Accommodation on Selena Travel tours
Ulaanbaatar: Ulaanbaatar, the capital city of Mongolia has many hotels ranging from basic 1* to high-end 5*. Some international hotel chains have opened such as Kempinski, Ramada, and Best Western to name a few. Some of Selena Travel Mongolia tours do not include hotel accommodation in Ulaanbaatar, where clients are advised to take care of their own accommodation in Ulaanbaatar. Please refer to your tour program (Included services and Exclusions section) for more details.
Your Selena Travel advisor is happy to assist you with hotel booking on your request. Below you will find some suggested hotels in Ulaanbaatar:
- Best Western Gobi Kelso ***
- Springs hotel ***
- Ramada hotel ****
- Kempinski Khan Palace ****
- Best Western Premier *****
Outside Ulaanbaatar: Please take in mind that traveling in the countryside of Mongolia is often tough, a trip is conducted in remote areas where there’s no hotel and paved roads exist.
Outside of Ulaanbaatar, tourist Ger camps are the best accommodation for travelers. A Ger is Mongolian traditional dwelling made of felt layers and wooden construction, and the Mongols have lived in Gers since the time immemorial. Tourist Ger camps offer comfortable Gers with 1-4 beds with good bedding, and also have western style showers and WCs (mostly shared). A few Ger camps offer en-suite Gers at additional charge (please ask your Selena Travel advisor for this). Due to remoteness some tourist Ger camps may not excel in service, so travelers may not always expect high pressure showers, bubble baths or gourmet food etc.
Food on Selena Travel tours
During your tour in Mongolia you will be eating in good restaurants in Ulaanbaatar, we have a great variety in restaurants in the capital city. Once you are outside the capital, Ger restaurants in Ger camps and local cafes in the small towns and villages will be the places where you will be eating. Ger restaurants often have set menu, but their food is usually very good (Ger camps provide mostly continental breakfast, lunches consist of salad, soup, main course and dessert, whilst, dinners are usually salad, main course and dessert).
During your longer driving days you will take packed lunch from Ger camps (often vegetable salad, main course such as fried chicken/noodles/dumplings and a chocolate bar etc). Vegetarians are well taken care of both in Ulaanbaatar restaurants and tourist Ger camps.
Luggage allowance on Selena Travel tours
When you travelling overland in a vehicle (minivan & jeep), it would be suitable if you have 20kg luggage per person (max). However, please kindly note that domestic flight luggage allowance per person is 15 kg (10 kg for the check in luggage and 5 for the carry on luggage). For 1kg extra luggage you pay US$2 - 5.
DESTINATION & ATTRACTIONS BRIEF INFO
Bayanzag, which in Mongolian means 'a place of many saxaul bushes', was first called 'The Flaming Cliffs' by Roy Chapman Andrews, the American dinosaur hunter and adventurer who made vital finds of dinosaur eggs and skeletons at the base of the vivid red bluffs, which stand alone in a vast empty expanse of land and sky. Chapman himself was something of a rogue - said by some to be the man on whom the film character 'Indiana Jones' was based. He lived an adventurous, self-aggrandizing life across much of this part of the world. At Bayanzag, it is the landscape, in addition to the rich dinosaur history, which is very impressive - an intense evocation of Mongolia's great emptiness.
Khongoriin Els (Khongor Sand Dunes) introduction
An extensive dune formation, Khongor Els runs for 180 kilometers across the front of the Gobi-Altai mountains - formed by deposits of sand dropped into the lee of the mountains by centuries of storms. The dunes rise to heights of 2600 feet, stand out in light sinuous sand shapes against the dark rock of the mountain and the surrounding desert plain, at the base of the dunes runs a sacred river, and it brings a flourish of green growth to the desert scene - the nomads bring their herds of cashmere goat and horses to drink at this oasis.
The Mongolian Bactrian Camel: People can travel almost anywhere by camel. In olden days, camel was the biggest and strongest form of transport. Camel may look imposing but they are actually very calm and easy to ride. One of the most interesting parts of this journey will be to ride a camel over the sand dunes for a panoramic view the natural beauty of the Gobi.
The Gobi Gurvan Saikhan National Park named after the mountain Gurvansaikhan (The Three Beauties of the Gobi) stretches for 27,000 square kilometers making it the largest national park in the country. The protected area safeguards the Mongolian portion of a largely undisturbed part of the vast Gobi desert and provides a last refuge for representatives of the ancient terrestrial fauna of Central Asia with over 620 species of flowering plants and 38 endemic species. 52 species of mammals are found here inclusive of eight species listed in the Mongolian Red Book as endangered. Over 240 bird species occur in the area, including 34 resident species, 99 breeding species, and 70 migrants. The park is abundant with wildlife such as snow leopard, Ibex, wild assess, gazelles, different species of vultures, gophers, northern pikas, and Mazaalai, the Gobi bear.
The Yoliin Am or the Vulture’s Gorge was established to conserve the regional birdlife became a favorite place to visit for its dramatic and unusual natural landscape shaped by a towering mountain gorge in the middle of the Gobi desert with thick ice all year-round.
Giant Genghis Monument Complex is located in the beautiful natural scenery on the bank of river Tuul. The statue height in total is 46m high including the 10m high foundation and surrounded by columns. Farsighted Genghis Khaan holds a golden whip in his right hand. Recreation area, restaurants, and souvenir shops are be located in the column surrounded base of the Statue and from here visitors will ascend to the exhibition hall using elevator at the back of the horse. The visitors will walk to the head of the horse through chest and back neck of the horse, where they can have farseeing and good panorama view over the complex area.
Gun-Galuut is one of the most popular nature reserves of Mongolia. The Reserve is truly the marvelous combination of high mountains, colorful flowers, pretty lakes, rivers, and wetlands with its famous rare species. It is a home to endangered wild Mountain sheep-Argali the Big Horns, White-napped crane, Siberian White Crane, Hooded Crane and the rare Black stork, Asian heron, Whooper swan, Swan Goose and so on. Over 80 Argali sheep inhabit peacefully in Gun-Galuut now. Tourists visiting the Nature Reserve have the opportunities to do watching and taking photos of the Endangered species, rafting and fishing in the lakes and rivers, camping in a beautiful and peaceful nature, visiting nomadic family, riding horse, yak and camel and introducing with traditional nomadic lifestyle and culture.