Western Mongolia - Mongolia - page 524

covered by Mobicom, it probably will be covered by an alternative network, such as G-
Mobile.
» It's a good idea to have a phone while travelling in the countryside, as it allows you to
communicate with your tour operator should problems arise on your trip. You can also use
it to call ger camps or hotels to make a reservation.
» If you have a smartphone (Edge, 3G or 4G), you should be able to access the internet
with a local SIM card.
BUYING A MOBILE PHONE
New and used mobile-phone shops are everywhere in UB and also in some rural cities.
The cheapest phones will cost around US$35. In UB, try the Tedy Centre on Baruun
Selbe Gudamj.
Satellite Phones
If you're planning a serious mountaineering or horse-trekking expedition, considering
bringing or renting a satellite phone, which isn't too bulky and can be used anywhere. If
you haven't already purchased one in your home country, these are available for sale at
the Mobicom office (cnr Beijing Gudamj & Tokyogiin Gudamj) in UB.
Time
Time zones Mongolia is divided into two time zones: the three western aimags of Bayan-
Ölgii, Uvs and Khovd are one hour behind Ulaanbaatar and the rest of the country.
Daylight saving Mongolia does not observe daylight-saving time, which means that the
sun can rise at very early hours in summer.
Standard time The standard time in Ulaanbaatar is UTC/GMT plus eight hours. This puts
Ulaanbaatar in the same time zone as Bĕijīng, Hong Kong, Singapore and Perth.
24-hour clock The 24-hour clock is used for plane and train schedules.
MARGASH & YOU
There is another form of 'Mongolian time': add an hour to any appointments you
make. Mongolians are notorious for being late, although this is more a problem in
the countryside than in the city. Oftentimes, events and meeting are simply put off
until the next day. The Mongolian version of mañana(tomorrow) is margash.