Eej Khad Mother Rock
Vanloads of pilgrims can be found venturing a rough 48km south of Zuunmod to the sacred Mother Rock Map pp102-3 Eej Khad GPS N47 18.699', E106 58.583' . Mongolians often come here to seek solace and advice, and make offerings of vodka, milk and khatag silk scarves . Pilgrims ask for three wishes to be granted, circle the rock three times and make three separate visits. There are several sacred rocks nearby that are thought to generate good luck, including one called Dog Rock, which Mongolians...
Binder Batshireet
At the confluence of the Khurkh and Onon Cols, the village of Binder is a good place to rest on your way to or from Dadal. There are a couple of cafes, a ger camp with food US 20 7km from the village and a small Chinggis Khaan monument 2km east of the village. If you are For the Mongols, disposing of a corpse has always been tricky business. According to steppe tradition, a person was left exposed to the elements to be consumed by wild animals. In some cases a person would be buried but the...
Sleeping Jee
If you want to camp, head south past the wrestling stadium, and walk along the Kherlen Gol to the west until you've found a quiet spot. Jargalan Hotel 23722,96668694 dmT5000, half-lux T15,000, lux T20,000 Once a government guesthouse, this place limps along as a hotel. Rooms are falling apart and hot water comes in a thermos some have a TV, although it shows just one channel. If the hotel is empty the manager is open to bargaining. The entrance is around the back of Government House. Khuvchin...
Khentii Xhthh
Khentii is Chinggis Khaan territory. The great man grew up here, established his empire on its grasslands and, from Delgerkhaan, launched his military machine to the heart of Asia. As a nomad empire the khaans left few physical reminders of their existence, but with a jeep, a copy of The Secret History of the Mongols and a GPS unit you could launch your own expedition to scour the land for clues to their past. So far researchers have identified more than 50 historical sites relating to Chinggis...
flOPHOrOBb
Dornogov East Gobi is the first place visited by many overlanders, as the trainline from Beijing to Ulaanbaatar runs straight up its gut. The landscape seen from the train window is one of flat, arid emptiness and the occasional station where locals shuffle about on the platform. The railway supports local trade while the rest of the economy lies on the back of copper mining and small-scale oil extraction. Most travellers stop here with the purpose of visiting Khamaryn Khiid, the monastery...
Mother Rock
During communism, visiting the sacred Eej Khad Mother Rock was a political crime, as it showed respect for religion, which was basically banned at the time. Some people, however, still went in secret. Sometime in the late 1970s the communists decided to do away with the 'feudal' site once and for all. Workers tried dynamite to blow it up, and a tractor to haul it away, both to no avail. The next day workers awoke to find their tractor burnt and destroyed. Soon after the incident the official...
WEST OF KHARKHORIN Tovkhon Khiid TeBxeH Xhhj
Hidden deep in the Khangai mountains, this incredibly scenic monastery GPS N47 00.772', El02 15.362' has become a major pilgrimage centre for Mongolians seeking spiritual solace. Zanabazar founded the site in 1653 and lived, worked and meditated here for 30 years. The monastery was destroyed in 1937 but rebuilt with public funds in the early 1990s. Situated at the top of Shireet Ulaan Uul, Zanabazar apparently liked the unusual formation of the peak the rocky outcrop looks like an enormous...
Shiliin Bogd Uul
At 1778m, Shiliin Bogd Uul GPS N45 28.350', El 14 35.349' , about 70km east of Dariganga, is the highest peak in Siikhbaatar aimag. The extinct volcano is sacred to many Mongolians the spirit of any man and man only who climbs it, especially at sunrise, will be revived. The region is stunning, isolated and close to the Chinese border - so be careful. A jeep can drive about halfway up the mountain, and then it's a short, but blustery, walk to the top. There are plenty of ovoos and awesome 184...
Ger Camps
Kharkhorin is inundated with ger camps and the fierce competition keeps prices in check. Most camps are in a lovely valley 2km west of town. Riverside 9975 3970 eastline magicnet.mn per person US 12 About 1km from the road, towards the river, this decent camp has clean gers and hot showers. It's hidden in the trees and popular with groups. The hostess speaks English. Anar 9665 8101 per person US 15 This place is bigger and more commercialised than the others in the valley it comes complete with...
ROAD DISTANCES km
or Erdenet. To the south, there are daily direct trains from Ulaanbaatar to Zamyn-Uiid, via Choir and Sainshand. There are also trains terminating at Choir twice a week. You can't use the Trans-Mongolian Railway for domestic transport. When travelling in hard-seat class see below , you will almost certainly have to fight to get a seat. If you're not travelling alone, one of you can scramble on board and find seats and the other can bring the luggage on board. Young boys and girls usually travel...
Temples
The monastery is enclosed in an immense walled compound. Spaced evenly along each wall, about every 15m, are 108 stupas 108 To Monz n Mod Ger Camp i,10km l.'nu irt if4t m - Arvaikneer lSSkmt Ulaanbaatar 770km 77 i-eoond Turtle Fork Olf'0 gt m m To TOvknOn k'niid okm Orknon l.'nOknree i85km INFORMATION Turtle Rock Internet Caf see 2 Mongol Shuudan Bank see 2 Anar Post Office see 2 Bayan Burd Telecom Office 2 B2 Crown Caf SIGHTS amp ACTIVITIES Monkhsuurl Great Imperial Map Monument 5 A3 Tavan...
Dundgov
Dundgov Middle Gobi is something of a misnomer. The aimag would be best described 'North Gobi' as this area is the northernmost extent of the Gobi Desert. Lying just a few hours drive south of Ulaanbaatar, it's also one of the most convenient Gobi regions to explore and is fast becoming a tourist destination. Dundgov's allure lies in its mysterious rock formations, which appear mainly at two locations Baga Gazryn Chuluu and Ikh Gazryn Chuluu. At both you'll find large granite pinnacles and...
NAIMAN NUURhahmahhwp
The area of Naiman Nuur Eight Lakes , which was created by volcanic eruptions centuries ago, is now part of the 11,500-hectare Khuisiin Naiman Nuur Nature Reserve. The lakes GPS N46 31.232', E101 50.705' are about 35km southwest of Orkhon Khiirkhree waterfall , but the roads are often virtually impassable. Locals around the waterfall can rent horses for the two-day trip to the lakes. It's also possible to get to the lakes from the Arvaikheer side by car, although only an experienced local...
Volunteer Work
Some organisations are anxious to receive help from qualified people, particularly in education, health and IT development. Agencies are more interested in committed people who are willing to stay two years or more, although short-term projects are available. In most instances, you will be paid in local wages or possibly a little more . Besides the following, Lonely Planet Publications DIRECTORY' Work 265 a good starting reference is Golden Gate Friends of Mongolia www.ggfom.org . Asral 011-304...
Terelj Area
During the peak season of July and August and also at the more popular camps , it's not a bad idea to book ahead. Outside the normal tourist season July to September , it's also a good idea to ring ahead to make sure the camp is open and serves food. A few places are open in winter, mostly for expats who want to ski. If you are the only guests at a camp you may have to find staff to open up the restaurant, showers etc. The ger camps offer almost identical facilities and prices about US 30 with...
fhe Culture
Mongolians call themselves Asian by ethnicity but Western by culture. As abstract as that might sound, your first encounters with Mongolians might knock back a few preconceptions. It could be the European influence in which their Russian masters immersed them throughout the 20th century, or perhaps the long hours they now spend glued to CNN and MTV. But the Mongolian likeness to Western thinking - and the distance the country has put between itself and the rest of Asia - probably owes more to...
KHALKHIIN GOL xajxbih TOJ
The banks of the Khalkhiin Gol, in the far eastern part of Dornod, are of particular interest to war historians because of the battles against the Japanese in 1939. The region is about a nine-hour drive east of Choibalsan. Numerous war memorials are found in the area. The memorials are real socialist masterpieces, built to honour the Russian and Mongolian soldiers who died here. The monuments are easy to find as they are all along the road from Khalkhiin Gol to Siimber. The Yakolevchudiin Tank...
Ondorkhaan O
INFORMATION Internet .lie .VioM nl SI H11 I.in I .ink l'u-,t Ottice I I'll gt olll mice Erdes Hotel Tiger Caf Nature Pub 9909 3701 Temujiidiin Gudamj meals T2500-3800 S noon-midnight Chinggis Khaan would feel quite at home downing pints in this rustic restaurant and pub. The red exterior leads into a dimly lit hall decorated with stretched goat skins, wolf traps and compound bows. The kitchen is probably the best in town, offering up a variety of dishes from pork steaks to fish.
Food Drink
The culinary masters of Mongolia's barren steppes have always put more stock in survival than taste. Mongolian food is therefore a hearty, if somewhat bland, array of meat and dairy products. Out in the countryside, green vegetables are often equated with animal fodder and spices may be an alien concept. The reasons for this stem from the constraints of a nomadic lifestyle. Nomads cannot reasonably transport an oven, and so are prevented from producing baked goods such as bread. Nor can nomads...
Stone Turtles
Outside the monastery walls are two stone turtles also called Turtle Rocks . Four of these sculptures once marked the boundaries of ancient Karakorum, acting as protectors of the city turtles are considered symbols of eternity . The turtles originally had an inscribed stone stele mounted vertically on their back. One is easy to find just walk out of the northern gate of the monastery and follow the path northwest for about 300m. Often, an impromptu souvenir market is set up next to one stone...
Tsenkher Hot Springs
Located 27km from Tsetserleg, these hot springs make for an easy detour from the main road. Three ger camps have been built around the springs each pumps water into splash pools that cost around US 5 to enter. The pool at TsenkherJiguur faj 9914 5520 www.v s t2mongol a.mn GPS N47 19.241', E101 39.411' ger US 16 is the cleanest and hottest of the bunch it is lined with rocks rather than concrete and connected to a well-maintained bathhouse. There are separate pools for men and women. For...
Wind Horse Ecofriendly Ger Camp
Many ger camps claim to be ecofriendly, but by constructing septic tanks near rivers and building permanent structures in the virgin landscape they are leaving an irremovable scar on the land. As you travel, look out for less-developed camps that utilise solar and wind power and other ecofriendly devices. In the Gachuurt-Terelj area, a leader in sustainable practices is the Wind Horse Ger Camp, about 12km southeast of Gachuurt Map pi 12 the position on the map is a guide only - the owner may...
Oglogchiin Kherem
Literally 'Almsgivers Wall', but also known as 'Chinggis Khaan's Castle' or 'Red Rock', this 3.2km-longstonewall GPS N48 24.443', El 10 11.812' , believed to date from the 8th century, stretches around a rocky slope in Binder sum. It was once thought to be a defensive work or a game preserve, but recent archaeological digs by a Mongolian-American research team have identified at least 60 ancient graves within the walls, indicating that it may have been a royal cemetery. As you walk inside the...
SHOPPING Mqu
Mongolia has a number of unique items that are worth bringing home. Cashmere and wool products are usually at the top of the list Gobi, Goyo and Buyan brands are all good quality. A cashmere sweater will cost around US 40 to US 60. m Antique shops are good for Buddhas, -h thangkas scroll paintings and marvellous a silver jewellery. For any of these you could pay from a few dollars to several thousand. If you are a serious buyer, ask a local friend to help you shop for the best quality stuff and...
Index
animals 49-51, 52, see also wildlife arts 38-41, see also individual arts travel literature 16, 57, 59, 61, 142 climate 13-14, 31, 49, 252-3 Colonel Nikolai Przewalski 51 consulates 255 costs 14-15 courses Buddhism 79, 81 language 79, 80, 224 music 224, 244 credit cards 258 culture 29, 31-41 customs regulations 253 Dadal 173-5 Dakilbay Davaa 230 Dalanzadgad 204-6, 205 Dalmatian pelican 50, 242 Daltin Khuv 214 Dambijantsan 214 dance 41 dangers 68, 254-5 Danrig Danjaalin Khiid 176 Danzandarjaa...
Mongolia Outdoors
Mongolia is a giant outdoor park. With scattered settlements, few roads and immense areas of steppe, mountain and forest, the entire country beckons the outdoor enthusiast. But the lack of infrastructure is a double-edged sword while there are many areas that have potential for eco-tourism, only a few ie Khovsgol Nuur, Terkhiin Tsagaan Nuur and Terelj National Park can really handle independent travellers. Signing up with a tour group, on the other hand, gives you instant logistical help. Tour...