This picturesque freshwater lake, one of the 17 ancient lakes worldwide as it is believed to be over two million years old, is also the largest by volume in Mongolia. It is in the very North of Mongolia, near the Russian border, at the foothills of the Sayan Mountains.

It is surrounded by towering mountains, sweeping valleys and a national park which is home to fish, birds and mammals such as brown bear, Siberian moose, elk and not to forget yaks.

Often described as the dark blue pearl this huge expanse of water is frozen for almost half of the year and has over 100 rivers and streams culminating here. This lake is often referred to as “the younger sister” to Lake Baikal, which is only 200 kilometres away, in Russia.