Northern Mongolia

Amarbayasgalant MonasteryOne of the 3 largest monasteries in Mongolia and it mostly survived the purges of the 1930s. Located in the Iven valley near the Selenge River, the monastery is about an hour off the main paved road connecting Erdenet and Darkhan. The isolated site surrounded by miles of sparsely populated steppe make it seem as though you are seeing it as it was before the rise of communism and modernization. The monastery was constructed between 1727 and 1736 on orders of the Manchu Emperor Kang Xi in honor of Zanabazar, the 1st Jebtsundamba Khutuktu, or leader of Tibetan Buddhism in Mongolia, who invented the Mongolian Soyombo script and is one of Mongolia's most famous artists and influential leaders. Zanabazar's body was interred here in 1788. At its peak, the monastery had 3,000 monks and 40 temples laid out with symmetrical unity according to exacting design specifications by the Emperor of China. The communists closed the monastery, killed several of the monks, and destroyed 10 of the temples in 1937. Luckily, 26 of the temples survived and have been partially restored through help from UNESCO and the Indian government. Several new stupas and a large statue of Buddha have been added to the neighboring hills. As of 2012, about 60 monks live in the monastery.

Lake HövsgölThe 2nd largest lake in the world by volume is one of the most scenic places in Mongolia, with the reindeer herding Tsaatan tribe living along its shores