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Mongolia Travel Guide, Mongolia tourism, Mongolia travel vlog, Mongolia travel tips & cost, work and travel Mongolia, Mongolia tourism & vacations
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Mongolia is an amazing country to travel around in, due to its fantastic landscapes and total otherworldliness. Even in booming Ulaanbaatar, youâll find that the city stands poised on the edge between East and West: Western-style restaurants next to traditional restaurants selling dumplings and soups; people wearing jeans and teeshirts walking beside people wearing the classic deel; taxi drivers listening music made on the morin khuur discussing American soap operas that they watch on TVâŚ
Because tourism is still in its infancy in the country, Mongolia can sometimes be a bit challenging to travel around. In fact, many travel companies even in Ulaanbaatar still donât have a web presence! But donât let that deter you from taking the trip of a lifetime.
1. Visit Ulaanbaatar
Chances are, youâre going to arrive in Ulaanbaatar, the capital city, whether youâre flying or coming via the Trans-Mongolian train from Moscow to Beijing. And Ulaanbaatar is a great place to start! Not only will you find a plethora of museums, monasteries, and other interesting places to visit, but it can also make a great base for planning the next stage of your Mongolian adventure. I recommend choosing a reputable hotel or hostel to stay in for at least the first couple nights of your trip so that you can familiarize yourself with the city and culture prior to jumping out into the countryside.
2. Learn about the History
When I arrived to teach in Mongolia, I knew approximately four things about the country other than its geographic location: horses, nomads, Ghengis Khan, and that Ulaanbaatar is, on average, the coldest capital city in the world. Of course, that wasnât going to fly with my students and their fierce national prideâit wasnât long before I knew more about the culture, language, history, and traditions than I ever thought I might know!
3. Stay in a Ger
Mongolian gers, or yurts, are the traditional nomadic style of housing in the countryâbut plenty of people still live in them today! Even on the edges of Ulaanbaatar, youâll find sprawling ger districts full of families who want to live in the classic style while still enjoying all the conveniences of life in the capital city. Staying in a ger during your stay is definitely an experience that you wonât want to miss out on.
4. Ride a camel in the Gobi Desert
Speaking of the Gobi Desert, this is one part of Mongolia thatâs not to be missed if youâre going to be getting out into the countryside. Itâll take you a little while to get toâeven if you take the train, youâll be looking at an overnight or full-day journey! But itâs well worth the trip: thereâs nothing in the world thatâs quite like these vast expanses of no-manâs land. I recommend basing yourself in the small city of Dalanzadgad so that you can easily get out to see three of the main attractions of the Gobi, including the flaming cliffs of Bayanzag and dunes as far as the eye can see in Khongriin Els, although there are plenty of other places to explore as well.
5. Sleep in a Monastery
Although many Mongolians claim to be atheists, Buddhism is still the predominant religion in the country, and youâll see monks walking around Ulaanbaatar and most of the other major cities. And the countryâs impressive monasteries can be quite interesting to visit. But why stop at just visiting them for a brief period of the day? Manjusri Monastery, located only a short distance to the south of Ulaanbaatar in Bogd Khan National Park, is a great choice for this. You can hike out to the monastery, explore the ruins of the monastery, and then spend the night in their dormitory for some quiet contemplation and zen relaxation time before you hike out in the morning. [ZPSu_GqQPD4] |