Bayankhongor Province

Bayankhongor is a great place to experience Mongolia’s semi desert steppes, plains and mountains, historical and cultural opportunities, and Gobi nomadic lifestyle. With its remoteness and sparsely developed tourist facilities, Bayankhongor is quite unique to other popular destinations.

This fascinating place has more than thirty lakes, hot and cold spring such as Shargaljuut - is the most famous for its healing properties and various mineral compounds. Magnificent Ikh Bogd and Baga Bogd mountains tower the majestic Valley of the Lakes. Both peaks of these mountains are snow capped year around, dramatic and welcoming sight in this desert settings of saltpans, lakes and small sand dunes under cloudless blue sky.

Orog and Buun tsagaan lake are the biggest lakes in the region, salty lakes that varies in size over the years depending on precipitation. Like any other parts of the Gobi, few nomads live here and those that do traditionally raise camels although many are now switching over to cashmere goats. About 90km east of Bayangobi soum, Tsagaan Agui or White Cave, the oldest Paleolithic or early Stone Age site is located on the gorge.

The cave’s ceiling towered 50m and dusty wall is covered in pink crystal. More than 800 stone artifacts were found from here by the researchers. The Valley of Writings or Bichigt Khad is another mysterious attraction of the region. On the northern side of the Ikh Bayan Nuruu, the rock wall is literally covered by amazingly well-preserved petroglyphs from the Bronze Age which dates 5000 years back.

The beautiful area is rich in marmot, fox, badger, lynx, wild sheep, ibex, white antelope, black tailed antelope. Rarely seen wild ass, wild camel, wild horse and Gobi bear are the natural inhabitants. Tsagaan Bulag is the natural spring comes from the unusual lump of white marble rock runs to the green creek nearby, which is the ideal stop for natural scenery.