With one of the world’s lowest population densities, Mongolia’s vast areas of wilderness, desert, lakes and mountains offer plenty of scope for adventurous outdoor enthusiasts. Although independent travel is now becoming more common, travel outside the capital is usually by prior arrangement. For details, contact the Mongolian Embassy (see
General Info section). The Mongolian National Tourism Board will be able to put you in touch with Mongolian tour operators that can arrange itineraries and special-interest tours, including visits with nomadic herdsmen and overnight stays in
gers. Activity tours available include trekking, mountaineering, birdwatching, horse riding, rafting, camel riding, yak caravan and overland motorcycle tours. Many of these tours focus strongly on ecology and wildlife, and almost all of them include the
Gobi Desert as one of their destinations; apart from its numerous native animal species (see also
Where to Go section), the desert is famous for its fossilised dinosaur bones and eggs. Mongolia’s lakes (notably the huge
Khuvsgul Nuur) represent another good hiking destination, as do the
Four Holy Peaks surrounding Ulaanbaatar or the
Gobi Gurvansaikhan National Park, in the South Gobi. Visitors should note that the weather, although milder than expected, can vary greatly, especially in the mountains and in the Gobi Desert; it is recommended to bring a warm sweater and raincoat for any time of the year. Skiing and cross-country skiing are possible around Ulaanbaatar.
Outdoor pursuitsFor further information about outdoor activities in Mongolia, travelers can contact the Mongolian National Tourism Board (see
General Info section);
or the Mongolian National Ecotourism Society, PO Box 72, Ulaanbaatar 210520 (tel/fax: (11) 318 099; e-mail:
ecobund@magicnet.mn; website:
www.owc.org.mn/ecobund);
or Runwild, which organizes ecotourism and adventure tours, 40 Miangat Street, Bldg. 68, Sukhbaatar District, Ulaanbaatar (tel/fax: (11) 315 374; email:
info@outer-mongolia.com; website:
www.runwild.co.uk);
or the Mongolian Youth Tourism Association, BCC Company, Sukhbaatar Street, Youth Avenue 7/4, PO Box 72, Ulaanbaatar 210520 (tel: (11) 350 615; fax: (11) 325 336; e-mail:
aroundworld@hotmail.com).
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