TRAVEL GUIDE

Mongolia is truly one of the world's last undiscovered travel destinations and the safest country to visit. It is a land where you can experience wide-open spaces, cobalt blue skies, forests, deserts, crystal clear rivers and lakes, and the traditional hospitality of the nomads. Permanent dwellings are few and far between, fences even fewer and the land is owned by the people, like one large National Park. As a tremendous destination to experience the outdoors, Mongolia also boasts of unique history dating back to the Mongol Empire of Genghis Khan. Simply put, it is a land of adventure, horses, nomads, and blue sky.

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Top adventurous things to do in Mongolia

Top adventurous things to do in Mongola

1. Go stargazing in Mongolian Gobi Desert Stargazing is something (I feel) that everyone should experience because it really does feed the mind and soul. This has to be the ultimate experience of peace and tranquility. Enjoy time and space to think under a glittering canopy of endless stars - whether you are spending a night under canvas or just stepping out from your ger to glance up.

2. Do Horse riding in Navel Eight Lakes Horse riding is central to Mongolian life, children become highly accomplished early and riders can handle their horses with skill and ease. The tough, sprighty and numble Mongolian horse has stamina and strength that belies it diminutive size. Taking a ride across the open steppe is the perfect way to feel a connection with the vast landscape and nomadic people. Your carefully selected horse will carry you across all sorts of terrain and a short guided trek up to Navel Eight Lakes is a great experience.

3. Stay with a nomadic family in their beautiful house, Ger For many, the highlight of a visit to Mongolia is to spend time with a nomadic family, witnessing first-hand their way of life, unchanged for centuries... apart from a few modern-day additions of satellite dish and solar panel. Help out with daily tasks of rounding up and milking the animals and making curds or buuz (dumplings), learn about daily life, the joys and the hardships of living a nomadic existence, but mostly experience the genuine warmth and infamous hospitality of Mongolia's nomads. You may even be able to help out putting up a traditional ger.

4. Milk a camel, cow, horse, or goat When you stay with a nomadic family, I’m pretty sure you’ll get to see them tend to their herds and even milk a cow. I suggest you immerse yourself in their culture and offer to lend a hand. This is something you won’t get to do anywhere else.

5. Do Camel Riding in the Real Gobi Desert Whether you are visiting the Gobi's Khongoryn Els (the Singing Dunes), some of the largest sand dunes in Mongolia, or the shifting sands of Elsen Tasarkhai in Bayan-Gobi a camel ride is almost obligatory. The Bactrian camels of Central Asia are the two-humped variety and wear very shaggy coats in the winter. You'll feel like a true explorer. 6. Experience Eagle Hunting in Western Mongolia - The ancient art of falconry as practised by the Kazakh Mongolians has remained unchanged for millennia. Admire the speed and power of the noble eagle and marvel at the close relationship that exists between her and her master. Set against the majestic Altai mountain views, this is an experience that truly epitomizes Mongolia.

6. Experiencing "The Blue Pearl" Ice Festival on the Frozen Khovsgol Lake Every year, on the southern edge of the Siberian forest, the Blue Pearl of Mongolia, Lake Khovsgol, completely freezes over. The ice forms to a depth of five feet creating an extraordinary winter playground. The nomadic reindeer herders, Tsaatan, from the north, join local residents to celebrate the winter, with traditional games and races over two days. In temperatures of down to -35°C, contestants compete in sports such as ice-skating, ice-wrestling, tug-o’-war, dog-sledding and horse sleigh racing.

7. Visit Taiga and meet Tsaatan (Reindeer People) The highlight of our trip is meeting the Tsaatan nomads and their friendly reindeer. As one of the few remaining indigenous groups of reindeer herders, the Tsaatans are a disappearing culture. Staying with them is a priceless opportunity to experience their way of life while it’s still around.

8. Drink Airag (fermented mare's milk) Traditional Mongolian Local Beverage Airag is a fermented mare's milk, which has a slightly sour taste and a small percentage of alcohol. Airag is considered an alcoholic beverage though it is neither made from fruit nor from grain. ... Airag is white in color and it has a foamy sour taste, which is the result of the natural sugars in horse milk. After you visit to Mongolia, you must try to taste it and drink like a Mongolian Khan. It would be something you have never experienced.

9. Be right on time for the #Naadam Festival The Naadam Festival is the biggest event of the Mongolian year! Naadam, which means "games", is celebrated in every town and rural district across the country. The National games in Ulaanbaatar are held between the 11th & 13th July every year, but dates vary outside of the capital. The festival features the three manly sports: wrestling, archery and horse racing. The strongest wrestlers, fastest horses and expert marksmen come together to compete for National and regional titles. Local festivities and merry-making are also key feature - something that everyone's encouraged to participate in! All generations come together to celebrate this annual festival.

10. Experience Eagle Hunting in Western Mongolia The ancient art of falconry as practised by the Kazakh Mongolians has remained unchanged for millennia. Admire the speed and power of the noble eagle and marvel at the close relationship that exists between her and her master. Set against the majestic Altai mountain views, this is an experience that truly epitomizes Mongolia.

There are many reasons you might want to visit Mongolia - perhaps to seek the vast open spaces, so rare in other parts of the world; perhaps to immerse yourself in unspoilt nature; to breathe the clean air; to hike and horse ride; to find nights dark enough to throw the glittering heavens into sharp relief. In the countryside (and most of Mongolia remains countryside) the Eternal Sky held sacred by Mongolians since well before the time of Chinggis Khan levitates majestically over wide-open grassland prairie, steppe, subarctic evergreen forest, wetland, alpine tundra, mountain, and desert. It stretches above yak, goat, reindeer, camel, wolves, bears, marmot, squirrel; forms the tapestry on which hawk, falcon, eagle and crane craft momentary, dissipating brushstrokes; and frames some of the last traditional nomadic peoples and wild horses on Earth. Make the most of your time in Mongolia and consider our top 10 Adventurous things to see and do: