Excursions in Mongolia: Terelj National Park
The imposing cliffs and gentle valleys of Terelj are a wilderness refuge within reach of Ulaan Baatar. The forested slopes are home to moose and brown bear; the skies are filled with the silhouettes of hunting birds; the pure headwaters of the Tuul River abound with whitefish and the Taimen, Mongolia's indigenous salmon.
Terelj National Park
Ulaan Baatar, Mongolia
The imposing cliffs and gentle valleys of Terelj are a wilderness refuge within reach of Ulaan Baatar. The forested slopes are home to moose and brown bear; the skies are filled with the silhouettes of hunting birds; the pure headwaters of the Tuul River abound with whitefish and the Taimen, Mongolia's indigenous salmon.
Terelj can be enjoyed from a motor vehicle, although the more energetic will find hidden valleys at the end of a sedate guided horse-ride.
Deep in the park, rock massifs lead the eye down a dizzying descent to the Gunjiin Sum, a remote temple of the early 17th century. The opportunity is here to visit nomads in their traditional Ger tents - you may be fortunate enough to share the hospitality (and milk vodka) of these local people.
More about Ulaan Baatar, Mongolia