The Uran Togoo is a national protected area in the Bulgan Province of Mongolia. It is located about 60 kms directly west of Bulgan city around the extinct volcanoes Uran Togoo, Tulga, Togoo, and Jalavch Uul. The main highlight is Uran Uul mountain extinct volcano is located on the half way point between the two major travel destinations-the Khuvsgul Lake and Amarbayasgalanr Monastery. The crater of Uran Uul volcano is about 600 meters in diameter and 50 meters in depth and has small lake at the bottom of it.
Amarbayasgalant Monastery is one of the three largest Buddhist monastic centers in Mongolia. The monastery complex is located in the valley near the Selenge river in Selenge province in northern Mongolia. The construction of the monastery temples, towers and other buildings, completed in 1737. The monastery is one of only few monasteries that survived the religious purges of the 1930’s thanks to its remote location. The restoration of the monastery completed with the aid of UNESCO.
Mongolian shamanism is ethnic religion that has been practiced in Khuvsgul area where people most commonly practice shamanism. Some of the most powerful shaman live in this area. The shamanism rituals is based on the view that besides the visible world the shaman interacts with many other worlds or universes, and that contacting the spirits is an important part of shamans’ work. Shamans constantly do their work with poetic invocation, music, dance, and creative arts.
The beautiful, mountainous Darkhad Valley, is located in the Far North of Mongolia. The area is home to some of the most powerful shamans in Mongolia. Darkhad Basin lies 50 km west of Lake Khuvsgul. Most of the Tsaatan minority, or the reindeer breeders, live in this region. This ethnic people’s lifestyle and traditions are of special interest for tourists.
Lake Khövsgöl (Khuvsgul) is the largest freshwater lake in Mongolia by volume and second largest by area. It is located near the northern border of Mongolia. The lake is 136 kilometers long, 36 kilometers wide, 262 meters deep from its surface to the bottom and make up over 1% of the world’s fresh water. Khuvsgul lake is surrounded by majestic mountains covered with thick pine and larch forests where the unique wildlife of the region flourishes. The Lake is ideal for kayaking, boating, fishing, horseback riding, trekking, birding, camping, wildlife viewing, and photography.
