Khongoryn Els

In the south of Mongolia, Khongoryn Els lies along the foot of the Gobi Altai like a long, pale wave that has stopped in mid-motion. The dune field runs for about 100 kilometres and is up to 12 kilometres wide, its ridges typically some 80 metres high but climbing to around 300 metres at the highest crests. Against the dark, bare mountains behind it, the sand changes colour through the day from white to deep gold, and the wind keeps sharpening the crests into knife-edges that curve away in long, overlapping lines.

The dunes are better known in Mongolia as Duut Mankhan, the "singing sands". When the wind shifts the surface, or when a climber sends a slip of sand down a steep lee slope, the grains give out a deep, sustained hum that people have compared to the drone of a distant aircraft. Explanations vary: one French study pointed to a fine coating on the grains that makes them resonate as they slide, while others stress the role of heat and dry weather. Either way, the long walk up a crest, two steps up and one slipping back, is rewarded by the noise of the descent as much as by the view.

What makes the place more than a sand sea is its edge. Along the northern side flows the Khongoryn Gol, a small river whose green meadows run right up to the foot of the dunes, so that herds of camels and horses graze on grass within sight of bare sand. The area is part of the Gobi Gurvansaikhan National Park, and its wildlife includes saker falcons, Pallas's sandgrouse, saxaul sparrows and both corsac and red foxes; nomadic families still pasture their animals along the river.

Getting there

The nearest town is Dalanzadgad, in Ömnögovi, about 100 km away in a straight line and roughly 180 km by the desert tracks. Dalanzadgad Airport (DLZ) is a similar distance away. The dunes are reached overland by vehicle across the Gobi Gurvansaikhan National Park.