MONGOLIA 2015 | via China

- October 05, 2015

Date Travelling: 25 September - 7 October 2015

Total Cost (Excluding Shopping) = RM3,578/person
Number of person travelling: 6

Transportation (Flight/Train/Van/Taxi) = RM2,167
Petrol = RM123
Accomodation = RM455
Foods = RM288
Activities/Admission = RM262
Driver's Meal and Accomodations = RM174
Chinese Visa (Double Entries) = RM108
New Experiences and Amazing View = Priceless!!!!

Day 1 (25 Sep) - Day 2 (26 Sep) from Malaysia to the China-Mongolia border

We planned this trip for so many months or maybe a year so we purchased flight ticket one at a time when there's a promo. The initial plan was to sleep at Guang Long Apartment near Beijing airport but somehow there's some miscommunication with the manager, apparently the apartment was under renovation and temporary closed so we ended up sleeping at the airport. After more than 13 hours, we departed for Erlian , a city in inner Mongolia (a Mongol Autonomous Region in northern China). It took only 1 hour 20 minutes by plane. Other way to get there are by train or by bus but it's really a very time consuming for a working people like us. If i am a student on a long school holiday or a jobless graduate with some savings, I definitely would opted for the cheapest option available. We took 2 taxis at 100 Yuan each (shared 3 person) to the city and stayed at Antai hotel (as suggested by fivedollartraveller). We didn't made any booking as there's no way to book online for the tourist. If you can speak Chinese, you probably can call the hotel in advance. The room's price was only 100 yuan/night with free hot/cold water dispenser inside the room. Unexpectedly, there's probably more than 2 Chinese-Muslim restaurant near the hotel. Lucky us! but whenever we found a halal restaurant, we tend to order a lot which I don’t like. But it’s hard to control if you are in group.

sleepingattheairport.com

Saving by the starbucks

Beijing airport

At Erlian airport

On the way from Erlian airport to the city

view from Antai Hotel

Grilled Lamb at the Chinese-Muslim restaurant

Day 3 (27 Sep) Cross border and board a train to Ulaanbaatar

3rd day was a cross-border day! We already made an arrangement with the taxi driver after he dropped us at the hotel a day before. I had read somewhere that you need to go to the Dinosaur square to bargain and to share jeep with others but I think it would give you peace of mind if you make a pre-arrangement and it doesn't cost you higher. Although very near, it is not possible to cross the border on foot. It took us 3 hours from Antai Hotel (China) to Zamiin Uud railway station. Some people took 4 hours so we thought 3 hours was pretty fast. The total cost for the cross border was 100 yuan per person and it took us 2x change of transport (hotel-square, square to cross border, border to Zamiin Uud railway station). It was a good experience, and not as hassle and packed as we thought it would be.

waiting for unknown reason before border checking

Chinese and Mongolian side

We arrived at the Zamiin Uud railway station at noon and purchased the train ticket (soft sleeper) to Ulaanbaatar, the capital of Mongolia and also change some USD notes to Mongolian Tughrik (USD1 = MNT1982). The daily train departed at 6.05 pm and arrival is the next day at 8.30 am.

Wandering around the small Zamiin Uud town

Information on other departures on other days

Super happy us before boarding (because finally we can sleep)

The soft sleeper coach with our own model

Sunset Lover from the train

Day 4 (28 Sep) to Ugii Lake

Upon arrival, we started to look for free wifi. Yes! there's a freewifi in the station. While some of us updating our simply amazing journey on the social media, some bought postcards for their families and friends back home and me doing both plus trying to contact the driver. After a while, we finally met the driver Nandin. I made a booking here and we need to pay deposit online and the balance at the end of the trip.

At Ulaanbaatar Railway Station

Before entering the wild leaving the civilization behind, first thing first is to buy all the necessary stuff for the trip such as wet tissue, cooking gas, small pan, small stove, mineral water, milk, rice, instant noodles, vege, fruits, bread, butter, sardines, potato and many more at the wholesale market. We shared everything! that's the money beauty of travelling in a group of six. You saved more especially the 4WD van, driver's meal, lodging and expensive petrol (total petrol for the whole journey was MNT344,000 or equal to MYR738). It took like 5-6 hours to reach Ugii Lake and there's no proper toilet along the way. Everybody does the "business" behind the small bush. If you never involved in any outdoor activities that required doing something like this, you might find this a big problem but if you are adventurous like us, then that's fine! some travelers suggested an umbrella as a shield but I found it difficult to hold it because of the wind.