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.
بالفعل مشترك ? تسجيل الدخول
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.
بالفعل مشترك? تسجيل الدخول
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
TOKYO RIGHT NOW
As impossible to pigeonhole as ever, the Japanese capital is buzzing with fresh influences and new ideas
RAISING RAI: WHERE THE MAGIC HAPPENS
Raghu and Avani Rai on connecting via worlds seen through their lenses.
GILDED WATERS
Paula Hardy boards one of the last remaining dahabiyas on the Nile for a different perspective of Egypt's storied river
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.
A FACE FOR ADVENTURE
Retooling the iconic Rolex GMT-Master II for fresh explorations.
THE GRAND seduction
Palermo's chaos, swagger, and temperamental charm cast a hypnotic spell.
Rhythm Divine
Wherever you go in Gwalior, the myth and magic of Tansen are inescapable, as Sam Dalrymple finds out.
IDEAL WORLD
Palestinian chef Fadi Kattan explains why he went ahead with the publication of Bethlehem, his celebratory cookbook.
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.