Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Orientation
Most of the city spreads from east to west along the main road, Enkh Taivny Örgön
Chölöö, also known as Peace Ave. Confusingly, locals refer to this road as Töv Zam
(Central Road).
At the centre is Chinggis Khaan Sq, aka Sükhbaatar Sq, often simply known as 'the
Square'
(talbai),
which is just north of Peace Ave. Sprawling suburbia is limited by the
four mountains that surround the city: Bayanzürkh, Chingeltei, Songino Khairkhan and
Bogdkhan.
The city is divided into six major districts, but there's a multitude of subdistricts and
microdistricts. Mongolians rarely use street names and numbers (because of their nomad-
ic roots, they prefer to use landmarks), so tracking down an address can be difficult.
Another problem is that many buildings are not on any road at all, instead located behind
another building (sometimes behind a number of buildings).
A typical address might be something like: Microdistrict 14, Building 3, Flat 27.
However, you are unlikely to know which microdistrict it refers to, building numbers can
be hard to spot and most street signs are in Mongolian Cyrillic. As a result, most locals
will give you an unofficial description, such as 'door 67, building 33, last door of a
white-and-red building, behind the Drama Theatre'. Because of the confusing state of af-
fairs, business cards usually have small maps on the back.
If you think your destination might be hard to find, call ahead. The staff will send
someone out to meet you at a nearby landmark. Most places you are likely to call (tour
operators, hotels, etc) will probably have an English speaker.
Information
recommendations, traveller reviews and insider tips.
DANGERS & ANNOYANCES
Ulaanbaatar is a fairly carefree and easygoing city but there are a few concerns to keep in
mind.
Theft
Pickpockets and bag-slashers are still a problem, though the situation is not as dire as it
was a few years ago. When it happens, robbery is seldom violent against foreigners, just
opportunistic.
