Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
TOP OF CHAPTER
Khar Us Nuur National Park
About 40km to the east of Khovd City is
Khar Us Nuur
(Dark Water Lake), the second-
largest freshwater lake (15,800 sq km) in Mongolia - but with an average depth of only
4m. Khovd Gol flows into this lake, creating a giant marsh delta. Khar Us Nuur is the
perfect habitat for wild ducks, geese, wood grouse, partridges and seagulls, including
rare relict gulls and herring gulls - and by late summer a billion or two of everyone's
friend, the common mosquito.
Birdwatchers, however, may be a little disappointed: the lake is huge, difficult to reach
because of the marshes and locals know very little, if anything, about the birdlife. The
best idea would be to go with one of the national park workers and head for the delta
where the Khovd Gol enters the lake in May or late August.
The easiest place to see the lake is from the main Khovd-Altai road at the southern tip
of the lake, where a metal
watchtower
(GPS: N 47°50.541', E 092°01.541')
has been set up to
view the nearby reed islands.
The outflow from Khar Us Nuur goes into a short river called Chono Khairkhan,
which flows into another freshwater lake,
Khar Nuur
(Black Lake), home to some mi-
gratory pelicans. The southern end of Khar Nuur flows into
Dörgön Nuur
, which is a
large alkaline lake good for swimming. The eastern side of Dörgön Nuur is an area of
bone-dry desert and extensive sand dunes.
Just to the south, and between the Khar and Khar Us lakes, are the twin peaks of
Jar-
galant Khairkhan Uul
(3796m) and
Yargaitin Ekh Uul
(3464m). You can see the massif
as you drive to Ölgii from Altai in Gov-Altai aimag. With the help of a guide you'll find
numerous springs in these mountains. The canyons also hide a 22m high
waterfall
.
In 2004, 22
takhi
(Przewalski's horse) were introduced to the
Khomyn Tal
buffer zone
and became the third herd of this critically endangered horse to be re-established in Mon-
golia.
THE GREEN TARA OF DÖRGÖN
In Dörgön sum,two hours' drive from Khovd City, an elderly woman is performing
miracles. Megjin, who's in her sixties, has spent the past several years clearing out
a demon-infested charnel ground near the shores of Dalay Nuur, a small saltwater
lake beside the larger Khar Us Nuur. The once-barren ground has been planted
