2004 was an excellent year for Mongolian tourism and the prospects for 2005 look very promising with new accommodations and abundant adventure travel activities in a country considered to be one of the top 20 safest countries in the world.

Exciting news for travelers is the opening of the country's first luxury full-service resort, Mongolian Resorts, located just 35 kilometers from the capital of Ulaanbaatar. Mongolian Resorts, which serves as an expedition base for adventurers, offers a variety of accommodations and amenities including suites and villas, a fine restaurant, terrace bar, and amenities including spa and gym, swimming pool, tennis, basketball, driving range, ATV park, library, and movie theatre.

Visiting Mongolia offers a wonderful introduction to the mystical and inspiring landscape featuring rock formations, lush valleys, volcanic formations and caves, clean rivers, splendid waterfalls and mountains covered with pine trees, where over 1500 species of plants, 50 species of mammals, 253 species of birds and 34 species of fish make their home.

Mongolia has a very unique history and is considered to be one of the few remaining civilizations that is still enjoying the ancient way of living through a nomadic lifestyle for much of the country. Cultural sites of interest include the Nemegt Valley's dinosaur graveyard, the ancient city of Karakorum, Terelj National Park, the medieval Erdene-Dzuu monastery, and Haert Khaan, a sacred hideway amongst the forest hills of this ancient land. We are pleased that Mongolia is becoming such a popular adventure travel destination and the country is expanding its capacity to receive tourists through new hotels, airlines, trains and adventure travel tour operators.

Lee M. Cashell, founder and President of Mongolian Resorts, Ltd. adds. The next several years will be very exciting for us. With the 2008 Olympics taking place in neighboring China, just a one-hour flight from Ulaanbaatar to Bejing, the next several years will be an excellent time for travelers to visit Mongolia.