Mongolia Travel Blog & News

If you’re interested in wild life, exotic travels and animals then you might’ve heard about the Big 5 of Africa. However, have you ever heard of the Great Gobi 6? In order to keep the wildlife and ecosystem of the gobi system, the WWF has started an initiation called Great Gobi 6, a project determined to spread awareness of the importance of the animals living in the gobi desert and try to save them from being extinct. In Mongolia, where the people still keep the nomadic lifestyle and keep the nature as original as possible, it’s no wonder that some of the last truly wild animals live only in Mongolia. Especially the Gobi desert, which is believed to be the home of the dinosaurs, is where most of these animals live. When I say wild animals, I mean the authentic wild ones- their ancestors used to live next to the real dinosaurs. That is one of the reasons why Mongolian Gobi is called the door to the fairytale- just about five hours of drive from the city, you would setting your foot  in a place that have been the exactly same for about tens of thousands of years. Obviously, the revolutions have come and gone, but one thing is for sure- you wouldn’t be encountering one flashy advertising sign or skyscrapers that block your view. It may sound pretty scary in that way, but as long as you’re prepared enough- all that time and risk would be worth it.

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.

The academics, from Columbia University in New York had done some research and analyzed the trees in the Khangai Mountains of Mongolia and revealed that Central Mongolia saw one of the wettest and warmest periods for 1000 years - between 1211 – 1225 – the exact time of the Great Mongol empire rise of Genghis Khan. “He was one of the most feared warriors in history, waging bloody war across Asia and Europe. But Genghis Khan’s 13th-century rampage may have never happened had it not been for a spell of good weather. The leader of the Mongol armies ...

Lake Khuvsgul is one of the best sites to visit for travelers venturing to Mongolia. Located in the northern region of the country, close to the border with Russia, Lake Khuvsgul offers a host of activities and attractions for every type of adventure traveler. From hiking to boating, you’ll be plenty entertained on the shores of one of Mongolia’s largest lakes. Since travelers tend to flock to Ulaanbaatar when planning to go to Mongolia, we figured that a guide to visiting Lake Khuvsgul would be useful for those of you looking to go a bit more off the map. Here’s everything you need to know about Lake Khuvsgul.

One of the main layover points for getting to Ulaanbaatar is through Hong Kong. Choosing this as your layover spot is a great idea, there are a ton of great luxuries and things to do while you wait for your flight to Mongolia.

There was something in my father’s pictures that called me to Mongolia. The horizon in the distance, the openness of the steppe, the wildness of the nature. In 2010 we hatched a plan to travel to Mongolia together--it would be his second trip, my first. In 2014 we spent three weeks traveling around Mongolia (and I’ve since spent 3 years living and traveling in the country). While we journeyed many miles and visited numerous sites, it was our time spent in Khustai Nuruu National Park that made my initial dream--to put my hiking boots on the great Eurasian steppe--feel complete.

They can ride like the wind but the galloping hooves of time threatened to dilute, perhaps obliterate, their nomadic traditions. Meta Mertens calls it her horse heaven…the sweeping plains of Mongolia, where she is proud to play a part maintaining centuries of equine history. She has witnessed the country's primary nomadic lifestyle resist a drift into the cities for work.

There were once dozens of species of wild horses that lived on Earth. One remains, and you can find it most easily in Mongolia. It’s called the takhi, or Przewalski’s Horse. It’s named after a Polish/Russian scientist who discovered it for Western Science. Many wild horses, like mustangs, were simply domesticated horses that ran away. The takhi have never been domesticated, and managed to survive in the steppes of Central Asia.

Do you wonder what is beyond Gobi and wide open steppe in Mongolia? The answer is to take a close look at the northern part of the country which dominates by mountainous forest of Switzerland and blue pearl Lake Khuvsgul, known as a sister of Lake Baikal in Russia.

As one of the options for a layover on a trip to Mongolia, Incheon is a great airport to have a layover in. For those coming from North America, it’s one of the best options for a stress-free trip. Follow these five tips in the airport to make the best of your layover before coming to the land of Chinggis Khan.