Mongolia 2026
A 2 week roadtrip around mongolia.
About Mongolia
Mongolia is a landlocked country in east asia known for it's vast steppes and untouched nature. It also contains multiple other landscapes like deserts, rocky mountains, and even flower forests.
Mongolian Food
You don't go to Mongolia for the food. I was served шорлог [shorlog] (Grilled Meat Skewer, minus the skewer it seems) with fucking chopsticks which wouldn't be the end of the world except for the fact that their meat needs chewing 1000 times.
Mongolian Language
The cyrillic alphabet is used in Mongolia due to soviet influence, with 2 extra mongolian-only characters. Vowels are also categorized into male/female/neutral and words must never mix male and female vowels (unless they're loanwords).
Below are some common words and phrases:
ус [us] (water)
хаан [khaan] (king)
нэг гэр [neg ger] (one home)
миний гэр [minii ger] (my home)
With this information you should be able to solve the picture.
Nomad Homes
Nomadic people all over central asia use yurts as a semi-permanent home and Mongolians call it ger (lit. home). They're round tents with wooden frames, insulated with skins or felt and with a stove in the center.
Exploration
Day 1The first day was spent just exploring the capital, Ulaanbaatar. That food is korean street food, there was a lot of korean food and products in Mongolia.
Museums
Day 2The second day was museum day. We had to perform a sort of humiliation ritual before the golden statue.
Uh Oh...
Interlude
Our hotel was repairing the hot water so they compensated us with free access to the sauna. When we got there, however, we were shocked. It was as if we had clipped through reality into the backrooms.
We of course repeatedly went into the sauna and jumped in the cold pool.
That night
Still day 2That night we went to a bar, had some beers, and played some games. I absolutely mogged my friend at air hockey and lost at everything else.
Driving Begins
Day 3We finally got the car and set a course for the giant genghis khan statue and the turtle rock. Soon after we ate and it got dark so we camped somewhere.
Seeing the land
Day 4We woke up and traveled the land from a big rock mountain to a big lake with cows all the way to a wide rocky mountain range with a hidden village and trees close to which we set up camp.
Random
Day 5
This day was kinda random and unplanned as we needed to head back towards the capital and had extra time on our hands.
We found a town in the middle of nowhere having a little festival (likely naadam).
Car Stuck!
Intermission
My friend decided it was a good idea to drive on a "dried up" lakebed
It took us 1h30m to free the car.
Luckily we had a bunch of time on our hands.
Finding a Place to Rest
Still day 5We continued towards the capital and looked for a place to camp. After wandering near a river we found a ger camp and decided to stay there for the night.
Rushing
Day 6
Got woken up by a fucking bird perching up on my friend's bed, meanwhile he slept through that.
Not many cool pics since it was a speedrun towards the capital. All the cool places were booked so we had to get into a shitty hostel.
The Ol' Switcheroo
Day 7
We visited the square in hopes of seeing the costume parade, however we were greeted with a military parade instead.
Afterwards we decided to scout out the place where naadam was to take place.
At night we tried to get chinese food but they told us it would take an hour so we went on a ramen date again.
Naadam is Here!
Day 8
There were people from different Mongolian tribes like the eagle hunters and the reindeer tribe in the north. They also showed how gers are carried.
We didn't buy tickets so we had to watch on a big screen with 10 seconds of delay.
Khuushuur is the best food in mongolia.
After eating we got free seats to see the archers and we sat by the female side so I don't have pics of the male archers.
Horse Racing
Day 9
Sleeping from day 8 to 9 was the worst since a storm hit and it was cold as shit.
We slept right by the horse racing which happens a day after the main naadam event. There was a couple selling khuushuur off the back of a truck and we got some to help with the cold.
It was a very cold morning and the horses were taking ages so we decided to leave and that's when they finally showed up so we only got pictures from afar.
After that failure we headed towards the old capital, Kharkhorin, and stayed at a hotel.
The Woodland
Day 10
We explored the rest of the monastery and set out on an adventure to a buddhist temple hidden away in a mountainous woodland.
We then got lost trying to reach some hot springs and decided to camp in the middle of nowhere since there was absolutely no light out.
Hot Springs Are Hot
Day 11
Pushing onwards towards the hot springs
Afterwards we drove all the way out to see some special deerstones and for dinner I had the oiliest noodles known to man.
More Randomness
Day 12
There was a massive gas shortage or something so there were large queues at gas stations.
When we finally managed to fuel up and leave we drove to an ancient city whose fortress walls were built out of mud, layer by layer.
Then we routed back to Kharkhorin where we appreciated a penis stone and had some kebab which was really good.
At the end of the day we camped out near a river.
We Begin Heading Back
Day 13
Got woken up by animal sounds and realized I was surrounded by them after coming out of the tent.
We started heading back towards the capital and decided to stop by the mini gobi, where we spent the night.
There were some ruins close by so we explored them.
Modern Nomads
Day 14
Pausing real life in mongolia to enjoy fictional (historically accurate) life in anime.
Quick breakfast and rush towards the capital.
We stayed at the backrooms hotel again.
Finally went to the Modern Nomads restaurant. The salad was amazing, the soup was nice, but the rolls were too heavy for me. Should've gotten khuushuur instead.
It's Over
Day 15
Had to wake up at ungodly hours because my flight was super early and the capital lives 1 hour away from the international airport. Couldn't say goodbye to my friend since his flight was much later and he was asleep.
The shoes stay on.
You are winrar!
Since you sat through my entire blog you get a compilation of short videos. Click here.
Warning: Loud.