Destination:
Mongolia

Mongolia is an unlikely tourist destination but one that proves irresistible to lovers of wide-open spaces, untamed wilderness and raw natural beauty. Outside of the capital Ulaanbaatar, where over half the population lives, visitors encounter a land blissfully unaffected by the modern world. It is a journey back in time where nomadic lifestyles are perfectly in tune with the natural rhythms of the landscape, and the people are renowned for their warmth and hospitality.

Mongolia is three times the size of France and twice the size of Texas, yet with under three million people, it is the most sparsely populated country on earth. The main economic activity is livestock tending, although the country's considerable mineral wealth is beginning to be exploited.

Key attractions are the Gobi Desert with its astounding Khongor sand dunes; the varied sights of Gorkhi-Terelj National Park; vast and pristine Khövsgöl Lake near Moron; and Karakorum, former capital of the Mongol Empire and home to Mongolia's most important monastery. Throughout it all there is the amazing scenery, ranging from desert steppes to snow-clad mountains, that is earning this country a reputation as an ideal destination for adventurers embarking on camel trekking, 4X4 excursions, rock climbing and desert safaris.

Ulaanbaatar itself is more a functional centre with few must-see attractions to speak of. One worthwhile site, however, is the National Museum of History (with an entire floor dedicated to Genghis Khan, founder of the Mongol Empire). Under his grandson Kublai Khan, Mongolia became the world's first superpower, spanning from modern-day Korea to Poland and encompassing 22 percent of the globe at its peak.

Democracy only came to Mongolia in 1990, after being under the yoke of Soviet Russia for most of the 20th century. The most destructive consequence of that regime was the systematic eradication of the native Buddhist faith. Over 7,000 monasteries were destroyed, with only four surviving. Over 20,000 monks were killed. Today, Buddhism is once again flourishing and people are rejoining the traditions that have sustained them for centuries.