Mongolia Travel Blog & News

We tried to travel to the Orkhon waterfall that first summer I visited Mongolia. It seemed a short distance from Karakorum and we asked about swapping out the customary visit to the Erdene Zuu Monastery for a day trip to the waterfall. However, our guide and driver were quick to say that this was not a possibility as the road to the waterfall was, in their words, “a very bad road.”

After the Gobi Desert, I’d say Lake Khuvsgul is next on the “Must See List” for Mongolia--it’s beautiful, crystalline blue waters are stunning! It’s in the opposite direction from Ulaanbaatar and will also require some decisions about travel. The best time of year to visit is summer--June, July or August--with July being usually the warmest. August is the beginning of fall in Mongolia and can sometimes mean more rain than a visitor wants to contend with. You can visit before and after those three months but many camps do shut down for a part of fall, all of winter, and the start of spring.

Capturing many peoples’ imaginations, the Dukha, Tsaatan or reindeer people, live in the beautiful area North of Lake Khuvsgul in Mongolia. They are an enigmatic group; being relatively unknown because of the remoteness of the lives they live in the boreal forest. Read on to learn 15 facts about this group of people living as they have for centuries. 

It’s the beginning of the end of Mongolia’s short summer season. Today is a big day for our young monk. Let’s call him Davaa, a good Tibetan name. His name means Monday, and his parents may have chosen his name because he was born on a Monday. The name also honors Tibetan Buddhism, which is practiced in Mongolia. He has only been at the monastery for a year, and he’s going to participate in his first Tsam ceremony. The tsam dances, are morality plays. Their purpose is to remove evil from the area and pass along traditional stories and morals. There can be hundreds of participants, usually monks. Davaa is lucky to participate because he’s still a young monk.

When it comes to food, Mongolia is a paradise for meat lovers. With a rich nomadic culture and a history of hunting and herding, Mongolian cuisine is a unique blend of traditional dishes that are hearty, filling, and full of flavor. A visit to Mongolia offers a chance to sample these delicious dishes while exploring the country's stunning landscapes and rich cultural heritage. From the vast expanse of the Gobi Desert to the pristine beauty of Lake Khuvsgul, a Mongolia tour promises to be a one-of-a-kind experience that will leave visitors with unforgettable memories.

The theme of the 55th PATA Annual Conference, "Changing Lifestyles - New Opportunities", is designed to focus on how travel and tourism can take advantage of the opportunities posed by fast-changing lifestyles and values. These include changing demographics, health and wellness, travel by the young, the ageing, and female travelers, technological issues, the low-cost airline phenomenon, and growth in short city-break holidays.

They can ride like the wind but the galloping hooves of time threatened to dilute, perhaps obliterate, their nomadic traditions. Meta Mertens calls it her horse heaven…the sweeping plains of Mongolia, where she is proud to play a part maintaining centuries of equine history. She has witnessed the country's primary nomadic lifestyle resist a drift into the cities for work.

The Trans-Siberian Railway is a world-famous train route. The railroad is an impressive piece of engineering that was well-known even as it was being built. It can take you from the capital of Russia, Moscow, to the Eastern end of Russia, Vladivostok. What some people don’t know is that the train line extends through Mongolia and also terminates in Beijing. If you’re interested in taking the memorable trip, here are 10 reasons why you should plan for it this year!

Chinggis Khan did a lot for Mongolian nomads and the world. He administered an empire, enforced security so merchants could safely trade, and created military tactics that would inspire leaders for centuries afterwards. However, there’s one accomplishment that may surprise you – he brought writing to Mongolia.

“Nomads on horses” is what comes to mind of many upon hearing the word “Mongolia”. Indeed, nomadic culture is engrained into every part of Mongolian lifestyle and culture. Mongolians have been nomads for thousands of years, sustaining their life on Central Asian plateau by relying on their domesticated livestock. Today, about 30% of the country`s population is still leading nomadic lifestyle all over the country, and as there are not many truly nomadic cultures left on earth, Mongolia has become an unique destination to visit for many tourists.