Mongolia: My self-journey without a car

My name is Boris. I am 30 years old, I live in Yekaterinburg. In the summer I made an independent trip to Mongolia without a car, aligning it with a visit to the regions of Southern Siberia.

First was in those parts where Genghis Khan created his empire. I was not interested in prices for tours to Mongolia. In my opinion, most travel agencies do not offer. This is not a nonbany country, not Turkey or Thailand.

From all possible countries chose Mongolia, as it is cheap and interesting for me. I wanted to compare my impressions from her with Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan, where I used to be, as well as with the our regions – Altai, Khakasia and Buryatia. Interested in the expositions of national museums, the design of Yurt, the state of railways, kitchen, landscapes, the appearance of the capital and the architecture of the Soviet and post-Soviet periods.

Mongolia can be briefly described like this:

• One of the coldest and unclosed countries of the world. Population density is 2 people per square.KM. The lowest among the countries of the world. July is the warmest month in the capital, the average temperature is + 18 ° C. Average annual – about 0 ° C, with a scatter from -40 ° C to + 40 ° C.
• Residents enjoy Cyrillic and know our well well.
• No exit to the sea.
• Weakly developed railway transport.
• Mongolia is historically connected with Russia – from the invasion of Khan Batya in 1237-1241. and before membership in the CEV during the USSR.

How to go to Mongolia yourself &# 8212; my version

The trip plan was to arrive in Ulan-Batar from Ulan-Ude, and further use the country’s capital for the provinces. The list of mandatory visits was included two largest provincial cities – Darkhan and Erdenet.

How I got to Mongolia?

At the time of the trip, the course of the Tugric to the ruble was about 40 K 1. So 1 ruble was equal to 40 tuggers.

All money in Mongolia paper, it is rare in some countries. It is best to take a car with you. From your city, I traveled to Mongolia combined. First by plane to Irkutsk, then in a sitting car to Ulan-Ude. In it, I lived a few days and examined in detail the capital of Buryatia.

In Ulan-Batar, it was possible to get in three ways:

• In the coupe of the international train. It is not suiced – 4500 rubles.

• Night bus – 1500 rubles.

• In the car with our tourists.

In Ulan-Ude, in those days was my friend. During the sights of the city’s sights, we met the locals who knew the Trans-Baikal well well, but for some reason have never been to Mongolia. We decided to go there together, since the value of gasoline when dividing for 4 persons is cheaper. We left Ulan-Ude at about 10 am and arrived in Ulan Bator at 11 pm. Such a trip cost 700 rubles, that is, a little more ruble per kilometer. In Ulan Bator, they already scattered and collected, depending on the plans of each.

How to find accommodation in Mongolia?

In Ulan Bator, the tourist can stay at the hotel or hostel. In the province there are hotels and yurts. I decided to live for free, and fit into the ordinary apartment to a our citizen who spent the summer there as an archaeologist. VPP in many cities of the world can really find through hospitality sites: couchsurfing.COM and HOSPITALYCLUB.Com. Sometimes they offer our citizens or foreigners who own our.

He lived in the house of the 1980s building, with elevator. The apartment is typical: bath, toilet, entrance hall, kitchen, two rooms and balcony. Nearby there were shops, stopping trolleybuses, a couple of foreign embassies, inexpensive urgets, a restaurant of our cuisine and a shopping center E-Mart.

View from my window / Photo by

During trips to the province, I spent the night in transport (night bus \ train) or in hotels. For example, in Darhan 1100 rubles for two guests cost the room at the hotel opposite the city park. Standard room – 2 beds, toilet and shower in one room, Wi-Fi.

Meals in Mongolia

In terms of food Mongolia is not just a cheap country. I would call it one of the best directions for culinary tourism lovers. It is unlikely that somewhere you can find cheaper dishes from lamb, horseradish and beef. In Mongolia is not a problem to find and familiar our or Soviet cuisine. In some canteens among soups in the menu there are borsch and Solyanka. In the departments of finished products of large stores really find Olivier and Vinaigrette. In the center of Ulan-Bator, there are our restaurants ("Gzhel") and Ukrainian cuisine ("Batka Opanas"). In one of the shopping centers on the first floor there is a Uzbek restaurant.

I fed modestly, but tasty / photo of the author

In the capital of Mongolia, European, Japanese, Chinese and Korean cuisine are popular. So, there is a restaurant "Pyongyang", which are owned by the Northern Koreans. He is quite expensive.

Among the metropolitan restaurants, I especially note Blue Sky, which is located opposite the monument to Genghis Khan. This is one of the highest buildings of the capital – with an observation platform and a transparent elevator wall. You can take pictures from the top floor to those who did not order.

In the province of the catering establishment, not so many diverse, but in Erdette, where the our consulate is located, is not a problem to find a couple of restaurants in our cuisine.

Food is cheap, even cheaper than in neighboring Buryatia and Tuva.

Prices are:

• Portion of Buouzov (similar to manta) or hushurov (analogue of Cheburekov) in a local dining room – 100 rubles (5 pieces).

• Big soup plate – also 100 rubles. It’s enough for two.

• Dishes in restaurants – from 150 to 500 rubles. Sometimes it can be just a few solid pieces of meat with a garnish.

• Tea – 10 rubles. He is unusual for us. Reminds warm milk. The usual tea is better to take from the package, sometimes it is called "Lipton" in the menu.

Choosing low-cost catering establishments. From cafes on the track and dining room to food courts in metropolitan hypermarkets. For example, "Han Buouz" – analogue position in our Buryatia. Cafe, where the main dish looks like manta, but there are soups, dishes from various meat with handbags, drinks, salads. I liked Schulando – a round-the-clock cafe with various soups (Borsch, Mongolian, Korean cuisine), the local noodle "Tsuyang", salads.

If you eat in low-cost catering establishments, it is enough for a day 300 rubles., And if one time go to the cafe with waiters, then 500 rubles. And these are not pasta with potatoes, but a variety of meat dishes. You can cook yourself. Semi-finished products (Buouza and Hushura), as well as a variety of products of Mongolian and imported production are sold at local stores. A huge range of chocolate – from the Malaysian "Selangora" to the Polish "Wawel".

I found in Ulan Bator and specialized stores where only our and Belarusian goods are sold. Mongolian bread TALH Looks like a familiar "Darnitsky". Similarly, ice cream to taste resembles Soviet, and not strange ice floes from other countries of Asia. I do not know what is connected, but the Mongols love to add to the dishes of sea buckthorn and drink taiga herbal tea. Putle costs from 50 rubles, suitable as a souvenir.

Moving on Mongolia without a car

In Mongolia theoretically you can move by airplanes, but I did not have time to try the air transport. For trips, used buses, railways and cars. Local residents can also bring free, that is, the hitchhiking works. Sometimes drivers speak English, but with English very bad. However, not all Mongols understand the essence of the highway and may unexpectedly ask for money.

Buses in the country, mainly Korean production. The speed of their low, as even key roads, for example, leading to Russia, low quality. Low tariffs – about 1 ruble per km, as in Central Asia.

Railway in Mongolia

Acts in Mongolia and railway. The analogue of our Railways is called MTZ. Passenger cars All production of the USSR (placentar) and GDR (coupe). Locomotives are old Soviet or some unusual Mongolian alterations depicting two white horses.

From Ulan Bator walks two trains to the north of the country, in the Sukh Batar and two south – in Saystend. One of the trains in a pair of daylight, the second – night.

Wagons inside three types: General, second-class, jewelry. Tariffs 250, 500, 750 rubles – from the capital to the final station. According to our standards cheap, for 750 rubles, I went to the night flight to Erdenet. The trailed car of the Subator Train goes to him. It is even more convenient, because arrives at 7 am, and not at 4:20.

Mongolian train / Photo by

In addition to the internal, go and International trains – on Beijing, Moscow and Irkutsk. Tariffs are very high, and old cars. For example, from Ulan Bator to Ulan-Ude, a ticket in a coupe costs 4500 rubles, and in the bus 3 times cheaper. If you go with a transfers to a dry-bastor for a taxi across the border and on a minibus in Kyakhte, it will be enough for 1000 rubles.

Transport in Ulan Bator

It is interesting to navigate through Ulan-Batarra. City is overloaded by transport even in late evening hours. The main type of city transport – the bus. Travel costs 10 rubles, but obvious foreigners almost always take free. Travel on suburban routes, for example, in the town of Najah, cost 25 rubles. Acts in Ulan Bator and rare for Asian countries Trolleybus system. Part of the trolley buses are familiar our, but some issued by the local enterprise of transport engineering. Travel is free, but the routes are a bit. Basically, from the west to the east of the capital, it is convenient to ride.

Is Mongolia safely in Mongolia?

Basic hazards in Mongolia Natural Type. Ticks in the taiga in the north, for example. The herd of livestock is sometimes guarded by wild dogs, and the cattle is periodically sick. Mongols love to drink, so there is probability to run into troubles. They lead inactiously, as 30 years ago cars in the country were several dozen times less. In the Ulan Bator during the rain, it is sometimes difficult to go to the street. Everything is flooded with water and splashes from cars.

Communication and Internet

Internet even in the capital so-so. Tariffs are 2 times higher than our, and the speed below. It is necessary to take into account those who work remotely or likes to download heavy photos and videos during a trip. Wi-Fi is quite common.

Attractions Mongolia

In Ulan-Bator, I visited almost all museums.

They can be free. For example, a small museum of the history of the local railway or an exhibition of railway equipment exclusively Soviet production.

The most expensive museum – National. Ticket costs 200 rubles. But some naughty visitors manage to immediately go through the stairs to the 2nd floor and then inspect all 10 halls, with the exception of the first floor. They introduced the whole history of Mongolia – from the Stone Age until the beginning of 2000 g. Interesting museums: Military historical, postal, house.TO.Zhukov.

Architecture of Ulan Bator

Ulan Bator is poor old architecture. It seemed to me that there are no buildings in the city until 1900, except for religious buildings. Not far from the circus are 2 mansion of the beginning of the 20th century. In style resemble the usual merchant houses in some Kyakhte. One of them is a cafe, and in the other – the modest Museum of History of the Ulan Bator. Preserved in the capital and local version of Staliance – Buildings of 1950.

Most of the residential foundation looks sad and not impressive.

But in some areas there are Yurts – Raisin Mongolian Capital. Where else in the world you can see the city with a millionth population and yurts?

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Neighborhood and province

Ulan-Batar I used as a base for babble in the surroundings. In town Najah went to the "hare" on the bus. To the monument to Genghis Khan and in the soverer torelzh robbed by car with our tourists, paying his part of gasoline costs.

Monument to Genghis Khan – the biggest equestrian statue in the world. In his pedestal there are museum and restaurant. The ticket costs 200 rubles.

The same amount is also an inspection of the National Park, but the control sometimes misses and without payment. It is best to go with overnight in yurt. I did not have this time, so there was only a monastery, a couple of beautiful rocks and elevations.

The most interesting event is near the capital – Festival Nadom.

Festival Ahead / Photo by

He takes place in mid-July. It’s best not to bus, for there is a terrible plug, and with a locals on his car. In place, I walked down the steppe, examined the yurt, local amateurness and jumps. Arriving in the festival inhabitants of Yurt willingly treat foreigners with candy (often by our), dairy tea and vodka.

Where else to go from Ulan Bator

From Ulan-Batar made trips to some provincial cities. In Erdenet and Sai Cheyshand, traveled by night trains, in Darhan – by bus and hitchhiking.

Together with our tourists, at their car, the price of gasoline went to the monastery of Aglag 100 km north of the capital.

Monastery agglie / photo of the author

The terrain around the monastery represents an unusual oasis for a stereotypical steppe and desert country. Cool and grow pine. Construction of the monastery of the photogenic, the Mongols themselves are actively visited by.

Erdenet – Young city. It was founded in the 70s of the last century. A kind of sample of the Mongolian town planning of the late Socialist Period. Sightseeing there are a bit – Mormon Temple, Park, Observation Playground and Museum in the local DC.

The result of my independent trip to Mongolia

Impressions from a trip to Mongolia I had the most pleasant. Most of all surprised Temples Mormonov, which I saw in all visited cities.

Country, by the way, turned out to be cold. Even in July in the steppes can blow such a wind that without a sweater to walk quickly.

I compared it with Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan, where I was a year earlier. Ulan-Bator less our-speaking in comparison with Bishkek. In the summer it is a cooler temperature. At prices it turns out as cheap, and in terms of museums and architecture will differ. Kazakhstan Mongolia is greatly inferior in terms of tourist attractions, except for food and urban transport cheaper.

How much is a trip to Mongolia?

The trip turned out cheap. I lived in Ulan Bator actually free on VPP. Accommodation paid all sorts of small purchases like a custard kettle and sweets to tea. I sometimes prepared there, it contributed to the economy on food. All prices in the country are low, so in 26 days in June-July I met 10,000 rubles. If you go with an "economy class", that is, with the night in hostels and yurts, with food in the canteens and with moving by flight transport without flights, then 1000 rubles for a day.

The alignment is:

• 400-500 rubles per night at the hotel (double, prices per one with a neighbor), hostel or yurt.

• 300-400 rubles – meals.

• 200-300 rubles – tickets to museums and transport.

In the exchangers of Mongolia take rubles. There are no problems with ATMs in the country.

Advice

Rest in Mongolia is not suitable. Lovers of beaches, warm summers, sun, tan, numerous historical and cultural objects and small distances in this country hardly like. If you are amateur cheap holidays in non-bunny places, horse riding and dyed landscapes of South Taiga, steppes and deserts, it is necessary to visit Mongolia.

If there is no personal transport, then know that the independent trip to Mongolia is possible without a car.

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