If you have a thirst for adventure, a love of nature and a willingness to stray off beaten paths, Mongolia is just the place for you. Although known for producing the highest quality cashmere in the world, cashmere is not the only spectacular thing about Mongolia. In this article, we’ll explore 5 of the 21 provinces in Mongolia so you can have an idea of the wild, diverse beauty and history the country has to offer.
1. Bayankhongor Province
Abundant in a multitude of geographic regions such as the mountainous and wooded Khangai in the north, the central steppe region and the arid Gobi Desert in the south, Bayankhongor is the ideal location to commune with nature.
One of the best places to visit is the Tsagaan Agui (White Cave), which once housed one of the most ancient Paleolithic and Neolithic housing settlements in the world dating back some 750,000 years. And the other, Shargaljuult Hot Springs, which has been hailed for its medicinal properties for centuries.
2. Arkhangai Province
Arkhangai has astonishing geography with wide rivers, volcanic lakes, volcanoes and thick forests that it’s no wonder it has some of the most magnificent views in all of Mongolia. You can appreciate the landscape at the Khorgo-Terkh White Lake National Park where it has the extinct Khorgo Volcano famous for its deep crater. It’s believed that the eruption that occurred thousands of years ago formed the Terkhiin Tsagaan Nuur (Terkh White Lake) next to it, a fresh-water lake that is a hotbed for large bodies of fish and paradise for endangered and migratory bird species.
3. Khovsgol Province
As Mongolia’s northernmost province, Khovsgol borders on Russia. Its bountiful forest and taiga, creates the perfect place for multiple medicinal herbs and wildlife. The heart of this province is Lake Khovsgol, one of the most ancient lakes in the world with water of unparalleled purity. It also holds 70% of the country’s fresh water supply which the Tsaatan, or reindeer people, live near. The Tsaatan lifestyle remains much the same since prehistoric times consisting of living in tepees made from animal hides and migrating across the remote Siberian taiga.
4. Khentii Province
Well known to be the birthplace and - most likely resting place of Genghis Khan - Khentii has one of the widest plains and produces the most common beige colored cashmere goats. Deluun Boldog is an attraction because it is believed to be where Genghis Khan was born on the banks of the Onon River in 1162.
5. Umnugobi Province
One of the provinces the famous Gobi Desert spans across is Umnugobi. In this vast, mostly unexplored territory, you can unearth whole eggs and intact skeletal fossils of the prehistoric dinosaurs. Take a journey by camel to witness beautiful sunsets and the Khongor Sand Dunes, (nicknamed the ‘singing sands’). Travelers will be able to hear an exotic sound emitted from the sands as it climbs up to heights of 800 meters to form the most breathtaking dunes you will ever see.
When it comes to Mongolia, it’s best to leave behind all your expectations and open your mind to all of nature’s possibilities. With thousands of kilometers of untouched wilderness, the adventure never ends with new discoveries at every corner. If you would like to travel and learn more about Mongolia, visit: https://juulchin.com/