The 2100-meter-high and 20-kilometer-long Khoton Lake is one of the most beautiful highland lakes and is located directly on the Chinese border. This is where the Khovd River, which is over 500 kilometers long, originates. Glaciers during the last ice age formed this lake and the neighboring Khurgan Lake. They are fed by many rivers and streams, the sources of which are in the Altai Mountains, and are also the main resource for the water of Khar Us Lake, the second-largest freshwater lake in Mongolia. In summer, many Kazakh nomads live on both lakes and you can fish here, especially the Mongolian grayling. The many cormorants are a good sign that the fish population is abundant. For a fee, the nomad families lend horses for a riding tour. The area is deserted in winter because the families move their livestock into the more sheltered, lower-lying plains and valleys. Accommodation is only possible in your own tent, you can set it up wherever you like.
Some mountain lakes are in the area of the Tawan Bogd National Park and are quite easy to reach. A relatively good road leads from Sagsai over green pastures and forested valleys. On the way, you can enjoy breathtaking views of the snow-capped peaks of the Altai Mountains. This includes the 3943-meter-high Tsengel Khairkhan Mountain, which is located on the left-east of the slope. About 30 kilometers behind a smaller lake, turn right onto a sandy track to the west and continue to the village of Syrgali, which lies between the two wonderful blue lakes Khoton Lake and Khurgan Lake.
