Travel to Mongolia. Travel to Mongolia, only positive impressions! Impressions of Upper Mongolia

The film is beautiful, unusually modern for the 1970s, and confirms my recent guess: Dali, who for some reason is considered the standard surrealist in Russia, is not really a surrealist (he broke with this movement even before the war), but one of the first real postmodernists. To evaluate it according to the criteria of modernism is obviously to miss the mark.
But even the viewer of the twenty-first century Dali manages to hook him. The viewer of our generation is ready, after 20 minutes of viewing, with joy (“wow!”) to recognize the mockumentary genre, which is well known to him - but in the finale, Dali (100% natural) with disarming frankness reports: I fooled you, all these hallucinatory images are just moss on the walls ancient castle and cracks in the paint layer in Vermeer's paintings. And it turns out that this is not a mockumentary, but simply an essay about art and the limits of knowledge. However, already at the moment when, somewhere in the middle of the film, Dali declares that his work is entirely inspired by narcotic mushrooms from Upper Mongolia, this is such obvious trash that the viewer should have guessed what was what. Dali cheerfully anticipates the judgments of ordinary people (they say, “What did this Dali smoke to draw such a thing?”) - this is a trick of the same kind as the “psychoanalytical” commentary at the end of “The Black Prince” by Iris Murdoch, a parody designed to knock down the arrogance of a thoughtful reader / the viewer, imagining that he already understood everything.
The cultural density of the film is on the verge of a neutron star. Mythical Upper Mongolia is an evil parody of Roerich’s Shambhala (and how boring and pale Roerich is against this background!), but also of medieval European dreams of the Kingdom of Prester John (the corrosion on the fountain pen that Dali allegedly peed on is a reference to what was mentioned in the “Letter” Prester John" to a crocodile who burns trees with his urine), and to the current craze for psychedelics in the 70s. The shot where Dali paints a portrait of himself painting a portrait of Gala, who in turn is reflected in the mirror - of course, is not just a commentary on his own painting, but also a quote from “Las Meninas” by Velazquez, one of Dali’s favorite artists. And much more.
However, this density leads to gloomy thoughts about the fate of the erudite in the 20th century. XX century - the age is anti-cultural in its sentiments. Some wanted to throw off the burden of culture in order to accelerate the pace of progress, others - for the sake of a return to nature and naturalness, and still others - “because you can’t write poetry after Auschwitz.” What should someone do who doesn’t want to throw this baggage off their shoulders? Yes, and he wants to, but he won’t be able to, because for him it’s not a burden, but scuba gear with oxygen? So it turns out that the only way out for him is to become a postmodernist.
In this respect, Dali is akin to Tolkien and Umberto Eco. All three are people of colossal elitist scholarship, alien to their era, which turned out to be unnecessary and suspicious for the intelligentsia in the 20th century, and all three found a lively response in popular culture. But Tolkien played this scenario as a tragedy, Eco played it as an existentialist drama of the absurd, and Dali played it as a comedy. And, apparently, he enjoyed it.

Good afternoon. I live in Khakassia, 600 km to the border with Mongolia, 720 km to the nearest city. Therefore, we are on May holidays literally rushed for a week. We got there without any problems. The Khandagaity checkpoint is a mega-respect, everything is cultured and polite. They planned to go to the city of Ulangom - 28 thousand population.
Hotel 1500 nights - room for three! The food is inexpensive and there are many unfamiliar dishes. We don’t have a lot of sea buckthorn juice, also a new product. The meat is all tough, but cheap, it’s better to buy Buuzy in tsai shops, by the way, you quickly get used to Tsai, especially in cafes where they make him look normal. We were on Lake Khyargys Nuur, and on Ubr-Nuur, huge lakes, on the shores of the safari - a lot of unafraid game, a lot of yaks, geese, herons, etc. There was a Russian-speaking guide, but it’s better to know the basics in English and have a Russian-Mongolian phrasebook. We walked around the city at night, it was very safe, everyone said hello, invited us to visit, a lot of smiles. In general, it was a very positive ride; if you have any questions, I will answer with pleasure.

Once upon a time there was a small military unit of the Soviet group of troops stationed in Ulangoma. The part was small, since the direction was not “tank dangerous”. I will say that in that area the officers’ service was like at a resort: hunting, fishing. Army control is far away - by the time they arrive they can restore order several times. And it is truly a pleasure to relax there. Of course, in more than 20 years, when Soviet specialists left the MPR, many people forgot the language. But at one time, even in such small settlements, up to 50% of the population spoke Russian. Even if there is no guide, you can always find local resident, who will be happy to tell and show you protected places. Well, a representative office of the Republic of Tyva was opened in Ulangom. Therefore, even if problems arise, it can all be solved through them. For lovers of outdoor recreation, this is a wonderful place. :hlopet:

In 2007, we also traveled from Khakassia to Mongolia. Although the relationship (on state level) there were none, but the Mongols remember very well the kindness and help of the USSR for the formation of their state. We also passed through Ulang and also visited the lakes. They ate geese, herons, yak meat and horse meat. By the way, the majority of residents (middle-aged) speak Russian tolerably, and understand it in general, 100 percent. I remember their attitude towards the USSR, and towards us (former Soviets) - warm, welcoming, almost family. They didn’t talk about Russia at all then, but called our country in the old way - the Soviet Union.
We did not see any poverty, or even less destitution. This is a normal way of life for the Mongolian people. If the family is settled, then they live in a house or apartment like ordinary rural people in any country. If the family is nomadic, has its own livestock, pasture plots, then the lifestyle is correspondingly nomadic. Hence, national housing, clothing, food... Therefore, you should not be afraid to go to Mongolia on a safari. You just need to decide for what purpose and where you can go in Mongolia, to the steppe, or to a city-village?

— The idea of ​​going to Mongolia arose after our very picky friends visited there. Usually they stay in hotels of at least 4 stars, but suddenly Mongolia! We lived in yurts, have been to Khubsugol three times already, and always talk about our travels with delight. At the same time, there was still a visa - three thousand rubles. I was incredibly sorry to pay 12,000 for my family, and this year visas were canceled, and we decided to celebrate my birthday in Mongolia, because a holiday in Thailand, beloved by many, has become very expensive.

As it turns out, there is very, very little information about travel to Mongolia. Where to stay? What to see? What are the nuances when crossing the border? I literally collected information drop by drop. I thought the most important thing was placement. That's what I did first. The choice is very, very limited. The most famous are the “Earth’s End” base and “ Silver Coast" Both are nearby. “The End of the Earth” attracted us due to the presence of comfortable rooms, which we still did not use. But the free-standing, well-appointed toilets, washbasins and showers were used to their fullest. We didn’t book the base through well-known sites only because they simply don’t have any offers for Khubsugol. By the way, the weather in this place It’s also not so easy to find out on the Internet. The phone app cannot find the lake or the village of Khan Ha, but claims that Khan Ha is a city in the Chai Nat province of Thailand.

So, a large group of us is gathering - 9 adults and 6 children, the youngest is not even a year old. We are planning to travel in 4 cars. For a married couple of two people, I book a 3-person yurt (800 rubles per person per night). Two families of 2 adults and 2 children each in a 4-bed yurt (700 rubles per person). However, payment is only for adults. Children under 7 years old are free. My fourth yurt is for a group of 3 adults and 2 children.

So, at the beginning of May everything is booked. By the end of the month, 20% of the declared amount was paid. The rest is at the base. We leave on July 2nd and return on the 6th. What to take? What to buy? What kind of products? I'm reading customs regulations: Raw meat is prohibited from being imported, and only lamb and yak meat can be purchased locally. But we are somehow more accustomed to pork in kebabs. Next, you can carry 1 liter of strong and up to 5 liters of weak drinks. I recommend taking vegetables and fruits, they are not there at all. Looking ahead, I’ll say that the kitchen tent, camping chairs and tables were also very useful; in general, you need to be equipped like you would for Lake Baikal - you can’t go wrong!

We set off on our journey at 7 am. The first car went far ahead due to unforeseen circumstances. We correspond via SMS messages and applications, we learn that at a checkpoint near the village of Shaluty, where they collect money for travel to Arshan, friends were asked for international passports. To make sure that they are really going to Mongolia, and not to Arshan. They also asked us for our passports, but they didn’t look.

Now some numbers. The distance from Irkutsk to Lake Khubsugul is about 330 kilometers. You need to go to the village of Mondy, the road is asphalted. From the village to the border it is approximately 10 kilometers. It is necessary to fully refuel the car in Kultuk and refuel in Kyren. In Mondy, refueling is not guaranteed. That's what they write. But we refueled there, in Monds. On Khubsugol you can only refuel in the village of Khankh, but only with diesel fuel and A-80 gasoline. From the border to Khankh there are 22 kilometers of gravel road.

In Mondy, at the checkpoint they take away passports for about 10 minutes. There, at the border, we met a huge horde of spiders, so it’s necessary to take sprays. Columns of cars are passed one by one. First on one side of the border, then on the other. Our travel time was 2-2.5 hours. Drivers fill out declarations if they are carrying something heavy, more than 50 kilograms. My husband paid a fee of 70 rubles - all drivers pay it. Passengers fill out a declaration; if they are carrying something that needs to be declared, they will tell you about it at the border.

At the Mongolian border they filled out a registration sheet. The driver additionally fills out a sheet, which is marked by customs and border guards. They will tell and show you everything. The border checkpoint is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., seven days a week.

Here we are in Mongolia, we are driving away from the border, and there is some kind of checkpoint with a barrier. People in uniform collect 100 rubles per adult for visiting the national park. If you don't show your receipt on the way back, you'll have to pay again. Another important point is registration. When entering or leaving, you need to register with the village administration for 170 rubles per person.

When exchanging opinions with other travelers to Khubsugul, it turns out that someone paid for the children too. Someone paid not 170, but 300 rubles. In general, there is no clarity on this issue.

There is a gravel road from the border, closer to the village we see signs with the name of our base and now we are already in front of the gate. We spend some time looking for an administrator and go to get acquainted with the placement. And then it turns out that everything is in order with three yurts, and the fourth yurt is some kind of Khan’s yurt. Let's go have a look. This is the most extreme yurt, secluded, with its own territory. It has a huge double bed, a folding sofa, a table with chairs, a wardrobe with hangers, two bedside tables, two chests of drawers, a stove, and a heater. There are 4 sockets in the yurt. Regular yurts also have a stove and a heater. Nobody warned us about this yurt, but it costs 4,000 rubles per day - we somehow didn’t expect that kind of money. But during the payment process they tell us that it’s 4,000 rubles for two adults, and you’ll pay an additional 1,500 per day for the third, and in the end they agreed on 4,000 for the yurt.

On the second day of our stay, we went to explore the surrounding area, with relatives acting as guides, who were not in Mongolia for the first time. So, we leave the base in three cars. We are driving along some incredible road, all covered in stones. The only worse road is to Khoboy on Olkhon.

We are approaching the coast of Khubsugul. Lonely tent. If you want solitude, a break from everyone, then you should definitely go to Khubsugul. No one around! Not a single soul. Simply ringing silence! And we are going for grayling, which you can catch with your hands while standing in the river! At least that’s how our relatives caught it last year! We go with anticipation, we arrive, and the river is half dry, and there’s not even a smell of grayling there. We went to another lake, but there were no fish there either. We did not despair and had a picnic.

On the way back we stop at Khankh. He's just on the way to our base. In one cafe they tell us that only khushurs are available. I am surprised to learn that in Mongolia, khushurs are chebureks. Let's move on. The other cafe has a richer selection. We stop. We order poses for 30 rubles and try for the first time National dish— tsuiwan (150 rubles). These are noodles, potatoes and meat. We ordered a medium portion, but it was too big for one person.

Getting to know local cuisine continued the next day. On my holiday I wanted to surprise the guests with something, and the administrator of the base suggested horhog. Lamb is used to prepare it. The meat on the bone is cut into pieces. Ten to twenty smooth stones the size of a fist are placed in the fire. Meat and hot stones are placed in a metal vessel, which is often a milk can, and salt and spices are added. Often prepared with vegetables (carrots, cabbage, potatoes). Next, the required amount of water is added, the vessel is closed with a lid and placed on fire. Extinguishing occurs with heat from fire and hot stones. The dish takes half an hour to prepare. The contents of the vessel are divided into portions, and hot stones are given to the guests. During cooking, they absorb fat and become black and slippery. Khorkhog is usually eaten with hands.

We also tried a local delicacy - fried lamb liver wrapped in lard. It's very greasy for my taste! As for the horhog, I got a hard piece of meat, and my friends got soft ones. Overall, I didn't like this dish at all. By the way, during the cooking process, our khorhog was taken away with the words “it will be faster on the stove.” Somehow inauthentic. According to the rules, everything must be done at the stake and with stones. I am completely disappointed with this dish. Cooking a whole lamb costs 8,000 rubles, half - 4,000, and a quarter - 2,000. We ordered the latter, and there was more than enough for everyone.

Of course, we also tried Mongolian tea. And this is how it is prepared: boil water in a cast-iron cauldron, throw in tiled green tea, add milk, boil again until fully cooked, then add salt, butter, toasted flour, lightly fried lamb tail fat, and sheep bone marrow. Tea with such ingredients often serves as the only food for nomadic pastoralists for many days. A thin layer of fat floats on the surface of this tea. Drink it without sugar. As they say, it’s better to try once, although for people with weak stomachs such “tea drinking” may be fraught with not very pleasant consequences. To be honest, this tea is more like soup.

The fourth day in Mongolia was devoted to trips around the surrounding area. So we saw that manure was dried - they used it to heat the stoves in the yurt, but ours used firewood. We are driving without a guide, at random, and then we stop at a very interesting place, by the way, similar to Olkhon. Obo is a sacred Mongolian place. The shamanic sanctuary of Arvan-Gurvan-obo, literally translated into Russian as “13 obo,” is located on the protruding rocky Khanginsky cape. This place was consecrated in 2005, at the same time 13 new stones were built from large white boulders, which were brought on several trucks, and the whole village carried stones and built the sanctuary. Shamanic rituals are still practiced at this place, fresh fire pits and skulls of sacrificial animals can be seen next to the central observatory.

Later we walked along the rocks above the shore - the view was like the Maldives. I’m also just sure that when you’re abroad, you don’t think about how your phone calls the place where you’re staying. And this is funny. For example, we are on Khubsugul, but the phone thinks differently. A similar situation occurred on Phi Phi Island in Thailand.

This concludes my story about Mongolia. She is truly both distant and close. The country is located a little more than 300 kilometers from Irkutsk. But she is so far from us! By development, by customs, by standard of living. Although they say that in Ulaanbaatar everything is completely different. I'll probably want to check this out someday. Do I want to go back? More likely no than yes. At least not in the near future for sure. Do I recommend visiting Mongolia? Definitely yes! To form your own opinion about this country.

On this page I will try to touch upon the problems that a person planning to travel to Mongolia may encounter (http://tomgem-planeta.ru/?page_id=155).

TOMGEM PLUS VIDEO. Western Mongolia. Khashaki-Daba pass 2561m

VISA. We received a visa at the Mongolian consulate in Yekaterinburg. And this is not an easy task; getting a visa to Germany is easier. Theoretically, this process takes two to three days, but in reality the person who does this is not there for weeks. To obtain a visa you need an invitation from the Mongolian side. We received the invitation here www.legendtour.ru/rus. It cost 800 rubles per person.

TOMGEM PLUS VIDEO. Western Mongolia. Mount Tsast-Ula 4208 m

CUSTOMS. We went through customs in Altai, in Tashanta. MONGOLIAN customs works from nine in the morning to five o'clock in the afternoon always, except Saturday, Sunday, holidays (Mongolian holidays), as well as several non-holidays. holidays. Lunch is from one to two, which, according to Mongolian arithmetic, is one and a half to two hours.

TOMGEM PLUS VIDEO. Mongolia. South Gobi. Sands near the village. Bogd.

An INTERNATIONAL driver's license is required to enter with your own car. They were of no use to us. In general, the transit time depends on the case. When entering Mongolia, the Russians processed us in ten minutes, but the Mongols tormented us for an hour, not counting the two-hour lunch. On the way back, the Mongols processed us in fifteen minutes, but on the Russian side we stood for about three hours - there was a long queue, the procedure itself took about fifteen minutes.

TOMGEM PLUS VIDEO. Mongolia. South Gobi. Lonely saxaul.

RELATIONS WITH LOCAL. We asked this question to the truck driver at customs. He told us in detail about fuel, roads and fords. And after the question about the attitude of the Mongols towards tourists, I froze... As it turned out, there was a reason. Most locals are of the “we’ve come here in large numbers” type of tourists, that is, at best, not at all. Therefore, if anything happens, do not hope that the locals will pull you out of the sands and swamps. Mongols, with very rare exceptions, do not speak Russian or English, except at gas stations. However, if the Mongols get lost in their Mongolia and ask for directions, they remember Russian, English, and even sign language.

TOMGEM PLUS VIDEO. Mongolia. South Gobi. Weathering caves in granites.

We began to be perceived as tourists in Bayankhongor, and further east. But you can just feel crime, especially in northwestern cities. Archi, local vodka, everyone drinks a lot, drunk driving is the norm.

TOMGEM PLUS VIDEO. Mongolia. South Gobi. Stone partridge.

ROADS. Much has been written about the roads of Mongolia, but it is simply impossible to describe them completely. Imagine that a piece of the Moscow-St. Petersburg highway, a couple of kilometers long, is being repaired. And there is a detour along a dirt road, with all the potholes, dust and other delights. These are the best sections of the Mongolian federal road. But the worst is the “washboard.” Its maximum manifestation is for 130 km in front of the city of Altai. The ripples on the road are gigantic. With a half-wave length of 40 centimeters, its amplitude reaches 20 centimeters. Cars just fall apart. Reducing your tire pressure as much as possible will help.

TOMGEM PLUS VIDEO. Mongolia. South Gobi. Sands of the Datsyn-Tsav tract.

New roads are being built in Mongolia, but... all at once. And you can often see a picture - on a hundred-kilometer section of a well-filled road, one single grader is busy leveling it, sometimes helped by one roller. So this is not a quick thing. But nevertheless, separate sections of asphalt, 20 to 60 kilometers long, already exist.

TOMGEM PLUS VIDEO. Mongolia. South Gobi. Jeyran.

And further. If you book a tour with a rented car, don’t settle for UAZs. Not only that, most likely you won’t get there. In forty-degree heat, you will breathe not air, but dust, and regularly deform the top of the car with your head. http://tomgem-planeta.ru/?page_id=155

FUEL. I will talk about diesel. It is available in almost all localities. We refueled at red PETROVIC gas stations. The cost of fuel is 45-55 rubles. Along federal highways, the quality of fuel is high, certainly better than in Altai along the Chuysky tract. And at a distance from federal highways, diesel is very bad; in the sand, the car boils on it. So in the desert it is better to fill the tank with fuel from stored canisters.

TOMGEM PLUS VIDEO. Mongolia. South Gobi. Datsyn-Tsav tract.

HOTELS. This is a very big problem. If this expensive hotel, from 1200 rubles, then, as the Mongols themselves say, they are “not for sleeping.” The girls scream all night. If this cheap hotel, you will listen to the showdown of drunken Mongols until the morning. We were lucky with housing only twice - the Seoul Hotel for $40 in Bayankhongor and the Khan Uul for $100 in the city of Dalandzadgad. These are real business rooms, better than business in Moscow's Izmailovo.

PRODUCTS. No problem. IN major cities There are plenty of shops with all kinds of products, and the prices are half ours.

TOMGEM PLUS VIDEO. Mongolia. South Gobi. Dunes Khongoryn Els.

PUBLIC CATERING. There are problems. Restaurants will most likely offer inedible local food. It’s easier to eat in cafes in markets. Here you can eat buuzas - sort of mantopelmeni, chebureki, rice with meat. It’s delicious, and 150 rubles was enough for the three of us. It is better not to eat in yurts between cities. Firstly not tasty, secondly expensive. And it will take an hour and a half, since they will most likely start cooking from scratch.

TOMGEM PLUS VIDEO. Mongolia. South Gobi. Dunes Khongoryn Els.

CURRENCY. Along the southern federal road ONLY tugriks are accepted, and at banks ONLY dollars are accepted for exchange. In Northwestern Mongolia you can pay in tugriks, dollars, and rubles.

NAVIGATION. A map and a navigator were used to navigate the area. Map - overview map of Mongolia at a scale of 1:5000000 with schematically marked roads, settlements And mountain ranges. This turned out to be enough. There were maps of provinces with a bunch of roads and a bunch of villages, but in reality these were not villages, but migrating camps, and the Mongolian country roads are generally a mirage. That is, provincial maps are absolutely useless. One thing you can’t do without in Mongolia is a navigator. We had a GARMIN MONTANA-600 with downloaded General Staff maps 1:500000. He did not lead along the roads, but showed the direction. And there were enough roads in the area to follow these directions. In general, they did not fornicate, and even the lost Mongols were pointed with a finger where to go. And further. Mongols rarely imagine what is further than 50 km from their camp, village, or city. So it’s better to rely on your own strength.

CONTINUED HERE.

A country of amazing steppe expanses, where for many kilometers around you may not meet a single living soul, and national traditions, which are as strong as the spirit of the Mongol warrior, are gradually gaining momentum in the tourism market as an exotic destination. While traveling, the main companions of a tourist will certainly be the bright and tireless sun, snow-covered mountain ranges and bundles of colored flags surrounding Buddhist stupas.

Important points

• For a trip to Mongolia Russian tourist no visa required.
• Experienced travelers do not recommend renting a car in the region where Genghis Khan was born. The quality of the roads and the condition of the cars offered leave much to be desired. Besides, in Mongolian steppes You can simply get lost.
• To purchase train or bus tickets for travel within the country, you will need a passport.
• The difference in prices for local airline tickets for Mongolians and foreigners is quite significant.

Choosing wings

Direct flights with Mongolia is carried out from several cities beyond the Urals:

• Aeroflot has scheduled flights on Tuesdays, Fridays and Sundays. A direct flight on Russian wings will take a little over 6 hours, and a ticket will cost approximately $680.
• Mongolian Airlines also accepts passengers several times a week. Their prices start at $800.
• It will be much cheaper to fly by plane Turkish Airlines through . The price is from $550, the journey will take 13 hours, excluding connections.
• The Chinese fly to Ulaanbaatar from Sheremetyevo via. Flight ticket price Air China starts from $650.

You can also travel to Mongolia by train. The Moscow-Ulaanbaatar train departs twice a week from the platform of the Yaroslavl station in the Russian capital and arrives in the Mongolian capital in just over four days. Ticket price – from $90.

Hotel or apartment

The bulk of hotels in Mongolia were inherited by the republic from the times of socialist realities. The room stock of "three rubles" is mostly made up of old Soviet-style hotels, but the "five" hotels are already distinguished by a modern level of service and comfort. The last point is reflected in pricing policy, and a hotel room in the capital with five stars on the facade will cost an average of $150 per night.
If you search, there are also modern 3* hotels in Ulaanbaatar, but the price per day even in such a hotel may shock an inexperienced tourist. A room for two will cost $60-$100. True, for this money the guests receive wireless Internet, fitness center, free airport shuttle and shower amenities. In short, the new three rubles in Ulaanbaatar are quite worthy more stars than they were assigned.
However, standard accommodation options when traveling in Mongolia are only available in the capital and some major cities. Outside of them, the only tourist home is a Mongolian yurt. Yurt campsites are adapted for tourist needs and are equipped with quite civilized amenities. The cost of an overnight stay in a yurt starts from $30 for the most basic comfort.
Mongols also rent out private apartments in the capital, and this accommodation option is quite worthy of consideration. An apartment with three bedrooms, which can comfortably accommodate a group of at least six people, with a kitchen, bathroom and Internet, can easily be booked on specialized sites for $40 per day. Prices for a private room in a shared apartment range around $15 per night.

Transport details

Mongolia has a well-developed network of internal railways, air routes and bus directions. All roads in the country invariably lead to Ulaanbaatar, and therefore most of the transfers take place there.
Buses connect all cities and large towns of Mongolia. On trains, it is customary to divide into reserved seats and compartments, which are familiar to Russian residents, and the cheapest seats are seated. The price of a compartment ticket from Ulaanbaatar to the border town of Zamun-Uud, for example, will be about $20. The cities are separated by 750 km.
Intracity passenger transportation is carried out by buses and minibuses. The fare is minimal, and the means of transportation look absolutely identical to Russian ones.

Nightingales are not fed fables

In short, the food in Mongolia is hearty, the portions are large, and the prices are very reasonable. For example, a three-course lunch for two in a mid-level restaurant will cost $25, for a standard set of “burger plus potatoes and a drink” at McDonald’s you will have to pay $7, and you can have a snack at a roadside cafe with fresh pasties for only $4.
Prices for the most popular dishes in inexpensive canteens in Mongolia look like this: salad - $1, hot meat dish - $2.5, soup - $2, tea - $0.5.

Useful details

• There are up to 260 sunny days in Mongolia a year and the sun in these latitudes is unusually active. Don't forget to put it in your suitcase sunscreen with a high factor.
• Rent an SUV with a local driver for trips through the steppes and other off-road areas – best option independent travel around Mongolia. Traveling under this scenario will cost $70-$80 per day.
• A liter of gasoline costs about a dollar.

Best trip to Mongolia

The sharply continental Mongolian climate means real winter and summer with corresponding temperatures. In July, residents of Ulaanbaatar often see +35°C and above on thermometers, and in the depths of winter the mercury drops to similar levels. The weather offers the most comfortable conditions for walking around the capital in spring and early autumn.
In the Gobi Desert, even despite the intense heat of the day, it can be very cold at night, and therefore the optimal time to travel through this region of Mongolia is the first half of autumn.
One of the most vibrant cultural events in Mongolia is the Naadam festival, which takes place in mid-July. The entire male population of the country takes part in it. The highlight of the program is competitions in typical Mongolian skills: archery, horse racing and wrestling. National eventing winners receive a special cap patch and are respected by their neighbors and colleagues.