The Ultimate Get-Away-From-It-All Vacation – Mongolia

Mongolia is three times the size of France and has only one major city, its capital Ulaanbaatar, where the majority of Mongolians reside. Roughly a third of the population is nomadic or semi-nomadic and practice a way of life that is so very different in rhythm and culture than ours. The country is emptier than the mind can imagine, an incredible landscape of windswept desert dunes, towering pines, snow-capped mountains, flowing rivers and incredible expanses of valleys and steppes.

The Ghost of Genghis Kahn

The most well-known place in Mongolia is not its capital, but rather Kharkhorin, the spiritual heart of the country. Genghis Khan built the capital city of his far-reaching empire here, naming it Karakorum. During the 13th century, Khan’s empire spanned from Central Europe to the Sea of Japan. Surprisingly, in spite of his brutal nature, Khan founded a city that embraced Buddhists, Christians and Muslims—an early example of religious tolerance. He continues to be one of the most famous historical figures in Mongolia, which is today Buddhist at large. The entire region surrounding Kharkhorin is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and there are many ancient ruins to explore.