Tov literally means ‘central’, and although Ulaanbaatar (an autonomous municipality) lies within its boundaries, the aimag capital is the small town of Zuunmod. Owing to its proximity to Ulaanbaatar and the good local transport system to and from the capital, this aimag is an excellent place to start exploring the country through a series of day trips. If you are waiting for a visa extension or planning an expedition further afield, the Genghis Khan Statue Complex, focused on a massive steel equine sculpture mounted by the khan himself, with its museums and surrounding exhibitions, offers you a great day trip and is a conveniently short distance away from the noise and hassle of the capital. The Tov landscape is predominantly forested mountain/ steppe, where wild berries, mushrooms and medicinal herbs grow in abundance. In the central provinces there are over 30 clear-water rivers (good for fishing), among them the Kherlen and Tuul. A number of mineral spas and hot springs are found at Janchivlin, Booroljuut and Elstei. These springs are in the main totally undeveloped so please don’t get your hopes up that you will be submerging in hot pools while looking at mountain goats clashing heads on the mountainsides, as you do in New Zealand. Towns in Tov include the aimag centre Zuunmod, the former coal-mining town of Nalaikh and the peaceful settlements of Gachuurt and Khandgait.