According to Worldometer – real time world statistics provider, Mongolia is the
– 19th largest country in the world by area
– 3rd most sparsely populated (6 people per square mile)
The landscape is largely steppe, desert, and semidesert, with 75% of the land used for livestock grazing.

And that is what makes the Mongolian road trip so unique for me. The extreme isolation and lack of infrastructure translates to hours of driving before passing another vehicle or Ger. With an urban population of 67%, we saw more wildlife than people, once out of Ulaanbaatar.

While our driver Bune would blast the horn loudly to disperse sheep/ goat slowly ambling across the road, I looked forward to these random encounters, getting an eyeful of livestock comprising of cattle, horses and even Bactrian camels.

Another daily occurrence were birds of preys flying low, swooping left, right and in front of the car. Perched on boulders or resting on the ground by the roadside, these raptor species would take flight upon sensing our approach.

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31 August 2023
Though long, the 9-hour drive from Lake Ogii to Murun (391km via Bulgan – Murun highway) had some unique experiences.

Surprisingly, we counted 3 gazelles scampering up the ridge. Unlike at Khutsai, we could see the animals easily with the naked eye, once they started moving.

11.37am
The unexpected happened! Horses drinking their fill at a watering hole while sheep & goats dotted the grassland beyond. Keeping a respectable distance, we managed to get our fill of pictures of this rare sighting.

Back in the car, the horses moved aside as Bune drove through the calf-high water safely, emerging on the other side, causing the sheep and goats to scatter.

We eventually got onto the highway, found a spot for lunch before hitting the road again.

4.32pm
The ever-changing landscape turned scenic, taking us through rolling hills of green.

5.35pm
After hours of having the road all to ourselves, we felt like we ‘owned’ it.

Photographic proof : At a stretch of flat paved road against the backdrop of distant mountains.

Mörön (pronounced as Murun)

We finally rolled into Murun just before dark. We had only just settled into our Ger when rain started falling steadily. The brief downpour left a blanket of heavy clouds, effectively dashing all hopes of another sighting of the super moon rising.

1 September 2023
Up early, we decided to explore this northernmost town and gateway to Khuvsgul Lake before breakfast. Wandering through the spread-out grid of streets, one cannot help but notice the distinct socialist-style houses and supermarket.

Wrestler’s Stadium

After breakfast, en route to the museum, we passed a modern building that serves to preserve wrestling as one of the most important Mongolian traditional skills, alongside horsemanship and archery.

At the front, a memorial honouring 3 famous wrestlers stemming from Mörön, had been erected.

Murun Museum

First founded in 1949, this local history museum provides a complete overview of the province’s diverse peoples and wildlife, with about 4000 exhibits (historical and ethnographic artifacts).

Our final stop was to the Black Market, a busy labyrinthine market offering a whole range of food and supplies.

We picked up some fresh fruits and had ice cream, while Hurley bought meat, eggs, carrots, potatoes and greens for our lunch and the next day’s breakfast.

Murun is the administrative center of Khuvsgul province in northern Mongolia, having replaced Khatgal as the capital of Khuvsgul in 1933. Since 2014, a paved road connects Murun to Ulaanbaatar, further raising the town's profile as the gateway to Khuvsgul Lake - one of the largest freshwater lakes in Asia with stunning views and an unparalleled wilderness experience.

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After lunch, we set off for Khuvsgul Lake, about 2.5 hours by road. Hurley had hinted at a ‘SURPRISE’ for us, and he did not disappoint.

50° 100°

There are only four points on Earth where 50 degrees latitude intersects with 100 degrees longitude. One in the Pacific Ocean, one in the Indian Ocean, one in Canada, and, one in Mongolia.

Unlike the one in Canada which is located on a highway, the 50° 100° crossing point in Mongolia is the most accessible. A tourist complex built at the intersection point in Erkhel valley of Alag-Erdene village allows tourists to visit and explore the site in comfortable surroundings.

The 50° 100° sign was immediately visible once we turned onto the approach road. I couldn’t wait to get out and hike up for a closer look.

The walkway is lined by monuments and info-boards describing Mongolia’s many attractions. Ten minutes of gentle uphill brought us to a silver monument that displays the orientation of the four main compass directions : north, south, east and west by their initials ‘N, S, E and W respectively.

An opening in the fenced enclosure revealed a gravel track to our target. The final steep uphill on a rock-strewn path was all hard work.

And definitely well worth the effort. I was thrilled to bits. This is comparable to standing at the Hollywood sign in LA.

On the way up, I had bypassed a structure on the left. Going down, I made sure to stop by and discovered that it was the actual site of the 50° 100° intersection point.

First opened in July 2019, the tourist complex received 6000 visitors in the first year and is now equipped with a sanitation facility.

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Getting back on the Moron-Khatgal Highway, we resumed our journey to Khatgal, the southernmost point of Khuvsgul lake.

Over the next 45 minutes, the dark clouds eventually gave way to a pale rainbow that faded in and out behind passing clouds.