Mongolia Travel Blog & News

Sales manager of Selena Travel took part in the annual East Asian Inter-Regional Tourism Forum in Jilin, China from 2-4 September 2005 upon the invitation of the governor of Tuv province of Mongolia. She presented the company and the tourism industry of Mongolia in the forum.

While Chinggis Khan, or Genghis Khan, is world famous as one of the most successful conquerors in history, there is more to him than that. Despite the fact that he lived so long ago, there is a surprising amount we know about his life. Many of these are from The Secret History of the Mongols, and others are facts from modern Mongolia.

Even though Mongolia might not be popular for its music or entertainment values, there are handfuls of places where you can jazz up your nights. Be it in a small indie club with local youngsters or classy jazz club where professional musicians perform, one thing is for sure- there’s no way you can spend your few nights in Ulaanbaatar hiding out in your hotel room!

Ger (aka Yurt) has been a reliable accommodation of the nomads of Central Asia for the last three thousand years. Surprisingly, due to its unique characteristics, ger is still used by Mongolian nomads nowadays. Interesting traditions involving gers include that the altar space usually serves as the traditional seating area for elders or respected leaders. Ger’s western half is considered the male part of the dwelling, while the eastern is where women lives and works. In 2013, the traditional craftsmanship of the Mongolian Ger and its associated customs was recognized as part of our Intangible Cultural Heritage by UNESCO.

Among the skyscrapers and shopping malls, there sits a white building and a temple in a small clearing. The mountain stands behind it, protecting the city. Not far behind is the mighty Tuul River. The white building is by todays standards, a modest building. The temple is beautiful, but dwarfed by the 6-story mall nearby. However, if you were a lucky visitor to Ich Khirie, as Ulaanbaatar was known then, you would be standing near the largest building in town, if you could even get close enough. This is the home of the Bogd Khan.

While some people prefer to visit Mongolia in the summer, if you find yourself in Ulaanbaatar for the winter, there are still a ton of great activities to enjoy. One of the coolest Winter activities you can do is take a ride on the frozen Tuul river pulled by a team of excited huskies.

Khoomei or Throat singing is one of the most representative traditional arts of Mongolia. Khoomei was originated when people started imitating the voice of nature and animals many thousand years ago, and around 19th century, Khoomei was first developed as an art. Mongolian throat singing was registered in the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, or UNESCO, as an art native to Mongolia in 2010. At its meeting in Nairobi, the UNESCO Council inscribed Mongolian Khoomii in the Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage of mankind.

If you’re headed to Mongolia, you might be tempted to stay in the capital, Ulaanbaatar, and tour around the Eastern region of the nation for the duration of your trip. We vote, explore beyond! There are a wealth of things to do in Western Mongolia, like observing the ancient practice of eagle hunters or scaling the country’s highest peak. You’ll get to dive deeper into Mongolia’s culture and enjoy a one of a kind experience while touring the other side. So without further ado, here are our favorite things to do in Western Mongolia!

Imagine riding a horse over the Eurasian steppe, winter’s cold embrace around you and an eagle on your arm. You feel the bird twitch, and know that it’s got something in its sights. With a flick of your arm, the bird takes off and flies toward an unlucky rabbit. Before you know it, the eagle dives down and in its talons is lunch for your family.

Surviving two destructions and centuries of rejection, Erdene Zuu is one of the oldest Buddhist temples in Mongolia, probably in East Asia. The building of the temple was ordered by the Abtai Sain Khan- grandfather of Zanabazar the Great when the Tibetan Buddhism was declared as the main religion of Mongolia in 1586. For Mongolians, who employed nomadic lifestyle, this kind of building or generally anything that stays in one place was not that common. So, the temple has naturally become the religious center, thus the heart of the Mongolia. The geographical situation was carefully thought out too, it’s built in Kharkhorin- near the old city of Karakorum.