Lake Khövsgöl

Khövsgöl is an ancient lake whose outflow, the Egiin Gol, eventually feeds the Selenge River and Lake Baikal in Siberia. The surrounding region is home to Darkhad herders with their own dialect and customs, and to the small Tsaatan (Dukha) reindeer-herding community of the taiga further west.

The national park was established in 1992 and later enlarged to cover the wider basin. Khatgal once hosted Mongolia's small navy, and an old tugboat still carries freight and passengers on the lake in the ice-free months.

The Khövsgöl region is a mix of Mongolian and Darkhad herding culture, with families keeping yaks, horses, sheep and goats and making dairy products through the short summer. The Tsaatan reindeer herders live in tepee-style tents in the taiga; visits should only be made through guides who work fairly with the community, and travellers should ask before photographing anyone. Shamanic traditions coexist with Buddhism here, and you will see ovoo (stone cairns) on passes and hilltops: walk around them clockwise.