept 11, 2010, which caused Baotou airport to close for a few hours.

Where to go, where to stay

Midsummer and early fall are the best times to travel to Inner Mongolia because of the cool weather. This period coincides with the Nadam Fair, usually held for a few days between July and August. It serves as a showcase for nomadic customs like horse racing, shooting and wrestling.

The Shangri-La Hotel is offering a five-day grasslands promotion until Sept 15 that includes much of the itinerary listed in the accompanying story and four nights at its two properties in Baotou and Hohhot for 20,888 yuan ($3,330) for two people. The other night is spent in a deluxe yurt at Meng Gu Ren Shengdi. Three-day packages start from 11,888 yuan.

For those on a lower budget, both Shangri-La properties can customize Mongolian cultural trips as part of their "Holiday in Style" package, which starts from 999 yuan per night. The deal includes buffet breakfast at the Xin Café, full use of the pool and gym, and a $50 F&B credit voucher.