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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…
The 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…
Despite 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…
Today 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…
Today 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…
One of the most distinctive traditions in Mongolia is shagai – a family of games played using the ankle bones of sheeps or goats. Otherwise known as knuckle bones. These small bones are far more than toys – they are symbols of Mongolia’s nomadic heritage and used for games, fortune-telling, friendship gifts and even lucky…
The Gobi Desert is one of the world’s most misunderstood deserts. When people hear desert they tend to imagine an endless sea of sand like the Sahara. But the Gobi is very different. In fact, only about 5% of the Gobi is covered by sand dunes and the rest consists of vast gravel plains, rocky…
The Flaming Cliffs (aka Bayanzag) are one of the most important fossil sites ever discovered. They are located in Mongolia’s southern Gobi Desert and are not technically cliffs, but rather red-orange sandstone buffs that glow brilliantly at sunrise and sunset. They were given the name the Flaming Cliffs by American explorer Roy Chapan Andrews during…
The drive from Karakorum to Ongiin Khiid is one of the most interesting transitions in Mongolia because you gradually leave the lush heartland behind and enter the northern edge of the Gobi Desert. Over 6 hours (300km) we went from travelling through green valleys filled with herds of grazing horses through to a bare but…
As with all of my trips to new countries or regions I like to look up what the main natural hazards are in a place and if there are any unique Mongolia is a country of climatic extremes rather than dramatic geological disasters. It doesn’t experience the frequent earthquakes or hurricanes that affect many parts…
Before I start writing about Karakorum I need to give an honorable mention to the ice cream we had enroute to the city, about 30 minutes from our home stay. The ice cream shop is directly on the dairy farm and sells soft-serve, frozen yoghurt, fresh milk, coffee and doughnuts. It is owned by Harumafuji…
The most exciting part of the long travel distances we are covering in Mongolia is that we get to travel in a convoy of Russian Vans. These are the legendary UAZ-452 vans, colloquially known as ‘Bukhanka’ or ‘loaf of bread’ because of their distinctive boxy shape. These fantastic looking vehicles are a part of everyday…
Our final training camp stop was to the home of a nomadic horse trainer and his family. The camp was very simple (and I believe is simplest we will stay in throughout the trip) with no bathroom, no running water, no electricity and just 1 guest ger for 15 of us to sleep in. Even…
We headed east out of Ulaanbaatar after a quick pit stop at the Carrefour to pick up gifts for our host family tonight. Our first stop would be another Naadam festival training camp – this time for archery. Archery is the quietest of the three Naadam sports but Mongolians will say it is the one…
One of the most fascinating parts of Naadam happens before the festival even starts. In the weeks and months leading up to it, Mongolia’s top wrestlers, archers and horse racers gather in summer training camps on the steppe. These aren’t official government training camps, but rather temporary communities set up by clubs from each province…
For our second day in Ulaanbaatar we opted to explore the city independently. There is quite a lot to see in the center of the city all within walking distance of the main square. After a western breakfast in a highly recommended cafe called ‘Millie’s Espresso’ we headed next door into Choijin Lama Temple. This…
Days 2 and 3 of my trip were devoted to exploring Mongolia’s capital city – Ulaanbaatar. This is not a conventionally beautiful city – it is chaotic and lacks urban planning, has terrible traffic and sprawls across the Tuul River Valley from east to west. This gives the city a unique geography – a long…
Our Mongolian Airlines flight from Frankfurt landed at 4.40am in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia. Surprisingly Mongolian Airlines is actually a very nice airline – the place was relatively new with the typical amenities you would expect on a modern flight nowadays – including USB points to charge your devices and decent food. The Entertainment system was a…
I am heading to Mongolia for 2 weeks. This will be my 100th country visited which I have managed to do just before my 40th birthday later this year. I have specifically picked the dates I am visiting to coincide with the Naadam Festival – Mongolia’s most important national celebration, held every July to commemorate…
The Longji Rice Terraces sit high above the villages of Longsheng County, about 100km northwest of Guilin. They have been cultivated for over 600 years, beginning in the Yuan dynasty and continued to develop through the Ming and Qing periods. The terraces follow the mountain contours up to altitudes of 1100m. My visit was timed…
Colette's Grand Detour 