On March 2nd, I embarked on my longest journey so far – a journey that took me through…
Times visited: 1 (16 days in 2016)
Cities visited: Ulaanbataar and Kharkhorin
Villages visited: Mandalgovi, Dalandzadgad and Arvaikheer
UNESCO sites visited: Orkhon Valley Cultural Landscape
Mongolia is one of very few countries that will stay close to my heart forever. It’s just so unlike any other place on Planet Earth.
In the spring of 2016, I spent 16 days exploring Mongolia. I based myself in Ulaanbaatar, the capital which is home to half (!) of the nation’s 3,2 million inhabitants. Ulaanbaatar is a modern city, while the rest of Mongolia is bound by traditions and a strong will to keep the old nomadic lifestyle alive.
This lifestyle had always intrigued me, so I set off on a journey to learn more about it the day after my arrival. Along with four new travel buddies, a knowledgeable guide and a local driver, I toured the Gobi Desert for an entire week. I’m glad I didn’t attempt to do this by myself as we hardly ever drove on roads or even dirt tracks. Once in a while, we’d come across a small villages, but we never saw signs of luxuries such as showers or WiFi.
We saw sand dunes, colourful limestone rocks, ice valleys and vast desert as far as the eye could see. In the evenings, we would hear stories about nomadic life in the desert from our hosts who welcomed us into their gers for the night.
After that wonderful adventure, I headed to Kharkhorin, the ancient capital of Mongolia, for a few days of hiking in the grassy mountains.
I then returned to Ulaanbaatar and woke up to a heavy snowfall. It was perfect timing as I’d planned to spend my last days in Mongolia in the beautiful Gorkhi-Terelj National Park along with a new friend. It was super cozy, just the two of us with a local family in a valley surrounded by snow-covered mountains.
