20 beautiful pictures of life and landscapes in Mongolia

Travel writer and photographer Nellie Huang shares her best pictures of vast and beautiful Mongolia.

Mongolia. Its name alone evokes a sense of mystery. Even in today’s highly connected world, this distant land remains relatively remote, far-flung and largely unexplored.

Traditional Mongolian gers (tents) dot the vast steppes while sand dunes rise from empty deserts and snowcapped mountains loom over lush green grasslands. Every turn on the road reveals a different landscape.

As a travel writer, I’ve visited more than ninety countries on all seven continents. Few have come close to Mongolia in terms of natural beauty. It is a special place, especially for those who love nature and wilderness.

On my recent trip to Mongolia, I spent two weeks traversing the country, from the capital city of Ulaanbaatar to the steppes of the Dundgovi Province region. I explored the sand dunes of Khongoriin Els in the south and made a loop to the Tsenger hot springs area and Hustai National Park. Here are 20 of my best images of Mongolia.

A Gobi camel

A wild horse grazes in Hustai National Park

The view from the Great Imperial Map monument, Karakorum

A stupa at Erdene Zuu Monastery

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The steppes of Bag Gazariin Chuluu

The golden sands of the Gobi Desert

The 108 stupas that surround Erdene Zuu Monastery

The Khongoriin Els sand dunes, Gobi Desert

Off-road in the Yolyn Am Valley

The Buddhist monastery of Ongiin Khiid

Sunset in the northern grasslands

Jurts of a nomad family at sunset, Mongolia © Bildagentur Zoonar GmbH/Shutterstock

Rugged terrain surrounding Ongiin Khiid

Orkhon Valley, a UNESCO World Heritage Site

Nomadic families live in traditional gers on the steppes of Mongolia

A farmer on horseback herds his goats

Driving to Yolyn Am Valley, Gobi Gurvansaikhan National Park

Bayanzag or "Flaming Cliffs", where the first discovery of dinosaur eggs was made

A river that snakes around Ongiin Khiid

A nomadic Mongolian in Tsenger

A lake outside of Karakorum

For more photographs by Nellie, see her travel blog. Copyright © 2015 for all images belongs to Nellie Huang. Compare flights, find tours, book hostels and hotels for your trip, and don’t forget to purchase travel insurance before you go.