Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Facilities
In the countryside, most hotels are generally empty and falling apart, though fa-
cilities continue to improve and almost every aimag capital will have one decent new
place. Even at the best places you can expect dodgy plumbing, broken locks, rock-hard
beds and electrical outages. Service can be pretty lacklustre. The quality of hotels in the
countryside is reason enough to take a tent and go camping.
Bathing
If the hotel has no hot water (most likely outside UB) or no water at all, it's worth
knowing that most aimag capitals have a public bathhouse.
Security
Always keep your windows and door locked (where possible). Be aware that
staff may enter your room while you're not around. Err on the side of caution by keeping
your valuables with you, or at the very least lock up valuables inside your luggage. Most
hotels have a safe where valuables can be kept.
HOTEL CLASSES
Most
zochid buudals
(hotels) in the countryside (and budget hotels in Ulaanbaatar) have
three types of rooms:
Lux (deluxe) rooms
Include a separate sitting room, usually with TV and private bath-
room.
Khagas lux (half-deluxe, or half-lux)
Only a little smaller but often much cheaper.
Engiin (simple) room
Usually with a shared bathroom.
Sometimes
niitiin bair
(dorm-style) rooms are available, but are rarely offered to foreign-
ers. Invariably, hotel staff will initially show you their deluxe room, so ask to see the stand-
ard rooms if you're on a budget. Simple rooms cost around T25,000 per person per night.
In
sum
(district) centres, expect to pay around T10,000 per person.
Rental Accommodation
Apartment rental is really only an option in Ulaanbaatar.
Children
Children can be a great icebreaker and are a good avenue for cultural exchange with the
local people; however, travelling in Mongolia is difficult even for a healthy adult. Long jeep
rides over nonexistent roads are a sure route to motion sickness and the endless steppe
landscape may leave your children comatose with boredom. That said, children often like
the thrill of camping, for a night or two at least. There are also lots of opportunities to sit
on yaks, horses and camels, and plenty of opportunities to meet playmates when visiting
gers. Check out LP's
Travel with Children
for more general tips.
