A magnificent landscape

The best way to enjoy the Khongor Sand Dunes is to climb it!

Besides beautiful scenery and totally insta-worthy shots, the exhilarating experience includes an incredibly fun hike up/slide down and if you’re lucky, the dunes might even sing for you.

After a 4-5 hour drive in the wilderness of the Gobi, the magical sight of green oasis and granite mountains intertwine with horizon-stretching dunes lets us know that we are about to see some of the largest and most spectacular sand dunes in Mongolia.

Bactrian Camel
Also worth a mention is the two-hump Bactrian camel ride to the base of dunes. Mongolia is home to two thirds (2/3) of these unique animals, known for their gentle, calm and extremely patient nature. Led by a handler, the 20-minute ride was very comfortable, with the swaying motion interrupted by sudden stops to nibble on desert grass.

Listen as you hike up the singing dunes
Gazing up the towering dune, we tested the sand and felt our feet sink in and slide backwards. Deciding to follow the many tracks made by those who went before us, we started climbing.

Instead of making fresh tracks, we placed our foot on the imprints made by those before us, where the sand was packed tighter. We were able to hold our ground more firmly, as the soft sand had already been dislodged.

Even then, it was a punishing 30 minutes to the top, with stops to catch my breath and enjoy the view.

Breathtaking vistas
Gazing across the unblemished wilderness, the endless rolling sand dunes appear to stretch all the way to the horizon. The pale yellow sand has an impressive combination of colours, changing with the intensity of light throughout the day. Beyond the dunes, the steppe extends as far as the eye can see.

We walked along the ridge, looking for a suitable spot to chill and hopefully hear the dunes “singing” – sound of grains of sand moving when blown by the wind.

Shifting shapes
Mesmerized by the beautiful formations, I was awed by how millions of tiny particles of sand can create such a beautiful landscape with every shift of the wind. Interesting patterns range from sand waves with perfectly contoured ripples and undulating crests to ‘star dunes’ resembling whipped meringue peaks.

and discovered the thrill of sliding down a 400m dune.

Sand Festival
Our visit coincided with an exciting festival, well attended by the local community. The event had a carnival-like atmosphere with booths, stalls and foodtrucks offering traditional food, gear and souvenirs. Other activities include sand sculptures, games, competitions and camping.

The next morning, we wandered among the livestock after breakfast and enjoyed some interactive fun with one of the more playful goats.

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Khongor Sand Dunes
Khongoryn Els also called Duut Mankhan is popularly known as the "Singing Dunes". This huge sand mass in the extreme south of the Gobi Desert, lies within the Gobi Gurvansaikhan National Park in Mongolia.
 
The range of sand dunes extend over 965 square kilometres. A continuous wind that blows from the North to the West, shifts and shapes the dunes to formidable heights of between 100m to 400m. From afar, the northern portion is lined with a luxuriant green vegetation band. The Khongoryn river flows along the sand dunes to form an oasis in the middle of the dried landscape. 

Visitors congregate at points near the highest peak, climbing up approximately 300m for awesome views of the desert.

Visited 16 September 2018

Did you know that it is possible to go dune hiking in Malaysia?
Though it’s on a much smaller scale, Klebang Sand Dunes, Melaka is the next best thing in view of travel restrictions due to the pandemic. Go on, you will absolutely love it.