Added: 05/22/2006 |
Mongolia travel: top destinationsSome of the most popular Mongolia travel destinations are Central Mongolia, Gobi Desert and Northern Mongolia. Travel to any cannot be done in a day, as each destination is a rich combo of cultural, historical and natural wonders. In fine, Mongolia travel abounds in visiting ancient monasteries, learning specific culture and traditions of nomads and adventurous activities including trekking and biking in high mountains, exploring desert dunes and dinosaur excavation sites, riding a horse along majestic steppes and camping.
Central Mongolia is home to the site where Karakorum, Mongolia's ancient capital once stood. The city was founded in 1220 in the Orkhon valley at a busy point on the route of the Silk Road and for many years was a very developed civilization with refined culture. For instance, the religious tolerance of Mongol Khans allowed twelve religions to co-exist within the city borders. The city was home to foreign artists, officers, merchants and diplomats who played much role in the development of influential political, cultural and economic capital. The city was ruined and burnt by the Ming armies in 1360.
On its site, the first Mongolian monastery called Erdene Zuu Monastery was built. The Monastery consisting of over sixty temples was destroyed but several attempts were made to restore it. Today, Erdene Zuu is an active monastery that attracts numerous visitors from around the globe.
If Mongolia travel is planned to Central Mongolia, you can also visit Khorgo-Terkhiin Tsagaan Nuur National Park, a splendid region of extinct volcanoes and abundant wildlife, pleasant for walking, bird-watching, fishing and swimming.
The Goby Desert, extremely popular destination for Mongolia travel, is one of the most mystic, unique and untouched places on Earth. The Gobi desert covers a third of Mongolia's land and it is not a desert in our usual understanding, i.e. absolutely devoid of any vegetation. The Gobi is differentiated between thirty three types according to soil composition and color and the sandy dunes account for only three percent of the entire Gobi Desert.
Gobi Desert natural landscape ranges from giant sand dunes to rock mountains, valleys covered with ice, and caves that once housed humans some seven hundred thousand years ago, what makes it a region of diverse, dramatic and very unusual scenery.
One of the places in the Gobi Desert that drives many researchers, paleontologists and archeologists and adventure travelers is Flaming Cliffs, a dinosaur excavation site.
The huge dinosaur skeletons on display in the Museum of National History in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia's capital, were found in Flaming Cliffs. In particular, the skeleton of a hornless rhinoceros found here is the largest known mammal in the world.
The highlight of Northern Mongolia travel is a visit to the Blue Pearl, the second largest and deepest lake in Mongolia, Hovsgol. The area is home to brown bear, musk deer, ibex, argali - mountain sheep, marten, beavers, elk, lynx and wolves, as well as over two hundred species of birds including Baikal teal, black stork, bar-headed goose and Altai snowcock. Pure waters of ninety rivers and streams flow into the giant lake surrounded by high mountains, beautiful pine forests and green meadows.
The steppes of Northern Mongolia also house unique stone monuments, some of which date back to the Bronze Era. These ancient erections are the earliest examples of monumental sculpture in the entire Central Asia. Altogether, there are more stone monuments in Mongolia than in all the Eurasian countries surrounding it and all these combinations of unique nature and history in Mongolia make the country just one of a few places on earth with a true adventurous air.
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