So finally, what I had been waiting for over three weeks happened. I got an email, and through iVisa, I managed to score a thirty-day visa for Mongolia. The only thing to be done was to find a ticket to Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia. I had to make sure that I did not need a transit visa as I had to catch a connecting flight from Istanbul, Turkey.
With my return ticket also booked, I did my hotel booking and booked a room at the Ramada Ulaanbaatar. The currency of Mongolia is the Mongolian Tugrik. The value of one rupee equals 41 Mongolian Tugrik. Mongolia is the most sparsely populated country in the world, with a population of only 3.4 million people. Mongolia is an untouched wonder of natural beauty, deserts, lakes, snow-peaked mountains, and sanctuaries. It is a traveler’s delight. The most famous Mongolian is, of course, Genghis Khan the Great. He was the first ruler of the Mongolian Empire, which ruled from 1202 to 1227. He is credited with forming a massive Mongolian empire, which fought with the Jin Dynasty in China and expanded its power to the Caspian Sea.
The country is a wonder of scenic beauty. Along with the Gobi Desert, the country has great frozen lakes like Lake Khuvgul, which is in Northern Mongolia. It is a very relaxing place, and one can live in a nomadic tent called the Ger and sleep in these tents at night. Amarbayasgalnat Khid is the largest monastery in Mongolia and is a must-see for all travelers. Chandaman Ondor is a tiny village in the region and is a great place for bird watching and hiking.
The Darshan Valley is a very remote and sparsely populated place in Mongolia and is home to the Tastaan tribe. It’s a place where one can meet many Shamans as well.
It is advisable to take the Turkish airline to get to Ulaanbaatar from New Delhi. The ticket is only sixty-three thousand one way. There is a one-stop at the Turkish airport, but if one is not getting out of the airport terminal and just changing flights with less than a day’s layover, one does not need a transit visa, not for Indian passport holders at least.
Mongolia is going to be cold with average weather between 15 degrees to 17 degrees, so it is advisable to carry a good jacket and something warm. As luck would have it, I will be boarding to Mongolia on my birthday itself, the 10th of May. It will be my fiftieth birthday, and that will be very special indeed.
So I am all set for another adventure, this time to Mongolia. Keep reading anujtikku.com and stay tuned for another month-long adventure.
