8 - Mongolia: the steppes on horseback

Half of the Mongolian population lives on the steppes, conducting a nomadic lifestyle. Do as the locals and get yourself a Mongolian horse, which has a reputation of being an infatigable steppe-climber. Punctuated by warm encounters with the nomadic people, with whom you will share their yurt, a typical wood lattice-framed home typical of the steppes, the horse ride will lead you from prairies to glaciers and from yurts to the hills before going on to the banks of the Kherlen River to the east of the capital Ulan Bator and finally to the Khenti Massif where the great Khan once lived. This latter province is closely linked to the history of Mongolia and to the legends that helped Genghis Khan achieve cult status. Most of the territory rises above 3,000ft, with, to the west, the highest summits of the Altai chain culminating at over 14,000ft. The centre boasts rich pastureland and conifer forests, while to the east you'll find immense steppes. The Gobi desert, which covers a third of the country, sees the Trans-Mongolian Railway pass through it, and is home to the high Booro dunes and blue lakes close to the border with China. Its petrified forests and cemetery of giant dinosaurs will amaze you. To your stirrups!

Cappadocia in Turkey Réunion: between cirques and volcanoes