Dorothy

Mongolia is a North Asian country nestled between Siberia, Russia and China. While not exactly sharing a border with Kazakhstan, Mongolia is not too far from the nation whose ethnic population form a considerable portion of its population. The landlocked country (2nd largest in the world in fact) is the birthplace of several ancient nomadic empires like the Xianbei, the Rouran amongst others. Despite being unapologetically Asian, Mongolia’s proximity to Russia has resulted in its being heavily influenced by the soviet nation. The written form of the Mongolian language features a lot of Russian characters, even the architect shows a heavy Russian influence. My first stop in Mongolia was the capital city, Ulaanbatar. As the largest city, Ulaanbatar is home to over half of the country’s population. The most popular location in Ulaanbatar has to be the Sukhbaatar square. On getting there, the first thing that caught my attention was the ceremonial parade of the Mongolia military that was ongoing in front of the Government palace. The grand attire and colourful routine is something every potential tourist should look forward to. Other prominent buildings in the Sukhbaatar square are the Central Cultural Palace building, the State Ballet and Operations house, the Ulaanbatar city administration building and several others. I also stopped by the “Black Market” which has all kinds of beautiful and affordable knock off items. Ulaanbatar while striving towards modern civilization has managed to hold onto it’s ancients traditions. This is obvious in its architecture and the various historical monuments that litter the city. After the city wide tour, I joined a trek group through the Gobi desert. Comparing Ulaanbatar and the Gobi desert, the difference is clear. Although the capital city has adopted civilization, all the communities in the Gobi desert have stuck to their traditional nomadic roots. The sparsely populated desert is a must see for every tourist. On the trek we were able to try traditional Mongolian drinks like the Airag (fermented mare milk), the Suutei tsai and the Arkhi . We were also introduced to traditional foods like the buuz (which is shredded beef wrapped in dough), the Kumis and the Khuushur. These traditional delicacies combined with thrilling camel rides had me wishing I didn’t have to leave. In the midst of the Gobi desert lies the ruins of an ancient monastery as well as archaeological sites containing fossils of ancient animals like the dinosaurs. The locals are also known for their love of snuff and small quantities were passed round the group. Despite the seemingly harsh climatic conditions, we noticed that the region was home to several species of land animals like the black tailed gazelles, marbled pole cats and sandplovers. The capital city of Ulaanbatar and the Gobi desert is every tourist’s dream as it presents you with a well rounded opinion of the beautiful nation that is Mongolia. So if you’re looking to be one with nature as well as taken in the beauty of monuments and wonderful cities, you might want to consider booking that Mongolian flight today.