Ulaanbaatar (Ulaanbaatar)

Member Name: ashwick

Product:	Ulaanbaatar
Date:	13/10/08 (20 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Very interesting, not a lot of people have been there

Disadvantages: Not that visitor friendly, beware of pickpockets

As we approached Ulaanbaatar, the capital of Mongolia, on the trans-monglian railway, it almost looks like a small city has been plucked from civilisation and dumped in the middle of a vast desert seemingly unconnected to the outside world.

On Arrival:
As the train draws nearer, the first thing you notice, apart from it's isolation, is the abundance of tower blocks surrounding the city centre. For some reason it is quite an unexpected sight, for somewhere so remote and where the climate is so harsh.

Ulaanbaatar train station is not for the faint hearted. It is very busy and hectic, full of locals desperately trying to offer accomodation and excursions. We had arranged our accomodation before we arrived and we met by a friendly local lady who then drove us to our appartment in the city centre.

First Impressions:
I would not describe Ulaanbaatar as a beautiful city, or even a pretty city really. I would say that most people use it as a base from which to explore the surrounding country side, which is extremely beautiful especially if you are a fan of vast lanscapes and views. There are no roads to disrupt the rolling planes, the only signs of man outside the bustle of the city are the occasional shepheard, hearding his yacks and a few Gers (a tradional Mongolian dwelling, which is basically a sturdy felt clad circular tent) dotted around.

Pitfalls:
We had read before arriving in the city that it had a bad reputation for gangs of pick pockects and that you should be very vidulent when you were out and about. When we arrived in our 5 floor appartment, it seems that these warnings were not unfounded as the guest book was full of stories of having things stolen and being pick pocketed! Thankfully we had an uneventful stay in this respect, but you did have the uneasy feeling sometimes, that you were a bit of a target in crowded places, so I think we were just quite lucky!

Things to do and see in the City:
There are a few things to do and see in the city before you head out into the country side. There are two Buddhist Monastery's in the city, Choijin Lama Monastery which was completed in 1908 and turned into a museum in 1942. The second is Gandantegchilen Khiid Monastery which boasts a 26 metre high golden statue of Migjid Janraisig as it's centre piece. We found these a nice relaxing place to look around, away from the city noise. There are also a number of museums to look around too largely dedicated to Mongolian history and culture.

Out and about:
We hired a four wheel drive and driver and had an amazing day out in the country side. We hardly saw another soul all day and spent our time soaking up the most amazing sights and landscapes. Our driver spoke very little English, but it was just enough to get by and he was nice enough to take us to his families Ger for tea and meet his family. Although we couldn't speak to them, they made us feel very welcome and gave us hot tea and bread.

Climate:
We were there in early October and some days when the sun was out we would be walking about in just a thin jumper. However, when the weather turned it got extremely cold and we did have snow for a few days too. I think I read somewhere that Ulaanbaatar is the coldest capital city in the world and has brief warm summers, but very long, very cold winters. I think we were there on the cusp of winter, I'm not sure I'd like to brave it in the middle of winter.

Summary:
If you want and easy, relaxed holiday in the lap of luxuary, this is probably not the place for you! If you want to go somewhere off the beaten track and don't mind roughing it a bit, then it is a very interesting place to go and look around and the natural setting is breathtaking!

Summary: Can be a challanging visit, but the countryside is spectacular