What is Tsagaan Suvarga?
Why is Tsagaan Suvarga Special?
One of the most captivating legends surrounding this site is its supposed resemblance to an ancient stupa. The stupa, in Buddhist tradition, represents the enlightened mind and the path to enlightenment.
Thus, Tsagaan Suvarga is often viewed not just as a geological formation but as a spiritual landmark, imbuing the landscape with a sense of sacredness.
What to Expect when Visiting Tsagaan Suvarga
Tsugaan Suvarga has some really strong winds so I would recommend bringing a balaclava or scarf to mask your face from the dust. Be careful with bringing hats as well because they might fly away, and we did see this happen!
If you are brave enough, you can go down to the cliff edge for an epic shot with the rolling red hills. Depending on the weather and season, you can find a mesmerizing color palette or more on scarlet. Either way, they are jaw-droppingly beautiful!
Best Time to Visit Tsagaan Suvarga
The ideal time to visit Tsagaan Suvarga is during the Mongolian Summer, from June to August, when the weather is milder. Spring (April-May) and early fall (September-October) are also good times, though the nights can be chilly though I think that’s part of the charm, plus there are fewer tourists.
We went with UB Guesthouse Tours, you can read more about our Gobi itinerary here.
Our Journey to Tsagaan Suvarga
In the morning back at Ulaanbaatar, we loaded up our stuff Gana’s jeep. I was quite elated to be able to go on a second journey with Gana, our driver from the last trip to Orkhon, our bond was stronger this time and he was the only one I was actually really close with during this time (even though he spoke no English).
In the car, my social battery was depleted after the trip to Orkhon Valley with Emily, and I was quite reserved, I retreated into my inner shell and was just vibing by the window, making small talk but I wasn’t really feeling it.
The people I was with were good, but something about me was holding me back from actually talking with them. I guess maybe I was just too tired and a bit overwhelmed to be suddenly traveling with so many people at once.
This continued for the duration of the trip today.
We stopped by in the middle of nowhere for lunch, they played around and found a skull of a horned animal which made for an excellent photo op. They then went around the desert lands and did some hikes while I stuck around with Khulan, our cook, and Gana. I walked around towards the other side where a herd of sheep were grazing near a frozen pond.
Lunch was delicious soup, it was good, we ate inside the car as the sandstorm was kicking off.
We made another brief stop at a road side where they took a group photo, I was too shy and ended up just hiding behind the car and making some lame excuse.
In exchange, I did teach them a bit about photography composition. I helped take their photos in the roadside and Carmen at Gana’s car, they loved it which made me happy and I think from then on I started to slowly come out of my shell and open up a bit.
Things turned even better when we finally reached the sight for the day after 7 hours on the road.
Tsagaan Suvarge, the White Stupa. These scarlet-painted mountains that seemed to extend endlessly towards the desert horizons were such a power spot that I felt so energized.
The wind was strong, strong enough to blow poor Gana’s hat away. He was able to get it back somehow.
The cliffs we were on were insane, these textures were out of this world. It was a seabed in the past and there were a lot of colors hidden once I looked closer. I helped Hayata take his photos and edited it in Lightroom as a gift.
Back at the camp, we stayed with a nomadic family’s ger again, my second time. Changyoon, Hayata and Nanami played some games at night while Carmen played some tunes. I couldn’t be bothered to join as I was so tired.
The next day was going to be another epic one, Khongoryn Els, the singing sands.
