Mongolia Photo Blogs

Gobi Desert Khongor Sand Dunes

Written by on
Photobucket
The highlight of my whole Gobi Desert trip, in terms of one single attraction, was easily the expansive Khongor Sand Dunes.
Photobucket
From far away, the dunes seem to spring up out of nothing and roll on until they reach the mountains that back the dunes several miles away.
The Marsh Before the Dunes
Upon further inspection, though, one finds a swampy marsh lying inexplicably just between the dry desert and and these huge piles of sand. I wouldn't suggest attempting to filter drink the water, though. Trust me on this one.
Photobucket
The Khongor Dunes were the one place that we camped for two consecutive nights during the whole 10 day jeep trip. The first day we amused ourselves with the steep and difficult climb to the top of the sliding sand dunes.
Photobucket
Day two saw more clambering over the sands, but this time on the backs of camels to make things easier on our legs if not our butts. All our attempts at camel racing, unfortunately, ended in ignominious failure under the watchful eyes of our guide.

 

Photobucket
Click for more expansive viewing opportunities.

 

Other Posts You'll Like:

2 Comments

  1. Ahimsa
    December 22, 2011 at 11:47 pm  ·  Reply

    Amazing pictures of the Gobi. I am hoping to get there in 2013–a long way away that seems even longer when I see photos like this.

    • Stephen
      December 23, 2011 at 12:07 am  ·  Reply

      Thanks man. Don’t worry , it’ll still be there. At this rate, actually, it’ll have dried out even more of Northern China by then and gotten even bigger!

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

*