Tips & Tricks
Lake Khövsgöl — near the Mongolian border with Russia at the base of the Sayan Mountains is Khuvsgul Lake, a 136 kilometer long lake that contains approximately 70% of the fresh water in Mongolia. It is the second largest lake in Asia by volume, and it is the titular feature of Khuvsgul Lake National Park, […]
Khustain-Nuruu National Park – this park is about 60 miles west of the capital, and it is home to the takhi, an endangered subspecies of wild horse. These stout, sandy colored horses are the only truly wild horses left in existence, and they were once extinct in the wild, their numbers diminished down to an […]
Manzushir Monastery — the imposing ruins of Manzushir Monastery lie just an hour’s drive south of the capital. Built in the 18th century by Buddhist monks, the monastery was destroyed in 1937 by communists, and today the ruins of this large stone temple stand within a forest of birch trees like a scene from a […]
Khogno Khan Natural Reserve – located six hours west of the capital (est. 400 km), this natural reserve is named for the mountain Khogno Khan, a sacred mountain of granite, that lies within the bounds of this 181 square mile park. The sight of the rocky mountain protruding from the desert grasslands at its base […]
Mother Tree (Sükhbaatar, Selenge province) — a shrine to worshipers of the Shaman religion, The Mother Tree, or Eej Mod, is located in northern Mongolia. Once an actual tree that was struck by lightning until a fire in 2015 burned it nearly to the ground, the shrine now consists of a ceremonial stump where the […]
Ongi River and Temple (Saikhan-Ovoo district, Dundgovi Province) – located 7 hours (415 km) southwest of the capital, the Ongi Monastery refers to two monasteries on opposite banks of the Ongi River, which stretches for over four hundred kilometers throughout the country. The monasteries are home to many ruined temples, one of which was once […]