Travel to Mongolia - Sheep bones, airag and marmot steak in Mongolia

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Mongolia, for me, exemplifies the adage ‘quality not quantity’. It offers relatively few architectural sights compared to its South East Asian rivals yet Mongolia’s rich culture extends far beyond its beautiful Buddhist temples, from the lengthy nomadic greetings to a game of sheep bones revealing much of the preoccupations of the national psyche.

Admittedly my own preconceptions of Mongolia were of the Orientalist variety that would have made Edward Said balk, and my journey there was hopelessly romantic - across the Gobi Desert abroad the Trans-Mongolian. Perhaps I had a particularly auspicious start to my time there, but I’d hedge bets anyone arriving my plane would fall in love in this beautiful, heartwarming country.

Mongolia is an adventure travellers’ playground, whether seeking the thrill of a ride on a Przewalski horse (albeit perhaps only thrilling for the uninitiated - the children learn to ride from as early as two or three years) or the spectacle of the Nadaam Festival, complete with colourful and distinctive Mongolian wrestling and hawking displays.

Family & community spiritedness is all in a country where vast majority of residents live nomadically for at least part of the year and the weather can close in very quickly. Mongolians have a strong tradition of welcoming strangers, in need or otherwise, into their beautifully crafted gers. Despite recent incursions and abuses of this infamous hospitality and trust when racking up at the ger door one can still expect a warm welcome, a glass of airag on the side of some boiled marmot.

If, as for me, food is an integral a part of your travel experience you will be pleasantly surprised to find a small but genuinely delicious culinary repertoire where the mutton is moreish rather than monotonous.

I have not even mentioned the vast expanses of sunrises, glacial lakes and star-sodden skies and above all else nothing that will leave you totally awestruck….

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Photos

Ger
A typical Mongolian ger

Wrestling
Colourful Mongolian wrestling

Mongolian horse
The feisty Pzewalski horse