Information for travelers,
To visit Mongolia, Americans do not need a visa in advance; it’s easy to obtain one upon arrival. Mongolia is accessible by air and trains from Beijing or Siberia.
Carriers serving Ulan- Bataar include Aeroflot, Air China, Korean Air and Mongolian Airlines. We arranged our trip over The Internet with Monkey Business in Beijing (monkeyshrine.com), but there are many other agencies.
2006 will mark the 800th anniversary of the establishment of the Mongolian Empire, and ceremonies are being planned both in Mongolia and beyond. Hunting, kayaking, fishing, bird-watching and camping are attractions of continuing and increasing interest.
The major annual festival is the Naadam, held for three days in July in Ulan-Baatar. This is marked by a wrestling competition, archery contests and horseback riding – unusual in that the riders are all children.
The people are friendly and helpful. English is not widely used, but the language is being taught as the country looks to tourism as part of its future.
Helpful information can be found, among other sites, at mongoliatourism.gov.mn and miat.com.
