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Mongolia
Mongolia [1] is a landlocked country located between China and Russia. It is a vast emptiness that links land and sky, and is one of the last few places on the planet where nomadic life is still a living tradition.
Regions
The country can be categorized into five distinct regions based on culture and geography. These regions are further divided into 21 provinces and one special municipality.
- Central Mongolia - includes Ulaanbaatar and the popular tourist region of Arkhangai
- Eastern Mongolia
- Gobi - a mostly desert region in southern Mongolia
- Northern Mongolia
- Western Mongolia - Lake Uvs Nuur
Cities
- Ulaanbaatar - the capital and starting point for most travel in this country.
- Erdenet - Mongolia's second largest city and home to one of the world's biggest copper mines and a famous carpet factory
- Hovd - A historic city at the crossroads of traditonal Mongol and Kazakh culture.
- Ölgii - a town in Mongolia's far western corner - capital of Bayan-Ölgii province.
- Tsetserleg - the capital of Arkhangai province.
- Ulaangom - the capital of Uvs province
- Uliastai
- Ondorkhaan
Other destinations
- Altai Tavan Bogd National Park
- Uvs Nuur Lake, Uvs province The largest lake in Mongolia and a world heritage site.
- Gun-Galuut Nature Reserve
Culture and History
With only 4.5 people per square mile, Mongolia has the lowest population density of any independent country, and it is this vast and majestic emptiness that is the country's enduring appeal, bringing the traveler, as it does, into a close communion with nature and its nomadic inhabitants. This East Asian country is entirely landlocked, sandwiched between China and Russia. The weather is bitterly cold during the winter, dropping down to -40 celsius in parts. With many types of terrain--from desert to verdant mountains--the weather during the summer varies from region to region. Generally, however, this time of year is marked with many rains, and it can become quite cool at night.
History
Mongolia was the second country in the world to become Communist in 1924. It had its own local equivalent to Stalin, a 'cheerful' fellow named Choibalsan who ruthlessly purged thousands of monks and intellectuals, but is still regarded as a national hero for defending Mongolian independence. During Communist times, the country was forced into an alliance with the Soviet Union in order to protect itself from China. The effects of this are still evident today in the alcoholism - problems caused by vodka, the population boom encouraged by the Communists and the appalling architecture. A relatively bloodless shift to democracy occurred in the early and mid 1990s. Interestingly, Mongolia is one of two former Communist country to have re-elected the former Communist party back to power in an open and entirely democratic election (with Moldova being the other). The Mongolian People's Revolutionary Party (MPRP) is currently in office.
Today, nearly half the country lives a nomadic lifestyle, herding animals and residing in circular white tents called ger, or in Turkic yurt. The current government, particularly President Bagabandi and Prime Minister Enkhbayar, wish to see the country rapidly urbanized.
There was an election in May 2005 and Enkhbayar of the MPRP was elected President. The way the whole national election process was conducted was just another piece of evidence that in reality Mongolia is a just a big small town.
Holidays and festivals
- Nadaam Festival is held from July 11-13. This festival features the three tradition Mongolian sports of wrestling, horse racing and archery. The main festival is held in Ulaanbaatar, but there are smaller-scale festivals throughout the country at different times.
- Tsagaan Sar (White Month) Celebration
- Nomads' Day
- Camel Festival
Travel to Mongolia, visa requirements
There are four border crossings open to foreigners, three by the Russian border and one near the small town of Erlian on the border with China.
To stay in the country a visa is required. The process for getting a thirty day visa is relatively painless, requiring a simple form and a small fee at your local Mongolian embassy. Longer visas are available, but require an invitation letter from a Mongolian company. These can sometimes be arranged through tour companies. Also, it is possible to acquire an expedited visa in a matter of hours at the Mongolian consulate in Erlian, though there is a steep $40 US fee for this service. A similar service is available in the Mongolian consulate in the Russian city of Irkutsk.
As of January 2007, a visa is required for everyone not a citizen of the following countries:
- USA, Kazakhstan, -no need a visa for a visit not exceeding three months
- Malaysia, Israel - no need a visa for a visit not exceeding one month
- Philippines - no need a visa for a visit not exceeding three weeks
- Singapore - no need a visa for a visit not exceeding two weeks
- India - requirement of Mongolian visa without visa fee
- Hong Kong - no need for visa for a visit not exceeding 14 days (ID cards are accepted to indicate residence in Hong Kong)
- Cuba - no need for visa for a visit not exceeding one month
The Embassy of Mongolia website is useful for updates.
By Plane
There are a few places which fly into the capital, Ulaanbaatar. From Europe, there is irregular and infrequent service from Berlin, Frankfurt and Moscow. Check with your local Mongolian Embassy too. There are almost daily flights from Seoul on Korean Air as well as other flights through Beijing. It is also possible to fly to Ulaanbaatar through Tokyo's Narita Airport. Don't buy a non-refundable, non-changeable ticket if you are going to Mongolia. Because flights don't always actually happen, and you might miss your connection...
By Train
The Trans-Mongolian Line of the legendary Trans-Siberian Railway links Mongolia's capital Ulaanbaatar with Moscow, Russia and Beijing, China.
2nd class costs about $70 US from Beijing to Ulaanbaatar; The ride takes almost 26 hours, but you are given a berth in a sleeper-car. There is a small water-boiler at the end of each train car which dispenses free hot water, so it's a good idea to stock up on instant noodles and tea for the trip. Also, don't expect to encounter any English-speaking staff on the train or in the stations.
By Bus
From Beijing to Ernhot by bus costs 169RMB for 12hrs. The bus departs around 6:00p.m. from the bus terminal just southwest of the West train station. The border check point is visible from the town, 2km away you will see the a big decorative rainbow. At the Chinese border checkpoint you can pay a taxi driver 50RMB to drive you 500m to the Mongolian border. You are not allowed to walk the 500m according to the Chinese taxi drivers, and the Chinese border police said no walking as well. Walking North out of the border area you will find a place where jeeps congregrate to take people to the train station. Expect to pay 500 Tugrik per person for the 3km ride. Trains cost 12,000 tugrik, about US$10, to Ulaan Bataar. The train leaves once a day at 5:20pm, and arrives at about 10:00 the next morning.
By thumb
The road stops at the border town of Zamyn-Uud and leave room to an open desert with tracks going in various directions but generally heading north in the direction of the capital city. Hitchhiking in Mongolia is not easy and a little bit of money can be expected. There is an average of one car every hour that leaves into the desert. Expect a bumpy road with not much to see but this is the real Mongolian steppe.
Mongolia tours. Get around
Outside of the capital, there are few paved roads. The easiest way to travel long distance is using AeroMongolia, a subsidiary airline owned by the government which replaced all domestic operations by the national air carrier MIAT, after that airline's propeller aircraft were grounded and scrapped. AeroMongolia uses newer, Russian built aircraft and is generally safe. Air travel in Mongolia involves a two-tier price structure, with the costs for foreigners being significantly higher than for locals.
For the budget conscious, Russian Jeeps and 4wd Mini-buses act as a public transport system. About 15,000 tugrik pays for the all-day trip from UB to Tsetserleg (the regional capital of Arkhangai). Note that this involves being crammed into a Jeep with about nine locals (some of whom may be drunk) and spending the entire day racing over very bumpy dirt trails.
Traveling by local bus is also an option, though these buses tend only to connect the provincial capital with UB, and it is quite difficult to find any public transportation linking one provincial capital with another.
It is also possible to charter a Jeep and driver for private use. Prices are typically negotiated by the kilometer. While far more expensive than sharing a ride with the locals, this means of transport is considerably more convenient and allows you to visit more remote sites.
Whichever method of long-distance travel is chosen, keep in mind that everything in Mongolia has a tendency to break down. Don't be shocked if part of the suspension breaks and the driver jimmy-rigs a carved wooden block in the place of a mount. For more serious breakdowns, it can easily take an entire day or longer for somebody to come along and help, so leave plenty of slack in itineraries. Finally, Mongolians are rather notorious for being late. A bus that is scheduled to leave at 8AM will probably not be out of the city till almost 11AM.
For local travel, horse-back is good option. Note, however, that Mongolians ride on wooden saddles, so if you value your buttocks it's probably a good idea to pick up a leather, Russian saddle in UB.
Another great alternative is to simply walk. Since camping is possible anywhere, resting is never a problem. Whereever there is water there are nomads, and if you stick to the major dirt-roads you will encounter plenty of guanz, who can provide huge cheap meals to keep you going. Adopting the Mongolian style of sleeping outdoors is also an option - wrap yourself in wool blankets and then cover yourself with a Russian raincoat (essentially a tarp in the form of a trench coat), and simply plop yourself down on the ground. One night sleeping this way gives a whole new appreciation for the wonders of sleeping bags and bivvy sacks/tents.
Talk
With the exception of the Western-most province, everybody in the country speaks Mongolian. The language is extremely difficult for Westerners to learn and speak, even after multiple months of being immersed in the culture. Westerners typically take a minimum of 9-18 months of full time Mongolian language study to be conversant. Most locals will appreciate attempts to speak phrases in Mongolian, although the traveller will inevitably pronounce them wrong (be careful when ordering water in a restaurant - the word for water [pronounced "oos"] is indistinguishable for that of "hair" to the English ear! Makes for a good laugh over and over ...). Picking up a phrase book and practising a few phrases will help, such as "hello" ("Sain bano"), "good-bye" ("Bayair-tae"), "thank you" ("Bayair-la"), "yes" ("teem"), and "no" (oogwai). The numbering system is regular, and fairly easy to learn.
Sometimes it is possible to communicate in Russian. English is not widely spoken, although it's been getting more popular lately.
Shopping, Mongolia souvenirs
The Mongolian currency is the tugrik (төгрөг), also spelled tugrug or togrog. There are 1164 tugrik in US$1 (as of 25 Nov 2006).
- Garments and blankets made of cashmere wool and paintings by local artists are excellent buys in Mongolia. Note that it is illegal to take antiques out of the country without a special permit.
- The huge open-air market, Narantuul ("The Black Market") in Ulaanbaatar offers the lowest prices on just about anything you could want.
Good restaurants and cheap meals
Outside the cities, the staple of the Mongolian diet is mutton. After a month in the countryside, you'll either never want to see a sheep again or you might find that you get used to meat as tough as leather and with large lumps of fat surprisingly quickly. Yak might also hit the menu occasionally. The countryside is littered with cafeteria tents called guanz. Here, about 800 to 1200 tugrik will buy you a large platter heaped with fried noodles and slivers of mutton. On the side will be a large bottle of ketchup. Closer to large towns there may even be chunks of potato or vegetables added in.
A tasty and greasy dish served is khurshuur (hushoor), which is a fried pancake stuffed with bits of mutton and onion. Three to four make a typical meal. Also, the ubiquitous buuz (boots) can be had at any canteen in town or the countryside. About 6 buuz should cost 500 tg, or 60 cents USD, and serves one.
The boodog, or marmot barbecue, is particularly worth experiencing. For about 2000 tugrik, a nomad will head out with his rifle, shoot a marmot, and then cook it for you using hot stones. Along the same lines as boodoog is khorhog, which is prepared like so: build a fire; toss stones into fire until red hot; place water, hot stones, onions, potatoes, carrots, and, finally, mutton chops, into a large vacuum-sealed kettle; let the kettle simmer over a fire for 30-60 minutes; open kettle carefully, as the top will inevitably explode, sending hot juices flying everywhere; once the kettle is opened, and all injuries have been tended to, eat contents of kettle, including the salty broth. This cooking method makes mutton taste tender and juicy, like slow-roasted turkey. Ask your guide if he or she can arrange one (but only during summer).
The boodog is also made of other meat, usually goat, and is similar to the khorhog with one major difference: the meat, vegetables, water and stones are cooked inside the skin of the animal. They skin it very carefully, and then tie off the holes at the legs and anus, put the food and hot stones inside, tie off the throat, and let it cook for about 30 minutes.
In Ulaanbaatar, there are restaurants of many different ethnicities, including traditional Mongolian, Chinese, German, Indian, and "California-style" restaurants. Newly opened in 2005: an Irish Pub with excellent views, service, and food (and drink), right across from the big red and white building (National Academic Drama Theatre).
Mongolia nightlife, bars, clubs and pubs.
The national drink is called Airag. Made from fermented mare's milk, it is certainly an aquired taste. It is about as potent, in an alcoholic sense, as beer. Be careful though, if you aren't accustomed to drinking sour milk products, the first time might give you quite a diarrhea, as your stomach gets accustomed to it - in addition to the shock of the bile-like taste. This happens only the first time, though, and once you've completed the ritual once, your digestive system shouldn't complain again.
The first thing you will be served every time you visit a ger, will be milk tea, which is essentially a cup of boiled milk and water, sometimes with a couple pieces of tea leaf thrown in for good measure. You might want to build up your tolerance by drinking lots of milk in preparation for your stay because they don't drink much else, except perhaps boiled water if you specially request it during a longer stay. Also, most traditional nomadic foods such as dried yogurt and the like require a good accustomization to milk as well. Cold drinks don't actually exist in the countryside (unless you intend to drink straight out of a river, generally not recommended), and it's generally recommended that you don't drink anything cold after eating mutton, as it can cause the fat to congeal in your stomach and make you ill.
Local beer, such as Chingiss Beer is fine. Bottled water is particularly recommended.
Hotels, youth hostels, lodging
Some western-style accommodations are available in the capital, but they go for western prices. The Chinggis Khan Hotel looks the fanciest, but I've heard the other hotels in the city are better. You might also want to consider the Ulaanbaatar Hotel which is centrally located near Sukhbataar Square.
There are a few nice guest houses in UB for less than ten bucks a night (even as cheap as 3,000 tugrik if you're willing to share a room), but they are crowded during the tourist season and hard to get into.
Out in the countryside, most of the hotels are rundown leftovers from the Soviet era.
Various entrepreneurial locals set up ger just for tourists. Staying at one of these costs about 2500 tugrik per person per night. They often include breakfast and dinner as well. When staying in one of these guest ger, the usual gift-giving customs can be skipped.
Finally, there are also ger-camps. Set up by tour-companies, they do occasional rent out space to independent travellers. Unfortunately, they tend to be both expensive and out of the way.
Except for the cities and larger towns, all of the land is publicly owned. This means you can pitch a tent pretty much anywhere. Courtesy dictates that you keep your distance from existing nomad encampments. Common-sense dictates that you don't pitch a tent in the middle of a road.
Learn
There are some language schools in the capital. The two most well known ones to foreigners are Bridge School and Friends School. Both schools offer group study classes or individual tutors. It usually takes Westerners about 9 to 18 months before they acquire good conversational abilities in Mongolian. Speakers of the Altai-Turkic languages, such as Koreans or Japanese, tend to pick it up quicker due to the similarities in grammatical structure.
Work
There is a huge demand for "Native" English speakers as English teachers. Anyone who is interested in teaching English will have no trouble getting employment and a work visa through a school or organization. However, the pay is generally low compared to other countries. Though it'll usually be just enough for room and board plus a little extra.
For better paying jobs, you'll probably have to work for a Non-Governmental Organization.
Volunteer (unpaid) jobs (such as teaching English, helping charities, assisting geological digs, etc.) are in abundance and are a great experience.
Stay Safe
Mongolia is generally a very safe place to travel. However, incidences of pick pocketing and bag slashing have been on the rise in recent years, so always keep your personal belongings in a safe place (money belts are highly recommended), especially in crowded areas or in places where your attention is diverted, such as internet cafes . Notorious places for theft are the Black Market (bazaar), the railway station and crowded bus stops.
Violent crime is uncommon, but still caution is required at night, and dark or deserted alleys and streets, in particular, should be avoided. Lone or female travelers obviously need to exercise a higher degree of awareness of their surroundings.
Finally, be careful when traveling by horse as it is not unknown for groups to follow tourists and then steal their goods, including the horses, while they sleep at night.
Stay Healthy
Nomads' dogs may have rabies, and marmots should not be eaten certain times of the year because they can carry bubonic plague. As a precaution, consider having a rabies shots before coming.
Respect
Also receive items with the right hand, palm facing up. Drink from the right hand with the palm up as well. It is very rude to refuse a gift. If offered a plate of hospitality munchies, take at least a small nibble from something.
Contact
There are plenty of internet cafes in the capital. The postal service is slow and most people have a PO box if they want to get anything. It is possible to buy phone cards that can be used to call abroad very cheaply from domestic phones, but not all phones can do this. (You can ask for MiCom or MobiCom cards) In the countryside, don't expect to be staying in contact with anyone.
To make local calls in Ulaanbaatar use a phone of one of the many entrepreneurs with cellular telephones on the street corners. Expect to pay from Tg100 to Tg200 per minute (August 2005 prices).
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