Mongolia Travel Blog & News

Southern Mongolia is widely known for its Gobi Desert, one of the world’s unique ecosystems and best-kept secrets. This unique ecosystem is renowned for its stunning natural formations, as well as real dinosaur fossils and endemic flora and fauna. No trip to Mongolia is complete without a visit to this incredible region. But what makes the Gobi Desert so special? Check out our list of 20 interesting facts about the Gobi Desert to learn more. From its harsh climate to its surprising biodiversity, there's so much to discover in this remarkable landscape.

While Chinggis Khan, or Genghis Khan, is world famous as one of the most successful conquerors in history, there is more to him than that. Despite the fact that he lived so long ago, there is a surprising amount we know about his life. Many of these are from The Secret History of the Mongols, and others are facts from modern Mongolia.

Wondering where to go and what to do during the long weekend at Tsagaan Sar, which is just in a couple of weeks? We are suggesting you to visit the beautiful Lake Huvsgul – so called the Blue Pearl of Mongolia. And I know it’d sound quite extreme - it must be freezing cold out there! The pristine Lake Huvsgul is 2 million years old, and makes up to 1% of the world’s total fresh water reserve. The Huvsgul stretches for 136km in the Alpine-like mountains, and the deepest point of the lake is 262m. The Huvsgul region itself is a home to the Tsaatan – Reindeer Herders of Mongolia, an ethnic group famous for their distinctive lifestyle based on keeping reindeers in the depth of the Taiga.

If you have ever heard people conversing in Mongolian, and thought that it’s unlike any other language you’ve ever heard- don’t worry, you’re not the only one. Mongolian language is an Altaic language which means that only Turkic and Tungusic languages are in one group with it. Some studies have added Japanese and Korean language in the group too, but most of the authors disagree on this one.

We tried to travel to the Orkhon waterfall that first summer I visited Mongolia. It seemed a short distance from Karakorum and we asked about swapping out the customary visit to the Erdene Zuu Monastery for a day trip to the waterfall. However, our guide and driver were quick to say that this was not a possibility as the road to the waterfall was, in their words, “a very bad road.”

After the Gobi Desert, I’d say Lake Khuvsgul is next on the “Must See List” for Mongolia--it’s beautiful, crystalline blue waters are stunning! It’s in the opposite direction from Ulaanbaatar and will also require some decisions about travel. The best time of year to visit is summer--June, July or August--with July being usually the warmest. August is the beginning of fall in Mongolia and can sometimes mean more rain than a visitor wants to contend with. You can visit before and after those three months but many camps do shut down for a part of fall, all of winter, and the start of spring.

Capturing many peoples’ imaginations, the Dukha, Tsaatan or reindeer people, live in the beautiful area North of Lake Khuvsgul in Mongolia. They are an enigmatic group; being relatively unknown because of the remoteness of the lives they live in the boreal forest. Read on to learn 15 facts about this group of people living as they have for centuries. 

It’s the beginning of the end of Mongolia’s short summer season. Today is a big day for our young monk. Let’s call him Davaa, a good Tibetan name. His name means Monday, and his parents may have chosen his name because he was born on a Monday. The name also honors Tibetan Buddhism, which is practiced in Mongolia. He has only been at the monastery for a year, and he’s going to participate in his first Tsam ceremony. The tsam dances, are morality plays. Their purpose is to remove evil from the area and pass along traditional stories and morals. There can be hundreds of participants, usually monks. Davaa is lucky to participate because he’s still a young monk.

When it comes to food, Mongolia is a paradise for meat lovers. With a rich nomadic culture and a history of hunting and herding, Mongolian cuisine is a unique blend of traditional dishes that are hearty, filling, and full of flavor. A visit to Mongolia offers a chance to sample these delicious dishes while exploring the country's stunning landscapes and rich cultural heritage. From the vast expanse of the Gobi Desert to the pristine beauty of Lake Khuvsgul, a Mongolia tour promises to be a one-of-a-kind experience that will leave visitors with unforgettable memories.

The theme of the 55th PATA Annual Conference, "Changing Lifestyles - New Opportunities", is designed to focus on how travel and tourism can take advantage of the opportunities posed by fast-changing lifestyles and values. These include changing demographics, health and wellness, travel by the young, the ageing, and female travelers, technological issues, the low-cost airline phenomenon, and growth in short city-break holidays.