Travel Advice
LOCATION AND GEOGRAPHY
Mongolia is located in the central part of Asia, bordering with Russia and China. The total territory of the country is over 1.5 million square kilometers and the most sparsely populated country in the world. (approximately 1 square kilometer per 1.6 persons.) Mongolia is the eighteenth largest country in the world by size of territory. It is also the world's second-largest landlocked country. The average altitude is 1580m above sea level. The highest point is the Huiten peak (4374m) in the Altai mountain ranges in the west. The lowest point is the Hoh nuur or lake (532m) above sea level which is located in the east. From the west to the east, it’s around 2392 km long and 1259 km long from south to north. Mongolia is home to high mountains, wide steppe and Gobi desert. There are over 3800 permanently running rivers in the territory of Mongolia. Mongolian rivers are included in Arctic, Pacific and land-locked central Asian River basins. About 4000 lakes are in Mongolia. The biggest fresh water lake is Hovsgol and the biggest salt one is Uvs.
Additionally, Mongolia is land of a lot of species of fauna and flora including 146 species of mammal, almost 430 different types of birds, 8 kinds of amphibians and 76 species of fish. There are some rarest animals like Gobi bear, snow leopard, Takhi or wild horse etc.
CLIMATE
Mongolia, a landlocked country, is located far from the seas and oceans so it has a harsh continental climate with very little rainfall, long, cold winters and short summers. Generally, average temperatures are around 0.2°C (32°F), winter temperatures are -10° …-30°C (14° …22°F) and summer temperatures are 10° …27°C (50° …80°F). Several occasions, temperatures can falls to as low as -50 degree Celsius in January, the coldest month whereas summer’s temperatures can rise to 30 degree Celsius in July, the hottest month. The annual average precipitation is 200 to 220 mm. Mongolia is the land of winds and especially sharp winds blow in spring, April and May. Mongolia is called “The land of the blue sky” as there are about 250 sunny days a year.
LANGUAGE
The official language is Mongolian which belongs to Altaic language family. It is spoken by 95% of the population. Rest of the people speak Kazakh, Tuvan and Buryat across the country.
Today, the Cyrillic alphabet has been written in Written language since 1946, even though in the past several scripts such as Mongolian traditional script, Tod script, Durvuljin or Square script and Soyombo scripts were used in written language. One of these scripts is Mongolian Traditional script or Hudum Mongol Bichig was created specifically for the Mongolian language. It is traditionally written in vertical lines, top-down and derived from the Old Uighur alphabet.
PEOPLE
Mongolia has approximately over 3 million people. The majority of the population of Mongolia is Khalkha Mongols (85%), but minority groups include Kazakh, Dorvod, Bayad, Buriad, Dariganga, Zahchin, Urianhai, Oold, Torguud and more. In other words, there are more than 20 ethnic groups. The largest of these minority groups, Kazakhs make up around 5% percent of the total population. The nation also has an extremely young population, with over 60 percent of people less than thirty years old while 40% under the age of 14.
CUISINE
The Mongolian cuisine is divided into dairy products and meat food. The meat food comprises the meals made of pure and fresh meat alone. The uncut meat is being boiled together with other seasoning and flavoring with vegetables and served and the uncut meat is also used for making such national special dishes as horhog (pieces of meat cooked by means of putting them into a sealed vessel together with the red-hot stones inside), boodog (the whole of goat, marmot cooked with red-hot stones put inside). Also, two of the most popular dishes are Buuz (a meat filled steamed dumpling) and Khuushuur (deep-fried pastry.) In summertime, Mongolians prefer to drink fermented milk (mare’s milk), cow and goat’s milk, yoghurt and eat dried curds, cream and cheese which contain different types of vitamins and minerals.
ECONOMY OF MONGOLIA
Economic activity traditionally in Mongolia has been based on the agriculture and breeding of livestock: sheep, goats, cattle (mainly yak), horses, and camels. From these livestock, numerous products including meat, dairy products, wool and cashmere are collected. The total of livestock is about 71 million in 2019. Agricultural production takes place in some regions where grains (wheat, crop,) potatoes and other vegetables are grown. The country is rich in natural resources or mineral deposits including coal, copper, gold, fluorspar, and molybdenum, tin, tungsten and gold account for a large part of industrial production and foreign investment.
DISCOVER MONGOLIA WITH US
FAQ
FAQ
May to September is the best season, with the peak season in July for the Naadam Festival. July and August are also the wettest months of the year, but be assured, our climate is such that you will still have many sunny days at this time. The best time to visit the Gobi is June or September.
All direct flights come into Ulaanbaatar – most of them from Beijing, Seoul, Hong Kong,Tokyo, Moscow, Berlin and Istanbul. The Trans-Mongolian train from Moscow or Beijing makes a particularly exhilarating entry into the country. There are domestic flights and trains from Ulaanbaatar to the rest of Mongolia. Many of the tours use a 4WD Japanese and Korean vehicle, jeeps to transport you to your destination.
In Ulaanbaatar, you will be dining at fine European and Asian cuisine restaurants. Mutton, beef, rice and noodles form the basis of the Mongolian diet, so your meals will be based around this. However, the trail rations may include vegetables, eggs, peanut butter, cheese and sometimes yak! On some days there will be lunchboxes from tourist camps as there are no camps or eating places on the journey. It is good food and our experience has been that guests are happy with
Mongolia is a large and untouched country and many of the roads you will be traveling on are not paved, main roads is paved between the provinces. The journeys will often be real wild exploring adventures through vast natural landscape.
No vaccinations are required. The tap water in the cities is safe to drink, but mineral water is recommended. We will supply mineral water during your trip.
US Dollars are frequently accepted, especially in Ulaanbaatar, but it's also advisable to have some cash in the local currency, the Tugrik. As of August 2023, 1 USD was equivalent to 3469 Tugrik. Please note that many banks in Mongolia, as well as most hotels, are typically willing to exchange your currency. However, it's essential to be aware that people and banks may not accept currency that is old, scratched, or severely worn out. So, ensure your bills are in good condition before attempting any currency exchange.
Warm thin layers of clothing, waterproof jacket, good walking boots and sandals and a hat and headscarf to protect you from the sun and winds. Don’t forget insect repellent, sun cream, lip-gloss, water purifying tablets and first aid kit (medicine for headache, cold, diarrhea, runny nose; bandages; any medicine prescribed for you) all your camera equipment and binoculars and perhaps some snacks to eat between meal times.
Although not required, we recommend that our tour participants purchase a standard travel insurance policy through your insurance company. This is an affordable and comprehensive travel protection program that covers you for unexpected events that could cause you to cancel or interrupt your vacation, unexpected delays, medical assistance, loss of or damage to baggage.
Take it all in with a hike or a ride on a camel. The city of Dalanzadgad is a good base for those who wish to explore over a few days.
Buses are the main mode of local public transport within cities and usually run from 7:00 am to 10:00 pm daily. To pay for the bus, grab a U Money bus card and top it up with some money. A one-way local bus trip is usually around 500 MNT (0.20 USD).
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