Mongolia

Founded in 1639 as a nomadic Buddhist monastic centre, Ulaanbaatar is Mongolia’s capital, and cultural, industrial and financial heart. Key sights include Sukhbaatar square, the National Museum of Mongolia, the Gandantegchinlen Monastery, the Zaisan memorial, which offers panoramic views of the city, and the Ger districts, full of nomadic tents that lack plumbing or electricity.

Nestled in the Altai mountains, this small city was established in the 1840s by Kazakhs fleeing the expanding Russian Empire. Nowhere else has Kazakh art, music, and the tradition of hunting with Eagles been preserved better. Ölgii is also the starting point for expeditions to the snow capped Altai mountains, and its many glaciers.

Chigertei National Park lies near the main ridge of the Altai Mountains, and the border with China’s Xinjiang province. It serves as the summer highland pastures of Kazakh nomads, who herd their sheep and goats, and hunt with eagles here. Wildlife in the region includes snow leopards, wolverine, grey wolves, pallas cats, and golden eagles.

Khovd province is a region in north-western Mongolia where the majority of inhabitants are not Kazakhs but Mongols. Khovd town itself is an appealing, multi-ethnic town of Halkh Mongols, Myangad Mongols, Kazakhs and other peoples. It boasts both Buddhist temples and a mosque, and the only university in West Mongolia.

The Gobi is a large desert in Central Asia. On the western fringes of the Gobi is Mongolia’s Great Lakes Basin, where one finds the Mongol Sands, the longest sand dunes in Mongolia which descend directly into the lakes, with the snow-capped Jargalant Hairkhan massif in the background.

The Shangri-La Hotel is Ulaanbaatar’s only international-standard five-star property.  Located in the heart of the city, the hotel is within strolling distance of Sukhbaatar Square and Government Palace, a modern shopping mall with an IMAX cinema, and several enticing restaurants.

360° Wilderness Ger Camps are five-star pop-up accommodations that are flexible and lightweight enough to be loaded onto a truck, yak caravan or camel cart, and deployed anywhere in the country. The gers are stylishly decorated with colorful Mongolian crafts, and furnished with proper beds and full bedding. Meals are served in a separate ger.

Steppe Hotel in Khovd is the first small hotel to offer something approaching international comfort in West Mongolia. It sports a two-star lobby, a three-star restaurant, spacious, four-star rooms, and a roof top terrace with a bar.