"Jostling and Jolting Through Mongolia" Top 5 Page for this destination Mongolia by hayward68

Mongolia Travel Guide: 1,090 reviews and 3,380 photos

Camels at Sunrise in the Gobi Desert - Mongolia

On Our Way

The scent of the gasoline we carried in the van was in the air as we bounced our way along the countryside in Mongolia. We were here for two weeks, ten days of which would be spent travelling from Ulaanbaatar down to the Gobi Desert eventually making our way to Sainshand. As I looked up I came to the conclusion that "Land of the Blue Sky" was an appropriate name for this country. We'd arrived in the middle of April while snow was still on the ground in areas. The winds were cold and the nights freezing but it was still really early in the tourist season so we were the only foreigners to be seen for days at a time.
Our van was stocked with food for a few days plus plenty of water. Our Mongolian driver spoke only a couple of words of English but our guide was quite fluent. It was just the four of us, including my friend and I, and I hoped that we would get along reasonably well.

Experiencing Nomadic Life

Nomadic Child

We would be staying with both nomadic families and cheap hotels and I looked forward to learning more of nomadic life. It seemed hard to believe that people, in this day and age, still live this type of nomadic existence, moving their animals and belongings as the seasons changed. I'd watched several documentaries depicting Mongolian life and I was quite eager to see it for myself.

The Gobi Desert

Me in the Gobi Desert

The Gobi desert was the ultimate attraction for me. I've been fascinated by deserts for a very long time and the Gobi had been calling my name. To walk the dunes was a dream that I hoped to fulfill and my excitement grew the closer we drove to the South Gobi.

I'm not going to give you all sorts of history and political information about Mongolia. You'll want to buy a guide book before traveling to this country and all that will be in there. I'd suggest the Bradt Travel Guide, it is much more extensive than the Lonely Planet guide and the customs tips are great.

I'll add some travelogue pictures at a later date. Ulaanbaatar will be a separate travel page.

Pros and Cons

Pros:Inexpensive to travel, ancient culture and cheap cashmere!
Cons:Expensive visa, dirty capital city

Last visit to Mongolia: May 2005
Intro Updated Jan 21, 2006
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Reviews (23)

Don't Forget the Wet Wipes! What to Pack (1)

A backpack or duffel bag is probably the preferred type of bag as it can be crammed into a small space and hoisted... more travel advice

That's Not a Girl Local Customs (4)

One custom that you might want to know is that Mongolian nomads don't cut their boy's hair until they are about 4 years... more travel advice

Fried dough being cooked in the ger - Mongolia

Mongolian Food Local Customs (4)

I'll be frank with you, Mongolian food was not the most exciting thing to discover. Quite a lot of it consists of meat... more travel advice

Horseride to the Fake Gobi Favorites (4)

Nearby to where our first nomadic family lived were some dunes which they referred to as the Fake Gobi, well, our guide... more travel advice

Off The Beaten Path (1)
Turkish Grave?
Transportation (3)
See All The Night Train
Things to Do (7)
See All Yolyn Am

Comments (29)

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toonsarah Feb 26, 2012 at 7:07 AM

I too love deserts and camels, and I thoroughly enjoyed your page. The baby camels are so cute, and I was fascinated to read about your stays with the nomadic families. Mongolia is on my wish-list and your photos have made me want to go more than ever!
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ettiewyn Aug 10, 2011 at 4:16 AM

Such an interesting page with wonderful pictures! Thank you! I want to do a trip on the Transsib in a few years time and have a stop in Mongolia :-)
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Florida999 Apr 6, 2011 at 9:49 AM

I would love to travel around with some Mongolian nomads and live in a ger/yurt!! This looks like a trip I would like, but sounds like it's hard just to get there
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melosh Feb 21, 2011 at 10:37 AM

Great tips. I am going this April so your commentary seems especially appropriate.
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hunterV Nov 14, 2009 at 1:07 PM

~ Hi, Laura! What a wonderful trip! It's a wonderful page indeed! I wish I could go there some day too! ><><><><><><><
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BruceDunning Aug 6, 2009 at 2:59 PM

What an incredible experience to in gross yourself in, besides the sand in the shoes. You did a wonderful job of presenting the country and its culture.
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omidamini Jul 28, 2009 at 2:33 AM

Wow,Your Mongolia pagevery nice.I hope see you here in my country.
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hindu1936 May 29, 2009 at 2:54 AM

While I only dream of riding through Mongolia, I like reading about it. Your pages illustrate the mental image I have of an empty, but not barren nor desolate land. I also like camels. wonderful packing tip. thanks
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angel-eyes Oct 26, 2008 at 6:07 AM

A lot of sand
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magor65 Sep 12, 2008 at 12:26 PM

Wonderful page with interesting information and stunning pictures.