Gurvansaikhan (Mongolia)

This unspoilt, natural area lies between the northern frontier of the Gobi Desert and the lower foothills of the Gobi-Altai mountain range. The park is actually named after the region's three highest peaks, the Gurvan Siakhan Mountains, whose name means "the three beauties".

The dunes of Khongoriin Els ("Singing Sands") constitute, in my opinion, the area's main must-see attraction. The best way of seeing them is by going on a short camel-back trip. I found it a simply unforgettable experience, and I haven't seen landscapes and scenery like it again since.

Something else I really enjoyed was the trip through the Yolyn Am canyon, a narrow rocky gorge that gets so tight in places that only two people can fit through at a time. The canyon is actually so dark that even in summer the bottom remains frozen in places, with little glaciers permanently embedded in the rock.