Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Choibalsan is a large city by Mongolian standards, so hitching a ride on a truck or any
other vehicle in or out of the city should not be difficult. Ask around the market.
WORTH A TRIP
NORTHERN DORNOD
A loop around northern Dornod makes for a good, offbeat, three- or four-day jeep
trip. From Choibalsan, what looks like a main road on the map is in fact a dirt track
that loosely parallels the railway line that runs to the Russian border.
Around two thirds along the way, near the village of Gurvangazal, keep an eye out
for the
Wall of Chinggis Khaan
. Despite the name, it was probably built during the
Liao dynasty to prevent rampaging Mongol hordes from heading east. Locals know
it as the Chingissiin Zam, or Chinggis' Rd, which gives some indication of just how
worn down the wall has become, so it's not quite as impressive as that other, more
famous wall built by the Chinese.
The road continues northeast to
Khökh Nuur
, a medium-sized freshwater lake at
an altitude of 560m (the lowest point in Mongolia). There's a desolate beauty to
this home of waders and shore birds.
From Khökh Nuur you could head northwest to
Mongol Daguur B Strictly Protected
Area
; if you're lucky, you may come across a roaming herd of gazelle. The nearest
town is Chuluunkhoroot, near the border crossing with Russia - an unappealing
mess of ramshackle concrete buildings, gers and junkyards.
A good dirt road leads west from Chuluunkhoroot through the village of Dashbal-
bar and the mountainous
Ugtam Uul Nature Reserve
, the home of deer, situated
along the Ulz Gol. If you take the
turnoff
(GPS: N 49°26.686', E 113°48.120')
from the main
road into the hills, you'll soon come across some mysterious
monastery ruins
(GPS: N
49°17.175', E 113°46.196')
. It's not known exactly when the monastery was built but some
effort has been made to stop it from disintegrating completely.
Jeep tracks lead further west along the main road to Bayandun and Bayan-Uul,
both fine areas for camping and horse riding. There is a good road from Bayan-Uul
back to Choibalsan (187km, 3½ hours) or you could take the rough road further
west to Dadal via Norovlin (140km, four hours).
TOP OF CHAPTER
Kherlen Bar Khot
These small-scale
ruins
(GPS: N 48°03.287', E 113°21.865')
, consisting of the remains of four
temples and eroded pedestals of statues, as well as a poorly preserved 10m-high brick
