Mongolia

Its name might be attached to one of the world’s most epic journeys, but Mongolia is often

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relegated to a land seen out of a dusty train window and limited to a pit stop in Ulaanbaatar. But the power of this country lies beyond the trance-like rhythms of wheels on rails. The meditative isolation of this yak- and ger-dotted landscape is found in rolling dunes and endless lakes, flaming cliffs and steaming springs, and the brushes with traditional nomadic culture will stir up a longing to ditch the modern world. That world is creeping ever closer though, with the capital raising glass and steel icons to capitalism next to statues of famous Khans.