The main lakes are Khar Us Nuur, Khar Nuur and Dörgön Nuur. The national park was established in 1997, and then designated as a Ramsar (wetland of international significance) site in 1999. The lakes have the largest reed beds in Central Asia. Surrounded by desert landscapes, it is surprising to find that rare wild boars can survive in the reeds. Saiga antelope, though rare, still make their way through the eastern areas of the national park and nearby Jargalant Hairhan Mountain has snow leopards, argali sheep and siberian ibex. The mammals are, however, difficult to observe.  For this reason, the many species of birds, the landscape and encounters with local nomads are the main attractions here.

The avifauna include black-throated divers, arctic loon, red-crested pochard, swan goose, white-headed ducks, Pallas’s fish eagle, Dalmatian pelican, great cormorant, great sand plover and great egrets, observable by the lakesides and straits. On Jargalant Hairhan Mountain you have a reasonably good chance of seeing wallcreeper, white-throated bush-chat, Eurasian and cinereous vulture, lammergeier, chukar, Altai snowcock, golden eagle and steppe eagle.

Approximately 20 000 people live in and adjacent to Khar Us Nuur National Park. Most are nomads with some 200 000 livestock. Their migrations here may cover a fairly long distance, as precipitation is on average only 120mm per annum, and sometimes as little as 70mm. Also, the lakeside has too many mosquitoes in the summer, so the herders  usually take their livestock to higher altitudes.

The people of Chandmani soum claim that Hoomi (throat singing) originated in their area. Chandmani is located east of Jargalant Hairhan Mountain. The water run-off from the mountain creates unusual habitats with birch groves on an otherwise arid desert steppe. Further east you will find Dörgön Nuur, which is a salt and alkaline lake, having no outlets. As such, it does not support mosquitoes (as do the other lakes in July and August). Mongolia’s biggest sand dunes – Mongol Sands – end abruptly on the eastern shore of the lake, creating a Mongolian Riviera of sand beaches. 

Nomadic Journeys have partnered with a community group in Chandmani soum to host our visitors. They, in turn, work with the WWF Mongolia and International Snow Leopard Trust efforts through Irbis Enterprises to develop and sell handicrafts.

Hovd is the main town of western Mongolia, having already been established in Manchu times as a trading post. Today, you can fly here in a couple of hours from Ulaanbaatar and land on the only tarmac airfield in western Mongolia. (Which is why larger aircraft can land here). Hovd also has one of few universities outside Ulaanbaatar. It is 40km from Hovd to  Khar Us Nuur. On the west side of Hovd are the Höh Serhiin (Blue Goat) Mountains, a protected area in the Altai Mountains where there are snow leopards, argali sheep and siberian ibex.

How to travel there:

There are flights from Ulaanbaatar to Hovd, during summer, most days of the week. For the land portion of your trip you need be self sufficient. Hovd has some ger camps. Please also look at our trip, Khar Us Nuur National Park.