'''Hovd''' is a province in Western Mongolia.
Understand
Hovd is somewhat of a melting pot with 24 different ethnic groups living in the province.
Cities
Hovd
Other destinations
'''Hovd Soum''' (not to be confused with the city in the center of the Aimag that is also called Hovd) is 30 km from Hovd and you can go by car. It takes about 30 minutes by car. It costs about 2000T in a crowded jeep from the Hovd market or you can try to hire your own car and driver. Hovd soum's population is Kazakh.
'''Mankhan Soum''' is 100 Km from the aimag center. There you can see the three blue caves (gurvan tsinker agui). There are many fanstastic legends about this cave. It also is home to petroglyphs thought to be 5-10 thousand years old
'''Must Soum''' is 180km from Hovd. There are many kinds of wild animals there. You might be able to see wolves, snow Leopards, Ibexes, and big horn sheep. It has a natural tunnel and many rocks with wild animals living in them. It also has a hunters camp.
'''Chandmani Soum''' and its people are famous for their Hoomii, traditional throat singing.
'''Khaur-Us Nuur Lake''' or Black-water lake is 25 km form the center of Khovd. In the summer a lot of birds come to this lake such as duck, geese, swans, pelicans, cranes and other migratory birds.
'''Erdeneburen Soum''' is the location of the Tsambagarav snow capped mountain. In the summer a lot of medical plants grow there. The legend is that a man named Tsamba claimed this mountain. He reached the to but he couldn't come back. He died on the mountain. So it is called Tsambagarav.
'''Munkhairhan Soum''' is the home to Tavanhumst mountain. It it is the highest mountain at 4209 meters high.
Understand
Talk
Get in
The easiest way to get to Hovd is by plane. Book a ticket from Ulaanbaatar with AeroMongolia or EZnes airlines. Flights only go between the capital and Hovd city; no service connects Hovd with other cities. Round trip tickets currently run about U$500 for foreigners.
Alternatively, you can take a bus to Hovd from the capital. Buses leave from the Dragon Center in UB on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. You can buy your ticket in person beginning 2 to 3 days before departure; for example, tickets for the Monday bus go on sale on Fridays. The bus takes anywhere from 36 to 48 hours. Tickets currently cost 50,000 tugrugs. Try to take a translator with you to buy your ticket.
Get around
You can travel around Hovd city in a taxi and in the countryside you can go by jeep or four wheel drive van. They are available for hire at the Hovd city market.
See
Itineraries
Do
Vist a family and enjoy their hospitality. Holidays are a good time to visit. The Nauriz holiday, Kazakh new year, which Kazakh people celebrate on the 22nd of March, is a good time to visit Hovd soum (half an hour from Hovd city), where the population is Kazakh. During Nauriz you can eat traditional Kazakh food, watch traditional wrestling, and see horseracing.
Go fishing in the Hovd river in Myangad near the bridge.
Eat
Drink
Stay safe
There are several bars and discos in Hovd city. Tourists should be aware that Mongolians typically go to bars to socialize with their friends and acquaintances, not to meet new people. It's safest to leave the bar well before midnight, when the bar closes and drunks empty onto the streets.
Get out