Gobi Gurvan Saikhan, Mongolia
With its iconic sand dunes, ice canyon and stunning mountain vistas, Gurvan Saikhan National Park is understandably one of Mongolia’s most popular national parks. Most travellers see only a fraction of it, sticking to the main sites. With more time, though, it’s possible to drive to the remote western area – an eerie landscape so lacking in life that you may feel as if you’ve landed on Mars.
Gurvan Saikhan National Park, protected from development since 1963, is named after three of its ridges. Besides its spectacular natural beauty it contains more than 200 bird species, including the Mongolian desert finch, cinereous vulture, desert warbler and houbara bustard. The park also has 600 or more types of plants, which help support the black-tailed gazelles, Kozlov’s pygmy jerboas, wild asses and endangered species of wild camel, snow leopard, ibex and argali sheep.
Epic Mongolia Culture & Adventure Route © Monika Newbound
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