TRAVEL BUDDIES

About Mongolian visa

2012-02-16T20:20:00.000-08:00

List of countries and regions with non-visa
Regime for all types of passport holders
1. USA-no visa for all type of passport holders, including A, H, J visas within 90 days.
2. Hong Kong-14 days for all the type of passports. There is no visa fee for diplomatic and official passports. Ordinary passport holders pay visa fee if they travel for more than 14 days.
3. Isreal- 30 days for all type of passports
4. Kazakhstan- 90 days for all type of passports
5. Malaysia- 1 month for all type of passports
6. Philippines - 21 days for all type of passports
7. Singapore- 14 days for all type of passports

List of countries with non-visa arrangement for diplomatic and official passport holders
A)
1. Bulgaria - no visa for diplomatic and official passport holders. Ordinary passport holders need visa
2. Czech – no visa for diplomatic and official passport holders within 90 days. Ordinary passport holders need visa
3. Hungary - no visa for diplomatic and official passport holders within 30 days. Ordinary passport holders need visa
4. Mexico - no visa for diplomatic and official passport holders within 90 days. Ordinary passport holders need visa
5. Republic of Korea- no visa for diplomatic and official passport holders within 30 days. Ordinary passport holders need visa
6. Romania –no visa for diplomatic and official passport holders. Ordinary passport holders need visa
7. Russia- no visa for diplomatic and official passports within 90 days, ordinary passport holders need visa
8. Slovakia- no visa for diplomatic and official passport holders within 90 days. Ordinary passport holders need visa
9. Thailand- no visa for diplomatic and official passport holders within 30 days. Ordinary passport holders need visa
10. Turkey- no visa for diplomatic and official passport holders within 30 days. Ordinary passport holders need visa
11. Vietnam- no visa for diplomatic and official passport holders within 90 days. Ordinary passport holders need visa and no visa fee
B)
1. China-no visa for all type of passport holders. Private travelers need visa
2. Laos- no visa for diplomatic, official and ordinary passport holders within 90 days. Private travelers need visa
3. DPRK- no visa for diplomatic, official and ordinary passport holders. Private travelers need visa
4. Yugoslavia- no visa within 90 days for diplomatic, official passport holders. Ordinary passport holders with the consulate mark indicating the business purpose
5. Cuba- no visa for diplomatic, official and ordinary passport holders within 30 days. Private travelers need visa
List of countries without visa fee
1.India-All type of passports need a visa, no visa applications, photos and fees required
2.USA-no visa for all type of passport holders, including A, H, J visas within 90 days.
Visit more than 90 days need visa, service charge – $45, no visa fee required

Mongolia has consular conventions with the following countries:
Afghanistan, Bulgaria, China, Cuba, Czech Republic, DPRK, Hungary, Laos, Romania, Russia, United Kingdom, USA, ,Vietnam, Yugoslavia.
Mongolia had treaties on mutual legal assistance with the following countries:
Bulgaria, China, Cuba, Czech, DPRK, France, Germany, Hungary, India, Kazakhstan, Kirgyzstan, Poland, ROK, Romania, Russia, Turkey, Ukraine, Yugoslavia, Vietnam.

For visa support invitation letter please visit at www.travelbuddies.info

Mongolian visa in Astana

2012-02-16T19:52:00.000-08:00

It is possible to get a visa for Mongolia in Astana. The address of the embassy is: AK-Bulak-2, ul. Daraboz 35, 010010 Astana, astana@mfat.gov.mn,http://www.monembassykaz.gov.mn, Tel. 8-7172-965155, 965166, 965151. Opening hours are 9:30 to 12:30 every day exept for Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday.

It is hard to find, ask for AK-Bulak-2, that is the mikrorayon and better known. The only bus is no. 20, it leaves from the theatre opposite of the train station and takes about one hour through the whole town...

Visa costs 25 US Dollar (you can pay in Tenge, too) plus 8 Dollar fee. Express visa within 24 h cost 58 US Dollar.

Good luck,

Dont use the blank from the website, they have other ones in the embassy. Bring 2 fotos (3x4).

visit at our website www.travelbuddies.info

About this blog

2012-02-11T06:51:00.000-08:00

Sain bainu? Hello in Mongolian and thank you for dropping by. I would like to quickly tell you what we are all about. We are a small company that specializes in small group nomadic and cultural adventure tours in Mongolia. Our small group tours are with small number of travelers to ensure your comfort and personal attention from your friendly English speaking tour guides and experienced drivers.

The reason for Travel Buddies tours, is that we put that extra bit in our tours, which you will struggle to find anywhere else. This is to make sure that you experience a totally different way of life is nomadic and nomadic people and its culture through staying with them and participating daily activities they do while

Here in Mongolia, you encounter an awesome landscape that varies from the southern Gobi Desert to beautiful mountains and rivers and lakes, endless steppe plains to the spectacular snow capped Altai Mountains and nomadic culture. So it is our pleasure and our passion to make sure that you enjoy Mongolia to its full with the help of our offered tours. Hope to shake hands with soon. Safe travels. travelling in Mongolia. There is a philosophy that our company and its traveller follow. In return of nomads’ hospitality and accepting us as members of the family, we help them giving our prepared presents. A part of income comes from tourism spend for preparing these presents. Everyone who travels with us is the contributor for the last nomads.

This blog is all about tourism in Mongolia. We always try to post important news about Mongolia and it's people. Please enjoy :)

Also do not forget to visit at our website. www.travelbuddies.info

About nomadic culture of Mongolia

2012-02-11T06:48:00.001-08:00

WILL NOMADIC CULTURE OF MONGOLIA LAST EVER?

About 40 percent of the population continues to live traditional nomadic lifestyle tending more than 40.0 million livestock in Mongolia. Animal husbandry remains a backbone of the national economy, providing 20 percent of the world's cashmere production. The nomads' life changed very little since old days and Mongolia remains the last refuge of the pastoral nomadism, preserving and continuing the traditional cultural heritage of the many nomadic nations that once flourished on the present day territory of Mongolia. The goal of the research paper will find out whether nomadic culture of Mongolia will last ever in rapidly developing country, Mongolia or will be abolished by the development of the country.

Pastoral nomadism is …. It applies in these countries nowadays. Pastoral nomadism existed in Mongolia in …. Mongolians adopted animal husbandry and move for new pastures for the animal at least for time in a year. Nomads live the dwelling like teepee which is made by wood and the wool of animal. Dwelling is easy to transfer and collapse. Usually it takes about an hour to collapse and build. Nomads have 5 kinds of animal including camel, sheep, goat, cow and horse called 5 head animals. Today, there are about 40 million livestock in Mongolia spread through 21 provinces. The central and northern Mongolia takes first three places for its number of animals because of the pasture landscape and formation. Mongolia can be roughly divided into three zones: grassland and shrubland (55% of the country); forests, which only cover parts of the mountain steppe (8%); and desert (36%). Grasslands are used extensively for grazing and despite, the vast expanses, overgrazing is not uncommon. Nomads breed the animals based on the landscape, its climate such as southern Mongolia, Gobi there are many camels and in the central Mongolia there are many yaks. Horse and sheep usually graze everywhere throughout Mongolia. Nomads live far from each other due to the grass area. They supply everything by themselves through producing outcomes from the animal.

Culture itself consists of two main aspects which are abstract and concrete. Concrete culture is the tangible values and stuff which is possible to show and present that culture. In the other hand concrete culture can be transferable to the other nations and can be changed over time. However, abstract culture is intangible which is not possible to show and it is only visible through the action and expression. Nomadic culture of Mongolia presented in the research paper based on the author experience traveling through nomads in Mongolia for last 5 years and the old book written about the nomads’ culture.

Concrete culture of Mongol nomads

Concrete culture of Mongolia can be presented through the nomads belongings and stuff they use to survive. The most common culture is the dwelling which is unique no other nations have. Ger was invented 10,000 years ago and changed today’s shape of Ger in 16^th century. Ger consists of roof, top, uni, wall and felt. Ger can be erected in about an hour and are easily packed up and moved. The circular shape and low roof are well suited to deflect wind and generates good energy. The door always faces south, providing protection against the predominantly northern winds. The felt used to make the ger is traditionally made by the herders themselves, often in late summer, from the wool from their own flocks. The Mongolian Ger plays vital role in shaping both the Mongolian character and family life. The small confines compel families to interact with one another, to share everything and work together, tightening relationships between relatives. It prevents privacy but promotes patience and makes inhibitions fade away. It also creates self-sufficiency; ger dwellers must fetch their own water and fuel, and subsist on the food they themselves produce.

Animals are their tangible value and asset for living as nomads. Maintaining and increasing the number of animal is priority for every nomad. In order to do that, nomads plan pasture management within the region and the province. Moving distance is about 50 kms in grass area and over 140kms in gobi desert area. Every summer nomads leave the particular area for restoring and use that area for next summer.

Dress “deel” is one of the concrete cultures of nomads. Every nomads wear Deel which is traditional clothes. There are two types of Deel which is used for milking the animal and for occasion such as Lunar year and Naadam manly sport. Deel is long straight outfit which has belt, enger and long sleeves that can replace gloves responsibility and belt. Deel has many advantages such as becoming blanket, cover for pee in the steppe, wallet and warm outfit.

It is not possible to imagine nomads without meat and dairy products . Mongolian food is seasonal. In the summer months, when animals provide milk, dairy products become the stable food. Meat takes over in winter, supplemented with flour and potatoes or rice if these are available. There are a few varieties dishes in Mongolian food. Almost any Mongolian dish can be created with meat, rice, flour and potatoes.

Breakfast: Nomads have own baked bread or biscuit with sweet-tasting cream (orom) in breakfast and salty milk tea. Salty milk tea is made by milk, salt and water. People live in the city have bread with jam or butter in breakfast. Number of urban people drinking black tea and coffee is increasing day by day.

Lunch : Lunch for nomads is almost same as breakfast. Mongolian’s daily meal routine is completely different from other countries. We have light food for breakfast and lunch and heavy food for dinner such as a meal contains a lot of meat. However, urban people tend to have lighter food for dinner as possible as.

Dinner: Nomads cook a very few variety of dishes with flour (sometimes rice), meat and vegetables for dinner but delicious. Mainly, they make noodles with flour and cook soup or mix noodles with vegetable and meat. Milky salt tea still serves for dinner. As for urban area, dinner varieties are enriched with many types of vegetable imported from neighbor country and spices. Furthermore, capital has a very modern trend which makes international dishes are available.

Dairy products: Mongolians make many kinds of dairy product with only milk and there are as same as many methods to make those products.

Moreover there are many stuff and belongings to nomads. However, main tangible values of nomads are written here. Wearing deel, having dairy product for lunch, eating bunch of meat, grazing many animals and living in Ger teepee can be applied to everyone and can be changed over the time. For instance, some European like salty Mongolian milk tea and live in the Ger. In the other hand, nomads used horse to control their animal but today they use motorcycle to control the animal. It is the one of example shows tangible culture can be changed over the time.

Abstract culture of Mongol nomads

This part, abstract culture which is psychological value in nomads will be presented through the culture. Nomadic life is one of the tuft and challenging lifestyles nowadays since everyone desires to settle in one place.

There are values of nomadic life are in the following:

· Loving the nature

· Breeding livestock

· Gaining various intelligences

· Caring neighbors

· Keeping nomadic culture from the ancestor

Loving the nature

Nomadic life is moving-oriented, adaptive and tuft life to challenge people. Nomads live very close to the nature, dependent on it and pray for the nature including landscape, sun, blue sky, river, grass, mountain and trees. Nature is their value. For instance if the winter is not harsh this year nomads thank for the nature.

Sun

In Mongolia, every morning especially women sprinkle milk to the sun when it rises. We pray for sun to protect our family and loving ones with white milk which is symbol for goodness. Worshiping sun is one of our nomadic life values.

Landscape

Nomads move 3-4 times in a year. They leave the place very clean and no print when they move. For that reason we believe that polluting the landscape it counts as a sin.

River-water

We always scoop water with clean ladle from the river. According to ancestors teaching, polluting river with milk causes blindness.

Blue Sky

Nomads believe that making noise to the sky stops flooding.

Grass

We prohibit children pulling out grass and breaking branch of the tree. Few years ago, my horse trekking guide shared me that he cried because someone broke growing tree which was sole tree in that area. This is his value of nomadic life.

Breeding live stocks

Mongolian man loves the horse and dreams to buy racing horses. Breeding livestock is most important value for them. Many child herders stress and feel upset when hard winter comes to take away many of nomads live stocks. It shows how they love livestock. Spring in particular is a crucial time for Mongolians. Because country’s rainy season comes towards the end of summer, spring is dry, dusty, windy and unforgiving. This is the time when weaker animals die and, it is said, when people die. Despite the severe temperatures, it is during the winter that Mongolians feel most comfortable. After a difficult summer filled with chores and tending to livestock, winter is a time of relaxation.

Caring neighbors

Mongolian people are helpful. Specially nomads offer food and drink for those who are moving because they think we are nomads too. It is critical that young people forget about this customs. For instance, there were students travelling in the countryside and nomads came to them to offer food. After finish the food one of students asked nomad how much should pay for it. However nomads felt disappointed because of disrespecting the custom. Nomad’s heart for others is one of their values. Especially in Gobi area, nomads leave the door open for those who are in need.

Gaining various intelligences

The intelligence of growing live stocks is one of the values. For that reason nomads learn breeding live stocks, increasing the numbers and overcoming the harsh weather from the childhood. Good herder can be good businessmen. The reason is they know how to increase ten sheep to twenty. This is their intelligence. We prize herders who increased number of lives tocks to the thousand.

Another important value is the intelligence to grow a child. When children get married they live next to the parents as a neighbor. Parents teach riding race horse for boys from age 3 and looping wild horse and training race horse. For girls, they teach making dairy products and milking live stocks as well as riding race horse.

Keeping nomadic culture from the ancestor

Majority of tourists come to Mongolia to experience and learn from nomadic lifestyle. As for guide, we stay with large number of nomadic families throughout the year. My common question toward nomadic families is about whether they have desire for settled life or stay as nomads. Most of nomads answered that this life inherited from our ancestor and we will to keep it. Freedom is one of their precious values. They move wherever they want and live as an independent. Tourists realize that here is freedom during the travel.

These persuasions made Mongolians humble, adaptable, good-humored, uncannily stoic and unfettered by stringent protocol. Nomadic culture mentality is moving oriented, being patient, respecting the culture and history, arrogant,

Abstract culture is fixed and hard to change or earn over time. Even the belongings and things use changed the mentality which exists from the culture still remains. For instance, after democracy many Mongolians immigrated to foreign countries to work and study. Foreigners first observe Mongolians are easily adaptable for new environment and later they find out Mongolians tend to move or change if they don’t like the job or the condition in any time but moving considered as hard thing for other nations.

Today, Mongolia has entered a new stage of its development. Mongolia, over the last decade, is emerging as an investment destination with the mining industry leading the charge. Mongolia's prized Oyu Tolgoi and Tavan Tolgoi deposits are the largest untapped copper and coal deposits in the world. Positive impacts of foreign direct investment /FDI/ /on Mongolian economy have been increasing. Due to the development, the president of Mongolia predicts that the most of Mongolians will have house instead of traditional house Ger and development will take a place in other provinces.

Development leads great advantages and good impact on society and economics but not on culture. One of the negative impacts of development is desire for everyone to settle in the city and abolish the nomadic culture of Mongolia. However I do believe that first half of the 21^st century nomadic culture of Mongolia will not be abolished moreover the abstract nomadic culture still remains. I list a few reasons to support my view:

· As long as the landscape of Mongolia is vast, it is not easy to make city plan in rural area and supply needs from the capital. There are many nomads living in very rural area individually. Settling all nomads in rural area costs a large amount of money and many issue will come out related to the nomads income unless supply workplace for them. Using the vast landscape of Mongolia is not possible within near future.

· Next half of the century or 22st century nomadic culture might be abolished due to the development of Mongolia. However, I do believe that mentality which comes from the nomadic culture will not be abolished and even remains in last ever.

In conclusion restoring the culture is very hard unless there are people left who know and practice it. Moreover, culture makes its identity of the nation and countries. In order to restore own culture teaching and involving young people is very important. I do hope that young people get involved in own cultural event and learn more through visiting nomads and read the book.

Bibliography:

1. Ariyasuren.Ch., “Encyclopedia of the culture and custom of Mongolia”, 2000, Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, Urlakh Erdem publisher

2. Batbold.D , Study of worshiping Ikh Bogd sacred mountain, 2009, Bayankhongor province, Mongolia

Michael Kohn, Lonely Planet, 2008, Lonely Planet Publications Pty Ltd

Train information

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Trans Mongolian Route – is not arguably the most interesting route. The weekly Trans-Mongolian (train #4 eastbound, train #3 westbound) train leaves Moscow for Beijing every Tuesday night. The 7,621 km (4,735 mile) journey takes 6 days. This train crosses Siberia, cuts across Mongolia and the Gobi desert, then enters China and passes through the Great Wall.

Incoming trips to Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia

Russian, Mongolian and Chinese trains come from Moscow /passes through Russian several cities/ to Ulaanbaatar for three times a week, on Sunday, Monday and Tuesday. Mongolian and Chinese trains come from Beijing to Ulaanbaatar for 3 times a week, on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday.

From Beijing

Train No	Departure day & time	Arrival day & time
Chinese train 3	Wednesday, 07:45am	Thursday 1:20pm
Chinese train 23	Tuesday, 07:45am	Wednesday 1:20pm
Additional train 23	Saturday 07:45am	Tuesday 1:20pm

From Moscow

Train No	Departure day & time	Arrival day & time
Chinese train 4	Tuesday, 9:35pm	Sunday, 07:30am
Mongolian train 6	Thursday/Wednesday, 9:35pm	Tuesday/Monday, 07:30am

From Irkutsk

Train No	Departure day & time	Arrival day & time
Mongolian Train 264	Everyday 21:50pm	Everyday 06:20am

Outgoing trips from Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia

To Ulan-Ude

Train No	Departure day & time	Arrival day & time
Mongolian train 263	Everyday 21:10pm	Everyday 5:05pm

To Irkutsk

Train No	Departure day & time	Arrival day & time
Mongolian train 263	Everyday 9:10 pm	07:20 + 2am (36 hours on the way)
Mongolian train 5	Tuesday/Friday 1:50pm	Wednesday/Saturday 09:25am

To Moscow

Train No	Departure day & time	Arrival day & time
Chinese train 3	Thursday, 1:50pm	Monday, 2:28pm
Mongolian train 5	Tuesday/Friday, 1:50pm	Saturday/Tuesday, 2:28pm

To Beijing

Train No	Departure day & time	Arrival day & time
Chinese train 4	Sunday, 07:15am	Monday 2:31pm
Chinese train 24	Thursday 07:15am	Friday, 2:05pm
Additional train	07:15am	Saturday 2:05pm

To Hohhot

Train No	Departure day & time	Arrival day & time
Mongolian train 34/33	Monday/Friday, 8:05pm	Tuesday/Saturday, 8:49pm

For detailed information please visit at www.travelbuddies.info

Embassy information

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Mongolian embassy in China

Mongolian embassy in Beijing location is in (2, Xui Shui Bei Jie, Jian Guo Men Way, Beijing China 100600. This is between the Friendship Store and the US Embassy in the main embassy district of Beijing).

You need an application form, passport picture, copy of passport
If you applying 30 days tourist visa, you do not need an itinerary or invitation letter.
Processing time is 1 day (bring today between 09.00-11.00 and pick up the following day between 16.00-17.00)
After application you need deposit the fee on the bank account of the Mongolian Embassy at the Bank of China. The bank is located close to the Jianguomen Metro Station. Directions are given by the embassy.
Price of visa is 495 RMB (around 72 USD) per person! But it is for urgent visa processing. (2 day). If you apply the visa in normal (5 days), you will pay 270 RMB (40 USD). Same day service is still possible for an additional fee.

Address: Mongolian Embassy 100600 No.2, XiuShui Beijie, Jian Guo Men Wai Bejing, China
Phone: 86-10-65321203, 86-10-65321810
Fax: 86-10-65325045
Email: beijing@mfat.gov.mnThis e-mail address is being protected from spambots.
Web: www.mongolembassychina.org

For visa support invitation letter please contact us at info@travelbuddies.info and visit at www.travelbuddies.info

Best time to visit Mongolia !

2012-02-11T06:45:00.000-08:00

Travelling to Mongolia in July is the best time to visit, weather is sunny, quite hot in Gobi (desert), from mid of July rain comes, also Naadam festival is very interesting and you have a great chance to see that festival during July. Mongolia is not such as crowded place it has wide space even in July which is peak season. Depends on the tour duration you have many opportunities to cover Mongolia's attractions. Recommend you attractions in the followings:

1.Gobi desert /Vulture Valley (Yoiliin am), Khongor sand dune, Bayanzag /Flamming Cliff/,

2.. Khangai /Khuvsgul Lake, White Lake, Tsenkher hot spa/

3. Central Mongolia /Erdenezuu monastery- Kharkhorin ancient capital city, Eight Lake, Tuvkhun temple/

4. Western Mongolia / Khazakh people, eagle hunting, Uvs Lake, Altai Tavan Bogd snow capped mountain/

These are main attractions in Mongolia and try to plan your tour as well because in the countryside food good quality supply is short and tourist camps are located far from each other. But good planning with agency would be enjoyable and lifetime trip.

Plan your travel with us www.travelbuddies.info

Mongolia travel news

2012-02-11T06:34:00.000-08:00

International Official Fair will be hold on December

The biggest official InternationalOfficial Fair for related organizations of tourism industry of Mongolia will behold on December 2^nd-3^rd, 2011 at Misheel expo Centerexhibition hall in Ulaanbaatar. During ITF-2011 there will be ample opportunitiesfor old and new businesses to share business experience and to establish newnetworks with international and domestic travel companies.

20 October, 2011

Only5 percent of total number of tourists travel to Mongolia in winter

Tourism ind\ustry is earned only 200 million tugrug this year. Considering an amount of the

cost taken out of the income from 450,000 tourists, this sector ended the season with incurred

losses. Mongolia tourism and environment ministry state that the reason for losing out is

estimating the income and outcome incorrect. If the method for estimating the balance will be

changed, there is no way incurring losses.
According to the statistics, Mongolia receives around 60 different nationalitiesin the tourist

season. However, only 5 percent of those tourists come to Mongolia in winter. The ministry

oftourism and environment intend to increase the number for the tourists come in winter to at

least 20 % through development into winter tourism. Indeed, the major problem developing the

winter tourism is significantly dependent on the infrastructure which is its infancy in Mongolia.

19, October, 2011

Mongolia top 10 destinations

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1. Altai Tavan Bogd National Park

The rugged beauty of Bayan-Olgii aimag with its pointedmountain points reaching for the sky and vast valleys crisscrossed withmeandering streams has always stood out of the western aimags of Mongolia. Bayan-Olgiiis the home to the second largest ethnic group-the Khazakhs with their uniqueculture who continue to hunt with trained golden eagles besides herding goats.The Altai region is abundant withsignificant archaeological sites dating back to Paleolithic era, evidences ofhuman habitation as far back as 40,000 and 12,000 years ago. The Altai mountainrange stretching for 900km across Russia, Mongolia and China and the TavanBogd National Park have always stood out from any other part of Mongolia. Thehighest mountain peak, the Khuiten Uul at 4374 meters flanked by four otherpeaks along with the Potanin river, the source of a massive glacier, arecommonly known as Tavan Bogd or the Five Saints.

2. Great Bogd Mountain

There are three highmountain ranges in Mongolia called Altayn range, Hangayn range and Khenteynrange. Khenteyn and Hangayn range lie oncentral and northern Mongolia. Altayn range consists of Mongol Altayn range andGovi – Altay sub ranges with 1500 km length. Ikh Bogd Snow capped Mountain isthe highest peak of Govi-Altay sub range and 3900m high above sea level. Peoplefrom Government and locals worshipped the mountain building hill stone on thetop. There is a Salty Lake called Orog in mountainside. Ikh Bogd sacredmountain had broken into gorgeand partiallycollapsed by earthquake in 1957. Thegorge is 100km long. Other notable attractions include Bichigt Khad, aworld-class petro glyphic, whose rock paintings date back to the Bronze age.The nearby Tsagaan Agui (White Cave) is believed to be the place of theearliest human inhabitance in Mongolia, with evidence of human presence datingas far back as 700,000 years ago.

3. Yolin Am

The Yolin am or the Vulture’s mouth established to conservethe regional birdlife became a favorite place to visit for its dramatic andunusual natural landscape shaped by a towering mountain gorge in the middle ofthe Gobi desert with thick ice all year-round. The small Nature Museum at the gate on the main road to Yolyn Am has a collection of dinosaur eggs and bones, stuffed birds and a swon leopard. It also sells the excellent booklet Gobi Gurvan Saikhan National Park, by Bern Steinhauer-Burkhart. There are several souvenir shops and a couple of places to stay.

4. Tsagaan Suvarga

Tsagaan Suvarga is an area of 30-m high white limestoneformations and a beautifulpart of the desert. We will drive to a set of eroded limestone cliffs, fromwhere you have fantastic view over the desert floor down below, which borecolors from white and yellow to pink and deep red.

5. Bayanzag

In 1921, American paleontologist Roy Chapman Andrews fountthe dinosaur eggs and put Mongolia on the map of international adventureseekers and explorers. The origin of ancient seabed, Umnugovi has a treasurepackage of late Crafeceous dinosaurs located in Bayanzag or the Flamming Cliffsthe rocks give off orange and red colors that seem to glow at sunset.

6. Khorgo-Terkh National Park

Surrounded by extinct volcanoes the Terkhiin Tsagaan lake atan altitude of 2060 m covers an area of 61 sq.km. the spectacular geology ofKhorgo Volcano lying east of Terkhiin Tsagaan Lake certainly adds to thepleasure of visiting Arkhangai aimag. Near the crater there are dozens of smallcaverns with stalactites hanging from the ceiling and walls. In the middle ofthe lake there is a volcanic island covered with bird nests made of thefragrant grass Samkhan.

7. Eigth Lake

Naiman Nuur or The Eigth Lakes is another area worthvisiting located 70 km south-west of the Orkhon waterfall. The lakes werecreated by volcanic eruptions and are a part of the 11,500 hectare of KhuisiinNaiman Nuur Natural Reserve.

8. Khuvsgul Lake

Khuvsgul Lake- The Dark Blue Pearl of Mongolia is surroundedby lush green hills, mountains reaching for the sky, and dense alpine forestsof taiga. 96 rivers and streams empty into the lake that was created 2.5-3million years ago by tectonic activities. The majestic clear-watered lakecontains 65 % of all the fresh water of Mongolia and furthermore, 1% of theworld’s fresh water supply. Khuvsgul is the land of the Tsaatan reindeerherdsmen, a branch of the Turkic-speaking Tuvinian or Dukha ethnic group. Thissmall group of 42 families possesses a social and material culture which hasremained unchanged since the Ice Age. Shamanistic or totemic rituals andsymbolism are central to the social organization of the Tsaatan.

9. Kharkhorin-Erdenezuu Monastery

Kharkorin ancient capital of Mongolia was established byChinggis Khan in 1220 in the Orkhon valley. For 140 years Kharkhorin served asthe capital of the united Mongol tribes until it was destroyed by the Chinese troopsin 1391. The remains of the capital that stood at the crossroads of the SilkRoad are extensive underground archaeological assets and two granite turtlesthat once stood at the main gate to the city. Four of these turtle sculpturesused to mark the boundaries of ancient Kharkhorin, acting as protectors of thecity. In 1586, Erdenzuu, the first Buddhist monastery in Mongolia was built onthe ruins of the 13^th century capital. Vast walls of 400m in lengthwith 108 stupas surround the monastery, symbolic of Kharkhorin.

10. Orkhon Valley Heritage

The Orkhon Valley covering an area of 1220 square kilometersis one of the most important cultural regions in the world and was recognizedby the UNESCO World Heritage as a cultural landscape in 2004. The extensive areaencompasses the pastureland on both banks of the Orkhon river and includesnumerous archaeological sites dating back to the 6^th century. TheOrkhon Valley Cultural landscapes includes sites such Khakhorin, the 13^thcentury capital of Chinggis Khan’s Empire. First and foremost it was the centerof the Mongolian Empire; secondly it reflects a particular Mongolian variationof Turkhish power; thirdly the Tuvkhun hermitage monastery was the setting forthe development of a Mongolian form of Buddhism; and fourthly, Khar Balgas reflects the Uighur urban culture in thecapital of the Uighur Empire.