Mongolia Tourist Entertainment Guide

Other than a friendly nomad’s ger, you’re unlikely to find any place to eat outside Ulaanbaatar. Remember that nearly all of Mongolia is `uncharted territory’ as far as tourism goes, and `eating out’ isn’t exactly a nomad’s idea of fun. In the somewhat popular destinations like the Khövsgöl Nuur and the Kharkhorin, tourist accommodation- small hotels and ger camps- will usually have an cafeteria, but don’t expect anything beyond the usual Mongolian fare.  Ulaanbaatar is a little better equipped- it has a number of Indian, Korean, Chinese and Western food outlets, so you shouldn’t get too bored of eating only meat and dairy products. If you want to eat cheap, you could go to the numerous `tuuts’- roadside stalls in  Ulaanbaatar, which sell provisions and snacks.

Mongolia is mainly a destination for adventure tourism- for people who want to go trekking, riding and exploring the wilds, not people who’re out for a good time. Don’t expect much in the way of entertainment, especially not outside   Ulaanbaatar. The capital has bars and cinemas and a few venues where there are occasional cultural performances (such as music and singing), but other than these, you won’t find much recreation. If you’re in Mongolia during festivals- particularly the lunar New Year (Tsagaan Tsar) or at Naadam, you will likely get to see some displays of traditional sports, like Mongolian wrestling, archery and horse racing, or even performances of traditional music and singing. The latter can otherwise be seen at religious and social gatherings such as weddings or festivals.