Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Lying on the banks of the Kherlen Gol, 324km downstream from Chinggis Khot, is
Choibalsan, Mongolia's easternmost capital and a most welcome sight if you're craving a
hot shower, a decent bed, and an opportunity to dine out that doesn't involve camping
food after days in the steppe. It's in two parts: a half-abandoned district to the west where
there was widespread looting following the Russian departure in 1990, and a more func-
tional eastern section. Russia is not quite out of the picture; Choibalsan is twinned with
Chita, poor thing.
Centuries ago, the city was a trading centre and part of a caravan route across north-
east Asia. In 1941 it was named after the Stalinist stooge Khorloogiin Choibalsan, an
honour bequeathed while the dictator was still in power.
Although the city is spread out along a 5km-long main street, most accommodation
options, restaurants and facilities are clustered around the Kherlen Hotel.
