Western Mongolia - Mongolia - page 537

Change money If you have just come from Mongolia, change any remaining tögrög here
or you'll be keeping it as a souvenir.
Onward travel Remember that if you are carrying on to the Chinese interior there is no
need to go to Bĕijīng first. From Èrlián you can travel to the rail junction at Dàtóng and
then catch trains or buses to Píngyáo, Xī'ān and points south. For western China and
Tibet, get off at Jining where you can change to Hohhot, Lánzhōu and beyond. Read
Lonely Planet's China guide for details on connections from these cities.
BULGAN-TAKASHIKEN BORDING CROSSING
After Zamyn-Üüd-Èrlián, the other main border crossing with China is in a remote corner
of western Mongolia where Bulgan (Khovd aimag) meets Takashiken (Xīnjiāng).
Opening hours This border is open year-round (except Mongolian and Chinese holidays)
Monday to Friday from 9am to 6pm. The border can close for lunch so arrive as early as
possible.
Processing Expect multiple passport checks on both sides of the border. On the Chinese
side there are extensive bag searches and they will probably also want to inspect photos
on your camera.
Walking Travellers are allowed to cross by foot and bicycle.
Bulgan The village of Bulgan is a 12-hour drive from Khovd so you need a full day just to
get there from Khovd, plus another half-day to cross the border. The jeep to Bulgan
(T30,000) departs in the afternoon from the jeep stand in Khovd. You can save time by
flying directly to Bulgan (one way/return US$252/443) from Ulaanbaatar on Hunnu Air-
lines. However, the flight is on Friday afternoon so there isn't much time to get over the
border before it shuts for the weekend. Bulgan has no hotel so you just need to ask your
driver for a homestay, or camp. A taxi ride to the border from Bulgan should cost T5000
per person. The 30-minute ride is on a paved road.
Time difference Khovd is one hour behind Xīnjiāng.
Onward travel Once across the border into China, there are share taxis to Ürümqi (seven
hours, Y250). Buses are also available for Y250, but these are slower and require at least
one change.
Entering Mongolia If you are heading in the other direction (from China to Mongolia),
there are two buses per day from Ürümqi to Qinghe (10 hours, Y140). From Qinghe, there
are minivans and taxis to Takeshiken (two hours, Y60), from where you can take a taxi to
the border (20 minutes, Y20 per person). Once in Mongolia, find a shared vehicle to Bul-
gan and wait around for any vehicle continuing to Khovd.
CAR & MOTORCYCLE
As long as your papers are in order there is no trouble crossing the China- Mongolia bor-
der in your own car. Driving around Mongolia is a lot easier than China, where drivers re-