Eastern Mongolia Travel and Homestay Opportunities
Tips on How to Travel to Eastern Mongolia and Current Homestay Opportunities
Prior to reviewing this information please do kindly refer to the “Mongolia Homestay – General Information for Success” – thanks!
Mongolia Homestay: Eastern Mongolia
In the course of my 25+ years traveling across Mongolia exploring and filming works – I have been amazed by the incredible flatness of the Myaganii Tal that stretches across Dornod from Choilbalsan to the Gats of Nomrog Strictly Protected National Park. To truly comprehend the vastness of Dornod one must be ready to travel for hours with a “sanctuary” mentality as indeed that’s what best describes the feeling that I had. So to systematically share my appreciation for Mongolia’s Eastern Steppe – I’ll need to breakdown Dornod into quadrants.
Mongolia Homestay: Eastern Mongolia, Northern REGION
When traveling north of Choilbaslan headed northwards you have landscapes mostly comprised of soft flowing hills till you come across a faint historical wall known as Chingis’s Wall. In the mid-central northern region you will also find old abandon Russian mining camps, from that north eastwards and north westwards you’ll come across soft valleys of nomadic pasture lands mainly inhabited by the Buriat Tribes. Northwestern quadrant of the northern region lays sacred mountain grounds and ruins of an ancient monastery at the foothill of a respected mountain. To the northeast quadrant you will come across more Russian infrastructure of an old abandoned freight train tracks for the old mining colony – which some have discussed to reestablish. Probably the most notable and unforgettable memory I have of northern region of Dornod is not all the abandoned Russian infrastructures – but just a simple Detour Sign Post in the middle of nowhere that has two arrows point northeast and north west; not a whole hell of a lot of choices – lol!
Mongolia Homestay: Eastern Mongolia, Eastern REGION
The famed Myanganii Tal and Khalh Gol (River) are the most notable and accessible geographic highlights – if you planning to travel further eastwards to Nomrog Strictly Protected National Park then you will definitely will require special permissions from the Ministry of Environment, Border Guard Departments of both Ulaanbaatar and Dornod, etc… it’s is not a readily accessible National Park within Mongolia.
If you plan to travel eastwards, you will still need to acquire special permits along Myanganii Tal as it has numerous border patrol points where they will indeed stop you to check your credentials. As you drive eastwards the incredible flatness of the vast open plains are just memorizing… if you are planning to camp in the open fields I would be wary of this – mosquitos swarm in the millions! Literally at night time if you open the doors of our jeep with the lights on within seconds it will be darkness! Nonetheless if you find yourself having to camp out – I highly recommended not constructing your tent but rather while you are in the jeep wear it like an emergency Bivy Sack, zip it up and jump out of the Jeep – make sure that you have a pole inside with you so you can prop up the tent from within.
Regardless of the swarms of mosquitos in the tall pasture lands, when you go further eastwards you will eventually arrive to regular pasture with 100s of very small temporary rain-made small water pools laid out across the Steppe with a few nomadic gers here and there… As you continue, you will arrive to Buur Nuur (lake) that borders Mongolia and China – on the Mongolia side it’s host to very nice sandbars as well as sea-faring seagulls have made it their home as well! Imagine my surprise when I was out in the open steppe of Mongolia and low and behold in the middle of a rustic dirt Mongolian road – a single was just chilling out! LOL!
Mongolia Homestay: Eastern Mongolia, SouthEastern to Western REGIONS
Geographically this goes from vast open pastures into coexistence of pastures/slightly rocky/semi-desert like landscapes with grasslands till it transfer into Suhbaatar/Gobi Desert like terrains… By far the most amazing aspect of this region is the “GAZELLES” that range in herds of 1000s to 100,000s! Most notably outside of Africa, Mongolia’s Gazelle population is just and incredible sight to behold… you definitely have to see it to believe it!
Mongolia Homestay: Eastern Mongolia, Personal Conclusions
The eastern steppe of Mongolia is an incredible experience for those who are 1) adventurous 2) don’t need to be entertained as tourists 3) love exploration 4) greatly enjoy photography 5) love the incredible never ending open vastness 6) 100% expect that weather, vast steppes and incredible emptiness with the sparsely place nomadic ger in the distant horizons – and more ARE THE EXPERIENCE!
100% THE POLAR OPPOSITE OF TOURISTY STUFF – EPIC ADVENTURES!