Wanderlust Travel Magazine (UK)
Footnotes
West Mongolia
Vital statistics
Capital: Ulaanbaatar
Population: 3.25 million
Language(s): Mongolian, Kazakh, Russian
Time: GMT +8
International dialling code: +976
Visas: One-month tourist visas can be applied for in person at the Mongolian embassy in London. Applications are usually processed within five days and cost £40.
Money: Mongolian Tögrög or Tughrik (MNT), currently around 3,554 MNT to the UK£. ATMS and bureau de changes are available upon arrival at Chinggis Khaan
International Airport in Ulaanbaatar. ATMS are commonplace in provincial capitals, but travel with cash (preferably USD) in case of power outages.
When to go
March-april: Nomadic herders move livestock out onto the steppe for summer. April in particular is dry and dusty, with strong winds.
May and September-october: Travel to most areas is usually possible in the shoulder months.
June-august: Most tourists visit Mongolia in the summer, when day-time temperatures hover around 20°C. Rains sweeping in from early July through August bring respite from the winter dry, and make for incredible skyscapes. Bring rainproof and layered clothing as nights can be chilly.
November-february:
Winter sees very few visitors. Temperatures in Ulaanbaatar can drop below -30°C.
Health & safety
Hepatitis A and Tetanus are usually advised (fitfortravel.nhs). Others to consider include Hepatitis B, typhoid, rabies and tick-borne encephalitis. The summer rains bring mosquitoes to the western plains, especially around the shores of lakes, so bring repellent.
Getting there
There are no direct flights between the UK and Mongolia, so most visitors will fly from London to Ulaanbaatar via Europe. Regular services are available with Aeroflot via Moscow (aeroflot.ru; 0800 026 0033) and Turkish Airlines via Istanbul (turkishairlines.com; 020 7471 6666). Fares tend to start from around £600 return, with the shortest journey time around 12 hours. Cheaper fares are often available with Air China via Beijing (airchina.co.uk; 00800 86 100 999) though flight times are longer.
If you have time, consider taking the Trans-siberian Express, which takes four days to traverse the 4,634km between Moscow and Ulaanbaatar (trainsrussia.com). Expect to pay around £340 for a second-class berth, one-way.
Getting around
Vast distances and an underdeveloped road network means most travellers will need to take one or two internal flights. The two main domestic carriers are Aero Mongolia (aeromongolia. mn; +976 7010 3030) and Hunnu Air (hunnuair.com; +976 7000 1111). Both offer regular flights to several provincial capitals, including Ölgii and Khovd (both two to three hours, from around £130 return).
Cost of travel
Vast distances and scarce public transport options can make travelling too far from Ulaanbaatar difficult for independent travellers. Most local group tours cost from £120 to £200pp per day.
Accommodation
Ulaanbaatar has accommodation to suit most tastes and budgets, from hostels like Top Tour Guesthouse (toptoursmongolia.com; +976 9900 1041; dorms from £6) to
international hotels like The Blue Sky (hotelbluesky.mn; doubles from around £95 per night).
The new Steppe Hotel (facebook. com/steppehotel; +976 7043 9999; doubles from £45) is the stand-out option in the city of Khovd.
Several tour companies have yurt camps set up in the summer, in particular in the steppelands around Ulaanbaatar, like Jalman Meadows, in the Tuul River Valley, run by Nomadic Journeys (nomadicjourneys.com; +976 11 330360), where a four-day tour costs $700pp (£538) . Only the higher-end 360 Degrees Mongolia (360degreesmongolia.com; +46 498 487105) has mobile camps that can be erected and dismantled in different locations.
Food & drink
Most towns and aimag (tribe)
capitals will have one or two guanz, simple restaurants serving traditional staples like buuz (mutton dumplings) and shuulte khool
(mutton broth). Expect nomadic hospitality of tea, sweets and savoury aarul (dried milk curds).
Ulaanbaatar boasts an array of cuisines. Good stop-offs include BD’S Mongolian Barbeque
(modernnomads.mn; +976 11311191), and the posher Asiana Restaurant (facebook.com/ Asianacentralulaanbaatar; +976 7715 1060).
Further reading & information
Mongolia (Lonely Planet 8th edition, July 2018) - most up-todate guide on Mongolia.
Mongolia (Bradt 3rd edition, October 2013) - great context.
On the Trail of Genghis Khan (Bloomsbury, November 2014) for history and culture. mongolia.travel – Online travel guide