Karakorum (Mongolia)

Having planned my holiday in Mongolia in advance, I quickly realised that it was all in vain as, due to transport problems that I'd not forseen, things weren't going to be that easy.

Karakorum was to be my departure point for a trip to the Orkhon Valley. Whether it's by Jeep or horse, travel is prohibitively expensive for solo travellers, so my plan was to find other tourists with whom I could share costs. Sometimes successfully, sometimes not...As for Karakorum, I met two Slovakians, which meant I could spend a few days touring the valley on horseback. One of the best memories of my trip.

Upon our return, we found Naadam in full swing. This festival celebrates Mongolia's independence and features a host of competitions. There's horse racing, where you'll even see tiny kids hurtling across the steppe, wrestling, archery...This is a traditional festival where the Mongolians dress up in their finest deel , sit down to plates of kushuur (meat doughnuts) and swig airag (fermented mare's milk), whilst playing games. It's a national celebration held during July that you shouldn't miss if you're there at the time.