L G Plan Your Trip Understand Mongolia
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©Lonely Planet Publications Pty Ltd “All you’ve got to do is decide to go and the hardest part is over. So go!” TONY WHEELER, COFOUNDER – LONELY PLANET Get the right guides for your trip PAGE PLAN YOUR PLANNING TOOL KIT 1 Photos, itineraries, lists and suggestions YOUR TRIP to help you put together your perfect trip M 14 Top Experiences ........ 4 KOHN ICHAEL Welcome to Mongolia .... 13 14 Need to Know ................. 14 TOP EXPERIENCES If You Like... ..................... 16 Month by Month ............. 18 COUNTRY & CITY REGIONAL • The original • Cultural Itineraries ........................ 21 • Comprehensivep • Day trips & itineraries • AdventurousAdventturouss • In-depth Outdoor Activities .......... 26 Know Regions at a Glance ....... 33 Currency » tögrög (T) Naadam Festival Mongolians love their naadam (p 222 ). With two or three days of serious wrestling action, awe- 1 some horse racing and dazzling archery, who wouldn’t? While ‘naadam’ literally means games, the celebration is much more than that. It’s all about fun, getting together with friends and relatives, eating a lot of khuushuur (mutton pancakes) and emptying a vodka bottle or two. The most traditional festivals happen in small towns, where every member of the community is somehow involved. These When to Go village naadams are also super-photogenic – you’ll snap more photos than you ever thought possible. 18 Top Events Month Naadam, July Mongol Khövsgöl Nuur Daguur B National Park RUSSIA •# Golden Eagle Fe É Chu GO Jun–Aug Ugtam Uul •# # •# by Altai Tavan Bogd Bayandun Khatgal Ice Fest •# É National Park É GO Jun–Sep Dadal Bayan-Uul # GO May–Sep Tsagaan Sar, Feb # Dadal É •# É Month •# Bulgan Camel Fe # Ulaanbaatar # Batshireet Toson # É February GO Jun–Aug Dornod •# •# Khulstai Choibal Arkhangai GO May– Binder •# •# GO Jun–Sep Baldan Baraivan Khiid •# •# Öglögchiin Kherem •# ULAANBAATARÉ •# #_ •# Khökh Nuur Kherlen locals. It will be bitterly cold The long w Ömnögov Bar Khot but skies are usually clear. lack of fodd # GO May, Aug–Oct Chinggis •# January livestock th Khaan É Öndörkhaan Cold. Damn Cold. Frozen Bulgan Camel for horse ri DISCOVER ENCOUNTER HIKING PHRASEBOOK Statue Baruun-Urt •# toes and eyelashes cold. z Festival Warm to hot summers, cold winters But that doesn’t mean you This event happens dur- Mild summers,Nav cold winters É The Best-of Pocket-sized É can’t visit the country. ing Tsagaan Sar. You’ll see z • • Hotels, restaurants and camel polo, camel racing festival begi most other services still and other camel games. Ölgii on 22 family feast • Photo-packed • Easy-to-use •# operate. This is a good time for short winter Ice Anklebone ditional gam Sainshand Dariganga •# É walks in Terelj. z Shooting Inspirational Highlights •# • • Khamaryn Competition Khiid Two Weeks Eastern Mongolia Eastern Mongolia oՖ ers a delightful romp through grass historical sights. Best of all, it’s almost completely devoid Heading east from UB, you’ll pass the new Chinggis Khökh Nuur, a pretty alpine lake that saw the coronation northeast, visiting Baldan Baraivan Khiid, Öglögchiin K Looking for other travel resources? er as you travel through Khentii’s scenic countryside. Ther PAGE UNDERSTAND GET MORE FROM YOUR TRIP 205 Learn about the big picture, so you MONGOLIA can make sense of what you see Mongolia Today .............. 206 if Mongolia were History ............................. 209 100 people The Mongolian Way of Life ............................... 219 LONELYPLANET.COM APPS EBOOKS MAGAZINE Naadam ........................... 222 For travel information, Location-based Guidebooks For travel stories, The Mongolian 95 would be Mongol (mostly Khalkh) advice, tips & digital guides for the street for your reader inspiration & ideas Traditional Gers .............. 225 5 would be Turkic (mostly Kazakh) Way of Life chapters lonelyplanet.com/mobile lonelyplanet.com/ebooks lonelyplanet.com/magazine Every Mongolian, no matterr how long he or she has lived in a city, is a mad at heart. The nomadic way of life was born out of necessity in this Spiritualism in gion as herders were forced to move their animals over the steppes in sea of grasslands. But even as new technologies were introduced, the coun remained a nomadic one, in large part because the nomadic way of became more than a necessity – it became an unbreakable lifestyle. Wh Mongolia .......................... 228 today, more than ever, Mongolians are lured to the city in search of wo many choose to stay on the land with their animals, unable to give u STAY IN TOUCH reedom and independence aՖ orded to them by their traditional lifestyle Mongolian Cuisine .......... 231 Ingredients for Life lonelyplanet.com/contact Mongo ian nomads have two crucial tools at their is osa .a The À rst Tribal Mongolia ............... 234 AUSTRALIA Locked Bag 1, Footscray, Victoria 3011 twitter.com/ lonelyplanet Wild Lands & Wildlife ..... 237 %03 8379 8000, fax 03 8379 8111 facebook.com/ Trans-Mongolian Paper in this book is certified USA 150 Linden St, Oakland, CA 94607 against the Forest Stewardship %510 250 6400, toll free 800 275 8555, fax 510 893 8572 lonelyplanet Railway ............................ 242 Council™ standards. FSC™ promotes environmentally responsible, socially lonelyplanet.com/ beneficial and economically viable UK 186 City Rd, London, EC1V 2NT management of the world’s forests. %020 7106 2100, fax 020 7106 2101 newsletter mongolia-6-cover.indd 2 30/03/2011 1:41:29 PM PAGE ON THE YOUR COMPLETE DESTINATION GUIDE 36 In-depth reviews, detailed listings ROAD and insider tips NEXT TOP EXPERIENCES MAP PAGE Northern Mongolia Western p109 Mongolia Ulaanbaatar p180 p38 Eastern _ Mongolia Central Mongolia p138 p79 The Gobi p155 PAGE SURVIVAL YOUR AT-A-GLANCE REFERENCE 245 How to get around, get a room, GUIDE stay safe, say hello e you a not hard to to pitch you walking dist Directory A–Z ................. 246 aimag capit To wash probably ne local town’s Transport ........................ 261 are listed un tion entries aware, thou Directory houses aren À nd in Turke Health .............................. 278 Mongolia th getting a ho A-Z If the ow dog) give yo camping ne Language ........................ 282 idea for ext Bookings erwise cam Accommodation It’s a good idea to book from other The prices listed in this book ahead for any accommoda- have little o Index ................................ 292 are for a standard double tion. In rural areas, accom- Western co room in the high season (sum- modation is limited; so if you so be prepa mer). Tax (10%) is almost turn up at the same time to open you always built into the price. as a big tour group or if a inside at an Outside Ulaanbaatar ac- government conference is tion is need Map Legend .................... 299 commodation price ranges underway, you may À nd ev- You can o are deÀ ned as: ery bed already booked out. water, cook You also need to book ahead meat and d $ Less than T25,000 for accommodation in Ulaan- from nearby baatar especially the guest- for other go THIS EDITION WRITTEN AND RESEARCHED BY Michael Kohn, Dean Starnes Look out for these icons: Our author’s A green or No payment o recommendation S sustainable option F required ULAANBAATAR . .38 Dulaankhaan . 113 SÜKHBAATAR. .151 Darkhan . 114 Baruun-Urt . .152 CENTRAL Amarbayasgalant Khiid . .116 Dariganga . .153 MONGOLIA . 79 BULGAN . .118 Shiliin Bogd Uul . .154 TÖV . 83 Erdenet . 119 Around Shiliin Bogd Uul . .154 Zuunmod . .83 Bulgan City . 121 Bogdkhan Uul Strictly Around Bulgan . .123 THE GOBI . 155 Protected Area . .83 KHÖVSGÖL . 123 DUNDGOV . 157 Eej Khad (Mother Rock) . 86 Mörön . .124 Mandalgov . 157 Nalaikh . .86 Uushigiin Uver . 127 Baga Gazryn Chuluu . .159 Around Nalaikh . .86 Khövsgöl Nuur National Süm Khökh Burd . .159 Terelj Area . .87 Park . .127 Erdenedalai . .160 Gachuurt . .90 Chandman-Öndör . .133 Ongiin Khiid . .160 Khustain National Park . 91 Around Chandman- Saikhan-Ovoo . 161 ÖVÖRKHANGAI . 92 Öndör . .133 Ikh Gazryn Chuluu . .161 Arvaikheer . .93 Darkhad Depression . .134 Ulaan Suvraga . 161 Shankh Khiid . .95 Mörön to Terkhiin DORNOGOV . .161 Kharkhorin (Karakorum) . 95 Tsagaan Nuur . .136 Sainshand . .162 West of Kharkhorin . 100 Around Sainshand . .163 East of Kharkhorin . .101 EASTERN Choir . .165 ARKHANGAI . 102 MONGOLIA . 138 Ikh Nartiin Chuluu . .165 Tsetserleg . .103 KHENTII . 140 Zamyn-Üüd . .166 Tsenkher Hot Springs . .105 Öndörkhaan . 141 ÖMNÖGOV . 166 Ögii Nuur . .106 Delgerkhaan . .142 Dalanzadgad . 167 Khar Balgas . .106 Khökh Nuur . .143 Around Tsetserleg to Terkhiin Baldan Bereeven Khiid. .143 Dalanzadgad . .168 Tsagaan Nuur . .106 Öglögchiin Kherem . .143 Gurvan Saikhan Khorgo-Terkhiin Tsagaan Binder & Batshireet . .144 National Park . .169 Nuur National Park . 107 Burkhan Khalduun . .144 Bayanzag . .170 Dadal . .144 Khanbogd . 171 NORTHERN DORNOD . 146 Bulgan . 171 MONGOLIA . .109 Choibalsan . 147 BAYANKHONGOR . .171 SELENGE . 111 Kherlen Bar Khot . .150 Bayankhongor City. .172 Sükhbaatar . 112 Buir Nuur . .150 Shargaljuut . 175 Altanbulag . 113 Khalkhiin Gol . .150 Bayangovi . 175 See the Index for a full list of destinations covered in this book. On the Road Amarbuyant Khiid . 175 Khar Us Nuur . 200 Ekhiin Gol . 175 Achit Nuur . 200 GOV-ALTAI. 175 Khyargas Nuur National Altai . 177 Park . .201 Eej Khairkhan Nature ZAVKHAN . 201 Reserve . 178 Uliastai . .201 Sutai Uul . 178 Zagastain Davaa . 203 Great Gobi Strictly Otgon Tenger Uul Strictly Protected Area . 179 Protected Area . 204 Tosontsengel . 204 WESTERN Telmen Area . 204 MONGOLIA . .180 BAYAN-ÖLGII . 182 Ölgii .