VISIT DO AND HELP
Mongolia is a huge country very diverse in its landscapes. Mongolia, which we always imagine with its green and undulating steppe, is only part of the picture. The south is a real desert with little sand; the center and the west are very mountainous but deforested and in the north, there are immense forests of larches and birches, we are close to Siberia.
To prepare for your future trip, an overview of the main sites and places to visit in this huge country.
and ideas of circuits to customize heremongoliatours.org
1- Cities and cultural heritage
Altaï: it is the region of mountains and high plains that runs along the Chinese border. In terms of tourism, Altai offers magnificent landscapes, several national parks, multiple opportunities for sport and nature activities, meetings with various local populations, plus some historical remains such as these petroglyphs classified as UNESCO heritage.
Amarbayasgalant : one of the main Buddhist monasteries in the country. It is located in the north of Mongolia.
Bulgan : this northern city has two museums, a mausoleum, a monastery and a beautiful nature reserve in its surroundings (Uran Togoo).
Choybalson : it is the fourth Mongolian city, in the far east of the country.
Dalanzadgad: the locality is generally the base to discover the Gobi Desert and more particularly the Gobi Gurvansaikhan National Park.
Darham : big town near Russian border
Edernet : this recent (1975) mining town is the second largest in the country with just under 100,000 inhabitants. You can visit the largest open-pit copper mine in Asia.
Karakorum : the ancient capital of the Mongol empire is home to the important Buddhist monastery of Erdene Zuu and a few other temples. It is classified at UNESCO as part of the "cultural landscape of the Orkhon Valley".
Khovd: at the foot of the Altai, in the far west, a cosmopolitan city where the diverse populations of the region mix.
Moron : this town near Lake Khovsgol has a monastery, a museum and a large open-air market.
Olgiy: this city not far from Russia, mainly Kazakh, is nestled in altitude in the Altai massif. It is above all a starting point for hikes in the nearby mountains and in particular the Altai Tavan Bogd park.
Oulan Bator at 1,350 m above sea level, the Mongolian capital is limited for many travelers to be the gateway to the country, despite some interesting museums and monasteries. Almost one in two inhabitants of the country lives in the agglomeration.
Shankh: in the center of the country, one of the oldest and most important Buddhist monasteries in Mongolia.
Tsetserleg : has the beautiful monastery Buyandelgerüülekh.
Ulaangom : near lake Uvs, this city with Soviet architecture generally serves as a base for exploring the lake and its surroundings.
Uliastai: ancient commercial city which still has some vestiges from the time of the caravans.
Orkhon Valley: this valley in the center, with its rivers and falls, is classified by UNESCO for its value and its historical evidence dating from the time of Genghis Khan (monastery, former capital of Karakorum…)
2- Natural Heritage
Gobi Desert: it is one of the largest deserts in the world, straddling Mongolia (one third of the country) and China. It is made up of mountains, plains and dunes. It is home to several national parks including the Gobi Gurvansaikhan. Locally, you can hike on foot, on horseback or by camel. It is also the traditional habitat of the snow leopard and the Bactrian camel.
Khovsgol Lake: vast lake (and national park) on the Russian border in the northwest of Mongolia. In beautiful landscapes lives a varied fauna (birds, bears, wolves ...) as well as populations with culture and traditions still very present (Tsaatans, Bouriates ...). You can fish and kayak there.
Lake Uvs: it is the largest Mongolian lake, in the north-west facing Russia. It is classified at UNESCO for the steppe which surrounds it and the birds which nest there. Lake Uvs has the Asian record for thermal amplitude between summer (+ 47 C) and winter (up to - 58 C).
Khangai Mountains: long and pretty mountain range west of the capital with peaks over 4,000 m and lakes like the Terkhiin. It is a trekking area.
Altai Tavan Bogd National Park: on the Chinese border and close to the town Olgiy, a long park made up of lakes, forests and glaciers in which one can hike on foot, on horseback, on skis and even by camel, go hiking. climbing, rafting, kayaking or fishing.
Gobi Gurvansaikhan National Park: this is the main Gobi park, at its northern edge. You can hike in superb landscapes but also see the high "singing" dunes of Khongoryn, the orange cliffs of Bayanzag (with their dinosaur fossils) or the ice fields of the Yolyn Am Valley.
Gorkhi Terelj National Park: nice park close to the capital where you can hike or ride a horse and go climbing. It is the traditional habitat of brown bears and multiple species of birds.
Khustain Nuruu National Park: this site near the capital is known for sheltering (wild) Przewalski horses. You can hike there.
Gun-Galuut Nature Reserve: a hundred kilometers from Ulaanbaatar, Gun-Galuut offers varied landscapes with steppe, mountains, lakes and rivers. It also allows not far from the capital to practice a number of sport-nature activities (trekking, rafting, kayaking, fishing, etc.), observe the birds and discover the life of the nomadic populations who live there.
Trans Mongolian: in the extension of the Transibérien, it is the train which connects Ulan Bator to Beijing. It allows you to discover the Mongolian steppe.
Darkhad Valley: superb valley near Lake Khovsgol, very difficult to access, where Tsaatan and Darkad populations live.
3- Festivals
Nadam
Ice festival
Camel festival
Eagle festival
also yak festival
4- More
5- Most appreciated
Altaï; Gobi desert; Karakorum; Khovsgol lake; Khangaï mountains; National park Altaï Tavan Bogd; National Park Gobi Gurvansaikhan; Nature reserve Gun-Galuut.
TRAVELLING WITH KIDS : it’s possible to travel with kids in Mongolia, but you must adapt your trip and means of transportation according to the age of yours kids as some unpaved roads are difficult . We recommend to make short trips each day and choose private transportation as jeep with driver instead of a public bus and an itinerary who prefer asphalt roads.
MORE?: tell Mejet your desires and he will try to make them come true: mejet69@yahoo.com
HELPING IN MONGOLIA
1. VISIT SCHOOL: possible from September to beginning June. Buy some exercise books, pencils, sweets al market in UB and give to the school you will visit. Take for almost 100-150 children. Classroom have 30-40 pupils. All schools have dormitories to permit to everybody to go to school so a small school can have 400 children and more.
2. SANITARY SUPPLY/ MEDICINE: if you have some medical supplies as bends, dressing…as well medicines you can bring them and give them to Mejet and he will know where is the best to give (orphanage, hospital for poor…) as his wife is doctor she knows to whom give. If possible, leave inside the box of medicine the explanations.
3. NGO
- Mongolian NGO for children rights https://lantuundohio.org/
- VOLONTEER: http://www.flourishingfuture.com/
