NORTHERN MONGOLIA

KHUVSGUL LAKE – Khuvsgul lake is the second largest freshwater lake in the Central Asia. It has over one percent of the world’s freshwater and a maximum depth of 262m. This beautiful lake is fed by ninety six rivers and streams but only Egiin River flows out from the lake. Khuvsgul lake is inhabited by nine species of fish and surrounding taiga forest, forest steppe and mountains provide habitat for 68 species of mammals including argali, ibex, elk, reindeer, musk deer and brown bear. The lake is surrounded by high mountains with thick pine forests and lush meadows with grazing yaks and horses.

URANTOGOO – Urantogoo is the oldest volcano in Mongolia and it is located 60km to west of Bulgan city around extinct volcanoes Uran togoo, Tulga and Jalavch Uul. This mountain ranks 4th highest mountain the province.  The peak over 1686m form a circle shaped ridge about 500m. It contains a crater lake at 20m wide and 1.5m deep.  The Uran and surrounding volcano are considered as the remnants of an extinct strato volcano formed about 25 thousand years ago.

AMARBAYASGALANT – Amarbayasgalant Monastery is the place of spirits, religious intelligence and admiration of local architecture.  Amarbayasgalant monastery was the retreat place of religious leader for Mongolian Buddhism, the Bogd Khaan Javtsundamba. It is located in the green valley of Iven River on the foot of Burenkhan Mountain in Selenge province. The monastery was established by order of Manju Emperor Enkh-Amgalan to cherish and give a respect to Mongol’s first Bogd Khaan Undur Gegeen Zanabazar. The architecture is influenced by the Tibetan style, curved roofs, mystical gargoyles, mandarin inscriptions and imperial colors. The 3730 kg of silver from the state were used to build inspirational place for Buddha practicing. The rare religious relics, books, sutras, thangkas and Buddhas were destroyed during the communist purge. The monastery was being restored by UNESCO from 1975 until it reopened in 1990.

KHORGO VOLCANO – Khorgo Volcano is located on the east shore of Lake Terkhiin Tsagaan which 2100m above sea level. The volcano erupted in the Quaternary Period and its lave closed the water stream of Suman River.  The result has created a truly incredible landscape of rock formations and huge gorges with rivers and cascades.  There are interesting bubbles of solidified lava, named “basalt ger”.
There is a lake called Terkhiin Tsagaan near the volcano. The lake has volcanic origins, which is easy to figure out by the trail of solidified lava formations leading from the lake to nearby Khorgo Uul volcano.