Discover Wild Mongolia: An Authentic Nomad Adventure Awaits
When you think about Mongolia... Well, I don't know too many people thinking about visiting this country. And shame on them. Mongolia is placed in Central Asia and it's a huge country with just 3 millions of people. It's an awesome place for nomads, where time stopped many years ago.
So, what Mongolia can give to you? What to see in Mongolia? It offers a great chance to experience (probably) the last true Nomadic people that still live on our planet. Mongolia gives all travelers a very rare opportunity to hide from all world and from the all-encompassing civilization.
How to prepare and backpack for the trip to Mongolia
This is not a news that Mongolia is not a very rich country, where electricity and roads are an unneeded luxury. This is why, to be 100% happy while our adventure, we need to prepare ourselves a bit. And that's good because a trip preparation for me is almost the same excitement as the travel itself. So, what to take with us and what to pack into our backpack? Let's find out!
First things first: the food
When you are going to the 3 million people country that is bigger than 1/3 of Europe, you must know that you won't find a supermarket or a petrol station on every corner and every 20 kilometers of the road. This is why the first thing we should pack to our backpack to Mongolia is the food. What food? That, of course, depends on what you like, just make sure to take food that won't get rotten. Of course, you can also buy food after landing in Ulan Bator or other cities, but if you are fussy, you may not find a food that you like.
Another thing is a water, but this can be bought in Mongolia. Oh, and don't forget to take a coffee or a tea bags, if you like it. Trust me, you may need it.
Hygienics
This part is also the same important as the food and water. Make sure to take with you (or buy in the city shop) a toilet paper, soap, hand gel and a towel. The first aid kit can also be a good thing to take. While traveling Mongolia, you will probably need all of this a lot.
Other things to take into your backpack
What else? A can opener! Don't forget that or you will stay with the food you actually cannot eat :-) A flashlight may be also useful and a few pack of batteries, as you will not have an access to the normal electricity. And don't forget about a camera - Mongolia is the great place for taking photographs.
Take one anty-rain coat, a good boots for long-distance walkings and some good and comfortable clothes. It's also a good idea to have a GPS or at least to download a Mongolia territory map in Google Maps on your mobile, so you will be able to find where you are (or a map, if GPS is not an option). And if you have, take a spare mobile battery. Mongolia is also a great place for riding a bike, so you may consider this kind of transport.
So, now we are ready to start our Mongolian trip and our nomadic adventure. What to see and where to go during our trip through the Mongolia Steps and their Nomadic villages?
Ulan Bator (Ulaanbaatar)
This may shock some of you, but Ulaanbaatar is actually the coldest capital city in the World. The temperatures here during the winter can get even below -40°C! That's a thing and that's why I don't recommend to get here during that time. Hell no! But let's get back to the city itself and why we should get here in the first place. Well... We don't have to.
Ulaanbaatar is the city that has not too many real tourist attractions and visiting it for one full day is, in my opinion, totally enough. During this hours we can see a few intriguing markets, visit museums (for example the Central Museum of Mongolian Dinosaurs), temples (the Choijin Lama Temple was awesome!) or see some Mongolian palaces, like the Winter Palace of the Bogd Khan. When you will run out of interesting markets, museums, temples, and palaces you will know that it's time to go and meet the real adventure which Mongolia can provide to you.
Gobi Desert
The Gobi Desert is so huge that if you want to travel here, you will need at least a few days to see its beauty. But trust me, all that sand dunes, gorges, cliffs, and caves are worth it. If you want (and I recommend you to want it), you can sleep in the traditional Mongolian yurt with the real nomadic family, which is an awesome experience as you can see their culture and try to live like them.
The big problem and the advantage at one of Gobi Desert are that it's so huge, that if you want to see a lot of famous places, you will need to spend a lot of time driving, as those places are usually about 8 hours drive apart from each other.
Ok so how it will cost as? The prices may vary, but I spend 45 dollars a day for one person with one of the tour operators in Ulan Bator. In included the bus, the driver, 3 meals a day, a camel ride, accommodation in shared Mongolian yurts and a water. That's not a big price for an adventure, isn't it?
Lake Khövsgöl
One of the most beautiful lakes I've ever seen. Known as the Blue Pearl of Mongolia, the Khövsgöl lake holds about 1% of the entire fresh water on Earth, isn't it huge? All that water freezes during the winter so the cars can drive through it, but let's get back to the summer... In summer the whole lake Khovsgol is surrounded by forested peaks and blooming wildflowers, which makes you feel like in magical fairytale and lets you enjoy the pure nature.
If you want to visit the whole lake, the good idea is to make is riding a horse - great attraction and you can really feel like a nomad from the old times. It's also a good idea to take a tent with you and sleep inside - there's nothing better than your own tent, a campfire, and the Mongolian lake.
Naadam Festival
If you are planning your trip to Mongolia, you may consider getting there at a time of Naadam Festival. It's the time of year when everyone in the country gets together to compete in different competitions like horse racing, archery or wrestling. You may think of it as a Christmas, but in Mongolian way.
That time almost every city has it's own small Naadam Festival when its people spend time with their family and friends, so you don't have to be in a huge city like Ulaanbaatar to see the wrestlers and other competitions.
It's a great attraction, an unforgettable experience.and a great way to see how the locals enjoying themselves, and an awesome way to immerse ourselves in the local culture.
Conclusion
I hope you enjoyed this article and now you know where to go and what to see during your trip to Mongolia. For me, it was a travel that I won't forget as it was so much different than anything I did last years - that whole nature around, lack of people, quiet and primitive way of life.
I was able to feel like a real 15th-century nomad while riding a horse in Lake Khövsgöl or a camel in Gobi Desert. I can recommend Mongolia to all real adventures to experience a different way of travel. If you like, feel free to leave me a comment in the section below or to see my other adventures, for example the most interesting places to visit in Kazakhstan.
