Raw and remote, Mongolia is for travellers who really want to escape the madding crowd. Experience a slice of nomadic life in the Gobi Desert at Three Camel Lodge, sleeping in a ger (a round tent) and observing the timeworn lifestyles of local families tending to their livestock. If you can time your trip for the Naadam Festival from 11-15 July, so much the better – as competitors throw themselves into wrestling, horse racing and archery, after parading in decorative costumes for the opening ceremony, it’s a real sight to behold.

Meanwhile in Khustain National Park, 100km southwest of the capital, it’s all about wildlife spotting opportunities: from Mongolia’s endangered wild horse, the takhi, to predators like wolves, Pallas’s cats and lynx.