ACTIVITIES in HOVSGOL MONGOLIA


Mongolian Blue Pearl Lake called Hovsgol,Khuvsgul,Khovsgol,Khubsugul it all same.With different spelling. But this is the Mongolian Fresh Lake Hovsgol with many different Mongolian
Nationality Darhad,Buriad,Khalh,Hotgoid,Urianhai,Tsaatan,This is the Lake where human can do cultural tours,historical tours,horseriding,fishing, hiking,kayaking,boat trips,eco tours,winter tours.That’s amazing place. Known as “ The Dark Blue Pearl ”. Located in the most northern province, it is the largest tributary stream of Lake Baikal in Russia.
Khovsgol (Khuvsgul) is 1645m above sea level and is frozen from January until April or May. A ferryboat operates between Khatgal and Khankh, two towns on the southern and northern shores of the lake that are within the boundaries of the Khovsgol (Khuvsgul) National Park.
Size - 1,012 square miles (2,620 sq. km.)
One of the largest lakes of Mongolia, known as “ The Dark Blue Pearl ”. Located in the most northern province (Khuvsgul aimag), it is the largest tributary stream of Lake Baikal in Russia. Khuvsgol is 1645 m above sea level and is frozen from January until April or May.
Try to imagine a 2760 sq km alpine lake, with water so pure you can drink it. Then add dozens of mountains 2000m high or more, thick pine forests and lush meadows with grazing yaks and horses, and you have a vague impression of Khovsgol Nuur (Khuvsgul lake), Mongolia's top scenic attraction. In surface area this is the second largest lake (136km long and 30km wide) in Mongolia, surpassed in size only by Uvs Nuur, a shallow salt lake in the western part of the country.
Khovsgol Nuur (Khuvsgul lake) is the deepest lake (up to 262m) in Central Asia, and the world's fourteenth largest source of fresh water - containing between 1% and 2% of the world's fresh water (that's 380,700 billion liters of water). Geologically speaking, Khovsgol (Khuvsgul) is the younger sibling of Lake Baikal, only 195km to the north-east, and was formed by the same tectonic forces.
It is full of fish, such as lenok and sturgeon, and the area is home to argali sheep, ibex, bear, sable and moose as well as over 200 species of birds, including the Baikal teal, barheaded goose (kheeriin galuu in Mongolian), black stork and Altai snowcock.
The region also hosts three separate, unique peoples: Darkhad, Buryat and Tsaatan.
The lake is now part of the Khovsgol Nuur (Khuvsgul lake) National Park (established in 1992). Of it's 838,000 hectares, 251,000 are forest (though tree cover is starting to disappear around the lakeshore). The 188,634 hectare Khoridol Saridag Nuruu Strictly Protected Area was added to the park in 1997. An amazing 96 rivers flow into the lake, while only one river flows out - the Egiin Gol, which flows into the Selenge Gol and finally reaches Lake Baikal in Siberia.
Khovsgol Nuur (Khuvsgul lake) freezes in winter with 120cm of ice (and may not completely thaw out until early June), allowing huge trucks carrying fuel to cross from Siberia. This practice was officially prohibited in the 1980s (but still continues regardless) when it was realized that leaking oil from the trucks was polluting the lake. Around 40 trucks have fallen through the ice over the years.
There are numerous caves around the lake, so specialists are interested in the area, though finding a cave worth exploring in the thick forests will require a guide, considerable time and a lot of luck. Visitors also come to fish, swim in the icy water, watch the ducks, seagulls and other bird life, hike or horseback ride along the shoreline, or just find a comfortable spot to stay and soak in the fresh air and natural beauty.
Khovsgol Nuur (Khuvsgul lake) is a pristine but increasingly heavily visited part of Mongolia.
The best time to visit the lake is in spring, when it rains less and the flowers and bird life are often at their best - but it will still be very cold (there will be plenty of snow on the ground), and the lake may still be frozen.
The summer is a little more crowded (not so crowded that it would spoil your trip), but it can still be cold, and it often rains. The meadows around the lake are sprinkled with beautiful wildflowers during this time. Autumn is another good time to visit, when the leaves are turning color.
Winter is amazingly cold, though blue skies are the norm. The lake freezes over and you can drive up over the lake and enjoy the disorientating feeling of looking down through the ice to the lake floor. Locals say that the lake is at its most beautiful during this time.
KHATGAL
As the southern gateway to Khovsgol Nuur (Khuvsgul lake), Khatgal is the largest town on the lake. With some of the best budget accommodation in Mongolia, it is a good launch pad for the lake and most people spend at least a day here preparing for or relaxing after a trip. The town is actually on the river, the Egiin Gol, at the mouth of the lake, so you don't get much of an idea of the lake's size from here.
Khatgal used to be a busy depot for trucks headed to and from Russia, but the town's economy has since ground to a halt.
The national park has set up a couple of marked walking trails starting from Khatgal. A shoreline trail leads 10km until it hits the jeep road. A 12km loop ridge trail branches off the shoreline trail and heads up and along a ridge offering fine views of the lake. For an easier view of the lake just climb the hill immediately North of Nature's Door camp.
Information: a new national park office is being built at the southern end of town which should offer hiking information and a video and slide show on the park.
WESTERN SHORE
From Khatgal, a reasonable road first heads south-west before swinging north-east across several dry river beds and over the pass, Jankhai Davaa, 17km from Khatgal, where you receive your first magical glimpse of the lake. The road continues past the gorgeous headlands of Jankhai, once a Russian village, and Toilogt, where there is a rash of ger camps. The road then gradually deteriorates. Very few vehicles venture past Toilogt, so no road maintenance is deemed necessary.
Around 30km north of Toilogt is Khar Us, a series of springs surrounded by meadows of beautiful wildflowers. In June locals flock here to eat the bailius fish for it's medicinal properties. This makes a great destination to reach on horseback.
A jeep can travel as far as Jiglegyn Am, almost exactly halfway up the western shore, before the trail disappears into mud and forest. Only horses can go further north or take the western trail from Jiglegyn Am to Renchinlkhumbe, on the way to Tsagaan Nuur.
EASTERN SHORE
The eastern shore is not as good because the road rarely hugs the lake, the scenery isn't as pretty, there are only a handful of gers between Chuluut and Borsog, almost no wildlife, and the flies can be appalling. If that doesn't put you off, it might if we said that this is the worse stretch of road we encountered in 15,000km of overland travel. There are some plans to improve the trail.
From Khatgal, head for the bridge over the Egiin Gol, where you may need to ask directions. The trail meanders over some hills and past a collection of huts known as Chuluut - if in doubt, follow the line of electricity poles. The trail continues past an interesting ovoo (a shamanistic collection of stones, wood or other offerings) at the pass Ikh Santin Davaa to a gorgeous spot called Borsog, six hours by jeep and 103km from Khatgal.
With a tent and your own food, you could have a lovely time in Borsog picking wildflowers, swimming, hiking and fishing with just a few yaks and a ger with a slightly lonely family for neighbours.
If your spine hasn't suffered permanent damage by now, you could carry on further to a couple of gers known as Sevsuul. The road actually improves a little here, then hugs the lake and is usually passable all the way to Khankh. Surprisingly, a few sand dunes dot the landscape.
From Khatgal, allow at least 12 hours by jeep to travel the 200 or so kilometres to Khankh (Turt), a former depot for oil tankers headed to and from Siberia. Khankh is more Buryat and Russian than Mongolian, because it is closer to its northern neighbour than to Ulaanbaator.
Remember that if you reach Khankh, you will have to come all the way back along the same bone-crunching, eastern road: there is no way any vehicle could get from Khankh to Jiglegyn Am, halfway up the western shore. At the moment going all the way around the lake is only possible by boat or horse.
ACTIVITIES
Hiking. This is one of the best ways to see the lake and the mountains surrounding it. You will need to be self-sufficient, although there are a few gers in the area to buy some meat or dairy products from. The trails around the lake are easy to follow, or just hug the shoreline as much as you can.
Of the mountains in the south-western region, the most accessible is Tsartai Ekh Uul (2515m), immediately west of Jankhai, where the hiking is excellent. Also try the numerous other mountains in the mountain range Khoridol Saridag Nuruu, such as Khuren Uul (3020m), not far north of the trail to Renchinlkhumbe; Ikh Uul (2961m), a little north-west of Toilogt; and the volcano of Uran Dosh Uul (2792m).
Longer treks are possible around the Dorkhod Sayani Nuruu range, which has many peaks over 3000m.

Kayaking & Boating. Traveling by kayak would allow you to see the lake without the strain of driving along the appalling roads. The lake is full of glorious little coves, perfect for camping and fishing, and you could even check out the only island, Modon Huys, almost exactly in the middle of the lake.
Several large boats remain moored at Khatgal docks. They very occasionally take passengers up to Khankh but these days they will only move when chartered, which will cost an arm and a leg. If you do charter a boat to Khankh, you'll still have to share it with a boatload of nonpaying passengers who have been waiting for some tourist or trader to fork out the money.
Horse Riding. If you just want to hire a horse for a few hours you could arrange this with a family at the lake. A guide is recommended for any horse-riding trips in the region.
A complete circuit of the lake on horseback will take from ten days to two weeks. A return trip by horse from Khatgal to Tsagaan Nuur, and a visit to the Tsaatan people, will take from 10 to 12 days. An interesting 10-day trip could take you east of the lake to Chandiman Ondor and Dayan Derkhiin Agui cave.
Fishing. If you love fishing, then you'll get excited about Khovsgol Nuur (Khuvsgul lake). Bring your own fishing gear - or beg, borrow or buy one. A rod would be better, but you can still have success with a hand line and a simple lure. You can fish from headlands along the shore, from bridges or, if you are keen, wade into the lake for a few meters.
Some of the best spots we found were the bridge at the southern end of Khatgal (which leads to the road going up the eastern shore), Borsog on the west shore, and at several coves where the eastern road meets the south-east shore. Around a dozen species of fish inhabit the lake, including salmon, sturgeon, grayling and lenok.
Fishing is not allowed before July 10. T


FIVE RIVERS
About 50km South of Moron, on the border with the Arkhangai aimag, is an area where the Ider, Bugsei, Selenge, Delger Moron and Chuluut rivers converge. In September and October this is one of the best fishing spots in the country.

Discovering Mongolia with Bonda Lake...
You will find here a sample of the trips we can organise for you. All trips are on demand, we listen to your needs and desires and accomodate a special trip for you, shared with others or not.For details, or if you have any other ideas or desires, please feel free to contact us in english, russian or mongolian on this e-mail address mongoliantrips@yahoo.com

Horse trips

Bonda Lake has organised horse trips since 1993. Our guides know very well the area and can organise horse trips corresponding to your needs. Hovsgol offers landscape beauties from the steppes to the great Siberian Larches forest, mountains and pristine lakes and rivers, but also the discovery of mongolian herders way of life and culture.Our guides will drive you through the best spots of the area, handle and prepare the horses and pack horses, explain and show you mongol riding skills and horse medicine, prepare the meals, help the contacts with herders and delight your evenings with mongol songs and their laughs. Tents and mats for fire camps can be provided by Bonda Lake.


Fishing,Kayaking and Boat trips in khovsgol region

Younger sibling of Lake Baikal, Hovsgol Nuur is a 2760 sq km alpine lake, with water so pure you can drink it, surrounded by dozens of mountains 2000m high or more, thick pine forests and lush meadows with grazing yaks and horses... In surface area this is the second largest lake (136km long and 30km wide) in Mongolia.It is full of fish, such as lenok and sturgeon, and the area is home to argali sheep, ibex, bear, sable and moose as well as over 200 species of birds, including the Baikal teal, barheaded goose (kheeriin galuu in Mongolian), black stork and Altai snowcock. Kayak is one of the possibilities to discover this wildlife and Nature's beauty. At your own pace, sleeping in ger camps along the shores or simply enjoy the simplicity of a fire camp, we can provide you kayaks, tents, and food. Our guides can help you discover each beauties of the shores, arrange contacts with herders nearby, prepare mongol and european cooking and delight your evenings with mongol songs.
Ger to ger/Nomadic family to family trips/
You want to discover the mongolian herders way of life and culture ? Hovsgol is also the place with rich pastures and many herders have established their winter ,spring,summer,autumn camps in the area. By the fireplace and a "suu tai tsai" (milk tea) in hand, they will tell you the stories of Hovsgol aimag and the difficulties and joys of a nomad's life. You will also discover with them the diverse aspects of mongolian cooking, and the herder's everyday tasks.It’s possible to organize for any time of the year.With an english-speaking guide or not, by horse or by car, we are here to help you organise this wonderful human experience.
Have a nice trip Mongolia.

Dan& Loisa,
wordtrekdarhadmongol@hotmail.com