Alvin YeohContributed by Alvin Yeoh
If you’re travelling to Mongolia for the first time, Ulaanbaatar (UB) will most likely be your first stop upon leaving Chinggis Khan International Airport or UB Railway Station.
While there is no lack of interesting things to see and do in UB, a journey into the countryside is definitely not to be missed. After all, this is the country that’s best known for its steppes, endless expanses of grasslands and nomadic lifestyle.
This post will cover the first part of my adventure in Mongolia where I went on a seven-day tour of the Gobi Desert with Sunpath Mongolia. I’ll be letting the pictures and their accompanying captions do most of the talking.
Day 1
Kicking off our road trip adventure
Start of the adventure on the trusty Russian UAZ 452 van.
Catching the sunset from Tsagaan Suvarga (White Stupa)
Tsagaan Suvarga was a seabed made of colourful limestone rocks. Its rocky formations were created by wind erosion over thousands of years. When viewed from the east, the shapes of the limestone rocks look similar to Buddhist stupas hence the name “White Stupa”.
View from the top
Image credit: Sunpath Mongolia
View of Tsagaan Suvarga from the bottom
View of the surroundings from the bottom
Catching the sunset from the top
Day 2
Getting accustomed to the Mongolian Ger
A Ger, the traditional dwelling of the nomads, can easily be assembled and disassembled. We stayed at a different Ger camp each day. Every camp that we arrived in, we would first be greeted by the friendly host and invited in for tea and snacks before getting sent off to retire in our assigned Ger. These would vary in size but they mostly accommodate four to five people each.
Setting off for Yol Valley
Pit stop to say hello to…
Double hump (Bactrian) camels roaming about
Seeing Yol Valley in Gobi Gurvan Saikhan (Three Beauties of Gobi) National Park
Yol Valley, a deep and narrow gorge in the Gurvan Saikhan Mountains, is home to thriving flora and fauna. Unfortunately, I didn’t get to experience its famous ice fields during my time there in summer. Nevertheless, it was a very enjoyable hike!
Image credit: Sunpath Mongolia
Having tea and curds with our host
Day 3
Getting friendly with (more) goats & camels
The photogenic one.
Riding a camel to the Khongor sand dunes
Journeying to the top of the dunes
The Khongor sand dunes are popularly known as the “Singing Sands” because of the strong sound that’s made from the shifting of sand caused by wind and small avalanches.
The climb up was so tough and tiring. Every step up felt like I was rewarded with two steps down. The non-athletic me took 40 minutes to ascend to the top, but the great views (and satisfaction) make it all worthwhile in the end.
My pal Matthew pictured here with the gorgeous view behind him.
End of another day.
Day 4
Discovering the Flaming Cliffs
The Flaming Cliffs, also known as Bayanzag, is famous for being the site where dinosaur eggs were discovered. Many dinosaur fossils were also found here.
Panorama picture of the Flaming Cliffs. | Image credit: Zoharby
Day 5
Walking through the Ongi Monastery Ruins
Ancient Rock Carvings (Petroglyphs)
Enjoying tea with our host
…while everyone cooed over the adorable baby sleeping on the carpet.
Day 6
Exploring Erdene Zuu Monastery in Kharkhorin, the ancient capital of Mongolia
Image credit: Sunpath Mongolia
Checking into our last Ger camp
View from the camp. Note the hordes of goats and sheep in the middle right.
Milking goats with the host
Riding a horse into the night
The end of another day and our last night out in the wildness of Mongolia.
Day 7
Catching the sunrise from atop a hill
Greeted by a slightly visible rainbow while waiting for the sunrise in the cold morning breeze.
Snap of our Ger camp with an approaching thunderstorm. Note the chimney with smoke billowing out of it as our guide prepares breakfast.
The rest of the day consisted of our long drive back to UB while I reminisced about all the sights and experiences over the past week. Aside from the great memories, I’m also glad to have made new lifelong friends among my tour mates and guide. So here are a few parting shots of us!
