Best of Mongolia
Mongolia, 18th largest country in the world, with 2.7 million population makes it one of the lowest density countries in the world.
Mongolia is divided into 22 administrative prefectures called Aymag (Province) and the capital city, Ulaanbaatar, which had independent administrative status. Aymags or Provinces are further divided into soum.
Completely landlocked between two large neighbors – Russian Federation and China. It was immeasurably bigger during the period of Mongol conquest under Genghis Khan and Kublai Khan.
There are Altay Mountain Range stretches from north west to south east; Khangay Mountain Range lays in the Central part, Khoridol Saridag Mountain Range in the north, Khentey Mountain Range in the North East make mountainous country. Also there is big steppe plateau in the east Mongolia and Famous Gobi Desert in the South Mongolia make it so flat in the region.
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Best of Mongolia for you:
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Best of Mongolia
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Rating: +3
West region-Achit Nuur Lake
Achit Nuur Lake is the largest freshwater lake in the Uvs Aimag (province) of Mongolia, in the west of the country. At an elevation of 1,435 m above sea level it covers an area of 290 km².
It is 28 km long, 16 km wide, and 10 m deep.The coast is covered with steppes, mostly hilly but swampy on the northwest and northeast. Several rivers also flow into the lake.
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Rating: +4
West region-Altai Tavan Bogd Mountain
Altai Tavan Bogd, highest point of Mongolian territory: is a picturesque mountain with glacier and a permanent snow peak and is located at the cross borders of the west of Mongolia with Russia and China. The mountain is called Altai Tavan Bogd because of five high peaks.
Those five peaks are Khuiten (4374 m high, and it has been called Ikh Mongol since 2006), Nairamdal (4082 m), Malchin (4037m), Burged (4068 m) and Ulgii (4050 m).
Tavan Bogd Mountain is glaciated and has permanent snow cover above 3100 m. Here are 26 glaciated areas in the mountain range, the biggest being the Potanin, Aleksander and Graneger glaciers.
Potanin glacier is biggest glacier in Mongolia and it is considered one of the big glaciers in central Asia. Potanin glacier is located on the beginning of Tsagaan Gol that begins from Altai Tavan Bogd, and it is 25 km long, 300-500 m wide, 50-200 m deep and covers 53.2 square km.
Central Asian basin such as Khovd River, Tsagaan River begin from the Altai Tavan Bogd Mountain. Most of peaks above 3000 m have permanent snow. Maanit mountain, at 3244 m high, on the west point of Mongolia, is located around 30 km far away to the south of Tavan Bogd mountain. Around Altai Tavan Bogd mountain, especially on the valley of Tsagaan River, there are many historical sights such as: the Baga Oigor writings; Zuun Oroin Uvuljuunii writings; Khar Yamaat River man stone; group memorials of Gants Mod spring; and the Tsagaan Salaa rock paintings.
Tsagaan Salaagiin Rock painting has around 1000 paintings and it is not only Mongolia’s biggest, but also central Asia’s biggest ancient people’s complex gallery. The area south of Tavan Bogd Mountain, 200 km long and 50-80 km wide, has been protected as a National Park since 1996.
Average precipitation is 400-500 mm per year. There are rare rodents, mammals and birds such as Snow leopards, ibexes, Altai mountain sheep, Altai marmots, Golden Eagle and Altai Snow Cock in this area.
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Rating: +4
West region-Altai Tavan Bogd National Park
Located south of Mongolia's highest mountain, this national park covers an area of 6,000 sq km and is home to three lakes and a glacier. A stunning landscape of high glaciated snow capped mountains, alpine and sup-alpine forests, large lakes, rivers and streams, mountain grasslands, barren rocky mountain ranges and semi-arid desert type valleys.
A very rugged land. Argali sheep, Beech marten, Golden eagle, Ibex, Moose, Red deer and Snow cock are seen here.
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Rating: +3
West region-Great Lakes Depression
The Great Lakes Depression is a large semi-arid depression in Mongolia, covering parts of the Uvs, Khovd, Zavkhan, and Govi-Altai aimags. It has an area over 100,000 sq.km and elevations ranging 750-2000 m. Small northern parts of the depression are part of Russia
The depression is named so because it contains six major Mongolian lakes Uvs Nuur (saline), Khar-Us Nuur (freshwater), Khyargas Nuur (saline), Khar Nuur (saline), Airag Nuur (freshwater), and Dörgön Nuur (saline), as well as a number of smaller ones. It also includes solonchaks and large sandy areas of total area over 14, 000 sq. km. Northern parts are dominated by arid steppes, southern parts are semideserts and deserts. The major rivers are Khovd Gol, Zavkhan Gol, and Tesiin Gol.
It is bounded by the Altai (West), Khangai (East), and Tannu-Ola Mountains (North)
The depression is a major freshwater basin of Mongolia and contains important wetlands of Central Asia. The wetlands are based on the system of interconnected shallow lakes with wide reed belts within a generally desert steppe.The wetlands support a number of rare and endangered migrating birds: Eurasian Spoonbill (Platalea leucorodia), Black Stork (Ciconia nigra), Osprey (Pandion haliaetus), White-tailed Eagle (Haliaeetus albicilla), Swan Goose (Cygnopsis cygnoides), and Bar-headed Goose (Anser indicus).
Only a few individuals of White pelican (Pelecanus onocrotalus) remain in the Great Lakes Basin in Mongolia. They nest in catchment areas of rivers and lakes that have abundant fish and vegetation.
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Rating: +2
West region-Khar Us Nuur Lake
This lake is in the Great Lakes Depression, western Mongolia and the second-largest freshwater lake (15, 800 sq km) in Mongolia – but with an average depth of only 4m. It is the upper one in a system of the interconnected lakes: Khar-Us Nuur, Khar Nuur, Dörgön Nuur, Airag Nuur and Khyargas Nuur.
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Rating: +2
West region-Khar Us Nuur National Park
Khar Us Nuur National Park (KUNNP) is located in Hovd aimag, about 40 km east of Hovd City. The 8,503 sq km park contains all of Hovd aimag's major lakes, most notably Khar Us Nuur, a freshwater lake whose name means "Black Water Lake".
The lake's area is 1,495 sq km, making it Mongolia's second largest freshwater lake (after Lake Khuvsgul), though its depth reaches an average of just 4 meters. The Hovd River (the largest river in the aimag) empties into the Khar Us Lake delta, and creates a body of water that is an important stopping point for migratory birds; for those interested in seeing the birds the best viewing times are in May and late August. On the lake's southern edge on the main road between Hovd City and Ulaanbaatar, there is a metal bird observation tower that was built in 2000 by an environmental NGO called the Khun Club with the help of some British students.
If planning a trip to the lake bring mosquito repellent, particularly in the summer, as the lake's mosquitos could make an otherwise enjoyable visit unbearable.
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Rating: +3
West region-Kharkhiraa and Turgen Uul Mountain
Turgen Uul Mountain Strictly Protected Area is probably one of the most beautiful ranges in Mongolia. Kharkhiraa Mountain ranges stretches 3,996 meters above sea level and Khan-Khukhii mountain ranges reaches a mighty 4,047 meters high. The area provides limitless opportunities for trekking, climbing, and ice climbing. Established as a National Park in 1994, the protected area provides critical habitat for a large number of rare species such as Argali sheep, lynx, ibex, elk, snow leopard, marten and wild boar. Although fishing is not allowed in this sacred site, the wild rivers that flow through the deeply canyons are well worth visiting to enjoy the incredible natural formations such as waterfalls, caves and large cliffs. -
Rating: +2
West region-Khyargas Nuur Lake
The Khyargas Nuur National Park is based on the lake. This protected area was established in 2000 and covers about 3,328 km². It also includes a freshwater lake Airag Nuur.
Max length 75 km, Max width 31 km Surface area 1,407 m, Average depth 47 m Max. depth 80 m Water volume 66.034 km³ Residence time 54.2 years Surface elevation 1,028.5 m -
Rating: +1
West region-Otgontenger Mountain
The peak of Otgontenger is 4201 meters above the sea level, covered by eternal snow. It is one of the worshipped mountains of Mongolia and has been worshipped for ages. The peak and its environs have been protected since 1992 to converse the high mountain ecosystem. The Strictly Protected Area covers 955 sq km in Zavhan aimag by including not only the Otgontenger Uul of the Hangai Mountain range, but also its spurs and a beautiful lake called Badarrhundaga. There are many rare plants including snussrea innvolcrata, Adonis mongolica, and juniper in the area. Snow leopard, argali, red deer, Siberian ibex and musk deer inhabit here.
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Rating: +2
West region-Telmen Nuur Lake
This beautiful salt lake is accessible from the town of Telmen, 20km south-east of the lake, on the main Uliastai-Tosontsengel road, or by heading west 25km from the main Moron/Uliastai crossroads. -
Rating: +3
West region-Tsambagarav Mountain
The permanently snow-capped Tsambagarav Uul straddles the border between Khovd and Bayan-Ölgii aimags and is accessible from either side. Despite its altitude of 4208m, the summit is relatively accessible and easy to climb compared with Tavan Bogd, but you’ll need crampons and ropes. A neighbouring peak, Tsast Uul, is slightly shorter at 4193m and also good for climbing. -
Rating: +2
West region-Uvs Nuur Lake
It is the largest lake in Mongolia by surface area, covering 3,350 km² at 759 m above sea level. The northeastern tip of the lake is situated in the Tuva Republic of the Russian Federation. The largest settlement near the lake is Ulaangom.
This shallow and very saline body of water is a remainder of a huge saline sea which covered a much larger area several thousand years ago. Uvs Nuur has a length of 84 km and a width of 79 km, with an average depth of 6 m. Its basin is separated from the rest of the Great Lakes Depression by the Khan Khokhii ridge. However, it is not a rift lake as some mistakenly think. The very large catchment area with no exit results in highly saline water (18.8 ppt, 5 times saltier than the oceans), primarily due to sulphate and sodium ions.
The lake freezes over from October to May. In summer, it exhibits a temperature gradient from 25°C at the surface to 19°C at the bottom. 29 different species of fish have been counted in Uvs Nuur Lake.In 2003, the UNESCO listed the Uvs Nuur Basin as a natural World Heritage Site. It was nominated as "one of the largest intact watersheds in Central Asia where 40,000 archeological sites can be found from historically famous nomadic tribes such as the
Scythians, the Turks and the Huns”. This transboundary patrimony is one of the largest sites inscribed in the World Heritage List.
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Rating: +5
West region-Tsenheriin Agui Cave
The Tsenkheriin Agui (also known as Khoid Tsenkher) caves are reasonably attractive but the drawcard is the cave paintings inside, which are approximately 15,000 years old (some sources say 40,000). There is also about 15,000 years worth of bird dung in the caves, so watch where you step. There are numerous passages to explore, with the largest cavern being about 15m high, with the floor measuring around 12m by 18m. Unfortunately, some recent graffiti has marred the cave paintings. Controversy has erupted among experts about the interpretation of the paintings. It is interesting to note that both mammoths and ostriches are depicted on the walls, proving that both lived in Mongolia up to approximately 15,000 years ago.
Monkh Khairkhan uul. At 4362m, Monkh Khairkhan Uul is the second highest mountain in Mongolia. You can walk up the peak if you approach from the North side. There is plenty of snow and ice on top, so you'd need crampons, an ice axe and rope but the climb is not technically difficult.
The peak is known locally as Tavan Khumit. Tsambagaran uul National Park. Tsambagarav Uul, in the far north-west sum of Bayannuur, is one of the most glorious snowcapped peaks in Mongolia. De-spite its altitude of 4202m, the summit is relatively accessible and easy to climb compared with Tavanbogd but you'd need crampons and ropes.One excellent possible jeep route in this region is to travel north-west from the main Khovd-Olgil road to the Namarjin Valley,where there are excellent views of Tsamba-garav. From here you can head West and then South to rejoin the main Khovd-Olgii road, via several Kazakh settlements and a beautiful turquoise lake. You'll need to be completely self-sufficient for this trip.The other main area to visit is the Bayangol Valley, to the East of Tsambagarav, 100km and three hours of difficult driving from Khovd. A jeep road leads from Erdeneburen sum centre up the mountainside, following dozens of rocky switchbacks.
The valley itself is nothing special but there are fine views south-east to Khar Us Nuur and you might be able to rent a horse for the hour ride to the Kazakh-populated Marra Valley. With help you could do a fine three-or four-day horse trek circling Tsambagarav Uul, or to the Namarjin Valley.
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Rating: +3
West region-Uureg Nuur Lake
Uureg Nuur lake in the western Mongolia, north-west of the Great Lakes Depression, near the western edge of the Uvs Nuur basin. Length of 20 km (12 mi), Width 18 km (11 mi), Depth 26.9 m (88 ft) - Max. depth 42 m (138 ft) Volume 6,419,000,000 m3 (226,684,845,685 cu ft) Area 239 km2 (92 sq mi) Discharge - average 0 m3/s (0 cu ft/s) endorheic lake -
Rating: +3
Gobi-Baga Gazriin Chuluu
There are Granite Rock formations in the middle of the dusty plains. The rocks are worshipped by locals who sometimes make pilgrimages here. The mineral water springs and trees in the region make it a great spot to explore.
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Rating: +4
Gobi-Bayanzag Flaming Cliffs
Bayanzag (Rich with Saxaul), known as Flaming Cliffs by American palaeontologist Roy Chapmen Andrews, the real Indiana Jones who travelled through Gobi during 1921-1924.He discovered and took lots of huge bones and eggs of Birds (he thought those bones and eggs were belonged to some kind of big birds). In the National History of Museum in New York, he found out those bones and eggs belonged to Dinosaurs. He was the first man who discovered that Dinosaurs were producing eggs.
When he saw cliffs in the evening, sunset was too good and cliffs looked as Flaming. So he decided to name it as Flaming Cliffs.
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Rating: +4
Gobi- Khongor Sand Dunes
This is a Mongolian largest sand dune reaching a height of 800 meter in some highest areas. The sand dunes in Sevrei sum, South Gobi aimag, are called Khongoryn Els. These dunes are 20 km wide and 100 km long. The Khongoryn River flows along the sand dunes and gives birth to oases.
The sand dune change the color with each hour of one day, from yellow to silver to rise colored at dawn / sundown. This dune is considered one of the biggest dunes with it is length of 180 km and width of 3-5 km.
The dunes make sound like plane engine in a windy day so it has been named as “Singing Dunes”.
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Rating: +3
Gobi-Ongiin Khiid Monastery Ruins
This small mountainous area along the river, the Ongiin Gol, in the western district of Saikhan Ovoo, makes a good resting place to break a trip between the south Gobi and Ulaanbaatar. The bend in the river marks the remains of two ruined monasteries, the Barlim Khiid on the north bank, and the Khutagt Khiid on the south. Together the complex is known as Ongiin Khiid. There’s not much left to see, but there are plenty of interesting ruins to explore. There are plenty of places to camp along the forested riverside.
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Rating: +4
Gobi Desert
One of the great desert and semidesert regions of the world, the Gobi stretches across Central Asia over large areas of Mongolia and China. It occupies an arc of land 1,000 mi (1,609 km) long and 300–600 mi (500–1,000 km) wide, with an estimated area of 500,000 sq mi (1,300,000 sq km). Contrary to the image often associated with a desert, much of the Gobi is not sandy but covered with bare rock.Currently, the Gobi desert is expanding at an alarming rate, in a process known as desertification. The expansion is particularly rapid on the southern edge into China, which has seen 3,600 km2 (1,390 sq mi) of grassland overtaken every year by the Gobi Desert. Dust storms, which used to occur regularly in China, have seen a dramatic increase in occurrence in the past 20 years, mainly due to desertification, and causing further damage to China's agriculture economy.
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Rating: +3
Gobi-Yol Valley (Lammergeier valley)
The Yol Valley, (Yolyn Am Valley) a protected site in 1965, is 62 km north-west of Dalanzadgad. Very wide at the entrance, it narrows gradually into a remarkable gorge. A spring two or three kilometers long winds its way through the defile and in July, freezing into a thick corridor of ice that stretches along a considerable distance. Following the canyon to the very end, one emerges into a beautiful wide valley. -
Rating: +1
Central region-Kharkhorin town (Karakorum)
Kharkhorin is a town and sum (district) center in the Uverkhangai Province in Mongolia. Kharkhorin town population is 8,977 (2003), city area is 20.5 km. Kharkhorin is located at the lower end of the upper valley of the Orkhon River, part of the World Heritage Site Orkhon Valley Cultural Landscape. The location marks the eastern foothills of the Khangai Mountains, where they meet the rolling steppe of central Mongolia. -
Rating: +3
Central region-Kul-Teginii Monument
The KhoshooTsaidam Monuments are two memorial installations in the Khöshöö Tsaidam region on the western Orkhon River in Mongolia, near Ogii nuur. They were erected by the Turks in the early 8th century and today are part of the Orkhon Valley Cultural Landscape UNESCO world heritage site. They commemorate the brothers Bilge Khan (683-734) and Kul-Tegin (684-731), one a politician and the other a military commander. Three smaller memorials, one of which was only recently discovered, are located nearby.
The Turks have left artifacts and installations all over their domain, from China to Iran. But only in Mongolia have any memorials to kings and other aristocrats been found. The ones in Khoshoo Tsaidam consist of tablets with inscriptions in Chinese and Old Turkic characters. Both monuments are stone slabs originally erected on carved stone turtles within walled enclosures. Bilge Khan's stone shows a carved ibex (the emblem of Turkic khans) and a twisted dragon. In both enclosings, evidence of altars and carved depictions of human couples were found, possibly depicting the respective honorary and his spouse.Original excavations had been made in 1889. Mongolian and Turkish archeologists have studied the area and performed excavations since 2000. The site is now protected by fences, with buildings for research work and storage of artifacts.
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Rating: +3
Central region-Erdene Zuu Monastery
Today Erdene Zuu remains an active Buddhist monastery as well as a museum that is open to tourists.
On a hill outside the monastery sits a stone phallus. The phallus is said to restrain the sexual impulses of the monks and ensure their good behavior. -
Rating: +4
Central region-Naiman Nuur Lake
Naiman Nuur was created by volcanic eruptions centuries ago and it covers 11,500 hectares around the lake located in Ovorkhangai Province to the southwest of the Khangai Mountain Range and its surrounding area. Naiman Nuur with its exceptional configuration is surrounded by the beautiful nature of the middle part of the Khangai Mountain Range. Also, it is a valuable monument for geological and water studies. These lakes with fresh water and interconnected by ground water channels such as Shireet, Khaliut, Bugat, Khaya, Khuis, Onon, Doroo, Bayan-Uul are called Khuisyn Naiman Nuur. It was placed under state protection in 1992. -
Rating: +4
Central region-Khustain Nuruu National Park
Khustain Nuruu National Park (Birch Mountains), located in Tov Province (Aimag), is a national park of Mongolia. It is also known as Hustai National Park. The Tuul River runs through the park.
It was declared reserve status (category III) for over 50,000 hectars of the Khustain Nuruu area in 1993 but after significant scientific field researches into the area it was upgraded to a national park in 1998. The Hustai National Park Trust (HNPT) was established in 2003 and since that time, the HNPT has been responsible for running the park in conjunction with the Mongolian Ministry of Nature and Environment (MNE).
On the open steppe, Takhi (Equus przewalksi) graze while marmot (Marmota sibirica) scan the sky for predators and whistle their alarm calls. In the cool of the day, hedgehogs (Mesechinus dauuricus) snuffle through the grass looking for insects. Pale corsac foxes (Vulpes corsac) hunt through the steppe for rodents such as susliks (Citellus undulates).
The Takhi is the last surviving ancestor of the modern domestic horse. Also known as Przewalski's Horse, the species once roamed the steppe of Central Asia and Europe, but since 1968 has been extinct in the wild. Hustai National Park's Takhi re-introduction project is part of a world-wide initiative to return the highly endangered species to its Mongolian homeland.At the time of the Takhi's extinction in the wild, only about 150 specimens were left in zoos and animal parks. These Takhi were all derived from just 13 individual animals who were taken from the wild and bred successfully in captivity. By 1977, Takhi had been in captivity for 11 generations without the introduction of new blood. While their numbers had risen to 250, they were facing two major inter-related problems: inbreeding and genetic weakness. Because the Takhi were scattered in zoos across the world, and with no movement between them, populations were becoming increasingly inbred and genetic defects were developing. Some Takhi began to show signs of the hereditary genetic disease Ataxia which causes a weakening of the hindquarters and results in the animal dragging its rear legs. In the wild, Takhi with Ataxia would be unable to run fast enough to avoid predators and would perish before breeding. Action was needed to save the species from total extinction.
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Rating: +3
Central region-Tsenkher Hot Spring
In Mongolia, there are not many hot springs. Hot springs are very useful to support local ecosystems during summer and many animal species over winter time. Some springs are used for resort purposes and treatment of many diseases. Every year many people come to the spring and undergo traditional medical treatment. Tsenher Hot Spring’s origin is now well protected. In return, 5 greenhouses were restored to grow different kinds of vegetable to support livelihoods of the local community.
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Rating: +2
Central region-Khorgo Extinct Volcano
Tiny extinct volcano is neighboring to Terkh pristine drink water lake and all Mongolians admire their view. Khorgo volcano's crater diameter is about 180-200 m and 70-80 m deep. The volcano erupted 20 million years ago and the explosion made some interesting formations in the nature. One of them was deep ground cave with ice inside, which is called “Yellow dog's hell”. The ice is left even in the summer hottest days. Moreover, 13 stone shelters, some of them reaches 1.7m high, are formed with the lava flow. The surrounding area is full of volcanic lava stones. -
Rating: +2
Central region-Ogii Nuur Lake
Ogii Nuur Lake is located in the valley of the Orkhon River, to the north of the main Khangai ridge in the Arctic Ocean Drainage Basin, freshwater lake of 2,510 ha with an extensive alluvial area of grassland, river, channels, pools and marshes at the western end. The maximum depth of the lake is 16m, but about 40% of the lake is less than 3m deep, and 50% supports macrophytic grown. The surface water temperature in summer reaches 18°C. -
Rating: +3
Central region-Terkhiin Tsagaan Lake
Pristine fresh water lake Terkhiin Tsagaan with 16 km length, 10 km width, 20 m deep is teeming with 9 species of fish such as Mongolian taimens, lenoks and graylings. There is a small beautiful island in the middle of the lake, where aromatic smelling plants grow on. Indigenous people use it to make their lives more long. The lake is home to many birds and in nice and easy trekking while observing singing birds. -
Rating: +2
Central region-Taikhar Chuluu Rock formation
The rock is the subject of many local legends; the most common one is that a great hero crushed a huge serpent here by hurling the rock on top of it. Local’s claim there is some ancient Tibetan inscriptions on the rock, though you will be lucky to spot them through 30 years of Mongolian graffiti. Locals believe it is wish rock! -
Rating: +5
North region-Darkhad Depression/Darkhad Meadow
About 50km west of Khovsgol Nuur, behind a wall of mountains, sits a harsh but mystical landscape of prairie, forest, and 300-odd lakes scattered over a wide plain called the Darkhad Depression. The depression is roughly the same size as Khovsgol Nuur and was also originally formed as a glacial lake.
This is one of the best-watered regions in Mongolia and the lakes are full of white carp and trout. Salmon and huge taimen can also be found in the region.
One definite drawback to visiting the region is the insects that invade the area in summer.
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Rating: +2
North region-Amar bayas galant Monastery
Amarbayasgalant, one of the most well known and largest monasteries of Mongolia, is located in the beautiful Iven Gol River valley on the foot of Burenkhan mountain in Baruunburen som of Selenge province. Visitors especially enjoy the magnificent art and architectural construction. The beauty, decorations and construction of the monastery have made it one of the most magnificent architectural monuments not only in Mongolia, but in the whole Asia. The monastery was established by order of Manju emperor Enkh- Amgalan Khan, to cherish and give respect to the Undur Geghen Zanabazar, his skills, wisdom, intellect and accomplishments.
After searching for a suitable place, the construction works of the monastery called “ Amarbayasgalant ‘’, a palace for God `s meditation , began in the year of red horse,1726, and was completed in the year of red dragon, 1736.
In 1937-38 a fearsome repression covered Amarbayasgalant Monastery and all the highly trained knowledgeable monks were executed. Also huge numbers of rare religious relics, books, sutras, thangkas and Buddhas which had been collected for 200 years, were destroyed completely. This is how the holy temple of Amarbayasgalant became mere ruins and it was abandoned for 50 shady years.
Today about sixty novices and ordained monks, who followed precisely the rule of Vinaya, are in residence and practicing Dharma to create great benefit for all sentient beings.
One of the Buddhist traditions, that is revived since the reopening, is the Tsam Dancing ceremony which was held in September 13-15, 2002, after being interrupted for 65 years.
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Rating: +3
North region-Khovsgol Lake
Khovsgol nuur is located in the northwest of Mongolia near the border to Russia, at the foot of the eastern Sayan Mountains. It is 1,645 m above sea level, 136 km long and 262 m deep. It is the second-most voluminous freshwater lake in Asia, and holds almost 70% of Mongolia's fresh water and 0.4% of all the fresh water in the world.
The town of Hatgal is at the southern end of the lake.
Its watershed is relatively small, and it only has small tributaries. It gets drained at the south end by the Egiin Gol, which connects to the Selenge and ultimately into Lake Baikal. In between, the water travels a distance of more than 1,000 km, and a height difference of 1,169 m, although the line-of-sight distance is only about 200 km.Its location in northern Mongolia helps form the southern border of the great Siberian taiga forest, of which the dominant tree is the Siberian Larch (Larix sibirica),
The lake is surrounded by several mountain ranges. The highest mountain is the Burenkhaan / Munkh Saridag (3,492 m), which has its peak north of the lake exactly on the Russian-Mongolian border.The surface of the lake freezes over completely in winter. The ice cover gets strong enough to carry heavy trucks, so that transport routes were installed on its surface as shortcuts to the normal roads.
However, this practice is now forbidden, to prevent pollution of the lake from both oil leaks and trucks breaking through the ice. It is estimated that 30-40 cars have sunk into the lake over the years.
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Rating: +8
North region-Tsaatan-Dukha people (reindeer people)
On the shores in the mountainous taiga and forest steppe regions to the north and west of the lake live the Tsaatan Reindeer Herdsmen, a branch of the Turkic-speaking Tuvinian or Dukha ethnic group. This small group of whom only 30-40 families remain, possess a social and material culture which has remained unchanged since the Ice Age. Shamanistic or totemic rituals and symbolism are central to the social organization of the Tsaatan.
Shamanism also determines the way in which the Tsaatan respond to the landscape of Khovsgol Lake as well as to the plant and animal species which are endemic to the area. Shamanistic rituals of healing rely on the rare medicinal plants and animals may of which are unique to this landscape.
The Lake itself as well as landscape features around the Lake are animated with shamanistic symbolism. The geomantic potency of the landscape is captured, directed, enhanced or delflected, according to need, by landscape engineering and architectural and artifactual additions to the landscape.
Archaeologically these landscape transformations can be documented to the prehistoric period, while ethnolographically their continuation can be seen present time. The Tsaatan are one of the most archaic and and ethnologically interesting nomadic groups to be found on the Eurasian continent their lifeways are both ancestral to all the nomadic herding cultures of Central Asia and are reminiscent of a way of life which was widespread accross Europe, Asia and North America 10,000 years ago. -
Rating: +3
East region-Black Heart Blue Lake
This historical site of the Blue Lake, which is said to be the place where Temujin was crowned as Genghis Khan in 1206. There is a small plaque that marks the coronation spot which some say was attended by 100,000 soldiers. We’ll set up camp beneath black heart – the mountain that looms above the lake.
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Rating: +0
Festival- How can you describe Naadam Festival
Naadam Festival in Bulgan
Naadam Celebration is opens by speech of head of the Bulgan Province as usual or same as anywhere else. It followed by local folk singing and dancing in the center of the stadium. Pretty interesting to see the performances and enjoyable to watch it with local crowd. Looking at the crowd, most people wear their traditional costume called “Deel”. Some modern fashionable Deel can be seen and most of them look like long colorful coat! Flowery dressed little children in the crowd are more looking at shop corners who sell sweeties, colorful balloons, some other toys and most important thing is “Ice Cream”.
With a hundreds of horsemen around stadium in Bulgan town make the area on the move. Policemen trying to stop them with no or small luck.
Opening ceremony would carry on with big and strong wrestlers who wear pants, men and women with bow and arrows coming into the stadium make locals cheering whole area…
Horse Racing
Unlike Western horse racing, which consists of short sprints generally not much longer than 2 km, Mongolian horse racing as featured in Naadam is a cross-country event, with races 15–30 km long. The length of each race is determined by age class. For example, two-year-old horses race for ten miles and seven-year-olds for seventeen miles. Up to 300 horses from any part of Bulgan province, Mongolia can be chosen to participate. Race horses are fed a special diet.
Children from 5 to 13 are chosen as jockeys who train in the months preceding the races. While jockeys are an important component, the main purpose of the races is to test the skill of the horses.
Before the races begin, the audience sings traditional songs and the jockeys sing a song called Giingo. Prizes are awarded to horses and jockeys. The top five horses in each class earn the title of “Airgiyn Tav” and the top three are given gold, silver, and bronze medals. Also the winning jockey is praised with the title of “Tumny Ekh” or leader of ten thousand. The horse that finishes last in the two-year-old class (thedaaga class) is sung a song wishing him luck
Archery
Mongolian archery is unique for having not only one target, but hundreds of beadrsor surs on a huge wall. In this competition both men and women participate. It is played by ten-men/women teams who are given four arrows each; the team has to hit 33 “surs”. Men fire their arrows from 75 meters away while women fire theirs from 65 meters away. When the archer hits the target the judge says uuhai which means “bulls eye”. The winners of the contest are granted the titles of “national marksman” and “national markswoman”.
Wrestling
The matches are generally held in an open grassy field in a stadium just outside of Bulgan town. Since there are no weight classes a small wrestler can compete against an opponent twice his size. Traditionally, wrestlers were not equal matched. The host of a Naadam had the privilege to arrange these matches and would often lend their favorites an advantage. Sometimes such arrangements would result in serious disputes between hosts and visiting wrestlers.
128 wrestlers meet in a single-elimination tournament that lasts 7-8 rounds. Mongolian traditional wrestling is an untimed competition in which wrestlers lose if they touch the ground. When picking pairs, the wrestler with the greatest fame has the privilege to choose his own opponent. Wrestlers wear two-piece costumes consisting of a tight shoulder vest (zodog) and shorts (shuudag). Only men are allowed to play.
Each wrestler has an “encourager” called a zasuul. The zasuul sings a song of praise for the winning wrestler after rounds 3, 5, and 7. Winners of the 7th or 8th stage (depending on whether the competition features 128 wrestlers) earn the title of Zaan, “Elephant”. The winner of the 9th stage, is called Arslan, “lion”. In the final competition, all the “zasuuls” drop in the wake of each wrestler as they take steps toward each other. Two time winner-Arslans are called the champions, or the “Avraga”.
Accommodation
We use 4 star Hotel Bayangol in Ulaanbaatar city, then we transfer to ger camps, Mongolian dwelling called “Yurt”.
Ger camp is complex comfortable camp in the countryside, hot shower facility, restaurant and Mongolian Ger or Yurt.
Food
The hierarchy of foods in the Mongolian diet
The meat-dependent diet arises from the need for hearty food to stave off the cold and long winters. Traditionally nomadic herders, Mongolians have for centuries been dependent on mostly animal products for their dietary staples.
Mongolians traditionally have turned to foods that are high in protein and minerals, relying less on more seasonable foods like vegetables and fruits. This means a diet heavy on meat and dairy products, the latter when sour in the summer time thought to clean the stomach. It isn’t just about meat though. Mongolians do also eat cereal, barley and natural fruits and plants native to the country.
There are several good Asian or western cuisine restaurants are available in Ulaanbaatar city where there are more choices than countryside or villages and towns.
Some fast food local restaurants are interesting to visit and not bad food they have. Most of them look clean and not many varieties available in there. “Tsuivan” is the most known fast fried vegetable noodles you can find in there.
Food in the ger camps is similar to each other , while ones near in the city provide more chicken dishes more to countryside provide beef or mutton dish. Fish dish could be served ones nearby fishing lake or rivers. Forget about seafood in the countryside.
Sightseeing in Ulaanbaatar
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Rating: +2
Ulaanbaatar city
Ulan Bator, or Ulaanbaatar (The Red Hero), is the capital and largest city of Mongolia. The city is an independent municipality not part of any province, and its population as of 2008 is just over 1 million.
Located in the north central part of the country, the city lies at an elevation of about 1,310 metres (4,300 ft) in a valley on the Tuul River. It is the cultural, industrial, and financial heart of the country. It is also the center of Mongolia's road network, and connected by rail to the Trans-Siberian Railway and the Chinese railway network.
The city was founded in 1639 as an initially nomadic Buddhist monastic centre. In 1778 it settled permanently at its present location, the junction of the Tuul and Selbe rivers. Before that it had changed location 28 times, with each location being chosen ceremonially. In the 20th century, Ulan Bator grew into a major manufacturing centre -
Rating: +3
Zaisan Memorial Hill
The Zaisan Memorial is a memorial south of the Mongolian capital of Ulaanbaatar that honors Soviet soldiers killed in World War II. Located on a hill south of the city, the memorial features a circular memorial painting that depicts scenes of friendship between the peoples of the USSR and Mongolia. The mural depicts scenes such as Soviet support for Mongolia's independence declaration in 1921, the defeat of the Japanese Kwantung Army by the Soviets at Khalhkin Gol on the Mongolian border in 1939, victory over Nazi Germany and peacetime achievements such as Soviet space flights.
After driving to the uppermost parking lot on the hill, visitors must make a climb of three hundred steps before reaching the monument and mural. Those who make the climb are rewarded with a panoramic view of the entire city of Ulaanbaatar in the valley below, as well as the Tuul River flowing past the city.
In 2003, a tank memorial, which previously had been located on a crossroads between Zaisan and the city center, was moved to the foot of the hill. It features a Soviet tank from a brigade paid for by the Mongolian people.
The tank memorial includes a map showing the route the brigade took from Moscow in 1943 to its participation in the fall of Berlin in 1945.
Zaisan is a popular meeting point for school outings and graduation festivities. -
Rating: +4
Sukhbaatar Square
Sukhbaatar Square is the central square of Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia. It is named after and features a statue of Damdin Sukhbaatar, leader of Mongolia's 1921 revolution. It is located right in front of the Parliament House of Mongolia. Besides the Sukhbaatar monument in the middle of the square, one can find several other statues at the square: those of Genghis Khan and two of his generals in front of the Government House, and another one for Sanjaasurengiin Zorig across the intersection on the southwestern corner. -
Rating: +1
Gandan Monastery
The Gandantegchinlen Monastery is a Tibetan-style monastery in the Mongolian capital of Ulaanbaatar that has been restored and revitalized since 1990. The Tibetan name translates to the "Great Place of Complete Joy." It currently has over 150 monks in residence. It features a 26.5-meter-high statue of Migjid Janraisig, a Buddhist bodhisattva also known as Avalokitesvara. It came under state protection in 1994.
The monastery was established in 1835 by the Fifth Jebtsundamba, then Mongolia's highest reincarnated lama. It became the principal center of Buddhist learning in Mongolia.In the 1930s, the Communist government of Mongolia, under the leadership of Khorloogiin Choibalsan and under the influence of Joseph Stalin, destroyed all but a few monasteries and killed more than 10.000 lamas.
Gandantegchinlen Khiid monastery, having escaped this mass destruction, was closed in 1938, but then reopened in 1944 and allowed to continue as the only functioning Buddhist monastery, under a skeleton staff, as a token homage to traditional Mongolian culture and religion. With the end of communism in Mongolia in 1990, restrictions on worship were lifted. See Mongolian Buddhism for details.
The original statue, made of copper, was built after appeals to the Mongolian public; its intent was to restore the sight of Bogd Javzandamba (or the eighth Jebtsundamba, also known as Bogd Khan), who had claimed the title of Emperor of Mongolia. The building of the statue was carried out by Bogd Javzandamba's principal minister, Chin Wan Khanddorj. Russian troops dismantled the original statue in 1938.
After the end of the Soviet era, the statue of Migjid Janraisig was rebuilt in 1996, from donations by the Mongolian people. It features 2,286 precious stones and is gilded with gold leaf.
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Rating: +4
The Genghis Khan Statue
This complex is located 54 km from Ulan Bator, Mongolia, on the bank of the Tuul River, in a place called Tsonjin Boldog, where Genghis Khan had found a golden whip according to legend. A 40 meter high statue on horseback was erected on a 10 meter high base, covered by stainless steel and surrounded by 36 columns. Those 36 columns are meant for the memorial of 36 kings’ intermarry from Genghis until Ligden Khan.
A recreation area, restaurants, souvenir shop and conference hall occupy the base structure. From here, visitors will ascend to the exhibition hall using an elevator at the back of the horse.
The visitors will walk to the head of the horse through chest and back neck of the horse, where they can have a panoramic view over the complex area. The main statue area will be surrounded by 200 yurt camps, designed and arranged like the pattern of the horse brand marks that were used by the 13th century Mongol tribes. The complex is surrounded by landscaped green forest.
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Rating: +4
Museum- Choijing Lama Temple
Choijing Lama Temple Museum is a unique showcase of religious art and the history of Buddism in Mongolia. This museum is a gem of the historical and cultural and cultural heritage of the previous century. The significance of Choijing Lama temple ensures that we must seek to maintain it in its original form. This classic work of our masters of the 17th,18th and 19th centuries has many masterpieces to show to our visitors from abroad.
The monastery was active until 1938. According to the degree of the Peoples Khural, November 1941, the monastery was included in the list of historical and cultural monuments and was taken charge by the Committee of sciences in 1942. It was then turned into a museum. The museum is an ensemble of Buddhist architecture and consists of 5 temples and
5 arched gates. The works of the national clever masters of painting and sculpture are of great interest. In the main temple there is the sculpture of Choijing Lama and the embalmed mummy
of his teacher. It also contains the great coral mask of Begtse, created under the direction of protectors using over 6000 pieces of coral. Yadam temple and Amgalan temple contain rare artifacts made by the famous Mongolian artist and sculptor, Zanabazar. In total our museum has over 5000 items out of which 12 are unique nad 200 are particularly valuable. -
Rating: +3
Museum- Fine Art Museum of Zanabazar
The museum of Mongolian Fine arts was opened in 1966 .Our museum shows Mongolian art from the Paleolithic Age to the early 20th century .It consists of several types; a land of rock paintings, cold and bronze decorative works, Zanabazar’s creative works, thanka and graphic paintings , and patchworks.
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Rating: +2
Museum- Manzushir Monastery
Manzushir Monastery is located in the luxuriant valley of the Bogd Khan Mountain in Tuv aimag, and one-hour drive from Ulaanbaatar brings visitors to Manzushir. Manjusri is the Bodhisattva of Wisdom. It was established in 1733 with 20 temples and 300 monks. During the communist purges complex monastery was destroyed and all the monks either killed or exiled in 1932, the only remaining temple has been restored and a museum at the site tells the story of the monastery. The Government of Mongolia aims to develop the tourism industry intensively.
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Rating: +5
Museum- National History Museum
The National Museum of Mongolian History is a cultural, scientific, and educational organization that presents Mongolian history and culture from the dawn of humanity to the present day.
The exhibition divided :
Ancient History
The Ancient States Period
Traditional Clothing and Jewelry
The Kidan Period
Mongolian Tribal Confederations and United Mongolia of the 10th-12th Centuries
The Mongolian Empire
The Manchu period
Traditional Mongolian Culture and Life
20th Century Mongolia -
Rating: +3
Museum- National Nature History Museum
Natural history involves historical process of 4.7 milliard years of that is very long term from the origin of the world until the origin of plant, animal and human. Thus our museum shows the briefness of these events by exhibitions and contributes knowledge to peoples mind. The museum consists of:
- Mongolian geography, ancient volcanoes, stones from the volcanoes
- Earth origin, planet studying meteorites
- Geological history, useful resources, minerals
- Ancient and contemporary botany
- Land fauna /mammals, birds, fishes, insects, reptiles, amphibious/
- Very ancient plant and animals /paleontology/
- Human origin
Museum colleagues always enrich their treasures, exhibitions, renovate the exhibition halls and improve the museum settlement so that the museum became a big museum, which has the capable to attract foreign and domestic visitors.
The museum is one of the big museum of Mongolia that has the 40 halls with 2700 square meters, 12000 exhibits and more than over 50 thousand visitors visit to the museum each year and exhibition marshrut lasts about 1.5-2.0 hours.
The museum is studying and advertising museum, which introduces natural history, its appearance movements and developments to the audiences by theoretical and objects researching. -
Rating: +3
Museum- Winter palace of Last King of Mongolia
This palace known as The green palace was built between 1893-1903 during 10 years by Mongolian masters and dedicated to the YIII Bogdo gegeen, the head of lamaist religion & last khan of Mongolia.In 1911 there was formed The Bogdo khan state and the YIII Bogdo gegeen assumed political authority over Mongolia as the Bogdo khan or "Holy King" and continued to govern as a constitutional monarch from the time of the Mongolian People's Revolution in 1921 until his dearth of illness in 1924.
After Bogdo khan death in 1924 it was turned into museum Bogdo khan palace was founded as the first National historical museum of Mongolia.
In 1954 was founded The state central museum and the Bogdo khan palace museum became the branch museum.
Since 2000 the museum is activiting as Bogdo khan palace museum.Now the Bogd khan palace museum consists of seven Summer Prayer temples and the winter palace. The collections of the museum include unique and valuable objects related to Mongolia's political, religious, and artistic history from the 17 to early 20-th centuries: bronze castings, silk paintings, mineral paintings, and paper icons made by well-known artists and artisans of the period, among others the first Bogdo Javzundamba Zanabazar and his school; as well as objects owned and used by the YIII Bogdo Javzundamba and his wife queen Dondogdulam, including royal clothing and equipment, gifts from domestic and foreign guests or representatives, and items purchased by the king for his own diversion.
The collection of the museum is consists of a great number of original objects and works of art from the Bogdo khan palace and is divided into 12 parts: sculpture, scrolls paintings/thangka/, applique, wood carving, religious objects, clothes, furniture, decorative arts, collection of stuffed animal, special collection, support collection and architecture.
Also all exhibits is divided into: high level category, valuable category and original category. Nowadays we have 68 exhibits of high level category and 23 exhibits of valuable category. The number of these categories will be increasing. Exhibits of high level category includes gilded bronze sculptures made by the famous master Zanabazar and school of Zanabazar, thangka paintings from the XIX-XX centuries, the painting shown the capital city of Mongolia 1912 made by Jugder, original paintings made by founder of Mongolian modern painting B.Sharav and expensive clothes of khan and queen.
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Rating: +2
Terelj National Park
Gorkhi-Terelj National Park is one of the national parks of Mongolia. It is connected with Ulan Bator by a paved road, 37 km from Ulan Bator city center.
The park also has a Buddhist monastery that is open to visitors. Park wildlife includes brown bears and over 250 species of birds. The Tuul River flows through the park.
The park has many rock formations for rock climbers, and includes two famous formations named for things they resemble: Turtle Rock and the Old Man Reading a Book.
