Mongolia
Covered by Russia and China, Mongolia is the second largest landlocked country in the world. Steppes, desert and mountains form a great part in the country leaving some fertile land. This country with a growing technology is also rich in mineral resources like tin, copper, tungsten, gold, molybdenum and coal and provides way for industrial development. Ulaanbaatar is a business hub. Mongolia has a mixed continental climate. It is mostly hot in the summer and chilly in the winter.
Travel to Mongolia: Mongolia’s official airline is MIAT - Mongolian International Air Transport. Aero Mongolia and Eznis Airways are other flight services in Mongolia. Some international names that render their services to Mongolia are Aeroflot, Air China, Korean Air, Japan Airlines and Milan-Malpensa. Connecting flights are also available from China, Japan and more for holiday makers from the other parts of the world.
The country’s international airport is Chinggis Khan International Airport (Buyant Ukhaa Airport) in Ulaanbaatar. This airport is positioned at about 15 km from the city. Facilities such as car hire, duty free shops, bank and a restaurant are provided at the airport for the comfort of travellers. Buses are easy to get to from the airport and they can lead you to the city in approximately half an hour. Taxis can also be boarded.
Attractions:
Gobi desert: This second largest desert is an interesting spot for archaeological lovers. Though it has sand dunes it is not a typical dry wasteland. Extraordinary animals like herds of Bactrian wild camels which have two humps, Gobi bears, snow leopards, Prezwalsky horses, donkeys, ibexes and mountain sheep are the prized possessions of the desert. The Nemegt Basin in the northwest part of the Gobi desert is also a place of interest to palaeontologists as it contains the treasure called specimen of dinosaur fossils. It is a cold desert and you can see frost and snow on the dunes too. It comprises of five eco-regions: The Alashan Plateau semi-desert, The Eastern Gobi desert steppe, The Junggar Basin semi-desert and The Gobi Lakes Valley desert steppe. A drive in the desert would be exciting and informative. This can be arranged by travel agencies or tourist professionals.
National Museum of Mongolia History: This museum in Ulaanbaatar has precious exhibits relating to history, ethnography, archeology and others. They have been preserved to pass on important information to the younger generation. Mongolian cultural heritage and traditional way of living including specimens of clothing and jewellery have been carefully preserved. A library, children’s room and a gift shop are accessible. Reasearchers can access the collection with photo archives after receiving permission from the museum.
Language: Khalka Mongolian is the official language and it is spoken by the major part of the population. Kazakh and Chinese are other languages used for communication by the minorities. Russian is the language of the Russian immigrants. The older generation is familiar with German as many of them were educated on the German soil. Japanese is also used by a small population. Other languages include, Buriat, Monghol, Eastern Yugur, Darkhat, Daur, Evenki, Kalmyk-Oriat, Tuvin and Uyghur. Several other minorities’ languages exist too. English has taken the place of Russian as the second language in schools and is used widely in the capital.
Shopping: There are not many places to shop but you are sure to get good qulity products in the city. Special purchases in Mongolia would be boots, cashmere clothing and blankets, art products with Chingis Khan, paintings, teapots, furs, leather clothing, art work, national dresses, carpets, books, handicrafts, pictures, jewellery, handicrafts, camel hair blankets,
Flea markets and open markets sell a wide range of products at the best prices.
Very few duty free shops and eating outlets accept foreign currency so tourists are advised to keep local money for purchasing and other purposes.
The local currency is Tugrik. Credit and debit cards are accepted in some banks, posh hotels and few shops in the capital. Trade and development provides credit card advances. This bank receives Thomas Cook Travellers’s cheques and American Express’s Traveller’s cheques are well received throughout. Currency exchange is done is main banks and authorised hotels.
Destinations:
Ulaanbaatar: This is the capital of Mongolia. It contains nine districts within itself: Bayangol, Chingeltei, Khan Uul, Baganuur, Bayanzurkh, Nalaikh, Songino Khairkhan and Suhbaatar. This is the major city and a hot shopping and industrial centre. Business oppourtunities are increasing here. It is also the country’s educational hub. Places of interest here would be Natural History Museum, Ulaanbaatar Opera House, National Museum of Mongolian History and the Choijin Lama Monastery etc.
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