Ulan Bator — the Capital of Mongolia
UB started life as a nomadic monastery, settling in its current location in 1778. From the 1950s to 80s it expanded into a medium-sized socialist town with wide sidewalks and large boulevards. Then democracy came… Today UB bustles with a million residents—some ride on horseback, some drive Mercedes. If you visited Ulan Bator five years ago, you won't recognize it today. Most people fly into UB. Arriving by air means you land at Chinggis Khan International Airport—a mere thirty-minute drive from downtown Ulan Bator. The more adventurous have traveled here in vehicles such as a garbage truck and ice-cream van!  See my travel to Mongolia page for more information. UB has shrugged of centuries of Chinese domination and seventy years of Soviet control to become a thriving tourist destination. There are too many sights and activities to list on here. So, please visit my top things to do in Ulaan Baatar page for more information. But… Don't come to Mongolia and miss the Gobi desert and wide open steppe! If you don't book a tour before you come, make sure you do when you arrive! The best time to arrive? July and August! The warm and sunny weather opens up the countryside for exploration and many special events take place in UB…  If you come between July 12-14th you can see the Naadam festival—a Mongolian Olympics first inaugurated by Genghis Khan. From September the temperature starts to drop. October is still warm enough but you get the odd cold day and the occasional snow flurry. By December, winter has a firm foothold. It gets pretty darn cold in winter—I'm talking frozen turkey, minus forty Celsius COLD. In fact, winter makes Ulan Bator the coldest capital city in the world. Things start to warm up in April and May but the temperature can still drop suddenly and you will see the odd flurries of snow. Check out my Mongolian weather page for more information. Where to stayUB has a variety of places you can stay. Here's a summary… Ger camps Mongolian Nomads have lived in gers—portable felt tents—for millennia. Honestly—you CANNOT come to Mongolia and not sleep in a ger for at least one night. Want to stay close to Ulan Bator? Try Ulan Bator's best-kept secret. The Bogd Khan Camp, only a twenty-minute ride from downtown . . .  Mongolia Hotels Forget star ratings. Just look for a clean hotel close to shopping and sightseeing. I recommend… The Chinggis Khan Hotel—Occupies a quiet plot of land close to the wrestling palace, fifteen minutes walk from the city center. Also known as the Genghis Khan Hotel, it has a shopping center where you can buy most things you need. Puma Imperial Hotel—Located right in the center of Ulan Bator, just opposite the national parliament. The hotel of choice for many British diplomats it has an excellent Indian restaurant. The Ulaan Baatar Hotel—You'll find this one next to Sukhbaatar Square right in the center of the city. The Ulan Bator Hotel has several good restaurants and a duty free shop on the ground floor. The Bayangol Hotel—Occupies a prime downtown spot. But you will have to cross the city's busiest road to get to most sights. Guesthouses Some people hate them, some love them. Check out this Web site for a range of up-to-date guesthouse reviews. Where to eat—Mongolian restaurantsMongolia has an amazing array of restaurants: Japanese, Korean, Chinese, Malaysian, Russian, Ukrainian, Indian, Mexican… But why come to Mongolia for an Indian takeaway? Be brave and try some of the local fare…  I recommend the Nomads Chain for the best selection of Mongolian (and Western) food. You will find one next to the Wrestling Palace on Peace Avenue. Here's a sneak peek at their menu…  They have vegetarian dishes too! What to buyHere's my selection of top buys in Ulan Bator. Cashmere  Mongolians call cashmere "white gold." The best Mongolian brands are Gobi, Altai and Goyo—my wife prefers Goyo for its high-quality fabric, modern designs and good prices. Altai and Gobi offer less fashionable designs and charge a bit more. Try the State Department Store (now Nomin Department Store) for the widest selection of brands. But you will find the cheapest prices in the factory shops. If you arrive here in the winter try camel hair products—not as soft as cashmere, but much warmer! Traditional clothing  Mongolian national costumes are both beautiful and practical. Deels are made from a variety of materials including cotton, silk and cashmere. Each Mongolian clan has its own style of deel. So leave your husband in a restaurant—it could take you some time to pick your favorite. The best place to buy one? Try the top floor of the Nomin Department Store, opposite the circus. Don't forget to pick a hat! Artwork Mongolians are talented artists and you will see plenty of oil paintings and watercolors as you browse souvenir shops. Best practice: check the prices in the shops and then negotiate a good price when approached by an artist on the streets. They usually hangout in Sukhbaatar Square and the Central Post Office. Handicrafts In some parts of Mongolia, beautiful stones just lie on the round. Locals make use of this resource by carving the stones into beautiful artifacts. Good buys include: snuff bottles; sheep's ankle bones—which occupy a position similar to dice in Mongolian games; jewellery and silverwork. You will find these handicrafts in various shops—just keep your eyes open. One tip: be careful if taken to a shop by a guide. They are often on a commission with the shop owner. One shop offered my wife twenty percent if she persuaded me to buy a saddle! Crime and safety in Ulan BatorYou will find Ulan Bator safer than most cities. But you will need to apply common sense. If you walk round town with a wallet in your back pocket—it may disappear! Check out my Ulaan Baatar safety page for some lifesaving tips—such as, looking both ways and down when you cross the road. Related Pages:Here are some more Mongolian cities...
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