Mongolia is one of the countries I heard a lot but didn’t know much about it. I always had this picture of Mongolia whereby it is a country of desert and nomadic lifestyle. Upon my arrival at the capital of Mongolia, Ulaanbaatar, it took me by surprise on how developed it is. I really have no idea on how to start my travel because like Kyrgyzstan, it was also a spontaneous travel destination. Luckily the owner of the guesthouse which I’ve stayed at had given me a great detailed explanation about traveling in Mongolia.

Mongolia is divided into 4 parts. The north, south, east and west, each with its unique features and beauty. I will be giving a very brief summarization on each part of Mongolia because there are simply too many things to talk about. The Northern Mongolia also known as the “Asia of Switzerland” has a very clear fresh water lake called Khuvsgul Lake. It is known for doing water activities such as kayaking and swimming. The main attraction will be visiting the last reindeer tribe up the very north “Taiga” which will cost a lot and time to get there. Real and famous shamans are also among the tribe. The Southern Mongolia will be its famous Gobi desert and riding two-humped camels around breath-taking landscapes. Many photographers travel to the south mainly for sunset photos of the desert and I have to say, it’s truly spectacular. My only complaint is that because the south is very big, 70% of the tour is just driving.  The west is well known for the kazakh tribe, the last known eagle hunters in Mongolia and also hiking by a glacier in the Altai mountains. The east of Mongolia also the birthplace of Genghis Khan has wide open steppe-grassland and volcanic mountains. Most traditional nomadic lifestyle can be found there.

As a Singaporean, I only can stay in Mongolia up to 30 days visa free and therefore, I’ve only managed to visit the north and south. There are simply too many places to visit and experience in Mongolia. I will definitely visit the west and south on my next visit to Mongolia. My whole experience on Mongolia seems to be very spiritual and cultural. I think the highlight of my trip is witnessing 4 different shamanic rituals. I was really fascinated by Mongolian shamanism during my stay here in Mongolia. Believe it or not, Mongolians actually visit Shamans, to ward off evil, conceive, healing and guidance.

Most Mongolians have 2 homes, one in Ulaanbaatar and Ger camps in the countryside. During winter, they will live in the city and in summer, they will live in the countryside for raising livestock. During my travel to north and south, I saw hundreds of yaks, sheep, horses and camels roaming around freely. Mongolia is a country I would recommend people to visit if you want a true experience of nomadic and spiritual lifestyle.