Naadam is Mongolia’s national festival and the country’s most important cultural celebration. It is much more than a sporting event and more of a celebration of Mongolian identity, history and the enduring nomadic way of life. Every July, families travel from across the country to gather, compete, reunite and celebrate traditions that have been passed…
Click to keep readingThe granite mountains of Baga Gazriin Chuluu are one of the most distinctive landscapes in central Mongolia. After hours of driving across endless steppe with almost perfect flat land, the cluster of granite mountains rises from the plain like an island. The granite massif is about15 km long and 6 km wide with its highest…
Click to keep readingDespite the name ‘white stupa’ cliffs, Tsagaan Suvarga aren’t man-made stupas at all, but rather cliffs that resemble rows of ancient Buddhist stupas or the ruins of an ancient city when viewed from a distance. I couldn’t quite stretch my imagination far enough to see stupas, but regardless this is absolutely spectacular scenery with gorgeous…
Click to keep readingToday our planned itinerary was to head from Yol Valley to the northern Gobi transition zone to see the ‘White stupa’ cliff formations. Our guide had suggested we add an unplanned stop to our plans – either the Natural History Museum in Dalanzagad or the Bronze Age petroglyphs out in the desert. We all quickly…
Click to keep readingToday we departed the Khongor Sand Dunes heading to Yolyn Am (or Yol Valley), a drive of around 180km through open desert plains, rocky hills and badlands. This was one of the bumpiest drives we have had so far, but the scenery continues to be spectacular so time tends to pass quickly. At about 11am…
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Colette's Grand Detour