I've expressed interest in traveling to Mongolia and my family and friends think I'm crazy. I've checked into Boojum Expeditions and they sound good. Are you familiar with them at all? I'm not sure how serious I am about this, but might try to go in 2008.

If you would like to entice others to travel to Mongolia post a trip report about your experience! I would love to know more about it!

Have you seen the movie "The Story of the Weeping Camel?" Stunning picture!!

I was in Mongolia back in 2000 with my mom. It was a nice 4 day visit. Unfortunately, she went to the local shops and unbeknownst to her until after the fact, a pickpocket? had slashed her jacket, opened her fanny pack (which was behind her under the jacke and shouldn't have been), took her money, credit cards and zipped it back up. I thought the zipping back up part was very thouhtful!

I picked up a cool long coat..calleda D'al? I think?


Mark-

Mark, if only all pick pocketers would be so thoughtful!

Did you do a trip report about your visit? I would love to know more about it. Ever since I saw the movie I referenced above I have been intrigued by Mongolia.

Actualy, the trip was in 1999...just a 3 1/2 week trip to CHina, Tibet and Mongolia. My firs trip to the Eastern part of Asia and only my 2nd trip overseas...the first being an archaeological dig in Israel back in my college days in 83.

Horrible guide in Tibet, except the salon, good guides in China except Chengdu, god guide in Mongolia, though we were bait and switched to different lofgings both in Tibet and Mongolia. And, during our brief stay in Chengdu there were demonstrations in the streets. Xian was my favorite part of the trip,,,and not the famous terracotta warriors, but Chengdu itself....great bargains, beautiful architecture, etc. The people were so curious aboutmy laptop, which I brought everywhere.

Yangtze cruise was wonderful also. I have to wonder how different it is now that they are filling the reservoir...

Mark-

Thanks for the replies.

travlsolo2,

Just a thought on timing--08 will be the Olympics in Beijing so transportation to China may be tight. There also may be more visitors to Mongolia who decide to venture out after the Olympics.

Here are travel agents that I looked into, starting with Boojum:

The leader in horse trips is Boojum. These trips are quite intense and they advertise you will be wet, cold, and hungry.

Nomads (be sure to get the one in Mongolia as there is one in Tanzania.
They have a very large presence in Mongolia from what I witnessed and have well organized small group trips to great locations. They are a leader in Mongolia.

Asia Trans Pacific in Boulder, CO has a trip that looked pretty good. It's an organized small group.

Absolute Asia had some great itineraries that you could mix and match. They specialize in individual trips, which I really liked. They were just a bit pricey for me and I thought they might be more upscale than my tastes. But I think they’d be a good choice.

Yak and camel travel interested me. Initially I wanted these two forms of transportation to be the basis of my trip. As a result I was drawn to Nomadic Journeys, which has several day to weeklong yak and camel trips in modules. Here is why, after research, I did not pursue the lengthy camel and yak trek (though I did ride both plus lots of horses, while in Mongolia). Mongolia is so vast that to truly experience it, I felt I wanted to see different areas. If I confined my travels to what a camel or yak (pulling a yak cart) could do, I felt I would not see as much as I wanted. I ended up deciding to incorporate these forms of animal transportation into my itinerary but not have them be the focus.

I got the Fodor's, Frommer's, Bradt, Rough guides and looked at operators. I ended up with Mongol Global:

Mongol Global Tour Co.
4141 Ball Rd. #187
Cypress, CA 90630
PH#: 714 220-2579
FAX: 714 - 276-6447
toll free (866) 225-0577
www.mongolglobaltours.com
MongolGlobal@aol.com
MongolAdventure@aol.com

Here is why I chose Mongol Global. I wanted to have some of the itinerary as a private trip. I was especially interested in the Przewalksi Horses or Takhis, as the Mongolians call them, in Hustai Nuruu, about 2 hours outside Ulaan Bataar and I wanted to spend a few days there.

I also wanted to spend some days with a Mongolian family and wished to do that alone. Mongol Global is very good at individual itineraries and was able to plan those for me.

For the group part of the trip, I did the Gobi (and rode camels twice), Naadam, Lake Huvsgul (and did a yak ride on the yak), and the Altai Mountains. There were ample opportunities to ride horses and I probably did so about half a dozen times throughout the whole trip of 26 days. A particularly interesting and scenic ride is in Terelj National Park, about an hour out of UB.

If you are going in summer you will probably want to be in Ulaan Baatar July 11, 12, and maybe 13 for the Naadam Festival of horse racing, archery, and wrestling.

Or you might want to attend a smaller Naadam right around this time. The bigger event was quite spectacular, especially the opening ceremony. Next time, I'll check out a smaller Naadam.

You might also want to take the 30-hour train ride from Beijing to UB that runs a couple times a week. You’ll most likely be traveling Beijing-UB anyway. I wanted to do the train but the schedule changed just a couple weeks before I left home. Consider a night on the Great Wall pre- or post-Mongolia. It was awesome.

Here is a link to the report I posted on the Great Wall and Mongolia, which contains additional links to photos. Feel free to email me too. You will not regret your decision to travel to Mongolia. Good luck.

http://www.fodors.com/forums/threadselect.jsp?fid=27&tid=34700041still

I was in Mongolia briefly in 2004. My trip report is on my website - www.wilhelmswords.com in the RTW2004 section. You can email me through the website.

Thursdaysd,
Thanks for the link. Glad you enjoyed the hospitality and the gers, except maybe the aruk.

Happy future rail travels.

atravelynn - you're welcome! I didn't DISlike the arak, it just wasn't as interesting as I expected.

Mongolia looked like a great place to go riding, if I went back I'd want to get further away from Ulaan Baator, and spend some time on horseback. What are you planning for two years from now?

We spent two weeks in Mongolia in July, 2005 during the Naadam Festival. We traveled with Mir and found them to be well organized and thorough. It was not a budget trip but there are not a great many choices of "hotel" options. Except in Ulaan Batar, the tourist facilities are ger camps. I think the Festival is an important part of any visit to Mongolia because it is such an important cultural event. In addition, it is very different from all other activities there. I would definitely NOT plan a trip by camel or yak. The distances in the Gobi are immense with not much to break up the monotony until you get to your destination. Also, you would not want to be stuck in the middle of nowhere.
All in all, Mongolia is not an easy place to visit but it is fascinating and quite lovely.You will definitely be glad you went.

Mongolia sounds fascinating! My travel style has changed greatly over the years and now I tend to visit places in order to gain a cultural aspect rather than to see sites.

I recently spent 4 nights in a village in NW Laos. Most of the people had never seen a westerner before and didn't speak a word of English. I speak very limited Lao so communicating was interesting and challenging.

This was not done through any kind of organized trip and that was a great way to visit this village.

When visiting Mongolia, is it possible to do it independently, even if it is a challenge?

Thusdaysd, Maybe it was me that disliked the aruk. The yogurt vodka was better. As you mentioned, it was not very potent. That was good because we drank it by the cup.

A question for you--on the train if you were alone, how did it work when you went to eat? Just leave your stuff? Take it with you? Or did you not have to go somewhere to eat because food was served? Then how about bathroom trips?

Also how did smoking on the train work? I don't care for smoke and would prefer to avoid it if possibe, especially in my neighboring seat or bunk.


The small Mongolian horses were great to ride. The ones for tourists were quite gentle. Some of the horses beloning to nomads were initially afraid of Western people like me because, I was told, "we looked and smelled different."

Mediatorr, I came to the same conclusion about spending the majority of my time on a camel or yak. I did not.

Plans two years from now:
Try to take the train from Beijing to UB. Hopefully the schedule will not change again last minute.

I want to return to Hustai Nuruu, the reserve for takhi horses, which is a couple hours out of UB.

I found the area west of Moron, east of Huvsgul to be particularly attractive--rolling steppes, lots of various herds from goats to yaks. I saw where Moron has own Naadam July 11,12,13 (at least they did in the past.) I'd like to spend a few days driving up there, spend a few days in the area just walking around and looking, and then attend the festivities. I would have a guide and would not do this by myself.

There are also even smaller Naadams made up of families and I'd like to see one of those. Those can take place anytime. The difficulty with trying to see some of these is that can change dates on a moment's notice.

A return trip would be last about 2 weeks.

Eurotraveller,
I know people have done lengthy independent journeys by horse or bicycle. You can do motorcylce trips too. Usually a guide would accompany you unless you spoke the language.

Many of the attractions are right around UB so it can be used as a hub and you can do day trips alone easily with a taxi or hired car. I did not see much public transport other than the train from Beijing to UB.

I've heard some people get an apartment in UB for several weeks and do different things each day. Going with just you and a guide would not be hard to arrange. I did not encounter others travelling all alone outside of UB and the nearby areas.

Air schedules were challenging and changed by 12 hours to a full day, seemingly without reason. I had a guide to help me with that.

Luggage on the train - basically, you have to trust the other people in your compartment to some extent. I travel with a backpack and a day pack. The backpack goes in the metal box under the lower bunk, in the open space next to the box, or in a cubbyhole over the door. If you're in 1st or 2nd class the attendants see to it that only ticketed passengers board.

Everything I really can't stand to lose is either in my money belt or my day pack. I slept with the belt on, or under my pillow, depending on who I was sharing with, and the daypack mostly went with me, even to the loo. The only times I really felt concerned were when we stopped at a station and everyone got off to check what the vendors had - and I think that was mostly in Russia, not Mongolia and China. You can get the attendant to lock the compartment then, but it's a hassle.

The Ulaan-Baator to Beijing Trans-Mongolian had two-person deluxe compartments, if you're really worried & really well-off, I suppose you could reserve one just for you.

There's no smoking in the compartments, and I think there was none in the corridor either. The food on the Chinese train is supposed to be better than on the Russian, but most people took their own supplies anyway, and ate in the compartment - the restaurant car was more for hanging out. There are hot water boilers in each carriage, take a tin cup and plan to make your own tea, coffee, soup, noodles, etc.

If you have trouble getting a reservation on the Trans-Mongolian, you could take a bus to the border and catch a more frequent train there - that's what Amazing Race did last season.

Thanks for all the train info, Thursdaysd. I am saving it in my Mongolia file. I would not get a whole compartment for me but it's nice to know an attendant could lock it.

What did you do about food? Bring your own? If so, what did you bring? Thanks.

I boarded in Moscow with instant coffee and soup, orange juice, bread, cheese, salami and apples, and that's mostly what I bought along the way. Some travelers were more into noodles and chocolate. At one point some Russians boarded with a whole roast chicken (Irkutsk, I think). I did try the restaurant car the first day out of Moscow, but after that I fed myself.

Note - the compartment lock is very easy to defeat. If you're locking it from the inside you may want to take extra precautions - I think I've seen a suggestion that there is a hole you can stuff something into, but I didn't bother & don't exactly remember. I kept everything I really cared about with me, which meant my money belt & my camera & journal.

Thanks again!

I'm actually planning a trip for September! Heading out to Ulgii in the far west.

I found Canat (http://www.mongoliaaltaiexpeditions.com/) who has been fantastic... I really don't like organized tours, like to just go to a place and hang... meet people and see what happens. In one of his scheduled itineraries he listed seeing a shaman one day and I wrote him back saying that sounded fun. He wrote back, "then you can stay with shaman for one week, and with an eaglehunter's family the second week." And it was done. That easy.

I'll post more when I get back, but this has been incredibly easy. And if you're looking for personalized travel/service - I'd say check out Canat. And if you do a search you'll find him listed on a few websites, and in a book called "Eagle Dreams"... and I have no affiliation with him... he's just making things VERY easy for me. )

Anyway, I can't wait!!! Atravelynn, did you get to Ulgii by any chance, or the Altai mountains?


Take care,

Michael

Michael, Blue Wolf looks fantastic! I am also not a tour person but I would definitely consider one of their itineraries!

The Eagle Festival appeals to me although I don't think I would be thrilled to watch them kill. It would be an interesting cultural experience.

We have an international film fest going on in Portland, OR right now. One of the movies is "The Great Match". About a third of it is filmed in Mongolia and includes beautiful footage of eagle hunting and horse riding. I highly recommend it if you can find it. Maybe it will be available on NetFlix?

I know my boyfriend has no interest in visiting Mongolia and I enjoy traveling solo so this would have to be a solo trip for me.

Cheers!

Michael31,

I did fly to Ulgii and spent several days in the Altai Mountains. It was a beautiful area.

The eagle hunters were too far away to reach in the time I had because the flight schedules had been changed to different days and times from what I booked. It chopped off a couple of days in that area. Normally the eagle hunters would have been in the vicinity of Ulgii, but it was unusually hot and they headed high into the mountains. Between the heat and the flight changes, I was disappointed to miss them, but those things happen when traveling in places like Mongolia.

In October there is an eagle hunter festival or gathering and I'd like to go to that some day.

Please post or email me about your trip when you return.

Wow... I'll take a look for it, thanks!

Yeah, somehow I don't think that'd be a pretty picture, dragging somebody along who didn't want to go - especially Mongolia!

It's odd, it's like it's calling me there, know what I mean? I saw the pics on the Blue Wolf site and thought, "Oh, that's where I'm meant to go." And everything's happened very easily... but staying in tents in 14-50 degree weather is not my normal way of doing things! But it's like it's found me, Mongolia...

We shall see...


Michael

hi atravelynn... that's my one concern, flights, so I'm building in a couple days buffer in UB, Ulgii and back in UB before I head to Hong Kong for a few days.

also, was there much in ulgii itself? to see... or were you able to visit the general area a bit?


thanks!

Michael

Michael, I know what you mean. Ever since I saw "The Weeping Camel" I have been intrigued with Mongolia. Now that I watched "The Great Match" I am even more interested!

The city itself was not as much of interest to me as the surrounding country. I spent very little time there.

I am very interested in Mongolia. We are cautiously wondering about motoring there from England (hopefully to finish in Beijing - if we can get clearance for us and the car).

Any information would be welcome.

Pat

Getting permission for a foreigner to drive in China is apparently very difficult. Meanwhile you might want to read Jim Roger's books on his two round-the-world trips including Siberia and China (one by motorbike and one by car). You could also look at the reports from competitors in the Mongol Rally - although the main web site seems to be down right now.

01pat23,
Quite an adventure that would be. I must admit, I don't think I miss Mongolia enough to drive there from England.

atravelynn - much more comfortable by train!

I really appreciate your replies - and will certainly find Jim Roger's books - and try to gen up on the Mongol Rally (I had not known about this one).

I have read your comments re train and it sounds exciting. However, I have always wanted to drive through Asia and am exploring the possibility. I have just found 2 good companions and we are gathering as much information as poss. I suppose it would be easier to fly!! but not nearly so much fun? Admittedly, I do not expect the trip will be quite as predictable as many touring/camping trips I have done in the past!!

Any more news would always be welcome.

Pat

Definitely overland - car or train - in preference to flying! Good luck - do come back and tell us how it works out!

Anybody have any upcoming summer trips to Mongolia?

I have a summer trip to Mongolia! Hurray!

Not this summer. Not in 2008 either. I think I'll go in 2009.

Hi, I have a trip planned for this summer to Mongolia! I am going on a 13 day tour with Penguin tours. I think they are out of Denmark or Norway. I am going with them because my friend from Sweden booked with them and I decided to go along.

Mongolia looks awesome! I can't wait.

I have a few questions, based on my internet research. What did everyone do for water.

We will be Ulan-Baatar for one day and then travelling for 12 days. Is there bottled water available, did people boil their water or did you need a filter?

Also, when you stayed in a Ger, did you need your own bedding. Do I need my sleeping bag?

Is the food okay or do I need to bring a few energy bars as a supplement. I like mutton, but I don't think I can take two weeks of it.

Oh, yes, I also read that the people like when you give them gifts. Did anyone experience this, and what would be good suggestions of things to bring.

I also heard that you can't turn Tugrik's back into dollars, after you exchange them. Is this true? And, I heard that it is hard to get money away from Ulan-Baatar. Will they take dollars, then?

Any other travel advice? I'd really appreciate some pointers from people who have been there. If you know of any good books or websites, I'd appreciate it.

Thanks.

I was in Mongolia back in 2001. I purchased a saddle in Ulaan Batar, then got on a bus to Testerlig, bought a horse for about $120, and spent the next 3 weeks riding.

The sight of a big white guy dressed in a Mongolian robe (which is incredibly essential and convenient piece of clothing for the ever changing Mongolian weather) on a small Mongolian horse caused quite a stir in some places. I remember one guy riding a motorcycle approaching me form the opposite direction on the road and falling over in sheer surprise. No injuries though, thankfully, but many laughs afterward.

The only downside from the trip is that I lost my camera bag, with all of the film inside. I only lost $10 on the resale of the horse!

Fishing was also incredible. The streams there are just teaming with fish.

It's all coming flooding back now as I begin remembering again...

baaj: I can just picture your image and causing the poor local to fall off his motorcyle. You do know how to have fun, and I appreciate your common sense (an uncommon virtue) in other posts.

you miss Mongolia? I understand that Ghengis Khan does also.

My husband and I will be leaving for Mongolia in August. We feel really lucky that we have our own private guide. Our son is finishing his peace crop tour in Mongolia and will taking us around. We than board the train to China for 2 weeks and off to Tibet. We are excited to see where our son has lived for the last 2 years.

I'm leaving for Mongolia on July 5th for two weeks. My friend and I are part of a private tour as well. I'd like to hear the answers to Sparkle's questions. I loved the story of the horse rider!

baaj, your story is intriguing to me and I would like to learn more about your adventure.

I will most likely be traveling solo. Was it easy to find a horse and saddle for sale?

Do you speak any of their language other than smiles and signing?

Is Mongolia a farly safe country for a female traveling solo? I would think so but would still like to know your perspective.

Please email me at tkoedoot at prunw dot com with the words replaced by the actual characters.

Thanks!

eurotraveller,

Sorry for the long delay in the reply - I just now noticed that there were replies to this thread...

Just a few caveats to consider before taking a trip like this, especially solo. I actually didn’t plan to do this by myself, but a friend who was to join me bailed at the last minute and I was too excited at that point to cancel.

-Know basic survival skills. Often you are miles from the nearest person.

-Know horses. I had ridden horses for years, but there was one time on this trip where I was certain I was going to die, and still am not sure why I did not. One of the horses I had was fast and strong, but high strung to the point of being borderline crazy. He resented having anything on his back, so made for a terrible pack horse. The only way to control him was to ride him.
We were riding hard that afternoon, trying to outrun a big thunderstorm (which we actually did successfully). He was amped from the long run, and as we approached a water hole, an eagle flew up spooking us all. He saw the opportunity to get free and reared, which I wasn't ready for and I slipped off the back of him and hit the ground hard. Unfortunately, one of my feet was caught in the saddle and I couldn’t twist free as he was already in a full gallop. His back hooves pounded the ground just inches from my head. I twisted to get my head as far away from him as I could. In the end, he slowed for just a second and I was able to twist free of the stirrup, but not after being dragged across the plain for hundreds of meters. Obviously, I had dropped the line to my pack horse, who also ran off in the frenzy, dropping my supplies.

-Know thyself. I was so bruised and battered from the hard fall and being dragged, it was difficult to walk. But as there was no one else to help and all of my food and supplies were on the pack horse, I had to run them down, despite the pain. It took me the rest of the day to catch the horses and collect my things that had fallen off the pack horse. Needless to say I spent the next day alternately licking my wounds and psyching myself up to get back on that *$%^ horse. If you go solo, you have to know you can force yourself to deliver in a pinch. (A friend beside you is invaluable in situations like these)

-(most importantly) Know how to eat tons of fatty mutton. I don’t know what you would do in Mongolia if you were a vegetarian.

Anyway, I found Mongolia to be pretty safe with a few (very significant) exceptions. Ulan Bataar is a very rough place (or was when I was there 6 years ago). There were gangs of thugs in the market (usually reeking of vodka) who would try to surround you and knock you down so they could make out with your wallet and other stuff. I'm a pretty big guy, so when I started yelling and swinging my fists, they backed off. Around the city, there were several other minor incidents like this, so try to go out with a group if possible. Once I left UB, the Mongolian people couldn't have been more generous and helpful, inviting me in to their gers to eat and drink with them in the evenings.
People who had no possessions other than their yurts and their herd, were still happy to slaughter one of their flock to celebrate the fact that some foreigner had wandered into their midst. This was such a frequent occurrence that I would sometimes intentionally set up camp on the tree lined mountain ridges, so I could get away from the festivities. I felt guilty about people killing their investments when I had nothing to give them in return. Also, while I encourage everyone to try fermented mare's milk, drinking copious amounts of it every evening for many days in a row can definitely take its toll.

I can’t really predict how it would be for a female though. It wouldn’t be so different, but remember if you are doing this solo, it just may be you and a few goat herders out in the middle of nowhere. I’d really recommend that you find someone to accompany you. You should be able to find a few people to travel with you once you get to UB.

On saddles and tack, my advice is bring one if you can. The Mongolian one's are very uncomfortable. Take an old one from your country, and you can either give it away or resell it in the end. I bought a old Russian one in the main bazaar in UB, which was a little better than the Mongolian ones. There was only one there and I don't remember what I paid for it, but it wasn't too expensive.

For communication, all I had was a Mongolian phrasebook, which was definitely well worn by the end of the trip.

Hope this helps in your planning!

Wow, baaj, sooner you than me with the horses!

But, I was surprised about your experiences in Ulaan Baator. Maybe they've cleaned things up a bit. I (single, older female) was there in 2004, and had no problems, certainly not the kind you describe. There were beggars, mostly youngish boys, but nothing dramatic - not even as bad as India.

LOL I've traveled in Asia for so long, beggars don't even register on my danger-o-meter.

I'm glad to hear it's improved in UB. At that time, my experiences weren't isolated incidents - I met many other travelers with similar stories. I was really surprised about how rough it was then, especially when the rest of the country was so peaceful.

I have not checked in here for some time because I have been gone. Such fascinating tales are being told. Can't wait to find out about SunnyCindy's and Vicki's trips.

As a vegetarian in Mongolia, I just became a meat-eating vegetarian for much of my stay. Sometimes that happens.

The tactic of surrounding a person and taking their valuables occurred in 2005 to a man I know. He was able to run into the street, into traffic, which was probably not that good of an idea, and suffered no loss.

I didn't wander the streets of UB by myself very much because I was usually in the countryside, where I encountered zero crime.

hi all...

just returned from my trip - amazing.

canat and blue wolf travel were fantastic, so if anyone is looking to take a trip to bayan ulgii in the far-west/altai mountians, i can't recommend them enough (check link above).

now, i'm not as adventurous as baaj(!), so they hooked me up with a guide, cook and driver but basically it was a really laid-back trip and instead of dashing across the countryside, i hit three main things: i stayed with a family of eaglehunters in the hovd river valley, hung out with a shaman in ulgii, and then went to the tavan bogd area in the far-west.

each was amazing. the eaglehunter's family was so nice, and just a great way to get to know everyone, staying in the ger with them while they take me around to meet the neighbors! very social, very laid-back - exactly what i wanted. then on my last night with them i was invited to two kazakh weddings!!! many shots of vodka, but many incredible memories.

canat also arranged for me to hang out with the shaman for a bit, which doesn't happen a lot. i was really fortunate, and had a ball on one day when we went out to the local river, dropped our feet in and drank beer as we talked about life... and of course, my guide was there to interpret!

the only part of the trip i didn't like, was getting out to tavan bogd... dang, 8 hours or so bumping across every kind of terrain you can imagine. but of course it was worth it - we arrived at the entrance (couldn't drive beyond), set camp, and then the next day hired horses to take us up to the glacier and mountains. just amazing.

i could go on for a while, but if anyone is even remotely considering going out to the west of mongolia - don't hesitate - go! it's truly amazing. and i'm sure the other tour companies recommended here are great, but i can let you know that my experience with canat and blue wolf was amazing - they totally designed the trip, to exactly what i wanted. fantastic...


thanks for letting me rave about bayan ulgii and western mongolia! ))


michael

Michael - sounds like a fabulous trip! Thanks for reporting back.

Thank you for raving, Michael. I'm glad you had such an awesome experience. Staying with the families is outstanding. Thanks for the Canat and Blue Wolf recommendation. Now you'll miss it too.

Michael,

Sounds like you had an incredible experience!

I've seen a lot about those eagle hunters (I'm a falconer myself) and someday hope to see their technique in action. Rumor has it that historically, their golden eagles have been trained to take out wolves that have been troubling their herd - now that would really be something to see.

Hopefully someday I'll have the time to go back and get out there. Thanks for sharing Michael!

In early Oct is a golden eagle festival in the Bayan-Olgii Province. Someday I'd like to visit that. Then maybe stop in Haines, Alaska on the way back and see those eagles. Now that would be an eagle excursion!

thanks everyone, yeah, it was amazing...

and i know i'm going to miss it! it was funny, when i got back i was profoundly sad. the only thing that got me feeling a little better - i went out and got milk, green tea and yogurt... to make milky-tea and have some yogurt with sugar before i went to bed... reminded me of nights in the ger. ))))))

and atravelynn, yes - as a matter of fact the eaglehunting festival is going on right now! i got an email from my guide, she's there right now...

okay, that does it - i start planning tonight, for another trip next year!!!


michael

Michael,

If your agent gives you more specifics on the Eagle Festival, I would love to know more, either here or email me directly.

Consider the 2008 Olympics and the impact it may have on flights to the area or crowding. But maybe you'd like to incorporate a visit to the Olympics, along with Mongolia. That could be one more reason to go.

I just started the process for a June-July 2009 trip of about 2 weeks. I understand there is a smaller Naadam in Moron and that I could even be a spectator a smaller yet family Naadam. I'll see how those things work out. Plus I want to see the takhis (Mongolian horses) again.

Let me know how your trip is shaping up!

Who is going to Mongolia when and what are you going to do?

I think I'll wait until after the Olympics to put my Mongolia plans into gear (or is that ger??? ) because I Olympic travel, trials and tribulations may be on the front burner of my agent right now.

In the mean time anybody got a yak joke? Any tales from the steppes? Wonder how their weather has been.

Sain baino.

I return to Mongolia this July. My 5th trip. All to the same area, near Darhan. The Olympics have made making the arrangements for our team more difficult & pricy... but I am happy to say we are going!

I can't wait to look up again at the stars. Shooting stars. Satelites drifting across the sky. Only the wind or a horse or a goat making noise in the distance.

byartai,
chris

I am in Beijing right now, and plan to go into Mongolia in a few days. I don't have any plans outside of staying in a Ger sometime, hopefuly most the time? I dunno.

That and I as well would LOVE to just stare at the sky at night. Astronomy is a passion of mine, and what I wouldnt do to have my telescope with me from home. Too bad it wouldn't fit in my backpack haha.

I saw some pics of a crystal clear water lake up in the northern part of Mongolia that looks nice, and I might want to see the old Capital of old in the western part. I honestly am not sure how I will do what I end up doing. I figure that I will just get there and figure it out.

I have 5 weeks left to do Mongolia, Beijing, Xian and Shanghai. So I wont be too stressed for time, but any extra time I have I plan to learn some of the Chinese language, and possibly become a great coach in becoming a cricket fighting champion in Shanghai.

Thanks for the responses.

That northern lake may be Lake Huvsgul.

Have fun looking at the stars, Chris. Good luck on the cricket, Coolguy.

I'm surprised how much I missed it as well. I loved UB, and thought the people were really warm. I still don't like horses, although they are a great way to see the countryside (better than those jeeps, anyhow).

Here is a striking fact: 75% of Mongolians comprise 3 quarters of the population.

I will be going this summer and will try to post something.

Troll,

Your fact is more like a tale from the steppes. With a couple of modifications, I think it could even be turned into a yak joke.

Whose to say it didn't start out as a yak joke? Then again, better a yak than a burro, just ask the Tartars.

I ended the process for a June-July 2009 trip to Mongolia. So now I'll be missing it for a few more years.

Any news from the steppes would brigthen my spirits, though. Post it here or start your own thread with your Mongolia Tales.

I'm supposed to go in Dec and will post something for you.

degas - you're going back again already? My husband will be so jealous.

atravelynn, my husband is from Mongolia (Ulaanbaator) and has been living in the US for almost 5 years. I have yet to meet my in-laws! Every time we've planned a trip, something has come up and stopped us from going. (Not a cheap trip from here) We are crossing our fingers to be able to go this summer. And being a vegetarian, I know I'll be bring a lot of snacks in my luggage!

Degas and Traveladdict, you both have assignments to complete. Looking forward. Feel free to email me with a heads up if you post here or send me a duplicate.

I am still missing Mongolia, but I am sure Travel Addict's husband is missing it even more. Are you returning Travel Addict?

How about anyone else? No Olympics to crowd the flights or inflate prices.

Hi Lynn

What a surprise to find you over here, too !!!
We are headed to Mongolia this July 2009 !!! This is our 17 days itinerary from/to Ulaanbaatar includes:

Uran Toogo Mountain (Bulgan Province)
Moren
Lake Huvsgul
Jargalant Hot Springs
Khorgo Terkh NP (Khorgo Volcano and Terkh Tsagaan Lake)
Karakorum with Naadam Festival (July 11th)
Ongi Monastry Ruins
Bayanzag
Khongor Sand Dunes
Yoliin Am Gorge
Tsagaan Suvarga white cliffs
Baga Gazariin Chuluu mountain

selena travel looks good and affordable for our budget. We know that those tourist camps are very basic and we do not need and expect any luxury. The entire loop is covered by car, no domestic flights. Can't wait to go and to report afterwards. !!!

You stopped planning a trip for this july !!??....... we might have crossed our paths somewhere...!!

I'm in UB now. We had a week of warm weather and clear skies, but it's snowing this morning.

Fabio, we do have similar travel interests! I've looked at Selena and liked their offerings. The area between Moron and Lake Huvsgul was one of my favorites. You may want to make some stops to just enjoy the scenery and herds. All driving will give you a great feel for the country.

We'll just have to meet up somewhere else, or in Mongolia in the future.

Degas, is snow in May common?

WOW, I'LL go the this summer!!!

Lynn

In the meantime today our waitlist on the non-stop flight Berlin - Ulan Bator has been confirmed !! Avoiding to transit through Beijing we can gain 2 additional days in this way. Somehow we can now extend our trip to their 21 days published loop.
Selena has also an office over here in Italy and the guy is very helpfull and ready to answer all our questions. Moreover they have great family discounts, while other travel agents don't, so this time I should be able not to go into bankruptcy with our party of 4 !

I will post the trip report with some pictures once back !

It might be we will meet somewhere in the future, maybe this time in Pantanal ? or Tibet ?

have a great summer !
fabio

Maybe, or Tanzania!

2 more days is great.

We've convinced ees12 to go now.

Lynn

Lynn

17 days left to go !!! I can't wait !!!

But it is a bit sad that this part of the forum (Mongolia) is not very active.. !!!!

You did a good job here and achieved your target to encurage others to go to Mongolia. I will report the trip once back end of july and I will try to do the same.

Have a nice summer, wherever you go !!

fabio

Thanks in advance Fabio! If I don't respond to your report for a while, it is because I'll be in Africa around that time. But I'll definitely be interested in your experiences.

have a nice trip to mom africa !!! I will enjoy reading your report but especially watching your awesome pics of wildlife !