Me, my wife, and 3y/o daughter took a family trip to Saibei Inn for October Golden Week 2023, and the experience was great. We were not interested in the normal Inner Mongolia trips that some agencies offer since they are travel intensive, so we stayed for 5 days and 5 nights in this location. If you’re solo or couple travelers, you might want to consider a few less days and do the more intensive trips to the grasslands, etc.
Having been to Inner Mongolia previously, we knew what to expect (slow pace/relaxing/nature), however, my expectations were exceeded with the amount of land and activities that Saibei Inn offered! We were able to take a RZR to the desert every morning and give our daughter and ourselves some play-time, plus relaxation, as the desert area is huge and never busy. We saw a wild camel, went sledding, and walked the endless dunes. A car is quite necessary and almost everyone had one, but since we didn’t have one, the boss personally brought us out to get snacks, drinks, and such to keep in our hotel, set up airport pickup and drop-off in Baotou, and took us on any excursions we wanted. The dune buggy sunset ride was a thrill and nearby desert camel rides, “flying boat”, and zip line were appealing attractions as well.
The downside were the bathrooms were a bit difficult to navigate since they have a wet shower and take time to dry, plus the shower head was constantly leaking, leaving a wet puddle in the middle. The carpet held the sand and plant material which also contained thorns, so could use more regular vacuuming,
The lunch/dinner food was exceptional. The veteran cooks there have a natural knack for cooking great Chinese food with unique tastes. The actual menu is quite small, but the boss was more than happy to take our order in advance and buy the food we wanted at the local market for the next day’s meal. They also can cook virtually anything you want and have a load of different things in the kitchen, which can be seen from the seating area via a viewing window spanning the length of the entire wall. It was apparent that their meats were cooked over a long period of time, including tender stew-style beef & potatoes, and of courses delicious mutton!
The downside of the food was that you couldn’t get out of there without spending a pretty penny. And being the only restaurant within miles/kilometers, you don’t have much of a choice. Another aspect that could be improved is the breakfast. There was a choice of mantou bread, porridge, and boiled eggs. All with very little flavor or appeal. We opted not to eat breakfast 4 out of the 5 days. Opt for bringing some protein bars, yogurt, or packaged breakfast if you stay, especially with toddler.
The facilities and environment were fairly well-kept. The Inn was also under construction, not loud or anything, but there is a plan to expand and its evident with a few areas that have rubble around and whatnot. Having said that we were not disturbed by that aspect because we were not there for a pampered and pristine vacation. We stayed in the white yurts on the hill with 2 beds, and overall, the room was cosy and great during the chilly October mornings (A/C has heat) and beds were comfortable.
