Mongolia

Little changed since the time of the great Khan, this vast country is divided between the verdant steppe, sparkling river valleys and azure lakes of the north, and the endless, stretching, horizon-busting desert in the south. And in terms of uninhabited wilderness, there is nowhere quite like it.

Mongolia offers incredible experiences to intrepid travellers and is home to fascinating archaeological remains, such as Bronze Age deer stones. These mysterious, enigmatic megaliths are virtually unknown in the West and, sticking up like a prickly hedgehog on the landscape, the deer stones of Uushignii are particularly impressive expressions of late Bronze Age art. They are made from long blocks of granite, ranging between one and four metres in height, with four flat sides on which images of ‘flying’ deer are carved.

The Gobi Desert is another highlight, a waterless infinity that actually covers 500,000 square miles and stretches from the foot of the Pamir Mountains to the edges of the Himalayas. It is one of the great natural wonders of Asia and formed a major part of the ancient Silk Road. It is also the largest dinosaur fossil repository in the world and here you can see wild Bactrian camels, golden eagles, tiny hopping desert mice and Gobi ibex.