How to see the best of Mongolia

For well-travelled readers Mongolia offers something increasingly rare: landscapes so vast they reframe the travel experience

There’s a moment when you realise as much as you love returning to your favourite Asian destinations, it’s time for something more. Something that will take you into one of the world’s last great wildernesses to see new horizons and experience new cultures, while knowing you’re in safe, expert hands. 

In Mongolia you can be passing herds of camels as you drive out into the Gobi Desert to climb the sand dunes of Khongoryn Els one day and looking up at the red sandstone formations of the Flaming Cliffs the next. You can sleep under the stars in premium gers, the traditional circular Mongolian dwellings that are their own kind of yurts and join locals in a mini Naadam festival. And you can learn about this incredible country from specialist, national guides who love to share their homeland while engaging with travellers. 

Steppes to sand dunes 

With so much ground to cover and so much to see in Mongolia it’s best to leave the logistics to the experts. On Wendy Wu Tours’ 16-day Best of Mongolia journey you can travel around this vast and rugged country in comfortable 4WDs to see unforgettable landscapes including the vast steppe that is now one of Asia’s last grassland wildernesses and the towering sand dunes of the Gobi Desert.  

Visit National Parks including Khustai National Park where Mongolia’s once extinct in the wild Przewalski horses, or takhi as they are called in Mongolia, once again roam wild and free and Gorkhi-Terelj to see the unmistakeable Turtle Rock. And have a full day to take in some of the world’s most magnificent sand dunes at Khongoryn Els where you can see the contrast in the shifting sands, feel the energy shift when you step into an oasis and meet a camel herding family for insights into their nomadic life. 

History and tradition 

As you travel with expert Mongolian guides you not only have the opportunity to learn about their own life, but to also be introduced to local families to get a deeper understanding of this part of the world. 

Naadam Festivals celebrate the ‘Three Manly Games’ of wrestling, horse racing and archery that are so steeped in tradition here on the steppe, and while the major festivals take place in July you will have the chance to experience a mini Naadam Festival to see these skills in action year round. 

On the banks of the Ongi River you can walk around the ruins of two historic monasteries that were part of Ongiin Khiid, which was established in 1660 and featured more than 30 temples and four Buddhism universities before it was destroyed in the 1930s. 

Meanwhile in Kharkhorin, the former capital of Genghis Khan’s empire, you can learn all about Silk Road culture and more at the Kharkhorin Museum, where artifacts including 13^th and 14^th century weapons, ceramics, statues and more are part of displays including the Stone Age and Mongol Empire.  

Touring Mongolia 

Most of Wendy Wu Tours’ small group Mongolia tours not only have a maximum of 18 guests, they also have the specialist knowledge and local connections to create a journey filled with authentic experiences and local moments. 

Mongolia itineraries and short stays to choose from include a six-day Mongolia and Gobi Desert tour where you can explore dramatic canyons and sand dunes and see the striking Flaming Cliffs, and a 22-day Wu Mongolia and Naadam Festival itinerary where guests spend two days experiencing the highlights of the annual Naadam festival, including the Honorary Guards & White Banners ceremony and a costume parade. 

While in the capital Ulaanbaatar guests sleep in a four-star hotel with a swimming pool and karaoke rooms, in the grasslands and desert you’ll really feel like you’re in another world when you sleep in round Mongolian tents in your ger camp. With private en-suite bathrooms, comfortable bedding and electric heating some elements of your ger may be a little less traditional than others, but as you look up at the stars as you dine on authentic local specialities including Mongolian stone-grilled yak you’ll get a taste of what life has been like for hundreds of years. 

You may have a lot to see and do, but some itineraries also include the luxury of free time to spend however you please whether that be souvenir shopping in Ulaanbaatar or simply gazing out at the sand dunes in the Gobi Desert. Then when it’s time to say goodbye the live folk music at your traditional Mongolian restaurant farewell dinner will provide the perfect soundtrack to laugh and dance and remember an adventure well spent. 

For more visit wendywutours.com.au