RETRACING STEPPES
Condé Nast Traveller India|August - September - October 2024
WHILE REVISITING THE MONGOLIA OF HIS PAST, STANLEY STEWART LOSES HIMSELF AGAIN IN A WIDE OPEN WORLD OF WILD HORSES, EAGLE WHISPERERS, AND THE HAUNTING SONGS OF NOMADS
STANLEY STEWART
RETRACING STEPPES

From the air, the emptiness is always startling. Flying over Mongolia in the predawn, I saw no light below, just unfolding landscapes, a river spooling away, a range of mountains surging across steppelands, an empire of grass tipping to undisturbed horizons. Just Greenland and the Falkland Islands have a lower population density. The only signs of habitation were the occasional encampments of round white yurts, or gers, which appear suddenly and mysteriously in the grasslands like overnight mushrooms. In a few weeks, they would have vanished, to spring up elsewhere, leaving no trace other than pale circles on the grass, as the nomads moved to winter pastures. Like a vast vacant lot grown wild on the edge of it all, Mongolia is the planet's last truly nomadic realm.

When people ask me my favourite place in the world, there is never any hesitation. I love Mongolia so much that I once spent five months crossing a thousand kilometres of it on horseback, the baggage horse loaded with gear, from a temperamental stove to a rapidly disappearing bottle of whisky. I wrote a book about the journey that was translated into a dozen languages. I fell in love with a Mongolian, an intense affair that unwound over years. It ended two decades ago. She has moved on, wisely. But Mongolia is still there. And it was time to go back.

This time, I didn't have five months. The plan was to spend 10 days, visiting a couple of regions with a driver, a guide, and a photographer friend to whom I had been enthusing about Mongolia for years. My calendar for the trip was surprisingly full. I had an appointment with a shaman, planned to search for wild horses, and visit eagle hunters. In between, I would look for myself, for my connection to this place, for what drew me here, for who I had been all those years ago.

هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة August - September - October 2024 من Condé Nast Traveller India.

ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 9,000 مجلة وصحيفة.

هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة August - September - October 2024 من Condé Nast Traveller India.

ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 9,000 مجلة وصحيفة.

المزيد من القصص من CONDÉ NAST TRAVELLER INDIA مشاهدة الكل
Made In Nagaland
Condé Nast Traveller India

Made In Nagaland

From home textiles to jewellery, clothing, and more, here are the 10 Naga craft brands you need to know. By Sohini Dey

time-read
4 mins  |
November - December - January 2024 - 25
TOKYO RIGHT NOW
Condé Nast Traveller India

TOKYO RIGHT NOW

As impossible to pigeonhole as ever, the Japanese capital is buzzing with fresh influences and new ideas

time-read
10+ mins  |
November - December - January 2024 - 25
RAISING RAI: WHERE THE MAGIC HAPPENS
Condé Nast Traveller India

RAISING RAI: WHERE THE MAGIC HAPPENS

Raghu and Avani Rai on connecting via worlds seen through their lenses.

time-read
4 mins  |
November - December - January 2024 - 25
GILDED WATERS
Condé Nast Traveller India

GILDED WATERS

Paula Hardy boards one of the last remaining dahabiyas on the Nile for a different perspective of Egypt's storied river

time-read
3 mins  |
November - December - January 2024 - 25
THE GIRL WITH GRAND DESIGNS
Condé Nast Traveller India

THE GIRL WITH GRAND DESIGNS

Gauravi Kumari is part of Jaipur's new creative set that is bringing fresh perspectives to the city's design legacy.

time-read
6 mins  |
November - December - January 2024 - 25
A FACE FOR ADVENTURE
Condé Nast Traveller India

A FACE FOR ADVENTURE

Retooling the iconic Rolex GMT-Master II for fresh explorations.

time-read
1 min  |
November - December - January 2024 - 25
THE GRAND seduction
Condé Nast Traveller India

THE GRAND seduction

Palermo's chaos, swagger, and temperamental charm cast a hypnotic spell.

time-read
8 mins  |
November - December - January 2024 - 25
Rhythm Divine
Condé Nast Traveller India

Rhythm Divine

Wherever you go in Gwalior, the myth and magic of Tansen are inescapable, as Sam Dalrymple finds out.

time-read
8 mins  |
November - December - January 2024 - 25
IDEAL WORLD
Condé Nast Traveller India

IDEAL WORLD

Palestinian chef Fadi Kattan explains why he went ahead with the publication of Bethlehem, his celebratory cookbook.

time-read
6 mins  |
November - December - January 2024 - 25
NUJUMA, A RITZ-CARLTON RESERVE SAUDI ARABIA
Condé Nast Traveller India

NUJUMA, A RITZ-CARLTON RESERVE SAUDI ARABIA

On alittle-visited Red Sea archipelago, the Middle East’s first Ritz-Carlton Reserve reflects both untapped nature and hyperreal modernity, finds Noo Saro-Wiwa.

time-read
3 mins  |
November - December - January 2024 - 25