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Mongolia: Locations

Bear in mind that place names have no official spelling in English, and spellings may vary dramatically. O's are interchangeable with U's and Kh is often replaced with just H, and vice versa.

Ulaan Baatar

As the capital, Ulaan Baatar is the main point of entrance which is located only slightly east of the middle of the country, making it the convenient centre of Mongolia's limited transport network. It is a very unusual city where ways of old life meet new; the Soviet influence is still very noticeable, particularly in the architecture, and in the centre there are many Communist-style high rise buildings, while many residents still live in ger (tent) suburbs outside the city. You can still see farm animals on streets and traditionally dressed people, mixed in with the city's newly affluent residents. After the Russians left Mongolia in the early 1990's the economy fell dramatically, leaving most residents poor and the city in disrepair, but in the last few years a consumer revolution has taken place, and Capitalism now thrives.

At the centre of the city is Sukhbaatar Square, named after a hero of the revolution, who declared independence from Chinese from this spot in 1921, which marked the beginning of fall of Communism. The square is surrounded by national buildings in honour of Mongolian culture, such as the Palace of Culture, State Parliament house, and the Mongolian Art Gallery. Also near by are the Museum of Natural History with a very impressive collection of dinosaur skeletons from the Gobi, and the Zanabazaar Museum of Fine Arts, which houses an excellent collection of art works and rare religious exhibits, and is based inside the Choijin Monastery.

Gandantegchinlen Khiid (better known to tourists as the Gandan Monastery) is one of Ulaan Bataar's greatest sights, and is one of very few remaining temples and monasteries left standing by communists after the Stalinist purges. It is composed of many amazing temples, richly decorated, and is still in use.

Another impressive sight is the Winter Palace of Bogd Khaan, the residence of last king of Mongolia for 20 years, and also the countries last Buddhist leader. There are six temples on grounds containing a large collection of gifts given to king, including, royal and ceremonial costumes, jewellery, sedan chairs and a large number of cuddly-toy animals!

Gobi Desert

Considered by many to be one of the world's most remote, exotic, and mystical areas, the Gobi covers most of the southern third of Mongolia, and despite it's title of 'desert' its not as barren as most people imagine. The majority of the land is covered with grass, shrubs, and rocks, though it does have some impressive sand dunes and very little water. Rain is rare and temperatures vary dramatically with the season, ranging to 100F either side of zero, while dust storms make spring visits uncomfortable and ill advised. It is home to a surprising variety of animals and is the site of choice for many camel-breeders. It is also a popular archaeological site since a considerable number of dinosaur fossils have been discovered here. Despite it's extreme high temperature in summer, some places, including the Yol Am Canyon stay frozen all year round, due to the unusually high altitude of the area.

The Gurvansaikan National Park is generally considered the most interesting of all the National Parks in the Gobi, as it contains mountains, dunes, unusual rock formations and over 200 species of bird, as well as some of the areas best dinosaur finds. Also of particular interest are the Great Gobi National Park and the Yol Valley (Eagle Valley). The best jumping off point for visiting the area is Dalanzadgad, about 1½ hour's flight from Ulaan Baatar.

Creatures new and old: uncover the extremities of planet earth in the Gobi Desert

Undor Dov

One of Mongolia's tourist camps offering accommodation in gers, Undor Dov is based about an hour's journey from Ulaan Baatar, and is set in a beautiful area of traditional steppe landscape. It is a popular day trip, as it is possible to go on horse riding excursions and go on short hiking trips, or make an attempt on one of the four peaks that surround the capital. Close by is the attractive Manzushiri Monastery, where, if you're visiting in late Autumn, you can see the Buddhist ritual of Tsam mask dancing, which dates back to the eighth century.

Khustain Nuruu National Reserve

A nature reserve created specially to preserve Mongolia's native wild horses, the takhi, which almost became extinct in the 1960's after hunting and overgrazing of pastures. About 200 horses now live in this park or in the wild. The park is about sixty miles south of Ulaan Baatar, and is accessible by a combination of bus and jeep.

Karakorum/Kharkhorin

To explain the distinction between the two names, Kharkorin is the modern city built one side of Karakorum, which was Genghis Khan's ancient capital. The original city was built in 1220, and was once the nerve centre of the worlds largest empire, which stretched from Siberia to Austria, and Hong Kong to Baghdad, but it fell into ruin when it was abandoned in favour of what is now Beijing, later the same century. On this spot now is the Erdene Zuu monastery, and despite destructive invasions by Stalin's armies, there are still a number of temples here worth visiting. The city can be reached easily from Ulaan Baatar, either by a short flight, or an eight-hour bus journey.

Khovsgol Nuur

The deepest lake in central Asia, Khovsgol Nuur is also an area of immense natural beauty. It is home to an amazing array of wildlife, including a large number of migratory birds on their way south from Siberia, and is considered by local Mongolians as sacred. A number of different ethnic groups live around the lake, all with different ways of life, the most unusual being one tribe who survive by herding reindeer. A single river flows from here to Lake Baikal in Siberia, the world's largest inland, fresh water lake. It is possible to kayak on the lake in the summer months, when it isn't frozen, and hike or ride around it on horseback at all times of the year. To the west of the lake is the Darkhat Valley, a particularly attractive area to explore. If you want to visit, a permit must first be obtained on entrance to the National Park, and excursions within the area should be done with an experienced guide.

Khovd

The Industrial centre of trade between Russia and Mongolia, Khovd also the only major centre in Western Mongolia, and a good jumping off point for visiting that part of the country. It also has the interesting Snagiin Kherem ruins, built in the 18th century by Manchu Warlords who once brutally ruled over Mongolia, a good museum and a lively weekend market. The northern areas also offer some good views and hiking opportunities, including access to the countries highest peak, Tavanbogd. As the area closest to Tuva, it is also home to a number of traditional throat singers.