Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
LOCAL KNOWLEDGE
TRAIL RIDE DAY TRIPS NEAR ULAANBAATAR
A number of tour operators can organise horse-riding day trips near Ulaanbaatar.
They are usually in Terelj National Park, which can get crowded on summer week-
ends. A handful of companies offer specialised day trips on horseback in the back-
country, away from the ger camps. These are some of the best:
»
Stepperiders (
Click here
)
in Bogdkhan Uul
»
Xanadu (
Click here
)
near Gachuurt and Terelj
»
Stone Horse (
Click here
)
near Gachuurt to Terelj route
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Nalaikh
This town, 35km southeast of the capital, is part of the Ulaanbaatar autonomous muni-
cipality because it once supplied the capital city with its coal. The state mine shut down
years ago but small-scale private excavations (legal and illegal) continue in the mines.
A community of Kazakhs settled here in the 1950s to work at the mines and they still
represent a quarter of the population. To find Nalaikh's
mosque
, face the bright-blue
town hall, turn 180 degrees and walk about 25 minutes over a small hill. It's very basic
and has a greenish tin roof. About 200m past the mosque is the family home of Ibrahim
(also known as Erakhun), a Kazakh who operates a small
ger museum
in his yard. The
museum only opens in summer but Ibrahim is happy to have you visit his home at other
times of the year. Visiting his home is a great chance to experience small-town life
without going too far from UB.
Buses for Nailakh (T800, one hour, 7.30am to 7pm) run along Peace Ave every 10
minutes or so. From Nailakh, shared minivans shuttle to Terelj (T1300) roughly every
hour.
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Around Nalaikh
Around 19km southeast of Nalaikh is an 8th-century Turkic
stele of Tonyukok
(GPS: N
47°41.661', E 107°28.586')
. The stele is covered in runic script and there are
balbals
(stone
figures believed to be Turkic grave markers) and grave slabs nearby. To get to the stele
