Mongolia:

A land of nomadic horsemen and arid steppes that stretch to either jagged mountains or the massive Gobi desert, Mongolia's cold, windy landscape evokes images of Genghis Khan and Mongol Hordes. Traditional and exotic, Mongolian culture revolves around a nomadic heritage with the family ger (yurt) at the center, and horses the only transport.

In the capital of Ulaan Baatar, Russian, Chinese and Tibetan influences mix, and Tibetan Buddhist monasteries are infused with ancient Mongolian Shamanism. Every year the capital hosts the colorful Naadam festival, where thousands flock to compete in the 'three manly games' of wrestling, archery and cross-country horse racing, said to be tests of a warrior's courage and strength.

Nearly half of the people of Mongolia live in the capital, and in other provincial centers. Semi-nomadic life still predominates and many families stay in villages during the cold winters and live in gers during the summer, though agricultural communities that are settled year-round are becoming more common. Around 40% of the population continues to live a traditional nomadic or semi-nomadic lifestyle.

Despite, or perhaps because of the wild landscape, Mongolian people are among the most welcoming and friendly people of any nation, and getting to meet a Mongolian family will undoubtedly be a highlight of your time here.

What you need to know:

CLIMATE:
Although it boasts over 260 sunny days a year and is known as the 'Land of Blue Sky', Mongolia has an extreme continental climate with temperatures that have been known to range over 37°C (99°F) in one day. Only in summer does cloud cover shield the sky. Humidity is usually zilch and sunshine is intense. Gobi summer temperatures hit 40°C (104°F) but winter winds often send the mercury plummeting to -30°C (-22°F) or lower. You can see snow in the Gobi Desert as late as April and some lakes remain frozen until June. There's a short rainy season from mid-July to September, but showers tend to be brief and gentle. Because of the high altitude, evenings are cool even in summer. Ulaan Baatar is possibly the coldest capital city in the world. Temperatures generally start to drop below 0°C (32°F) in October, sink to -30°C (-22°F) in January and February and remain below freezing until April. Horrific dust storms kick up during the short spring (May to June). July to September is pleasant, but it can still suddenly turn cold, and unfortunately, most of the city's rain falls in this period. Summer daylight lasts until 11pm.

FOOD:
Most foreigners’ experience of Mongolian food is confined to ‘Mongolian Barbecue’ restaurants, however, this is a concept that does not actually exist in Mongolia and must have been dreamed up outside the country!

The vast majority of Mongolians eat boiled mutton or beef, with either rice or noodles, for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Milk, tea and limited fresh dairy products supplement this. Ulaan Baatar has several vibrant markets with a wide choice of local and imported foods. Also in Ulaan Baatar, Chinese, Western and Russian food is widely available alongside snack foods such as crisps (potato chips), spreads and biscuits.

Mongolians are great tea drinkers and will usually have a flask at hand throughout the day. The tea is usually very milky and slightly salty and can be very hard to get used to! In Ulaan Baatar and the ger camps and aimags, fizzy soft drinks are available.

In Ulaan Baatar, beer is widely available and usually reasonably good. Outside the capital, the principle alcoholic drinks are vodka and airag (fermented mare's milk).

CURRENCY:
The official currency in Mongolia is the Tugrik ( You may see it written as MNT, Tug, or tögrög). The Mongolian Turgik was introduced in 1915 at the rate of one Turgik = 1 Russian Ruble. This exchange rate was maintained until 1961 when the Soviet Ruble was devalued. The Mongolian Tugrik is divided into 100 mongos. Currently, $1US = 1175MNT

GEOGRAPHY:
Mongolia is a landlocked country typically classified as being a part of East Asia, although sometimes it is considered part of Central Asia, and the northern rim of historical Mongolia extends into North Asia. It is bordered by Russia to the north and the China to the south.

At 1,564,116 square kilometres, Mongolia is the nineteenth largest, and the least densely populated independent country in the world with a population of around 2.9 million people. It is also the world's second-largest landlocked country after Kazakhstan. Much of the country is covered by arid 'steppes' with mountains to the north and west and the Gobi Desert to the south. The highest point in Mongolia is the Khuiten in the Tavan bogd massif in the far west at 4,374 m (14,350 feet). The basin of the lake Uvs Nuur, shared with Tuva Republic in Russia, is a natural World Heritage Site.

LANGUAGES:
Mongolian belongs to the Ural-Altaic family of languages, which also includes Finnish, Turkish and Korean. It uses the Cyrillic alphabet but has two more letters than the Russian alphabet. Many Mongolians speak Russian, and you will also hear some Chinese, but English is not widely spoken.

Common Phrases:

We recommend:

1.	Mongolian Solar Eclipse 2008 – 14 Days
		An incredible journey to the land of blue skies, green hills and nomadic people. A trip that takes you from the capital, Ulaan Baatar, to the vast countryside of endless steppes, lakes and deserts. more

2.	Mongolian Wilderness Adventure – 21 days
		Traveling around Mongolia in four-wheel drive jeeps or vans we stay in tents or occasionally in gers with nomadic families en route. more

3.	Trans-Mongolian Express (Basic) - 15 days
		The Trans-Mongolian is one of the great train journeys of the world. Departing from Moscow the train takes you across the vast Eurasian land mass, from the west of Russia, across Siberia, over the border into Mongolia and across the great steppe, then into China, ending in the capital Beijing. more

4.	Trans-Mongolian Premium Rail Journey - 22 days
		A Grand-Journey from the great far-east port of Hong Kong to the fabled city of Xian; gateway to The Silk Road and on to China’s Imperial Capital, Beijing... more

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