Tips for everyone who travels to Mongolia. Nature untouched by man: why Altai tourists go to Mongolia Language and communication

We have been going to the Mongolian Altai for a long time. Many members of our mandy of 8 people there was their interest. Expedition scheduled for the endSeptember - early October. It was decided to go by two minibusessah-SUVs. They made a route on the map, calculated the estimate ..

As agreed, meet everyone went early in the morning on September 24le monument to the leader on the centralNoah area of ​​the village. Kosh-Agach - district centerra of Gorny Altai. loaded luggage andmoved to the border checkpoint "Tashanta." 4 people in each carcentury, personal items, camp equipmentnie, products. 45 km from Kosh-Agach to"Tashanty" drove almost withoutturns and lifts. around onlyautumn steppe and clear silhouettes of the ridgethat Sailyugem on the horizon.

Everything at the new Russian customs“in an adult way”: all luggage, as in aeroreport, passed through x-raysinstallation, check passports andthe cars themselves. But everything goes bybusinesslike, fast and accurate. To touristsspecial treatment at customsmore often with surprise: what is there, in MongoLee, do something? Taking into account the fillingall customs paperwork proceduretook no more than 2.5 hours. (Requiredcan I have a foreign passport with monDutch visa and international carsmobile rights.)

Behind "Tashanta" kilometer tableboos are no more. But the road is quite decentnaya. About 20 more km of traction with constantclimb - and we are on the borderpass Durbet-Daba (2481 m),who greeted us with a cold prodownward wind. dilapidatedthe house of the frontier post with tiednym thin Mukhtar. On the border, onbig dirty concrete floorin the garden, two poles stand forlornlyka - red-green and blue-brownvy, symbolizing the statenye borders of Russia and Mongolia. Not youwalking out of the car, showed the documents,and the barrier was raised.

WITH once outside the Russian borderthe fake is over. Not an inchon the Mongolian side! entrancewe are waiting for the new customs termlu. Locked gate. We are like a legislatorLushny foreigners are patiently waiting.After a while Mon camegoal in a gauze bandage on his face and signkami explained that he had to take a detourof this new complex on a steep slope frommountain scythe. If not for this man, sowould have waited until dark.The old customs house is called "UlanBayshint" ("red yurt").

Terminal more like a grain collection pointcompletely ruined collective farm. to customsnot without special troubles, arrange for uswhether some papers in Mongolianke, and we moved on.On the first bridge near the lake. DunshigNuur we were charged for the fare (untilhorny duty 1500 tugriks plustransport tax 6000 tugriks witheach minibus). explainedthat this money will go to the maintenanceroads. But it is clear that no one canand never kept.

The roads are here this is exactly what is calledleniyami: several tens of parallelslelny knurled ruts going toone direction and always the sameliving on the passes and at the bridges. edacue 20-lane Mongolian highway.You have to be very careful with it.nym: any inconspicuous branchcan at dusk easily lead into thatrush to some lonely stabyshu. The road is broken by heavy truckskami and "UAZ" (ground - hard clayon with a stone), our speed is even on fromrelatively flat areas are rarely preferred vyshala 35-40 km / h.

front axle notincluded, since the road went to the basesnom downhill. Plots with rubble, dogcom and even with large stones wavewe got through without much effort.But 1.5 hours before the sun startshide behind low ridges, weonly covered 30 km. Machine meetingfox rarely. Basically it was hard.light trucks and fuel trucks from Russiaski numbers. From local cars tomostly old UAZs.

Already at dusk we passed the townTsagan-Nuur - a small one-storyvillage with ruins of farms and barns.Having decided to set up a bivouac, they encounteredproblem: there were a lot of flat places, butthe whole soil is strewn with rather largestones, and put up a tent so thatIt would be comfortable to sleep, not easy. Yes andwith water "strained". It's almost darkthey drove into the valley of a dry riverKhara-Magnai-Gol and started betting patches.

Tea quickly boiled on gasand, judging that "the morning of the evening is wiserher", went to bed under the low black,strewn with a scattering of the brightest goldty stars in the sky of Mongolia.In the morning they felt for themselves thatsuch an autumn Mongolian dawn. Gasfrozen in cylinders and did not want toroar in full force. Finally over the mountainThe sun came out and everyone stirredfaster. We broke camp together andour little caravan moved onshe. Immediately started datingdestroyed mounds. (We were thendid not know how many there would be on our way.)

We drive along the bottom of a dry valley, whichRuyu is surrounded by low mountains.Here is the Obotyn-Daba pass (2643 m).Blowing cold, almost burning windter. On the pass itself, gryes stones - the famous obo. Nearhim a lot of broken makeshiftscrutches. Further the roadtically constantly goes down, to the sidewell, the center of the westernmost aimag -Bayan-Ulegei. Birds are almost invisiblebut the local marmots haven't gone to bed yetand fearlessly stand along the road. Pochyou met a little near the cityshoy herd of horses.

P at the entrance to the city at the firstask a fallen taxi driverwhether the road to the travel agency "Canattour". In a good one-story officewith a cafe almost in the city center we will meetTili is very welcome. While we are walking Whether it was around the city, Canat Tour employees promptly arranged for us registration and a pass to the national park. Bayan-Ulegei - by our standards,more like a big town. But in the centerit has a bazaar, a post office with the Internet, nobig hotels, cafes, museum and prowhat attributes of the city.

There is also a cellular connection. The first thing we did was visit the market. Onthere is a whole line around him on the streetmotorcycles - red Izhas and oldUralov. Guys in yellow sit on them.construction helmets. First thought:biker party. But it turned out thatregular taxis. They go where you wanther heart desires, even in Ulaanbaatar. Notin the distance taxis are already more serious:mostly "UAZs" of various designstions and degrees of preservation.

Apparently technical inspection they did not have to passchild never. On many such rubber,that sticks out not only the cord. Neverthelesson the windshields there are signs "Barnast, Ust-Kamenogorsk, Pavlodar,"Astana". Next to the taxi - movenye "exchange offices": the same hundredsmall cars with stickers on foreheadshigh glasses with banknotes: dewsiyan roubles, Kazakh tenge, Chinese yuan, American dollars.

Most Market Goodslaid out directly on the ground or on a carton boxes; mostly chineseth production. Behind a small computeryutherny hall right on the street arebilliard tables (about 20), andgender, including 8–10 year olds,chasing balls with passion. A bit further,in the next street, right on the dustypiles of ram skins are scattered on the ground,yaks and other livestock. Right next to it -butchered carcasses of animals.We returned to the office of the travel agency. Prikizeros that diesel fuel for the entire route to usnot enough, and by buying at the local marketseveral Chinese canisters, poured them under the neck.

Toward evening, whenYes, the documents were ready, we left forside of Sagsay-Gol.While preparing for the expeditionWe have read many reports. Alltheir authors recommended taking withbattle of the local guide. We didn't becomeignore the advice and do not regret it.Togoo Tsedenbal went with us. edinstThe main difficulty was that hedid not speak Russian or English at allliyski. But he spoke wellzahski. Due to overload of machineswe could not take a vodka, but from a Turkski "interpreters" among us wasonly Andrei Yurchenkov.

ABOUT five famous mongolian"comb" (road with deepruts and bumps). For somein some parts it shakes so much that even the guidethe booster does not help and the steering wheel is beechknocks out of the hands, at the same timeturn on the right turn and "doorkeeperski". If we were driving UAZs, thensurely something would fall off onthe first few kilometers. We only havesteep ascent to the Modon-Kho passShoyotiin-Davaa (2384 m) at the car, onflying on a boulder, the protection came offcrankcase (crankcase is a container for avcar oil).

How could, under ruled with a sledgehammer, tied with a rope(wire cannot be found there) and it is alreadywe moved further into the river valleySagsay-Gol. Behind the village of Sagsay,driving across the bridge the river, camped onshore by a lone larch. Undergeneral "Hurrah!" raised the flags of Russia,Kazakhstan, Mongolia and drank forstart of the expedition. Today we are passing Li only 114 km.

All next day you can call mountain: continuous climbs topasses and plateaus.

Modon-KhoshoyotiinDaba (2384 m), Achagardag-Daba (2698 m),lake Khar-Nuur (2493 m)… Naked all aroundlifeless rocks, solid stonesplacers. Classic madderdeposits left by ancient iceno one. There is practically no water. Nezanoticeably drove up to the post nationallyth park "Altai Tavan Bogd" ("Altai Tavan Bogd). Large Mongolian yurt,outbuildings. Bye byebelieved our permissions, invitedinside the yurt. It seemed that we were waiting there whether.

Hot tea with milk, kurtny dried sheep cheese), erimshik(dried cottage cheese), kaymak (thick mixtana) and many other local treatsny. The yurt is clean, neat,big chest of drawers stands chinese bodyvisor, carpets on the walls, animal skins,stuffed birds. Eat, drink, payfox, said goodbye to the hospitable hostsevami - and "on the horses."On the mountain roads the suspectbut base caps often began to come across bolts.

They are usually lost by passengerstrucks loaded with yurts andchim belongings. And the burden is muchmore than the car itself. And on verhu this mountain sit the nomads themselveski with kids. Often foundsemi-disassembled trucks, whichlocal drivers are trying to repairtread right on the side of the dustyroads. And next to them are at least7–10 passengers. They follow the carsnumerous herds of sheep, goats,sarlyks (as the locals callyut yaks), horses, surprisingly furrycows, camels.

These are the localsroam down to winter pastures. And welet's go up! It's getting a littlehe is uncomfortable at the thought of a possible dreamge and ice on the passes. But in the mountainsmany yurts are still whitening in linakh, and for now wenot alone. In the Hodon-Gol valley, quitecrowded: now and then meet notlarge camps of 2–5 yurts per racestanding several hundred meters eachfrom friend. Near the bridge over the rivereven gas stations: cisterns buried in the groundon and one mechanical column.

In its sale of gasoline A-80 at a priceslightly above the city. The owner is happyposing with action. Demonstrates workcolumns without removing the lit one from the mouthcigarettes. But there is no solar. Good thatwe stocked up in advance.Already in the evening we drive up to the gravean outpost tied with China, standing onon the shores of the beautiful lake Dayan-Nuur.Further along the southeast coastha lakes do not let us in. It's time to putcamp. Not far away on the slope of the mountainden is a small forest.

There is no water, but but there is firewood, and you can at least a littleto shelter from the cold wind. Byethe guys set up camp, the three of uswent to the lake. It was evening. Fast timeswinding fishing tackle to tienat what is the famous Mongoliansky fishing. The fish did not force itselflong wait: almost on the fifthBros pecked pretty decent bygrayling sizes. Until dark, minutesfor 25, managed to catch another coupleke fish. On the speedometer 125 km - ourdaytime transition.

At Trot started with a strong wind. Neitherabout what kind of fishing is not necessary anddream: on the lake a storm breaks downthere is foam from the steep crests of the waves. cloudsdust rises into the air. Occasionallygusts of wind throw a handful at usnor coarse coastal sand. Honeylazily drove up to the southern shore of the lakera Khurgan-Nuur (2072 m). Solid kachanging terraces, large sharp cornersboulders, wetlands,

fords through small mountain rivers.

I came across a very paintinga group of local residents on a willowpeople loaded with yurts, beds,barrels and other household goods.Finally, here are the first ancient zahoroneniya, which we read in the reports.Everyone, as on command, got the camerary. Two small Turkic burial moundsrectangular shape. ancient tyrki for the funeral rite afterthe burial was built a kind of temple:on the ground laid out a fence in the form square.

Possibly a squarema symbolized the homeland, whichthe Turks were represented in the form of a square,at the corners of which are located vragi. Near each grave is a statue -stone woman, and then two rowsvertically standing smallchange columns going somewherefar into the steppe. "UAZ" drove up withlocal numbers. Passenger eyea middle-aged French womantoraya has been living here for 25 yearsGole name Tunga.

Writes books about Mongolia. At night we get up in the skyshome larch forest, protectingblowing us from the strong wind. Our securrent mileage is 68 km.Thermometer in the car in the morningminus 11°С, but the wind almost subsided,and the bright mountain sun shines. Aim forour today's transition - the lakeHoton Nuur. Soon the priest is on the way againa frontier post is given. Released onmeet the officers friendly coolvayutsya with us, check the documents.

After another 500 m we drive up to the bridgethrough the Syrgal channel between the lakesHoton-Nuur and Khurgan-Nuur in the area of ​​ziMovki Shargalga. That's where we really areyashchy learned what the Mongolianfishing! Almost every throwthe tackle was lucky: a big one was caught,weighing up to 1 kg, grayling. The fish were chasingany spinner and often hooked thensideways, then gills, then belly. Placesnye boys without much fuss justthrew a piece of thick fishing line with nakedtee at the end and also not leftfell without prey.

Half an hour later, reShiv that we have enough fish for dinner, andfor the future anyway to catch and, most importantly,you can't save, let's move on.At parting, they gave the boys 100 mfishing line and a couple of small spinners.The bridge over the channel is made ofnoah larch, and as a nastyala used poles from the same sheetcrowns with a diameter of up to 10 cm. But ourthe cars passed without problems. Razgowe start as soon as we can, thunderinglyto the poles of the bridge and from the dispersal of the highwe nod at the steep sandy oppositefalse northern bank of the channel.

Dal our path lies in the northwestmu shore of Lake Hoton-Nuur to the veryits northern end. There, according toham, there are numerous rockdrawings. And while one went tosearch for petroglyphs, others againcovered spinning rods.Snow-capped peaks of MongoliaAltai were reflected in the mirrorslake waters. Fishing this time

was not so successful: far into the water it is impossible to enter, and the tackle is oftenclinging to the rocky bottom.

Having caught a dozen graylings and tearing off a couple of bleusen, decided for today fishing lawchit, especially since the daily catchbaked us a good dinner. returnedour friends. Their excursion wasmore successful: on steep slopesmountains they found hundreds of petroglyphs: inmostly images of animals. Ochea red camp was set up near thethat wintering in the lower reaches of the river Ut-Khaitone-Gol. Hastily built a hearth, forcovering fire from the wind, and on the coals baked fish.

Spent the night in woodenwinter buildings. On this day leli only 28 km. Morning again "pleased" its"freshness". Until the sun came uptse, everyone went in warm jackets orwrapped up in blankets. Conducted an auditdiesel fuel. It looks like it won't be enoughway to the valley of the river Tsagan-Gol, to the mountainsjunction Tavan-Bogd-Uul (4374 m).It's a pity ... Well, the roads are not conhope. We'll meet with the sacred our peaks!

It was decided to returnthrough the passes east of the lakes inthe valley of the Kobdo-Gol river and through the villagelok Tsengel to return to Ulegei. Bymap this road seemed more prowalkable. While preparing for the expeditions, sitting at home and on the map of namtea route, we laid no wayat least 150 km per day. In realBut it turned out to be much less...On the way back it hurt againgo fishing in the canal between do lakes.

D oroga through the passes becamealmost familiar. All the samestones, stones, stones... Placesmi, where the roads converge, embossed gluside track. Happy for the hundredth timelis that they took a local guide.Even with extensive mountain riding experience,sometimes wondered how unmistakable he wasbut indicated exactly the track along which Roy has to go. The day was an unusually "harvestnym" to historical sightsvalue. On this day we sawone dozen stone women.

But the pain most struck by the huge moundsin the Mogoyt tract. Diameter of someof them was more than 50 m, and the height was up toreached 4 m. We started to go downalong the Mogoityn-Gol river valley and,riding a bridge across the river. Kobdo-Gol, stand upcamp near a small winter quarters. And vecherum solemnly celebrated the birthdayDenia Alexander Lebedev. Todayalmost a "record" - 61 km.This night was perhaps the mostcold for the whole trip. In the morningThe thermometer showed -15°C.

Do not warm shaft even hot coffee with altaibalm. We set up camp andWe drove along the river Kobdo-Gol. Doroha tolerable, but still acceleratedoes not work. Having traveled kilometers5, on the river bank saw the sideboard"ZIL-131" with a dozen cheerful peoplein the back and rumpled "UAZ" - "orderlyku". It turned out that the "UAZ" with AmericanCannes tourists tried to wadecross a deep river and, as you canbut was to be expected, stalled in the middlechannels. Luckily, in this place Hall "ZIL-131".

Tourists big onlucky: they would not have got out on their own, butwe couldn't help it, becausefrom the shore was about 20 m at a depthnot up to a metre. And we don’t even have a fordknew. From the cracks of "UAZ" you are stillwater poured out. There were scattered aroundSans wet clothes and other luggagerists. Cheerful passengers of "ZIL"noisily loaded into the body and briskly,dispersing the waves of Kobdo, rolled back to the left bank. After 43 km and two hours of travel, enterwe live in the village Tsengel. On the centralthe area is still the same dust and the same sarlyki. But there's a real one in the storeMongolian beer!

The road from Tsengel towards the city of Ulegay goes through the pass MushgiragiyinDaba (2251 m). Ahead we see not owlsa clear car trail.Obviously not from the UAZ. through somesome time we meet the old "Mitsubishi Galant" with protruding from under itfeet. Stopped and askeddo you need help. From under the carthey said everything was fine. envyeat the fearlessness of local drivers.Ule is already visible from the Khaar-Daba passgay. Finally we made it through the dayas much as 164 km! How did you get back home! Zivylysis. Though broken, but asphalt,shops, gas stations, hotel. True, th there is no running water.

I on a sleepy morning the next dayheading to the village Sagsay-Gol,in the vicinity of which tomorrowa beautiful holiday beginsKutchi. Dozens of Kazakh huntersbirds of prey (golden eagles, juicelamy) gather in the foothills and mouthscompetitions are raging. We are met andplaced in the camp "Blue Wolf". Come to us in the evening fit guys from Israel, Jordanii, England, with which we are acquaintedvisited the city of Ulegei, as well as friends fromGorno-Altaisk. Festive again dinner.

Birthday this timeAndrey Yurchenkov. And how many yearsin a row, again on the road, again from the new my friends... Among the spectators at the festival there are manyth tourists and children. Schoolchildren in acchicken jackets, adults in yarsome national clothes. Along thethreads of machines local craftsmenmo on a felt mat laid out their souvenirsry. A couple stands out among the sellersyoung people are clearly not asian onrationality with a small child.

It turned out that this is a family from the USA, whichRaya has been living in Mongolia for three years andmakes a living makingeating and selling souvenirs.Decided to come back later in the evening.in Ulegei. In order not to waste time,drove south, to Lake Tolbo-Nuur, towhich is described by everyone who has been hereshaft. It is famous for its large numbercatfish and rare birds. Already incomplete darkness, afraid to get stuck in the batpaké (boggy mud), we set up camp. Utrum turned out to be up more or lessI can’t reach a convenient place for the campwhether some 600–700 m....

The first rays of the sun timidlycalm waters of Tolbo-Nuur.Despite the cold, photographers are alreadywork. The rest of the small teamdoi went to fish. 2 km fromthe camps are visible attractive rolling pins.Although grayling took, but not so actively,like on the Syrgal channel.We break camp and, almost no waspstanavlivayas in Ulegei, we go to the sideWell, the Russian border. Here is our"old friend" - Obo pass tyn-daba. by car, then to BayanUlegii are much more reliable ontake "UAZ". You can own your carpark in the parking lot.The Mongolian currency is tugriks.1 p. equal to 45.6 tugriks. In Bayan-Ulegee diesel fuel is worth an examplebut 920 tugriks per 1 liter, A-80 - 780 tugricks for 1 liter. There is no gasoline in the mountainseverywhere, and only A-80. Not preventbring an engine cleanerand spare air and fuel filters.

During the cold season,but add antigel, tk. in the localdiesel fuel has paraffin. Not preventand a second spare. There is a tire serviceonly in Bayan-Ulegiya. From constantdust rescue wet wipes and eye drops. It is necessary to take into account the features ofmountain roads. In this country formost used transport"UAZ" Russian and Chineseproduction and our "ZIL-130",so the track is knurled for these ma tires.

If you want to traveltravel around Mongolia in your own transport, you need to know that for "parquetnyh" jeeps is pretty serious new test. Do not leave yourthings. Be careful at customsus, neat, polite, calm,be patient, don't give in to proprovocation, blackmail, extortion,do not take someone else's luggage and passing passengers. Some Mongols speak Russianlanguage. But it's better to learn anywaya few words in Kazakh or in Mongolian.

Mongolia is an Asian state bordering Russia and China. The country has no access to the sea.

The basis of the relief is a plateau raised to a height of 900 - 1500 meters above sea level, and mountain ranges, as well as the Gobi desert. The southern border of permafrost passes through the territory of Mongolia.

Total area - 1,564,116 sq. km, the population is 3,000,000 people, among which 95% are Mongols, 5% are Turks, 0.1% are Chinese and Russians. Mongolia is the country with the lowest population density in the world. The official religion is Tibetan Buddhism. The official language is Mongolian.

The capital is the city of Ulan Bator.

Cities of Mongolia

Ulan Bator, leading its history since 1639, is the main city of the country, without visiting which there will be no complete picture of Mongolia. It harmoniously combines modern architecture and ancient temples, foreign cars of the last year of production and riders in national clothes, nightclubs and religious values. Young tourists like to visit the city Amusement Park. In Ulaanbaatar, friendly locals, excellent national cuisine, chic shopping (by the way, the best cashmere market Naran-Tul is located in Ulaanbaatar) and, of course, an excursion program. A large number of guests gather for the annual Naadam festival, held from July 11 to 13, where you can plunge into the national atmosphere and watch the masters of archery, wrestling and horse riding.

How to get to Mongolia

There is no direct air connection between Belarus and Mongolia.

The best option would be a flight on the route Minsk - Ulaanbaatar with one connection (for example, in Moscow or Beijing) by Aeroflot or Air China. Travel time will be about a day (including connections), the cost of a round-trip ticket is from 1,300 US dollars per person.

A train runs from Moscow to Ulaanbaatar (journey time - 101 hours).

Climate of Mongolia

The territory of Mongolia is influenced by a sharply continental climate.

The average air temperature in summer is from +15 to +40 degrees, in winter - from -10 to -35 degrees, depending on the region. The difference between day and night temperatures in winter can reach 30 degrees. The number of sunny days is 260 per year.

The annual rainfall ranges from 100 mm to 500 mm. Rains usually fall from mid-July to September. Snow in the mountains can lie throughout the calendar year. Dust storms are possible from May to June.

The best time to travel around the country is from mid-May to October.

The hotel base of Mongolia is represented by modern hotels from 1 * to 5 * only in the city of Ulan Bator. Here you will find excellent service and comfortable living conditions. The cost of a room in a 5 * hotel - from 180 US dollars per person. Breakfasts are usually included in the price.

Outside of Ulaanbaatar, the main types of accommodation are yurts (“gers”), and from analogs of camping to VIP accommodation with all amenities. Meals - half board or board, cost - from 35 US dollars per day.

Banks, money, exchange offices

The currency of Mongolia is the Tugrik. Circulation has paper banknotes in denominations of 1,3,5,10,20,50,100,500,1000,5000,10,000 tugriks and coins in denominations of 20,50,100,200 tugriks. US dollars are also accepted for settlements (though unofficially).

Opening hours of banks and specialized exchange offices:

From 9.00 - 9.30 to 12.30 and from 14.00 to 15.00 - 17.00

You can make a currency exchange in the banks of Ulaanbaatar, in "exchangers" and in some hotels. It is not recommended to exchange money at "street" money changers. ATMs are also located only in the capital. It is almost impossible to exchange currency in the province.

Credit cards of the world's main payment systems are accepted for settlements only in large banks, hotels and some shops in Ulaanbaatar. Only the Development and Trade Bank of Ulaanbaatar works with travel checks (preferably in US dollars).

Tipping is not obligatory, but not prohibited either - 5 - 10% of the total amount as a token of gratitude will be accepted by the attendants with pleasure.

Tourist safety

In general, Mongolia is a country that is safe to travel, but following the basic rules of conduct will save you and your loved ones from minor and major troubles:

• Valuables, large sums of money and documents should be left in the hotel safe
• In crowded places, it is not recommended to leave personal belongings unattended.
• You should be extremely careful outside the cities - you can encounter packs of feral dogs
• You should not travel through the steppe without an accompanying guide
• Before traveling, you should take preventive measures against diseases of plague, cholera, typhoid, meningitis, hepatitis C and rabies
• It is recommended to use sunscreen before going out
• Bottled water is recommended for drinking, brushing teeth or making ice.
• Meat, fish and milk should be eaten only after preliminary heat treatment.
• Before eating vegetables and fruits, they should be thoroughly washed, fruits should be peeled, vegetables should be cooked.
• When visiting temples, the dress code must be observed - shoulders, chest and knees must be covered
• You can’t joke with the name of Genghis Khan - this is the founder of Mongolia
• Do not touch the head of another person, especially a child
• Don't turn your back on elders
• You can’t play with fire - trample, throw garbage there and fill it with water

Transport

Given the great length of Mongolia, the most convenient means of transportation here is the plane. Domestic air transportation is carried out between Ulaanbaatar and the main settlements of the country. The cost of tickets is low, but for foreigners it is more expensive than for local residents.

The railway communication is not very well developed - there is only one passenger line connecting Ulaanbaatar, Darkhan, Sukhbaatar and Erdenet.

The main settlements are connected by bus routes. There is a timetable that local drivers almost always adhere to.

Ulaanbaatar's public transport is trolleybuses, buses and fixed-route taxis. The fare is 500 tugriks. Public transport is in poor technical condition, always crowded with people, moves without a schedule.

The fare in a taxi is 500 tugriks per 1 km, the final calculation is based on the speedometer readings.

Water transport is developed on Lake Khubsugule.

Renting a car is strongly not recommended and makes no sense - the roads are bad, the rules are not respected by local drivers, the main tourist sites are at a great distance from each other, it is very dangerous to move independently in the Gobi desert. Those who dare to drive on their own will need to present:

• International driving license
• Credit card or cash (from $50 per day)

A four-wheel drive vehicle with a driver can be hired for $70 per day.

Entertainment, excursions, attractions

The sights of the capital - the city of Ulan - Bator - begin, as elsewhere, from the Old City - Sukhe - Bator Square with a monument to this national hero and the Peace Bell, with the buildings of the Parliament, the Stock Exchange and the Palace of Culture. Next is the visiting card of the city - the Gandan Monastery (“a great place of absolute happiness”), the symbol of which is a statue of the Buddha of longevity 26 meters high. Inside the statue are 27,000 kg of dried medicinal herbs and 2,000,000 mantra scrolls. No less significant for the history of the country is the monastery of Lama Hoijinyu, which includes 5 temples, 5 gates, the Museum of Buddhist Art with unique exhibits. One of the most visited places in Ulaanbaatar is the palace complex of Bogdykhan, the last emperor. The city museums are very informative and fascinating - Natural History, Fine Arts, National Historical, Theater, Intellectual, Center for Buddhist Medicine, Shaman Center.

A large number of tourists come to the Karakorum archaeological park, where you can see the sights of the 13th - 16th centuries - the Khan's palace, the artisans' quarter, the first Buddhist monastery in Mongolia and the rock paintings of the first settlers of this territory.

The natural attractions of Mongolia are Lake Khovsgol (the deepest in Central Asia), the valley of the Selenga River, which flows into Lake Baikal, Mount Bogdo-Ulo (the birthplace of Genghis Khan) and the Gobi Desert, which contains the world's largest deposits of fossil animal bones.

Fans of active pastime are engaged in rafting, sport fishing, horse riding tours and motor races, and also live in yurts on high mountain pastures.

Cuisine and restaurants

The national cuisine of Mongolia has practically not been influenced by other cuisines of the world and exists almost in its original form. The main products are meat (lamb, maybe beef, horse meat, yak and saiga meat), rice, peas and other legumes, wild berries, herbs and roots, dairy products (koumiss, fermented baked milk, dried cottage cheese, cheese).

The most popular Mongolian dishes are the following:

• "boodog" - meat brisket, fried from the inside with red-hot stones "horhog" - slightly boiled meat without salt and spices
• "bakhan" - a goat baked right in the skin
• boiled sheep fat
• fried lamb genitals
• "borts" - dried meat
• "Khushur" - pancakes stuffed with meat and onions
• buz - steamed dumplings
• meat noodles
• pies stuffed with raw meat
• "Khashur" - pies with horsemeat fried in oil

From drinks - sour milk "Ayran", koumiss, Mongolian tea (slab tea with milk, salt, butter, toasted flour or lightly fried tail fat)

From alcohol - vodka "Arkhi" (from mare's milk), "Ayrag" (homemade moonshine), "Shimin Arkhi" (strength about 12%), good local beer

Shopping and shops

Mongolian stores operate on an individual schedule.

Most often, cashmere and copper products, camel wool blankets, jewelry, carpets, national clothes, and all kinds of figurines are brought from Mongolia.

Customs

You can import foreign currency within 2000 US dollars (or equivalent). Export - within the amount imported.

You can import local currency within 815 tugriks. For amounts exceeding this amount, a bank permit is required.

Imported historical items, works of art and electronic components should be declared.

Allowed to import:

• Up to 200 cigarettes or 50 cigars or 250g of tobacco
• Up to 1 liter of strong alcohol, up to 2 liters of wine, up to 3 liters of beer
• Goods for personal use - in the amount of not more than 1000 US dollars per person

It is forbidden to import and export:

• Narcotic, psychotropic, radioactive, explosive and poisonous substances
• Non-canned meat products
• Weapons and ammunition without a permit
• Samples of plant and animal tissues, blood and preparations based on it
• Pornographic cinema - video production

The cost of each type of exported products should not exceed 500 US dollars.

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I was in Mongolia from June 19 to July 8, 2009. Together with Agnieszka from Poland, who works in Ulan-Ude, we entered the country through the border crossing in Kyakhta (Buryatia), spent two days in Ulaanbaatar, drove along the route Ulaanbaatar-Arvaikheer--Bayankhongor--Altai--Khovd-- Ulaangom - Kharkhorin - Ulaanbaatar. Then I traveled alone along the route Ulaanbaatar - Underkhaan - Bayan-Ula and left for Russia through the Verkhniy Ulkhun border crossing (Trans-Baikal Territory). We traveled most of the way by hitchhiking, partly by minibuses and buses.

Advantages and disadvantages

The second plus is the beautiful and untouched nature.

This is not that dull steppe of the south of Russia or Ukraine, which brings boredom. The Mongolian steppe landscapes are beautiful and varied and very rarely disfigured by human structures. The plain receding into the distance on the horizon is always framed by beautiful hills, somewhere picturesque rocks or stones come across, somewhere the steppe turns into a rocky or sandy desert, somewhere it is replaced by mountains covered with forest. And along these Mongolian expanses here and there there are yurts and fat herds of large and small livestock roam: cows, goats, sheep, horses, camels, yaks.

The cons of Mongolia logically follow from the pros.

Beautiful nature and traditional way of life have been preserved due to the fact that civilization has not yet reached here. Only Ulaanbaatar can be called a civilized city, where there is everything you need for the city life to which we are all accustomed. Most of the rest of the cities are rather urban-type settlements. The regional center of Mongolia resembles the last Russian regional center, the Mongolian regional centers even resemble villages. And between these cities there are huge spaces where the human presence is noticeable only by the lonely standing yurts and ruts in the steppe.

After traveling through Mongolia, Russia begins to seem like a completely civilized country, which has many roads and railways, roadside cafes, toilets, shops and supermarkets. When I left Mongolia for Russia, there was a clear feeling that I was returning from Asia to Europe: the last 50 km before the border there was a dead dirt road with holes and puddles, along which 1-2 cars passed a day, and after the border smooth asphalt began with good traffic. In a word, it's nice that we have overtaken at least some country a hundred years ahead.

The only thing in which Mongolia is noticeably ahead of us is animal husbandry.

After seeing herds of several hundred animals that, like locusts, have occupied the verdant Mongolian pasture, it is not very joyful to look at three or four thin, hungry cows wandering near some Transbaikal village. But otherwise, as I said, our country is much more civilized. With all my passion for travel, I still love comfort, smooth roads, fast cars, a hot lunch at least once a day and a hot shower at least once every two days, so I returned to Russia after Mongolia with some relief.

Country Information

Visas

How to get there

Also, from the Yaroslavsky station, trains Moscow - Ulaanbaatar and Moscow - Beijing (via Ulaanbaatar) run every week. Travel time is more than four days. The cost of a reserved seat is 5-6 thousand rubles one way.

Another option is to fly by plane from Moscow to Irkutsk or Ulan-Ude, and from there travel by land. There are buses from Ulan-Ude to Ulaanbaatar, and from Irkutsk there is a train to Ulaanbaatar.

Border

Climate

Money

Like Belarusian rubles, Mongolian tugriks exist exclusively in paper form, so during the trip there is a feeling that you have a lot of money.

Roads

The rest of the roads, including the most important routes connecting the west and east of the country, are usually three or four rolled tracks in the steppe that converge and diverge and lead from one town to another.

Between the settlements there are no gas stations, no cafes, no kilometer posts, no road signs, no cell coverage - only a bare plain, along which everyone drives as he pleases. However, the quality of the roads is such that it will not be possible to break the speed limit with all the desire, and the abundance of ruts reduces collisions to a minimum. The relief is usually such that you can even move off the track and drive across the steppe in any direction.

On such roads, some even manage to drive simple cars, but it’s still better to use Japanese SUVs or Russian UAZs. The latter, by the way, are preferable, because they are very common among the Mongols and, if something happens, you will quickly find spare parts. The Mongols also ride motorcycles, Korean minibuses, Japanese trucks, Russian KamAZ trucks. Foreign tourists usually travel by jeeps and motorcycles. On the track, we met travelers four times: Poles on motorcycles, an Australian on a motorcycle, a group of Frenchmen in jeeps and a group of Koreans in a minibus.

If you are traveling by your own transport, be sure to stock up on a GPS navigator:

instead of roads, there are directions here, so it’s quite possible to get lost, accidentally leaving along a rut leading to some remote village. It is better to buy a map in Mongolian - then it will be easier to find out from the nomads where you are and where you should go. If you hitchhike, you can basically do without a navigator: drivers usually know the way and go from one city to another. The main thing is to find out exactly where the driver is going, and then trust him to find the right path.

Hitch-hiking

Just keep in mind some features of the Mongolian hitchhiking.

The first and main problem is low traffic. It is very good to drive only on paved roads. The route from the border crossing in Tashanta to Ulaanbaatar (via Ulaangom and Tsetserlag) is still quite busy, although here you can sometimes wait for a ride for several hours. On the other roads, cars pass extremely rarely - up to three or four cars a day. So be patient, and also books, magazines or crossword puzzles - you can at least do something while you sit by the track for half a day. In short, “I have eight volumes of fat and matches and Turgenev in my backpack” - this is just about Mongolia.

Sometimes we got so tired of sitting by the road that we took backpacks and walked, so many Mongols - drivers and local residents - got the feeling that we were walking through their country. The essence of hitchhiking is difficult to explain to them, so it’s even better. Also note that between the regional centers (if this road does not lead to Ulaanbaatar) the traffic is very low. For example, it will hardly be possible to get directly from Ulaangom to Murun, because the main flow of cars to Ulaanbaatar goes south, through Tsetserlag. And it’s not even worth trying to hitchhike on local roads if you don’t want to get stuck somewhere for a week.

The second problem is the choice of the right track for voting.

The easiest way is at the exit from a large city: usually there is one paved road several kilometers before and after a large settlement, so it is enough to leave the city and start voting near this road. The situation is different in the steppe or near small towns and villages: here the tracks can diverge for a distance of up to half a kilometer and it is quite difficult to choose the right one from them. Sometimes you can navigate along the power lines (usually the poles are along the main track), but this rule does not always work. It is best to find some kind of elevation, from where it opens up a view of the surroundings, keep track of which road the car will appear on, and in which case quickly move there. If you wave your arms and the driver sees you, he will most likely stop or even turn and drive towards you.

The third problem is overcrowding.

During the trip, we only rode twice in a car where there was one driver. Usually, in addition to him, there are passengers in the car, who, as a rule, occupy all the seats. Interestingly, cars stop even if they are full (find out if something happened to you), but getting into a stopped car is far from always possible. Sometimes I had to ride in a car with four or five people in the back seat, putting a Mongolian child on my knees, sometimes I had to lie on luggage in the back of a truck, covered with dust and sand, sometimes I had to sit on a sleeping bag in the cab of a long-distance driver, slightly pushing a bunch of things and distant relatives the driver he took with him. In short, don't expect comfort.

And the fourth problem is the lack of money of the local population.

In principle, everyone expects money for transportation, but the majority is persuaded to give a ride for free. “There is no money” in Mongolian - “mungo baikhgo”. Before getting into the car, it is always worth saying these words once or twice. Only four times the drivers, having heard such a phrase, drove on disappointedly - and all these times it happened on a busy section of the highway, where we quickly caught the next car. In other places, the drivers understand that you will have to wait another half a day for the next car, and after heavy thought, they still nod - they say, get in. However, truckers and wealthy Ulaanbaatar residents in jeeps do this without much thought. But it’s still a little hard - especially after Russia, where almost none of the drivers ask about money from hitchhikers (for example, I don’t even warn that I’m going for free).

If funds do not allow, but time allows, use a bicycle - it will not be much slower, and if you are an experienced biker, then maybe even faster than hitchhiking. So, for example, we drove a section from Bayankhongor to Altai, 390 km long, in three days. And it took me a whole day to get to the section from the city of Bayan-Uul to the Upper Ulkhun border crossing, 49 km long (here I could walk in the same time).

But no matter how difficult hitchhiking in Mongolia is, it still helps to get to know the local life better, to communicate with the Mongols, many of whom know Russian. So if the listed difficulties do not bother you, pack your backpack and go.

Scheduled transport

Guidebooks recommend looking for minibuses in the city market. There you can also find drivers who travel to other cities and are looking for fellow travelers to compensate for expenses. For some reason, Lonely Planet calls this “hitch-hiking”, that is, it recommends going to the market and finding such a car. I don’t know, in my opinion, traditional hitchhiking is still more efficient.

It was quite difficult to navigate the prices of buses. For example, from Ulaanbaatar to Lun (130 km) we traveled for 6 thousand tugriks, but from Ulaanbaatar to Darkhan (220 km) my fellow traveler traveled for the same money. Although, maybe the point is that you need to go to Darkhan along an asphalt road, and part of the way to Lun is the already described rut in the steppe.

Accommodation

Another good option for an overnight stay is roadside cafes.

Almost each has one or more large beds 4-5 meters wide, where anyone who orders dinner or breakfast in this eatery can spend the night for free (usually dinner for one costs 2-3 thousand tugriks). True, several more people will sleep on the same bed, but I think this will not bother free travelers if they have their own sleeping bag.

There are also hotels in large cities. We have stayed there twice. In the city of Arvaikheer, a double room cost 11,000 tugriks, in Altai, 15,000 tugriks. In the first hotel there was no shower, in the second there was no hot water. But if anything, in the cities you can find public baths and take a shower there for 1-2 thousand tugriks.

In places that are especially popular among tourists, there are guesthouses and hostels, including some kind of yurt campsites (several yurts where you can spend the night). However, those who spent the night in a real yurt will not be particularly interested: there are no attributes of nomadic life inside, only a few beds and bedside tables. In Kharkhorin, such a guesthouse cost 5 thousand tugriks per person.

And, of course, there is a huge choice of accommodation in Ulaanbaatar.

Firstly, this is the only city where more or less active members of the Hospitalityclub and Couchsurfing live, so you can easily find a free overnight stay. Secondly, there are hotels, hostels, guesthouses for every taste and pocket.

Food

The most popular dish in Mongolia is buuzy, known to those who have been to the Irkutsk region or Buryatia under the name "poses".

This is finely minced meat wrapped in dough and steamed. Very tasty and nutritious stuff. To eat, I needed 4-5 pieces. They usually cost 300 tugriks apiece. Another popular food is khushuur, which resembles our cheburek and costs 300-400 tugriks apiece. Also popular is "tsuiwang", noodles with pieces of meat and potatoes. It costs 2-2.5 thousand tugriks. These three dishes we mostly ate on the trip.

Even in Mongolia, there are a lot of interesting dairy dishes, but they, as a rule, are not sold in canteens - we were treated to them either in yurts or in cars.

I especially remember the cheese, which tastes like cottage cheese, very tasty creamy butter and a low-alcohol drink based on milk, reminiscent of koumiss. The main non-alcoholic drink is tea with milk. In Ulaanbaatar, I didn’t like him, but then, having no choice, I had to fall in love with him. It is usually served without sugar, slightly salted (however, I didn’t particularly feel this salt). In the capital, some oil is also added to tea, but this is not the case in the provinces. A very nutritious thing. It costs 100-200 tugriks per cup, and sometimes it is served completely free of charge.

As in all other aspects, Ulaanbaatar and the rest of Mongolia are two big differences.

In the capital, the choice of food is large and varied. There are both cheap canteens with the dishes and prices mentioned above, as well as pathos restaurants with Italian, Japanese and other cuisines for every taste and pocket. Once we somehow even wandered into a vegetarian cafe.

A cheap eatery can usually be identified by the word "gazar" on the sign.

As for products, there is also a big difference between the capital and the province. In Ulaanbaatar there are many shops and supermarkets with a good selection of products, in other cities there are mostly small shops, the choice of which is less than in any Russian rural store. Their usual set is soda, vodka, chocolate cookies and, if you're lucky, a huge piece of meat in the refrigerator. Even bread is rare. The store can be identified by the word "delguur" on the sign.

Cafes and large shops are found only in cities, therefore, given the quality of roads and low traffic, it is better to always have a supply of water and food with you at least for one day.

Language

But still, you should not specifically count on the fact that you will come across Russian-speaking Mongols.

Try to learn a little Mongolian, it will make your travel life much easier and help you get to know the local life much better. Unfortunately, I knew only a few phrases important for the traveler, and I supplemented the rest with Russian words and gestures. But if with gestures I could still say “can I put up a tent here?” or “stop here, please,” then it was no longer possible to ask more complex and interesting questions (“how do nomad children go to school?”, “what do you heat the stove with?”, etc.).

People know English much worse than Russian. Basically, educated youth, metropolitan beggars and tourism workers can boast of this.

Internet and communication

Any country has its own characteristics. They can appear in literally everything. And the stronger the difference between nature, landscape, climate, lifestyle of local residents with those that exist in Russia, the more impressions. You can see and feel a lot of unusual things in Mongolia. It is very close, if we take into account the regions of southern Siberia. For those living in the European part, of course, this is far away. But today, a distance of several thousand kilometers is not difficult to overcome.

Stage 1. From Novosibirsk to Biysk

It will not be a mistake to say that the most interesting trip to Mongolia will be if you choose a car route. In this sense, it is better to go on the road along the Chuysky tract.

Altai, Chuisky Trakt (federal highway P256, until January 1, 2018, the number of the M52 highway was also used)

It officially begins in the large Siberian city of Novosibirsk, but earlier only the path from the city of Biysk (Altai Territory) to Tashanta was called that way. This is a settlement near the border of two countries - Russia and Mongolia. The journey can take anywhere from a few days to weeks. The only question is how many days you have. It is quite easy to visit Mongolia if you have preliminary information.

Important! Since we are talking about traveling from different Russian corners, it is better to start counting from Novosibirsk. True, one of the travelers, preparing for a trip and leaving the western part of the country, laying out a route, will use the map, try to shorten the path. In this case, it will focus on a shorter route.

Before reaching Novosibirsk, approximately in the middle between Omsk and this big city, many people take a short cut in order to drive straight through the Altai Territory to the city of Barnaul. You don't have to do that. Already after a few tens of kilometers, you can be sure that, in fact, the most interesting adventures begin after the words "I know a short cut." It is better to calmly drive to Novosibirsk, cross over the bridge or along the dam of the Ob hydroelectric power station and turn right.

In about twenty to thirty minutes (it all depends on the traffic intensity) there will be the city of Berdsk. Less than an hour will pass, and the city of Iskitim will be left behind, and a long journey to the South will begin.

You can drive to Barnaul, more precisely, to Novo-Altaisk (the city of Barnaul on the left bank of the Ob River) in less than two hours. If you want to have lunch, then there will be no problems with this. There are no difficulties with refueling the car. The same situation after the turn in Novo-Altaisk towards Biysk. This city can also be reached in less than two hours. True, if you find yourself here on Friday afternoon on Friday or Sunday, the trip will be delayed.

The fact is that on Friday the lane towards Biysk will turn into a continuous traffic jam. This is due to the fact that those who want to relax just at this time are sent to the mountains or to the resort town of Belokurikha. On Sunday, all those thousands of cars go back.

Stage 2. Along the Altai Mountains to the border

But finally, the city of Biysk. There is a bypass for trucks here. You don't need to turn on it. The trip through the city takes only twenty minutes. This is taking into account the entry and exit after the bridge over the Biya River on the very outskirts. And then the very Chuisky tract will begin, about which a little is told in the movie "Such a guy lives."

Although the distance from Biysk to the Mongolian border cannot be called great (especially by Siberian standards), it will take a long time to drive. At first, however, everything will be as usual, but then the ascents, descents, turns will begin. However, the trip will not seem particularly long. Why? Because the road goes through special places. Sometimes it stretches just a few meters from the Katun River, which is seething like a huge stream. Then the mountains will rise. Particularly interesting is the Seminsky pass. And also the road along the Chuya River.

Katun River

Finally, here is the border zone. The large village of Kosh-Agach, and then only Tashanta, a border zone twenty kilometers wide, and Mongolia. However, a difficulty may arise here. The checkpoint is only open until 18:00. On weekends it doesn't work at all. An important condition is that you can only cross the border by car. Hitchhikers wait for passing cars.

Important! In order to cross the border, you must have an invitation from Mongolia. It can be both from a travel agency and from a person. True, this document is required only at the Mongolian checkpoint. They also ask you to show cash. Usually, when a person shows five hundred dollars, the Mongolian border guards take a picture of him with banknotes in his hand, and let him into the country.

If you managed to get to the border only in the evening, or on a weekend, you need to take care of an overnight stay. It is cold to spend the night in a tent in the mountains. But lodging for the night is provided by local residents. For a room for two they ask only five hundred rubles.

When crossing the Russian border, there are no difficulties. Border guards check passports, cars with Russian numbers are inspected cursorily. But if foreigners come, especially the Germans, they will check everything that is possible.

Mongolian border guards repeat the procedure. Russian citizens do not need a visa. The conditions for entering the country were mentioned above. After everything is finished, they are allowed to go.
Mongolia.

Stage 3. On site - first impressions

And now Russia is behind, ahead is only Mongolia and the almost complete absence of asphalt. They say that in Russia there are not roads, but directions. About the same thing here, only it is more convenient to travel in these directions. The main thing is that the car does not let you down. The best way to travel is by jeep. However, quite a lot of tourists embark on such a journey on motorcycles.

The opening pictures can be called monotonous. These are mostly treeless mountains. But still beautiful. Travelers usually make their first stop on the shores of Lake Tolbo-Nuur. It seems to be one of the largest in Mongolia.

Then there will be a high-mountain plateau with multi-colored ridges, Lake Khaar-Us, the city of Khovd. The road stretches across the rocky steppe. In some places, some thorny plants are visible, as well as small flowers. What is surprising - large herds of sheep, goats, camels, yaks. Here you can also see saigas. Sometimes they graze with domestic animals, sometimes they just run somewhere. They don't run away from cars. They know that no one will harm them.

On the way, you can make a stop at Lake Dergen Nuur. Its water is salty. It seems that the concentration of salt is higher than in sea water. The area is quite interesting. Dunes adjoin the shores of the lake. Here begins the largest sandy massif of Mongolia Mongol Els. It stretches for more than two hundred kilometers from the Southeast to the Northwest.

The attitude of the Mongols towards travelers from Russia

The road in Mongolia is often really just a direction. The fact that vehicles are moving here is only evidenced by wheel tracks. Although sometimes the traffic flow is intense (by Mongolian standards), the “roadway” is not broken, as is the case on Russian country roads. The soil is often rocky and there is not much rain.
The local population treats travelers well. Many Mongols know Russian. True, among young people there are fewer of them. The easiest way to communicate with those who are over forty. Among them are often those who studied in Russia. But even those who sometimes do not really know anything in Russian also, if necessary, seek to help Russian tourists who are in a difficult situation.

For example, some travelers go by car, and they break down. Mongols passing by stop, wondering what happened. If necessary, the spare part you need will be given free of charge. They can also tow the car, even if not on the way, to where it will be repaired.

The roadside service is also developing. Somewhere in the steppe, next to the knurled road, there are yurts. Here, just sheds are arranged. In yurts, under awnings, in the open air, metal beds with mattresses. Tired traveler, stopped, lay down to rest. Nobody will say a word to him. Maybe sleep for a few days. If he wants to eat, he will explain. He will be understood. Cooked food will be brought here on a large platter. They always bring meat. The food here is fresh. Because there are no problems with meat, as for the cost, everything is two or three times cheaper than at home.

From Barnaul to the capital of the homeland of Genghis Khan - 2372.51 km. Many Altai tourists are increasingly choosing this direction for travel. We tell you what attracts Mongolia, how to get there, what to see and how much the trip will cost.

Why Mongolia?

Not everyone will dare to rush to Mongolia. Despite the relative proximity to the Altai Territory, the path ahead is not the closest. Mostly this direction is preferred by independent tourists.

Mongolia is located on a vast territory, so the distances between settlements are quite impressive, and the quality of the roadway can not always be called good. Travelers are attracted by wild nature, untouched by man, national color, gastronomic novelties and landscapes unusual for the eyes.

And also the endless steppes, transparent lakes, the Gobi desert, snowy peaks, the hospitality of the locals. Here, yurts are not entertainment for tourists, but ordinary life, food on a fire.

Mongolia is called the land of the blue sky for a reason. There are more than 260 sunny days a year, and in the Gobi desert it may not rain for several years.

How to get there?

If you are traveling by car from Barnaul, then it is better to split the trip into several days. For example, to get to the village of Aktash in the Altai Mountains, stop there for the night, relax. Moreover, the road to the Ulagansky district of the republic runs through stunningly beautiful places. And it is simply impossible to go without stops.

For example, you will have to overcome two passes: Seminsky and Chike-Taman, where you must take a photo as a keepsake. This also applies to the place where the Katun and Chuya merge, and a few kilometers from the village of Aktash is the famous Geyser Lake, which has become popular among tourists.

The road along the Chuisky tract is in excellent condition, but some sections are being repaired, so there may be forced stops or even traffic jams. Some travelers say that they had to stand up to four hours before they were allowed to pass.

The road along the Chuisky tract, although good, is not easy, you won’t be able to drive fast, and few people want to accelerate on mountain serpentines and winding descents. So the next stop can be made, for example, in the village of Tashanta, to rest, gain strength and move on.

What documents are needed to travel to Mongolia?

You need a passport, driver's license, documents for the car. But you don't need to apply for a visa. More precisely, if you are going to stay in Mongolia for less than 30 days, then it will not be needed. If you expect that the trip will last more than a month, then a visa is needed.

Of course, the import of drugs, psychotropic drugs and explosives, weapons and ammunition, samples of animal and plant tissues, as well as pornography is prohibited. If you are going to take out furs and skins, gold, precious metals and precious stones, as well as items of cultural or artistic value from Mongolia, they must be presented at customs. The cost of each item should not exceed 500 USD; if this amount is exceeded, a duty from 10% to 100% must be paid.

These are not all restrictions, but there are not many of them. Please read them carefully before your trip.

Where to live?

Since interest in Mongolia has been increasing in recent years, there are enough offers for tourists. In cities, tourists are offered accommodation in hotels, inns, and recreation centers. Prices vary, on the Internet there are both very inexpensive offers (from 700 rubles per day), and hotel rooms for 20 thousand rubles.

But outside of Ulaanbaatar and major cities, everything is much more complicated. The only accommodation option is a yurt. Most yurt camps are owned by private individuals. There are both cheap ones and expensive ones. A range of services from basic camping accommodation to luxury options with all amenities. Meals are usually half board or full board. The cost of accommodation starts from 2000 rubles per day.

It is advisable to look for a place to spend the night in advance, having already planned the route.

What is?

National Mongolian cuisine. Everyone has a different attitude towards it. Someone recommends not relying too much on gastronomic pleasure, so as not to be disappointed. Others fall in love once and for all with tea with cream and salt, koumiss, lamb dishes. By the way, basically all meat dishes are prepared from sheep, and they also love goat meat there. Less often horse meat and beef. The food is rich and fatty. So if you are on a special diet for health reasons, it is better to take cereals with you and cook yourself.

By the way, food in a cafe will cost quite inexpensively, for example, you will have to pay about 120 rubles for a plate of noodles with lamb.

When to go?

Officially, the best season in Mongolia is from June to early September. However, travelers who have traveled at other times also say that Mongolia is always beautiful. The main thing is to take the right clothes. The more warm things, the better.

What to see?

Depending on what interests you in the first place. Some go for fishing and landscapes, others consider it necessary to visit the Gobi Desert. Mongolia is different for everyone. And this country occupies a vast territory. So you won't be able to watch it in its entirety at once. Or it will take a very long time.

But still there are places that are highly recommended to visit.

Natural sights of Mongolia: Khovsgol lake, the deepest in Central Asia. By the way, it is very popular for fishing and ecotourism. Also, travelers choose to visit the valley of the Selenga River, which flows into Lake Baikal. You can also visit the sacred mountain Bogdo-Ula, the birthplace of Genghis Khan, the surroundings of which have the status of a conservation area. And, of course, if you are primarily interested in nature, go to the Gobi Desert. This, of course, is a drop in the ocean from what you can see in Mongolia.

One lunch or dinner in an inexpensive restaurant will cost about 190 rubles. In an institution of a higher class - about 1200 rubles. Prices for food in supermarkets differ from those in Barnaul. Mongolia is more expensive. For example, a loaf of bread costs 44 rubles, and a carton of milk costs about 62 rubles, eggs (12 pieces) - 142 rubles. Vegetables and fruits are also more expensive than in Barnaul.

Accommodation, if you are not traveling with tents, is also a significant expense item.