Eastern Mongolia

Introducing Eastern Mongolia

Eastern Mongolia is where heaven and earth fuse into one part – a blank slate of blue sky colliding with an equally empty sea of yellow grass. The occasional wooden shack or ger reminds you that humans do inhabit this enormous landscape, but for the most part it’s an unspoilt amphitheatre of bounding gazelle, scurrying marmots and jeep tracks that squiggle endlessly into the distance.

Biologists fawn over the region, touting it as one of the world’s last great unharmed grassland ecosystems – imagine the scenery from Dances with Wolves. Yet, Mongolian politicians have their own vision of Manifest Destiny and threaten the region with ill-planned urban-development schemes. Get there before the grassland disappears.

Besides the grasslands, the major feature of the region is the Khan Khentii mountains. This was the homeland of Temujin, the embattled boy who grew up to become Chinggis Khaan. A number of sites recall his legacy – the highlight being Dadal, a storybook village of log cabins that claims to be the birthplace of the great khaan. In the southeast of the region, Dariganga remains an inspiring getaway. This volcanic area is filled with craters, lava tubes, ancient stone figures and legendary stories about horse bandits that harassed the Chinese.

Most travellers write off the east because it’s not on the way to anywhere and lacks the sex appeal of the Gobi. This is a shame as it’s one of the most beautiful areas of the country and relatively easy to get around by jeep. Yet it’s something of a blessing for those travellers who want to leave the tourist buses behind and experience an almost untouched landscape.

Last updated: Feb 17, 2009