Just think Mongolia and images of wild horses galloping across the mountain steppes immediately spring to mind.
Eight hundred years after Genghis Khan and his Mongol hordes exploded from the east in an orgy of violent conquest, this distant land in the heart of Asia still resonates with echoes from a different time. And even today, outside of the capital, Ulaan Baatar, you will feel as though you are travelling in another century.
If you delight in the emptiness of the unspoiled wilderness and relish the challenge of exploring what for a long period was regarded as the 'end of the earth', Mongolia is the adventure for you. In a country where 30% of the population live in nomadic tribes, sleeping in a circular felt ger - or yurt, as they are known in much of Central Asia - is just one way to experience local life. From the mountains of the north to the Gobi desert in the south, this vast, stunning country is awash with dramatic mountain scenery, spectacular deserts, a fascinating and ancient culture, and a warm and welcoming population.
Wild Frontiers has unrivalled expertise at offering group tours, horse riding holidays and tailor-made holidays throughout Mongolia.
Hark back to boy scouts or girl guides and fine tune your fire skills - you will need them for the nights in gers.
Keep a torch close by at nights; it is very dark when there is no electricity.
A member of the team will be in touch shortly.
• Make sure you pick up some cashmere for souvenirs - it is top quality and supplies are running low
• Learn to drink your tea "salty" like the nomads
• Be prepared for all weathers - the sky is huge and changeable
• Hark back to boy scouts or girl guides and fine tune your fire skills - you will need them for the nights in gers
• Keep a torch close by at nights; it is very dark when there is no electricity
The Silk Road: A Very Short Introduction, by James A. Millward This book provides a concise, factual overview of the Silk Road’s history & ideas, ideal if your time to swat up is short! The main focus of the book is to outline the dynamics of Central Eurasian history that promoted Silk Road interactions, especially the role of nomad empires & to highlight the importance of the biological, technological, artistic, intellectual & religious interchanges across the continent.
Foreign Devils on the Silk Road, by Peter Hopkirk Peter Hopkirk tells the story of the intrepid men who led long-range archaeological raids to discover the buried treasures of the ancient Silk Road long after its decline, incurring the undying wrath of the Chinese.
The Silk Road: Ten Thousand Miles Through Central Asia, Sven Hedin This is the story of the original Silk Road explorer & photographer, Sven Hedin, who made the journey on behalf of the Chinese to create a road linking China with the province of Xinjiang.
The Mongols, David Morgan This revised edition of David Morgan’s classic work is an excellent starting point to learn about the Mongol empire & its nomadic people.
Silk Road: Monks, Warriors & Merchants, Luce Boulnois This is a beautifully put together history of the silk route, including excellent photographs & travel advice.
The Mongol Empire, Genghis Khan, His Heirs & the Making of Modern China, John Man Historian John Man paints a vivid picture of the Mongol Empire from young Genghis Khan to the vision of his grandson Kubla Khan in the 13th century. It is also worth looking out for his biographies of Kublai Khan & Attila the Hun.
Shadow of the Silk Road, by Colin Thubron An entertaining account of the author’s journey along the first great trade route out of the heart of China into the mountains of Central Asia, across northern Afghanistan & the plains of Iran, into Kurdish Turkey.
Silk Dreams, Troubled Road, Jonny Bealby Our very own Jonny Bealby’s gripping account of Love & War on the Old Silk Road: On Horseback through Central Asia. Told with great skill & disarming honesty.
Mongolia: Travels in the Untamed Land, Jasper Becker Jasper Becker was one of the first Westerners to enter Mongolia at the end of Communist rule. This is his account of travelling along the course of the Yellow River, listening to the stories of the people he meets along the way. "Jasper Becker's book is particularly valuable because it gives sketches not only of Mongolia proper but of the neighbouring Russian autonomous republics of Buryatia and Tuva. He successfully bridges the gap between travel, reportage & history." The Times.
In Xanadu: A Quest, William Dalrymple William Dalrymple’s first book describes his epic journey from Jerusalem to Xanadu in Outer Mongolia & established him as one of our most entertaining & gifted travel writers.
Men and Gods in Mongolia, Henning Haslund Reissued earlier this year having been unavailable for some time, this is Haslund’s classic work, in which he describes his exploration of Mongolia in the 1920s and 30s.
In Search of Genghis Khan, Timothy Severin Tim Severn sets out on horseback with a photographer on an extraordinary journey following in the footsteps of Genghis Khan.
Hearing Birds Fly: a Nomadic Year in Mongolia, Louisa Waugh Louisa Waugh tells the story of her year spent living with the nomadic Tsengel people of remote Mongolia. Winner of the Ondaatje prize.
The Cave of the Yellow Dog, Byambasuren Davaaa & Lisa Reisch Davaa is an Oscar-nominated film-maker who returns to her native Mongolia to show us life amongst its nomadic people.
Mongolian Folktales, Hilary Roe Metternich A collection of traditional folktales.
Mongolia, Bradt. A detailed guide to Mongolia with maps & in-depth info.
Time: Mongolia is 8hrs ahead of GMT. A useful website to check the time zone differences is [http://www.worldtimezone.com | www.worldtimezone.com]
Food & Alcohol: An old Mongolian saying goes something like: 'Breakfast, keep for yourself; lunch, share with your friends; dinner, give to your enemies'. The biggest and most important meals for Mongolians are breakfast and lunch, which will usually consist of boiled mutton with lots of fat and flour and maybe some dairy products or rice. Vegetarians can be accommodated with advance notice and the variety of restaurants in Ulaanbaatar continues to expand, and currently includes French, Korean, Mexican, Thai, Russian, Italian and Indian. Meals in the Ger camps and at backcountry campsites are prepared by cooking staff, and are as varied as possible given their remote locations but still offer a great spread of food.
The Mongolians are big tea drinkers and the classic drink is süütei tsai (salty tea). Men who refuse to drink arkhi (vodka) are considered less manly, while herders make their own unique home brew airag, which is fermented horse's milk with an alcoholic content of about 3%. Many Mongolians distil it further to produce shimiin arkhi, which boosts the alcohol content to around 12%.
Electricity: Those bringing video & digital cameras that require battery chargers should also bring a two-pin, continental style adapter. Keep in mind though that power can be both rare and unreliable.
Money: In Mongolia the official unit of currency is the Tugrik. To check out the latest exchange rate for the places that you are visiting you can go to [http://www.oanda.com | www.oanda.com]
A few points to help you plan: • It is strongly recommended you travel with cash but Sterling, US dollars and Euro’s are all feasible to exchange. • US dollars dated before 2002 are unacceptable. Newer notes offer the best means of currency within the country for flexibility and ease. • Only the few large hotels and banks accept credit cards and Travellers Cheques so they are useless outside the capital. • Payments are mainly made in cash. • If using ATM machines, be sure to notify your bank before you travel. • It is useful to bring lots of small denomination notes.
Language & Religion: Khalkha Mongolian is the official language of Mongolia and is spoken by 90% of the population. Today Mongolian is written using the Cyrillic Alphabet. Statistics state that half of the population follow the Tibetan Buddhism, with 40% having no religion, 6% being Shamanist, Baha’i and Christian with 4% Muslim.
Cultural Sensitivity: At Wild Frontiers we are very aware of the ethical impact tourism can have on ancient cultures. We realise that taking a group of tourists through such a region can have a negative impact on the lives of those who live there and on all our tours we therefore go to great lengths to minimise the negative and accentuate the positive…after all, there are also many good things that the tourist can bring.
To help this process we ask that our clients do not hand out pens or sweets to children. As one sign in Egypt emphatically put it, ‘Please don't make beggars out of our children!' No matter how well intentioned, in our opinion the dolling out of free gifts fosters a ‘beggar mentality' that is ultimately extremely destructive to a society. In addition we do not condone giving out money to beggars or ‘students'.
However, we also realise that we are exceptionally privileged to be travelling in areas where most of the people have far less than us and that the desire to ‘help' can be very powerful. As a result we ask that you refer to your trip dossier for information on the Wild Frontiers Foundation which supports specific projects in the areas where we travel.
Photography: Please remember, we are guests in the countries through which we travel and we may sometimes inadvertently cause offence by taking photographs without first asking permission.
Although it boasts over 260 sunny days a year and is known as the "Land of the blue sky", Mongolia's climate is extreme. August typically is a great month for travelling with cooler temperatures and occasionally rain, which fills the rivers and brings fresh grass to the steppes. Weather across the globe is ever changing as seasons and climates alter every year, so always worth travelling with an open mind towards unexpected weather patterns.
There are no direct flights to Ulaanbaatar from London. The most common route is via Moscow with Aeroflot which takes around 11hrs.
