Mongolia Travel Blog & News

You’ve probably heard of sheep herders and cattle herders. But how about...reindeer herders? Now presenting, an introduction to the Tsaatan reindeer herders of Mongolia! If you’re visiting Mongolia and looking for an under the radar cultural experience, the Tsaatan reindeer herders are going to be your “thing.” As in, the “thing” that you take back home through amazing pictures and incredible stories, the marker of your fantastic experience traveling in Mongolia. There’s a lot to know before you set out on your journey, so let this introduction to the Tsaatan reindeer herders be your guide. From herding history to cultural ties, we’ll take you through the A-Z of reindeer herding in Mongolia.

Lake Khuvsgul is one of the best sites to visit for travelers venturing to Mongolia. Located in the northern region of the country, close to the border with Russia, Lake Khuvsgul offers a host of activities and attractions for every type of adventure traveler. From hiking to boating, you’ll be plenty entertained on the shores of one of Mongolia’s largest lakes. Since travelers tend to flock to Ulaanbaatar when planning to go to Mongolia, we figured that a guide to visiting Lake Khuvsgul would be useful for those of you looking to go a bit more off the map. Here’s everything you need to know about Lake Khuvsgul.

For many people in the Western world, Mongolia is a faraway destination. They may know about Genghis Khan, but not much else. After centuries of Chinese rule, one common misconception is that Mongolian speak Chinese. While some surely do, in Mongolia, they speak Mongolian. It is an ancient and interesting language, full of cool ways to express ideas. It has undergone a few changes since it was spoken by Genghis Khan.

Mongolia celebrates many festivals and celebrations throughout the year, and one of the most important of them is Naadam festival which is held in summer months all over the country. While the national celebration of Naadam is held on 11th and 12th of July every year in the central stadium, each province and soum (equivalent to villages) also organize their own local Naadam festival throughout summer months, mostly in July and August. Given its importance and unique celebrations, Naadam was registered in Unesco`s Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2010.

Mongolia has a rich culture, and one of the most well-known aspects is its music. With interesting instruments and mesmerizing vocal techniques, Mongolians over the centuries have developed a unique sound to express their lives on the steppe. There are many elements to learn about, however, we’ll just give you a primer on what the basics are. If you decide to visit Mongolia, you should definitely take the opportunity to hear a live musical performance; it’s definitely worth the flight to get in!

After the Gobi Desert, I’d say Lake Khuvsgul is next on the “Must See List” for Mongolia--it’s beautiful, crystalline blue waters are stunning! It’s in the opposite direction from Ulaanbaatar and will also require some decisions about travel. The best time of year to visit is summer--June, July or August--with July being usually the warmest. August is the beginning of fall in Mongolia and can sometimes mean more rain than a visitor wants to contend with. You can visit before and after those three months but many camps do shut down for a part of fall, all of winter, and the start of spring.

Mongolia and ballet might not go well in your mind if you don’t have a lot of information about Mongolia and only imagine it being a vast land where the residents live in the yurt in the freezing cold. If so, I strongly recommend you to go deeper into our blogs!

Before human beings came to Eurasia, many varieties of horses roamed in herds over the vast steppes of the continent. In vast herds, with complex societies and feeding on the seas of grass, they lived and died for centuries. Eventually, mankind roamed in and developed a relationship with one particular species. Humans started to domesticate equus ferus around 4000 BCE.   After another thousand years, this species, equus ferus, started to become more widespread. They outcompeted the other wild horse species, and one by one, they went extinct. The domesticated horse was the last horse standing. Except for one species. A hardy, little black and tan horse called Przewalski’s horse, or the takhi, managed to survive in what is now Mongolia. 

They can ride like the wind but the galloping hooves of time threatened to dilute, perhaps obliterate, their nomadic traditions. Meta Mertens calls it her horse heaven…the sweeping plains of Mongolia, where she is proud to play a part maintaining centuries of equine history. She has witnessed the country's primary nomadic lifestyle resist a drift into the cities for work.

Moscow is an option for transferring your flight into Mongolia. If you are interested in visiting Mongolia, you could choose one of the three or four airports in the city to transfer through.