The Mongols are privileged to enjoy four seasons in the heart of Asia, and Mongolian winter is famous for being cold & harsh. However, it does not mean that you just stay at home & do nothing during winter in Ulaanbaatar. Tourism Department of Ulaanbaatar city is organising “UB Winter Festival” for the first time, with a vision of making the festival one of the biggest winter events in Asia. And we all know that this winter’s been so blessing mild! Yeepee!
If you’re interested in wild life, exotic travels and animals then you might’ve heard about the Big 5 of Africa. However, have you ever heard of the Great Gobi 6? In order to keep the wildlife and ecosystem of the gobi system, the WWF has started an initiation called Great Gobi 6, a project determined to spread awareness of the importance of the animals living in the gobi desert and try to save them from being extinct.
In Mongolia, where the people still keep the nomadic lifestyle and keep the nature as original as possible, it’s no wonder that some of the last truly wild animals live only in Mongolia. Especially the Gobi desert, which is believed to be the home of the dinosaurs, is where most of these animals live. When I say wild animals, I mean the authentic wild ones- their ancestors used to live next to the real dinosaurs. That is one of the reasons why Mongolian Gobi is called the door to the fairytale- just about five hours of drive from the city, you would setting your foot in a place that have been the exactly same for about tens of thousands of years. Obviously, the revolutions have come and gone, but one thing is for sure- you wouldn’t be encountering one flashy advertising sign or skyscrapers that block your view. It may sound pretty scary in that way, but as long as you’re prepared enough- all that time and risk would be worth it.
Sometimes we can’t stay as long as we want in a place. If you don’t have a ton of time, but want to maximize your Mongolian experience you can. Mongolia’s size is part of its charm, but it’s also one of its challenges. For example, if you want to visit Mongolia, and see a lot of the Gobi Desert in three days, it’s just not going to happen.
For this list, I compiled things you can easily do from the hub of Ulaanbaatar. From there, you can arrange smaller trips, and some of these activities can be done elsewhere (like horseback riding). These trips are for anything from a day-long layover to three days.
A trip to Mongolia is not complete without a visit to the Gobi Desert. As travel in Mongolia includes a lot of time in a vehicle, my father and I chose to fly from Ulaanbaatar to Dalanzadgad (capital of South Gobi aimag or province) when we visited the Gobi.
Hustai Nuruu National park is a gem in the outdoor spaces of Mongolia. It’s a National Park especially established to preserve the last wild horse on earth – the Przewalski’s Horse. In setting aside land for these animals, the park is an oasis of natural life. While the open spaces surrounding Ulaanbaatar are usually free of obstructions, wildlife has concentrated and flourished in Hustai Nuruu under the watchful protection of the caretakers of the land.
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.”
For many people in the Western world, Mongolia is a faraway destination. They may know about Genghis Khan, but not much else. After centuries of Chinese rule, one common misconception is that Mongolian speak Chinese. While some surely do, in Mongolia, they speak Mongolian. It is an ancient and interesting language, full of cool ways to express ideas. It has undergone a few changes since it was spoken by Genghis Khan.
Selena Travel LLC has won in the Best for Conservation of Cultural Heritage category at this year's Virgin Holidays Responsible Tourism Awards organised by responsibletravel.com. At a ceremony hosted at World Travel Market (WTM), Docklands, London, on Wednesday 11th November, the Awards were handed out by Justin Francis, managing director of responsibletravel.com, organisers and founders of the Awards, and Amanda Wills, managing director of Virgin Holidays, headline sponsor of the Awards.
Are you wondering whether it is safe to travel alone in Mongolia or not? Many of tourists ask this question from others on online community before they travel their first visit of counties including Mongolia. Here is an example: “I’m 20 years old female and never tried traveling on my own, and would like to be independent. Am planning to visit Mongolia on my own for a month, but is it safe?…
If you are planning a trip to Mongolia, you must be looking forward to having adventures in the Gobi Desert, exploring ancient history at the Genghis Khan Equestrian Statue Complex, and observing traditional Mongolian customs, like eagle hunting. But, while you are traveling in this delightful country bordered by China and Russia, do not skimp out on your meals! Food can be just as much of a cultural experience as going to a museum or taking an adventure tour in the countryside. It gives you a taste of ethnic cuisine and allows you the opportunity to interact with the local community. Knowing what food you need to try in Mongolia is tough if you’ve never visited the country, so, we have done all the taste testing for you. Below is a list of the food you need to try in Mongolia!
11 20, 2011
