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General Facts - Hovsgul - Arkhangai - Tov - Khentii - Bayan Olgii - Zavkhan -  FAQ

FASCINATING DESTINATIONS

 

There are 22 aimags (provinces) in Mongolia.  When travelling overland one tends to pass through several aimags but we focus on working predominately with communities in 6 aimags: Hovsgul / Arkhangai / Tov / Khentii / Bayan Olgii / Zavkhan

 

Hovsgul Aimag: is located in the north west of Mongolia, bordering with Russia. The area is famous for its lake – Lake Hovsgul, 127kms long – and the ecosystems that it generates. The waters are so clear that the locals drink it  straight from the lake. Renowned for its unique flora and fauna, the landscape ranges from broad valleys to  alpine forests and high mountains: with Munkh Saridag Uul (3491m) being the highest. Hatgal is at the  southern end of the lake, and provides an ideal base for trekking, horse riding, and fishing  trips. Renchinlum lies west of the lake across the Khoridol Saridag Nuruu, and is the gateway to the  Darhad Depression and northern Taiga. It supplies the surrounding area with schooling, a hospital and  market place.  Renchinlum is used as a base for our horse treks into the northern Taiga where the Tsaatan live: a unique ethnic group that relies solely on reindeer herding for their economic survival. While in  Renchinlum groups have in the past completed community work at the local school and kindergarten.
It is in Renchinlum that you can find the Saridag Inn. Peter has helped run this guest house for the last 3  years and you can have a hot shower after a long trek, eat Western food with a Mongolian touch or just relax and marvel at the  mountains surrounding the village. See http://www.hovsgol.org/lhumbloop.jpg for a basic overview of the area.
The aimag capital, Murun, lies 2.30hrs drive from Hatgal, south of the lake, and has an airport with a sealed runaway, hotels and  a big market.

Arkhangai Aimag: is sometimes referred to as Mongolia’s Switzerland. It is certainly not short of its own stunning scenery: alpine meadows, grassy valleys, a magnificent fresh water lake, rivers and the mountains of the Khangai Nuruu. Terkhiin Tsagaan Nuur (the Great White Lake) is in the north west of the aimag. The Lake was formed through the flowing lava of an erupting volcano millions of years ago. It is surrounded by many extinct and craterous volcanoes and makes the perfect swimming site, fishing location or horse trekking area. Tsetserleg, the aimag capital, is a day’s drive from Ulaanbaatar and the area is a good base for horse riding, hiking, or mountain trekking. Terkhiin Tsagaan Nuur is just a day’s drive from Tsetserleg.  Two hours north of Tsetserleg is Khan Ondor Brigade. We use the Brigade as a base for our horse treks and hiking expedition up to Khukh Nuur (the Blue Lake) and through the Khangai Nuruu.
Although not in Arkhangai Aimag, Kharkhorin, the site of Chinggis Khan’s ancient capital city, and Mongolia’s largest  monastery is on the road to Tsetserleg and a ‘must’ stop on the way. Another 'must' on the way is Toviin Khiid monastery south  of Kharkhorin.


Tov Aimag: is the central aimag surrounding the municipality of Ulaanbaatar. Just an hour to the east of Ulaanbaatar lies the Gorkhi-Terelj National Park and Khan Khentii Strictly Protected Area (SPA). The park is easily accessible from UB, yet once there, your perception of being close to a city soon disappears. The park can provide a setting for hiking expeditions from 150km upwards over 6 days or more. The altitude of the area ranges from 1600m to 2800m - UB is at 1450m. The area offers endless rivers; lakes to visit; valleys to meander through; yak trails to follow; unique flora and fauna to learn about; amazing rock outcrops to photograph; and a hidden ancient temple to discover.


Khentii Aimag: is believed to be both the birthplace and burial ground for the great Chinghis Khan.  The aimag boasts a bumper 43 historical sites of interest but has as much to offer with its natural  beauty as its historical sites. The aimag – Khentii – is named after the mountain range which lies in  the north west of the aimag and makes up the eastern part of the Khan Khentii Specially  Protected Area which was mentioned in the Tov aimag section. The area has an abundance of  rivers with the most prominent being the Kherlen, Balj and the Onon rivers which meander through  the aimag, and are known for their fishing, as well as their historical Chinghis Khan connections. This  aimag, and predominately the soums (districts within the aimag) of Dadal, Binder and  Batshireet, is the land of the ethnic group of the Buryat, originally from Siberia. Their way of life is slightly different to the  Khalkh ethnic group which accounts for the majority of Mongolians. The most obvious difference is their log house dwellings, as  opposed to gers – the traditional felt tent of the nomadic Mongolians. Ondorkhann, the aimag capital is a day’s drive from  Ulaanbaatar.

Bayan Olgii Aimag: is located in the far west of Mongolia, bordering with both Russia and China. The aimag has a  predominately Kazakh community that dates back to mass migration from Kazakhstan to western Mongolia at the end of the 19th century. This outside influence has affected many aspects of aimag life, from language (Kazakh is predominately spoken) to religion (Muslim), and styles of clothing to hunting. The Kazakh Mongols of Bayan Olgii are famous throughout the world for their skill in training eagles to hunt – which they have, in turn, made into an art form.  This aimag’s physical diversity ranges from Steppe desert to glacial mountains boasting such wildlife as ibex, mountain cat, wolf, and eagle and not forgetting the most famous of all – the snow leopard. The aimag also boasts Mongolia’s highest mountain: Huiten Uul (the Cold  Mountain) at 4374m, as well as Nairamdal (Friendship Peak) at 4275m, whose summit boasts borders on all 3 neighbouring  countries: Mongolia, China and Russia. These two mountains are part of the Tavan Bogd range. The area is dominated by a  series of glaciers, the main one being the Potanin Glacier. The glacier has to be navigated to reach both Huiten and Nairamdal. The Tavan Bogd range is a day’s drive from Olgii – the aimag capital. Check out some early adventures in the Tavan Bogd area  on: www.zwoje.com/zwoje28/text20.htm

Zavkhan Aimag: is another of the 4 western aimags. The western half of the aimag is dramatic desert and salt plains, and the  east is spectacular forests, lakes and mountains. Here you can find the western edge of the   Khangai Nuruu - Mongolia’s second highest mountain range - which continues into Arkhangai  Aimag. Otgon Tenger Strictly Protected Area lies within the range and hosts Otgon Tenger Uul    standing at 3905m. Uliastai (1760m) the aimag capital, is regarded as one of the most remote  capitals and can be found on the edge of the protected area surrounded by mountains. Uliastai is a  3-day drive from Ulaanbaatar, but can also be reached by a 2 hour domestic flight.


 

General facts: Mongolia is an independent landlocked country situated between Russia and China and covers an area of  1,566,500 sq km – that’s 12 times bigger than the UK. The capital city is Ulaanbaatar (1450m) and nearly half of Mongolia’s 2.6  million population lives there. That leaves the rest of the country fairly sparsely populated. The country is made up of 22  provinces, which are known as aimags. Each aimag has a capital, which acts as the main administrative centre for that area.

Language: Mongolian is the national language. Russian is widely known, and Kazakh is spoken in the western aimag of Bayan  Olgii. English, French, German, Japanese and Korean speakers can be found in Ulaanbaatar but as soon as you head out of  town, Mongolian and Russian tend to be the 2 most known languages. Mongolia uses the Cyrillic alphabet for business, but also has a traditional script.

Weather: Being landlocked and so far from any influencing seas, Mongolia experiences an extreme continental climate. Temperatures can range from 30C in the summer to –50C in the winter. Expect some rain showers mid July to mid August. And  if you are heading to the mountain areas of the North, don’t be too surprised if a sudden cold blast comes down from Siberia  bringing snow on the peaks and high passes in August.
For daily readings on Ulaanbaatar and aimag capitals check out CNN’s weather forecast, or the BBC’s weather page at   www.weather.cnn.com and www.bbc.co.uk/weather

Currency: Mongolia’s official currency is called the Tugrig and is written as T or Tg. US $ are accepted in some places in UB  too, mainly airlines and hotels. You can easily change British Pounds and Euros at official Exchange Offices around the city, as well as cash traveller’s cheques at certain banks. Once in the countryside though, you can almost be guaranteed that only Tg  will be accepted.
 

How do we get to Mongolia?
Fly via Berlin, Moscow, Beijing, Seoul, or Tokyo - see Links and Resources for airline web sites
By train from Beijing or Moscow - see Links and Resources for rail information

Who needs a visa? How much is it? Where do we get one?
Some nationals don't require a visa for a less than a 14 day visit - check with the Mongolian Consular Information web site to see what applies to your nationality and the fees attached to your application: www.extmin.mn/consulInfo.htm.  For your nearest  Embassy and local application procedures see www.extmin.mn/missionsabroad.htm

Safety & Security?
Mongolia is a safe destination to travel to and within. It has a stable democratically elected government and peaceful Buddhist  religion.

Medical Requirements?
Travellers to Mongolia do not require any special vaccinations. Check out the World Health Organisaton's web site for the latest  information - www.who.int/en