Survival guide: Mongolia on a shoestring

One flaming ger, two offers of marriage, and three breakdowns (the jeep, not me) - my first trip to Mongolia was certainly eventful.

Mongolia is not for the faint hearted, especially if you're travelling on a budget. Bone-rattling roads, little choice of food (great, however, if you like yak, yak cheese, or yak milk) and lack of access to running water in the countryside are all things to consider before setting off to one of the most sparsely populated countries on earth. But those willing to take the leap will be rewarded. Basic but beautiful, Mongolia's fledgling tourism industry has much to offer the adventurous, only a short flight away from Hong Kong.

Friends and I hired a 4x4 and a driver from the capital, Ulan Bator. We drove, and at times pushed our jeep, over muddy, bumpy, dirt roads north to "the Blue Pearl of Mongolia", the ancient Lake Khövsgöl, - the country's deepest lake - and then onto White Lake in central Mongolia, a region made up of lava flows and near the Khorgo volcano.

At our destination, we abandoned four wheels in favour of a furrier form of transport - horses. As it turns out, they're more reliable and less likely to break down. Horseback tours are popular for seeing the so-called "land of the blue sky" and getting out into the lush forests and misty hills of the country. It's also a great way to meet many of the nomadic locals.

Mongolians are famous for their hospitality and they didn't disappoint. Weary travellers are often ushered into their gers (large tents that function as their homes) and supplied with fermented horse milk (airag) as well as whatever food is available. The generosity of people, many of who live a basic existence, is humbling.