Mongolia travel guide

You shouldn't think so, but Mongolia is a great place to experience Tibetan Buddhism. This monastery was Mongolia's first and built in 1586 with stones from the once mighty capital, Karakorum, of the Mongolian kingdom. Destroyed and abandoned several times, the latest under the power of the Stalinist dictator Choibalsan in the 1930's, today, the temples are again buzzing with the monk's prayers. A mandatory stop on every Mongolian trip.

In the middle of the Gobi desert, where dust and stones rule, the flat plateau breaks off to a lower level. During sunrise and sunset the exposed cliffs give off an orange hue which gives the place its name. It was here in the 1920's that the American archaeologist Roy Chapman Andrews made the amazing discovery that dinosaurs were egg laying - and made some wrong assumptions that the newly found dinosaur specimen, the velociraptor, was an egg thief. You can still to this day walk around and find dinosaur bones and egg shells at the bottom of the cliffs. Close by (in Gobi terms) grow the rare Saxual trees. These wooden creatures are so dense that they cannot float in water... well, if there was any.

The Mongolian countryside is famously vast and equally flat. Add to that the fact that it is also the world's least densely populated country and it becomes easy to understand how far it is possible to travel without interruption. All of a sudden, over the horizon will emerge a huge statue of Mongolia's greatest historical figure, Genghis Khan. At 50 metres high and covered in the shiniest stainless steel, there is no way you can miss it. Take the elevator to the top and spend some time on Khan's horseback, gazing across the Mongolian steppes. If you want proof of the vastness of Mongolia, that's where you'll find it.

Combining the experience of rural Mongolia with a strong historical presence the town of Dadal has both. A small place, just south of the Siberian border, there is nothing more than a guest house, a home stay, a pub and a few temples. It is, however, a friendly place, where time goes by slowly giving you a chance to take a closer look at rural Mongolian life. That is when you are not busy celebrating the fact that Genghis Khan's birthplace, Delüün Boldog, was most likely right where Dadal is located today. Probably born here in 1162 AD Genghis, or the Khan of Khans rose to become the founder of the Mongol Empire, the largest empire in history. Genghis was famed for his meritocratic administration and hist encouraged religious tolerance. Today, Mongolians regard him as the founding father of their country.

These sand dunes are some of the very little sand there actually is in this giant desert, but they are still pretty big. More than a hundred kilometres long, twelve kilometres wide, and several hundred metres high, they are sometimes called the the singing sand due to the whistling sound the blowing sand makes. This can turn into a roaring that breaks the silence of the desert, when the tall dunes avalanche.

Gorkhi-Terelj National Park is probably the most accessible national park in Mongolia - but don't take "accessible" too literally, as this is Mongolia where a track of ruts is considered a road. The park is particularly known for its wild beauty with forest, streams, hot springs, and characteristic boulders. The wildlife includes bears and many rare bird species, but it's unlikely that you see any without an effort. There are plenty of tourist ger camps, where trips further into the park can be done on horseback.

If you ever make it to the far northwestern part of Mongolia is must be to visit the Kazakh minority living here and their eagle hunters. Famous throughout the country - and beyond - the hunters do not hunt eagles; they hunt with them. Going after foxes, rabbits and other small mammals on horseback, eagles are the hunters' weapon of choice. The hunters catch and train the eagles themselves creating a personal relationship with them, establishing a somewhat personal bond where the eagles stay with their hunter because a successful hunt means food for both of them. During the snowy months (November-February), you can join the hunts through tour companies in Ölgii as the hunters need the snow to track the aminals. If the snow has melted, a visit to the hunters' different villages is also an excellent option. In the village of Sagsai/Uujim can you visit an old champion who will offer you food, a place to sleep and watch the eagles training. The isolation is especially beautiful, with possibilities of horse riding and stargazing undisturbed by city lights.

The capital of Mongolia is a strange place. Though the city is starting to get high rises made of glass of steel, most of the centre still consists of drape Soviet-style concrete apartment blocks. The huge Chinggis Khaan Square is of course the natural focal point. From here Peace Avenue runs west past the State Department Store, which has the biggest collection of souvenirs in the country. For a real sight, head over to the fine Gandantegchinlen Monastery, which was one of the few monastery which survived the ruthless Choibalsan leadership. But Ulaanbaatar is more about the wicked sights. You don't have to venture too far out into the scruffy suburbs to come by whole neighbourhoods made up of ger camps. Here people live inside the capital in stationary gers. Watch out for the many vicious dogs, for they are not for petting.