![\"mg.jpg\"](\"http:\/\/www.asianinny.com\/temp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2008\/06\/mg.jpg\")
<\/p>\nThe Humvees plying Peace Ave would have Genghis Khan turning green with envy.<\/p>\n
For good reason, the name ‘Mongolia’ has always evoked visions of the untamed – Genghis Khan, camels wandering the Gobi Desert…<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
The Humvees plying Peace Ave would have Genghis Khan turning green with envy.For good reason, the name ‘Mongolia’ has always evoked visions of the untamed – Genghis Khan, camels wandering the Gobi Desert and wild horses galloping across the steppes. But for a more rounded picture, don’t forget cyber-cafes, herders chatting on mobile phones, chic cocktail bars and eco-yurts.<\/p>\n
Mongolia: When to Go
\nThe travel season is typically from May to early October, though Ulaanbaatar can be visited any time of year if you can tolerate the bitter cold. Early July has the best weather for the northern part of the country and is also the time to celebrate Mongolia’s Naadam Festival. Unfortunately, this is the peak tourist season, when Ulaanbaatar’s inadequate accommodation and creaky transport is stretched to breaking point. The rainy season, from late July through August, cools things down and the turn the countryside to green, but will also turn jeep trails into muck. Rains in the north also bring biting flies and mosquitoes. June and September are both pleasant times to visit, and attract fewer visitors.<\/p>\n
The best months to visit the Gobi Desert and not get toasted are September and October. Be aware that between mid-October and mid-May sudden snowstorms and extreme cold can ground flights, block roads and cause the country’s transport system to stall. Mongolians, especially nomads, consider March and April the worst months. After the long winter, livestock will already be thin, and a lack of rain means many will fdie, causing financial and psychological hardship. Staying with a nomad family at this time is not recommended if the spring is a harsh one.<\/p>\n
Weather
\nAlthough 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\u00b0C (99\u00b0F) 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\u00b0C (104\u00b0F) but winter winds often send the mercury plummeting to -30\u00b0C (-22\u00b0F) 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.<\/p>\n
Ulaanbaatar is possibly the coldest capital city in the world. Temperatures generally start to drop below 0\u00b0C (32\u00b0F) in October, sink to -30\u00b0C (-22\u00b0F) 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 22:00.<\/p>\n
Mongolia: Sights<\/p>\n
Amarbayasgalant Khiid
\nTransport car: charter a jeep from Darkhan Keyword religious\/spiritual, architectural highlight Amarbayasgalant Khiid is considered one of the most important monasteries in Mongolia. It’s also one of the most beautiful. It was originally built in 1737 by the Manchurian emperor Kansu, who dedicated it to the great Mongolian Buddhist and sculptor, Zanabazar. The communists found their way here in the 1930s and destroyed 10 of the 37 temples and statues.<\/p>\n
These days the temples are normally closed, but you can ask the head monk to open them and you’re welcome to watch the 30 resident monks conduct their daily ceremonies.<\/p>\n
Shiliin Bogd
\nTransport car Keyword views, mountain, volcano At 1778m (5830ft), Shiliin Bogd is the highest peak in S\u00fckhbaatar aimag region in Mongolia’s east. The extinct volcano is sacred to many Mongolians and is set in a stunning and isolated area. A jeep can get you about halfway up the mountain, and then it’s a short but blustery walk to the top for awesome views of craters across the nearby border to China.<\/p>\n
Tavanbogd National Park
\nTransport car Keyword archaeological site, national park, lake This stunningly beautiful park includes the three lakes of Khoton Nuur, Khurgan Nuur and Dayan Nuur. It’s a remote place, divided from China by the high wall of snow-capped peaks, and is known to local Kazakhs as the Syrgali region. It’s possible to make rafting trips downriver from Dayan Nuur, and there are many archaeological sites in the area.<\/p>\n
Mongolia: Money & Costs
\nIf you’re travelling on an organised tour you’ll probably spend about US$100 a day. You can travel independently, see the same sights and stay in the same places for about US$80 a day – a lot less if you share the cost of a private jeep and camp rather than stay in pricier gers (tents). Accommodation and food will cost at least US$10 a day in Ulaan Baatar, but you’re better off budgeting closer to double that. In the countryside, allow about US$15 per day if you’re using public transport and staying in hotels; if you take a tent and camp, you’ll spend closer to US$8 per day.<\/p>\n
Bring US dollar travellers’ cheques and have some US dollars in cash. Credit cards are handy at some hotels and at airline offices in Ulaanbaatar, but you won’t be able to buy anything on credit outside the capital. It’s difficult to cash US dollars dated before 1996. ATMs are all over Ulaanbaatar and popping up in some provincial capitals.<\/p>\n
There’s supposedly a mandatory 10% ‘government’ tax levied in Ulaan Baatar’s posher restaurants and hotels, but most places either don’t bother adding it onto the bill or haven’t heard of the tax. Tipping is appreciated in upmarket restaurants. Bargaining is catching on in the public markets, but be prepared to pay more than Mongolians.<\/p>\n
Currency
\nName Tugrik
\nSymbol Tug Average Room Prices
\nLow Mid High
\nUS$40 and less US$40-60 US$60+
\nAverage Meal Prices
\nLow Mid High
\nUS$1-5 US$5-15 US$15+<\/p>\n
Mongolia: Getting there & around
\nGetting There
\nMost people fly into Ulaanbaatar from Beijing, Berlin or Moscow. Organised tours also operate flights from Osaka and Seoul. The international Mongolian carrier is MIAT. Delayed and cancelled flights are common partly due to frequent poor weather conditions. The airport departure tax is built into your ticket.<\/p>\n
Foreigners can enter and leave Mongolia on the Trans-Mongolian Railway, which links Beijing and Moscow. Border crossings are at Ereen-Zamyn-\u00dc\u00fcd on the Chinese-Mongolian border, and Naushki-S\u00fckhbaatar on the Russian-Mongolian border. From China you can cross by road at Ereen-Zamyn-\u00dc\u00fcd. You can enter Mongolia from Russia at three border points: Altanbulag-Kyakhta (northern Mongolia), Borzya-Erdeentsav (eastern Mongolia) and Tashanta-Tsagaanuur (western Mongolia). You can take vehicles across these borderposts, but have all your papers in order and expect delays<\/p>\n
Getting Around
\nA vast, sparsely populated country with little infrastructure, Mongolia relies heavily on air transport. The major internal airlines are MIAT and AeroMongolia, which together offer flights to most of the provincial capitals, major cities and tourist destinations – but not all of them. Schedules change regularly and foreigners pay several times more than Mongolians for tickets. Tickets can be very hard to come by in the height of summer, especially for flights to the western provinces.<\/p>\n
Overland transport mainly involves shared vans and jeeps as public buses are almost non-existent. A journey anywhere is guaranteed to be long and slow. Vehicles do not adhere to a set schedule and only depart when full, and it usually takes several hours to find enough passengers for a trip. Drunk driving is not uncommon and breakdowns seem to be a pre-requisite for any road journey.<\/p>\n
Mongolia’s 1750km (1090mi) railway is made up of a north-south line, which is part of the Trans-Mongolian Railway, connecting China with Russia. Taxis are only useful in Ulaanbaatar or for short trips out of town (ie Terelj or Zuunmod). Beyond the capital, roads are unpaved and in poor condition. In August, rains turn roads to mush, especially in northern areas. A national project to build a 2500km cross country road will improve things, but progress is slow and after six years only one third is complete.<\/p>\n
While there are no professional car rental agencies in the country, it’s possible to privately hire out a jeep and a driver in most cities, expect to pay around US$0.25 per kilometre.<\/p>\n
Travelling around in your own jeep is not a good idea, though you can drive with an international driving license. Be aware that petrol can be hard to find; accidents, unfortunately, are not.<\/p>\n
Mongolia: History
\nPre-20th-Century History
\nArcheological digs have uncovered human remains in the Gobi and other regions of Mongolia dating back nearly 500,000 years. Agriculture has rarely been attempted on the harsh steppes, although there is evidence that some clans grew crops 1200 years ago. Most nomadic tribes in the region followed their herds of sheep, goats, camels, yaks and horses, occasionally engaging in tribal warfare or raiding settled Chinese cities to the south.<\/p>\n
The name ‘Mongol’ was first recorded by the Chinese during the Tang dynasty (618-907 AD). At that time Mongolia was dominated by a Turkic people called the Uighurs. The Uighurs controlled most of Mongolia until 840 AD, when they were defeated by the Kyrgyz, who now live in the Chinese province of Xinjiang.<\/p>\n
The Mongols had little inclination to ally with other nomadic peoples of northern Asia. They remained little more than a loose confederation of rival clans until the late 12th century, when a 20-year-old Mongol named Temujin emerged and managed to unite most of the Mongol tribes. In 1189 he was given the honorary name of Genghis Khan, meaning ‘universal king’. The Genghis Khan imprinted in the memory of the west bears little relation to the Chinggis Khaan revered by Mongolians. Not only the spelling is different: to Europeans, the name epitomises merciless warmongering; to the Mongolians, it embodies strength, unity, law and order. Genghis set up his capital in present-day Kharkhorin, and launched his vital cavalry against China and Russia. By the time of his death in 1227, the Mongol empire extended from Beijing to the Caspian Sea.<\/p>\n
Genghis’ grandson, Kublai Khan (circa 1216-94), completed the subjugation of China, ending the Song dynasty (960-1279) and becoming emperor of China’s Yuan dynasty (1271-1368). Kublai soon realised, though, that the Mongol empire had reached the limits of its expansion. Instead of looking for more wars to fight, he concentrated on keeping the vast empire together. This was the height of the Mongols’ glory: the empire stretched from Korea to Hungary and as far south as Vietnam, making it the largest empire the world has ever known.<\/p>\n
After Kublai Khan’s death in 1294, the Mongols became increasingly dependent on the people they ruled. They were deeply resented as an elite, privileged class exempt from taxation, and the empire became ridden with factions vying for power. The Mongols were expelled from Beijing by the first emperor of the Ming dynasty in the mid 14th century. The collapse of the Yuan dynasty caused over 60,000 Mongols to return to Mongolia. Their unity dissolved and frequent clan warfare and a long period of decline followed. Manchu rule over China was reasonably benign until around 1800; thereafter the Qing emperors became increasingly corrupt and despotic.<\/p>\n
Modern History
\nIn 1911 China’s Qing dynasty crumbled. The Mongols quickly saw their opportunity and independence from China was declared on 1 December 1911, with a theocratic government under the leadership of the 8th Jebtzun Damba (Living Buddha). On 25 May 1915, the Treaty of Kyakhta, which granted Mongolia limited autonomy, was signed by Mongolia, China and Russia.<\/p>\n
The Russian Revolution of 1917 shocked Mongolia’s aristocracy. Taking advantage of Russia’s weakness, a Chinese warlord sent his troops into Mongolia in 1919 and occupied the capital. In early 1921, retreating White Russian anticommunist troops entered Mongolia and expelled the Chinese. The brutality of both the Chinese and Russian forces inflamed the Mongolians’ desire for independence. As the Russian Bolsheviks were steadily advancing against the White Russian forces in Siberia, Mongolian nationalists asked the Bolsheviks for help. Together they recaptured the capiral Urga in July 1921. The country’s Buddhist leader was retained as a figurehead and the newly formed Mongolian People’s Party (the first political party in the country’s history, and the only one for the next 69 years) took over the government. On 26 November 1924, the Mongolian People’s Republic (MPR) was declared and Mongolia became the world’s second communist country. Urga was renamed Ulaanbaatar (Red Hero) in celebration of the communist triumph.<\/p>\n
Mongolian communism remained fairly independent of Moscow until Stalin gained absolute power in the late 1920s. The Stalinist purges that followed swept Mongolia into a totalitarian nightmare, with the government’s campaign against religion being particularly ruthless. In 1937 a reign of terror was launched against the monasteries, and thousands of monks were executed. It’s believed that by 1939 some 27,000 people had been executed, three per cent of Mongolia’s population at the time.<\/p>\n
As the Soviet regime faltered in the early 1980s, Mongolia came under the leadership of Jambyn Batmonkh, a decentraliser heartened by the Soviet reforms under Mikhail Gorbachev. Batmonkh instigated a cautious attempt at perestroika and glasnost in 1986. By 1989 full diplomatic relations were established with China. The unravelling of the Soviet Union resulted in decolonisation by default. Few in Mongolia were ready for the speed of the collapse or prepared to seize the moment.<\/p>\n
In March 1990, large pro-democracy protests erupted in the square in front of the parliament building in Ulaanbaatar and hunger strikes were held. Things then happened quickly: Batmonkh lost power; new political parties sprang up; and hunger strikes and protests continued. In May the government amended the constitution to permit multiparty elections but, ironically, rural areas voted overwhelmingly to stay under the protective shelter of the communist party. The communist party was forced into making concessions that snowballed into the election of the Mongolian Democratic Coalition on 30 June 1996, ending 75 years of unbroken communist rule.<\/p>\n
Recent History
\nOver the next few years, successive Mongolian governments pursued Western-style policies of reform and privatisation and courted foreign investment, but the gap between rich and poor has widened, exacerbated by corruption that reaches the highest levels of government. A couple of particularly harsh winters in 2000 and 2001 impacted badly on the nomadic Mongolian way of life and forced many nomads to re-locate to the cities where they have joined the ranks of the urban poor. Yet Mongolian democracy has proven itself remarkably viable, free and fair. In the last Parliamentary election, in 2004 neither the Democrats nor the former communist MPRP won an outright majority and were forced into a power sharing agreement. Street protests are increasingly common in the capital, and hunger strikers – often condemning rampant corruption – take up positions in Sukhbaatar Square. Meanwhile, forays into the world of international diplomacy saw a visit from the Dalai Lama in 2002 bitterly condemned by China and 300 troops sent to Iraq in 2003 as part of a peacekeeping force.<\/p>\n