The blue pearl of Mongolia's northern taiga
Khövsgöl Lake holds a large share of Mongolia's fresh water and is one of the clearest lakes in Asia, stretching over a hundred kilometres north towards Siberia. The landscape is quite unlike the steppe and desert further south: larch forest, wildflower meadows and mountains, with horses and yaks grazing along the shore. Visitors ride, hike and kayak from ger camps near Khatgal. In the taiga beyond live the Dukha, reindeer herders, and in winter the frozen lake hosts an ice festival.