Uvs Nuur is a lake in a basin, and the basin matters more than the lake. The depression lies astride the border between Mongolia and the Russian republic of Tuva, ringed by mountains on three sides, and it is the northern end of the Central Asian steppe and the southern edge of the Siberian taiga. Within a few hours of each other you can find desert dunes, steppe, mountain tundra, glaciers, forest and salt marsh. UNESCO listed it in 2003 as a transboundary site, and Russia and Mongolia manage their sides separately.
The lake itself is the largest in Mongolia by area, but shallow and very salty, with water too saline to drink and fish that are mostly limited to the river mouths. Its shores and the mouths of the rivers, notably the Tes, are important for migrating waterbirds and for breeding species like swans, cranes and cormorants. In the surrounding steppe, you can see gazelles, and farther up, ibex, argali and the occasional snow leopard.
The riding is gravel and dirt, often flat and fast, sometimes with deep sand or soft salt crust near the shore. A flat horizon makes distances deceptive, and a good-looking track can end in a washed-out ditch. Weather moves fast: summer days are warm, nights can be cold, and the wind is a daily companion. Winter here is severe, with temperatures dropping far below freezing, so late May to September is the realistic window.
Plan fuel carefully. The nearest services may be far from this point, depending on which side of the border you approach from, and mobile coverage is patchy. Carry extra fuel, water, spares, and a way to call for help. Border zones are sensitive, and permits and passports may be checked, so make sure paperwork is correct before you go. The reward is a landscape of exceptional variety and very few people.