MONGOLIA: Try Visiting Mongolia

According to Mongolian Buddhism, a spot in the middle of the Gobi desert is where the strongest spiritual energy in the world converges. To mark the location, the monastery complex was built in the 19th century, Khamriin Khiid.

The original Khamriin Khiid monastery was founded in 1820 by Danzanravjaa, known as the Terrible Noble Saint of the Gobi, who observed the location’s tremendous energy. At its peak, the monastery housed up to 500 monks, and included more than 80 temples within the complex.

Danzanravjaa was a great scholar and practitioner of the arts, as well as a social reformer.

He set up a theater at the monastery for people to develop their singing and acting skills, and a public school, which encouraged education for both men and women.

The lively and productive monastery was destroyed in 1937, in the wake of the Communist purge against religions, and Khamriin Khiid in its current form was reconstructed in 1990.

Today, hundreds of pilgrims visit the site every day at dawn to benefit from the spiritual energy that is believed to radiate as a new day is born.

Shambala, the centerpiece of the complex, is surrounded by 108 stupas, encircling other holy monuments and temples, the most prominent of which has a large pair of eyes staring at visitors.

The enclosed space is said to be warmer due to the energy that emanates from Shambala, and it is not uncommon to see pilgrims taking off their shoes to better absorb the energy.

Another form of worship is the throwing of rice, millet, milk and vodka on monuments. Other visitors walk around singing a song composed for Khamriin Khiid.

Outside the enclosure are the series of caves where Danzanravjaa and other monks meditated for 108 days, two huge breast-shaped mounds covered in milk, a wind-activated bell, and the actual monastery.

Mongolia is known as the land of blue skies, boasting vast and dramatic landscapes, from its sand dunes and alpine forests to its famous steppe that stretches toward never-ending horizons.

Go explore unique national parks and a historic sporting festival—by road, on foot, and even on camel and horseback.

On this remote adventure, we'll be charting a path across large swaths of Mongolia's striking terrain. Along the way, you'll have the chance to visit with nomadic families and dive into the complicated history of the Mongol Empire.

You'll stay in traditional ger camps and taste classic food and drink, including Airag, the fermented mare's milk that's a local favorite.

The journey will culminate with the annual Naadam Festival among thousands of other spectators, observing physical feats that pay tribute to Mongolia's warring history.

Your small group of 10 to 16 intrepid explorers will be traveling in the company of a local guide.

Highlights

Dramatic natural landscapes: You'll take in a vast variety of scenery, from the Mongol Els sand dune to the famous steppe, from the Orkhon River to lush meadowland and dramatic rock formations.

The Naadam Festival:Your adventure ends with the celebratory competitions of the three games of men — archery, horseback riding, and wrestling—that pay tribute to Mongolia's warrior history.

Hiking, horseback riding, and home cooking: You'll have many opportunities to roam beneath Mongolia's big blue skies—on foot, on horseback, and on camels—in addition to trying your hand at a few local dishes.

Overnights in traditional ger camps: A ger is a traditional nomadic dwelling similar to a yurt and has served as home to generations of Mongolians.

Throughout the trip, you'll be spending your nights in a range of remote settings, from the banks of Ögii Lake to multiple national parks.


Tourism Observer

MONGOLIA: Beautiful Mongolia

With an area of approximately 1.6 million square kilometers, Mongolia is about four times as big as California and more than six times bigger than the entire United Kingdom.

Getting from one province to another involves days of driving over some of the roughest terrain on the planet, often across vast stretches of empty space.

Sometimes the only company for miles is the herds of horses, yaks and sheep found grazing on the plains.

Other times its the vultures seen circling above.

While the landlocked country is mostly covered by steppes, you also get to see marvels such as lakes, canyons, sand dunes and cliffs along the way.

Mongolia's weather conditions are just as varied.

From the near arctic weather in the northwest where reindeer still run wild to the green larch forest in the northeast to the bone-dry conditions of the Gobi Desert, Mongolia has got every climate covered.

Sometimes, all four seasons can be experienced in one day.

Mongolians often leave their gers open for passersby who may need a rest.

With more than one third of its three million inhabitants living as nomads, Mongolia is one of the few countries where visitors can still experience a genuine nomadic lifestyle.

Family stays offer a glimpse on what it's like to live an itinerant lifestyle and a chance to experience the famous Mongolian hospitality.

"You can simply turn up unannounced and the Mongolian household will gladly offer you food, a bed and even tend to your horse," says Timur Yadamsuren, local guide and country manager for Intrepid Travel in Mongolia.

In fact, they don't believe in locking their gers -- the felt homes they dwell in.

They simply leave its door open to allow access to any passersby in need food or a rest.

Lucky visitors may be invited to a private shamanic ceremony in which a traditional healer is said to travel to an alternate reality to communicate with spirits and other beings.

Many Mongolians still observe such ancient beliefs to this day and often approach a shaman to receive blessings, cures or hints about their future.

Mongolia's also the place where American adventurer Roy Chapman Andrews discovered unhatched dinosaur eggs among other significant finds in the 1920s.

The epicenter of this discovery is South Gobi's Flaming Cliffs -- considered one of the world's greatest dinosaur fossil sites.

In other parts of the world, such a location might've been kept off-limits to the public.

Standing on the ground where dinosaurs once roamed, it's hard not to be thrilled by the prospect of finding even a small bone fragment on the sandstones.

During our visit our guide lets slip that she knows where to see one.

We find it concealed under a small rock at the base of a cliff.

After carefully moving the topsoil using her bare hands, she unearths a fully formed backbone.

Although she admits that it hasn't been verified yet, she's convinced it belongs to a dinosaur.

Whether it's the genuine article or not, Mongolia may offer one of the closest experiences uncovering dinosaur fossils in the wild.

As the sun starts to dip lower on the horizon, its rays cast brilliantly against the rugged sandstones, turning them a vibrant orange.

The brilliant sunset is just one of many awe-inspiring moments this country has to offer.