This Massive Lake in Mongolia Has Caribbean-like Blue Waters — and It’s an Outdoor Lover’s Dream

With rugged hills, pristine rivers, and impossibly vast spaces, Mongolia is gaining ground as a destination with travelers thirsty for adventure. This large, landlocked Asian nation offers natural splendor in massive doses. And though getting there may take some effort, the payoff is well worth it. Simply put, Mongolia is an outdoor lover’s dream — and Lake Khovsgol National Park is the perfect place to soak it all in.

Situated in the country’s far north and surrounded by mountains, rocky shorelines, and thick pine forests, the 85-mile-long Lake Khovsgol is Mongolia’s largest body of water. (It’s so mammoth that it accounts for 20 percent of the country’s freshwater and .04 percent of all on Earth.) It is often referred to as “Lake Baikal’s younger sister” because of its similarity and proximity to Russia’s famous big lake.

Lake Khovsgol is where Mongolians go to escape from it all. However, it’s now increasingly drawing international visitors.

Most of the park’s human activity takes place on the western shore, home to around 50 tourist camps made up largely of gers, which are Mongolia’s version of yurts. These round, wood and felt structures are ubiquitous throughout the country as lodging for both locals and visitors. They’re simple, cozy, and due to their thick insulation, are cool in the heat and warm in the cold.

The tourist camps at Khosvgol range from rough and rudimentary affairs to more upscale eco-lodges. They are usually family-run with on-site restaurants that may offer menus or just a single choice for meals. For those seeking a few more creature comforts, the nicer camps have roomy wooden cabins and hotel-style rooms with private bathrooms. Though, such luxuries are the exception rather than the rule in rural Mongolia.

Nature is the true star of the show at Lake Khovsgol, with immaculate air, soothing surroundings, and wildlife such as Siberian moose, wolverine, ibex, sable, and brown bear. “My favorite thing is waking up at sunrise and walking into the forest,” Batsuren Ganbaatar, whose family owns the Olimp Camp and Restaurant on the western shore, told Travel + Leisure. “Everything is so quiet and beautiful, and I can often see deer.”

The lake and surrounding park are a visual feast. The icy, crystalline waters take on brilliant hues of azure and aquamarine, reminiscent of the Caribbean or Hawaii. The Khoridol Saridag mountains rise like stony sentinels over the gleaming expanse of Lake Khovsgol’s surface. Come sunset, the sky is awash in shades of pink, tangerine, and bright white, offset with bruised shadows cast by lingering clouds. In the summertime, evening thunderstorms roll across the water, treating fortunate spectators to explosive lightning shows that put any man-made fireworks displays to shame.

Lake Khovsgol is a place of raw, unspoiled nature that also provides visitors with warm beds, hot meals, and a variety of tourist services. Even just a couple of days in its environs will have you relaxed, invigorated, and refreshed.

Where to Stay

Double Lake

Nestled on a little peninsula away from the main shore road, Double Lake is more of a small hotel than a rugged ger camp, with private rooms and well-appointed A-frames set amongst the pines. Its restaurant serves up Western fare along with Mongolian standards, and the property includes its own stretch of shoreline with large chairs and a classic wooden dock. If you want quiet, look no further. 

Khuvsgul Bayan-Ulaan

With comfortable gers and little cabins perched upon a broad hillside, Khuvsgul Bayan-Ulaan’s main selling point is its amazing views. This is especially true for the restaurant, which is built in the style of a North American lodge house, complete with walls of windows looking out onto the lake in all of its shimmering glory, making it the perfect spot to sip a drink and take it all in.  

Ar Davhar Peninsula Eco Camp

Designed with maximum sustainability in mind, Ar Davhar Peninsula Eco Camp practices what it preaches by recycling all organic waste into compost, educating its guests about the local flora and fauna, and powering everything with 100 percent solar energy. Most of the food is locally sourced, and there is even a lakeside sauna. It’s also situated on Lake Khovsgol’s largely undeveloped eastern shore, guaranteeing a peaceful experience in surroundings that already radiate serenity.   

What to Do 

Hop in the Saddle

It has been said that Mongolians are born on horseback, and even in this modern age you will see that horses are still the preferred mode of transportation for many locals. The western shore features scores of horse camps, giving you ample opportunities to get up on a steed and go, whether it’s a one-hour jaunt or a multi-day camping trip to the northern reaches of the lake.

Get Your Paddle on

A lake as gorgeous as Khovsgol practically begs you to get out on it, and several places offer kayak rentals to help you scratch this itch. The lake’s surface is usually glassy and calm, allowing you to glide through the water as the trees and rocks on the shore slip by.

Watch the Birds

Mongolia is a wonderland for bird enthusiasts, and Lake Khovsgol is no exception. The lake is home to scores of permanent and migratory species, including kites, white-tailed sea eagles, cinereous vultures, bar-headed geese, ruddy shelducks, terns, seagulls, red-billed choughs, great cormorants, nuthatches, Demoiselle cranes, and many more.

Catch a River Monster

The Egg River drains out the southern end of the lake and is famed for its fish, including grayling, lenok trout, and the legendary taimen, a giant salmonid that’s the top prize for most anglers coming to Mongolia. Whether you want to cast your spinning rod or wet a fly line, fishing the Egg is a chance to hook into trophy fish in pristine waters.

Hike the Khoridol Saridag

With steep slopes, deep gorges, expansive valleys, and craggy peaks reaching nearly 10,000 feet in altitude, the Khoridol Saridag is a playground for mountain trekking. This range shoots up from the western side of the lake and offers not just gut-punching vistas of Khovsgol, but also the landscape beyond.

Visit the Reindeer Herders

The Tsaatan (or Dukha) are a nomadic ethnic group who raise reindeer in the mountains and valleys west of the lake. For those feeling extra adventurous, it’s possible to visit these people in their grazing lands, but it’s an arduous multi-day trip on horseback. Luckily, a few groups of Tsaatan come down to the lake in the summer, where you can pose for a pic with a reindeer and purchase some of their traditional, handmade wares if that’s more your speed.

Sail With the Mongolian Navy

As a landlocked country, Mongolia has no real need for warships, but they still have a single vessel dedicated to national defense, and it should come as no surprise that it patrols the country’s largest lake. During the summer, the Sukhbaatar III — docked in the town of Khatgal on the lake’s southern tip — allows guests to jump on board twice a day for cruises out to the middle of the water. Here, along with splendid views of both shores, you can learn some historical tidbits about the country’s quirky one-ship navy.

Getting There

Mongolia’s capital, Ulaanbaatar, is served by international flights through Chinggis Khaan International Airport (UBN). From there it’s a quick flight to Moron, the capital of the Khovsgol province, which is just a 1.5-hour drive on a sealed road to Khatgal, a village on the southern tip of the lake. (Driving to Moron from Ulaanbaatar takes at least one full day.) 

Once you get to Khatgal, the road accessing the western shore of the lake turns into a rutted, pothole-ridden dirt track. (Though, a proper blacktop is in the works.)

When to Go

Mongolian winters are long and harsh, so unless you’re seeking out snow, ice, and bitter cold, June, August, and September are the best time to visit. July can be nice as well, but the annual Naadam Festival falls during that time, and the camps in Lake Khovsgol fill up with Mongolians on holiday. It’s also the rainiest month, so bad weather can be an issue.

Organizing Your Trip

While it is possible to travel independently in Mongolia, logistics and the language barrier make it difficult and time-consuming. Most visitors instead turn to established tour companies to make arrangements for them: accommodation, transportation, fuel, meals, permits, and side trips are usually included in one package. While there are many to choose from, Goyo Travel, Nomadic Trails, and View Mongolia are reputable outfits that offer both set and custom itineraries to meet your needs.