Nightclubs and bars in Mongolia

Old Cliffie tends to favour pleasant conversation when he is drinking, and the Dublin pub - "Ulaanbaatar's first Irish pub" – on Seoul Street is a comfortable and homely place to down a couple of Gingghis beers and meet a few locals or foreigners living in Mongolia. One evening when he was there, old Cliffie enjoyed the craic with two teachers from Australia and the USA and a lively Mongolian tour guide. And somehow the evening moved from Gingghis beer to Gingghis Khaan vodka.

The Grand Khaan Irish pub opened in 2005 and attracts a mixed crowd of Mongolians and expats. A seat at the bar is a good place for people-watching. The place starts to fill up in the early evening as young Mongolians leave work and drop in for a drink. And it takes some time to fill up, since the Grand Khaan is big: more of a beerhall than a pub.

If you like to "star gaze" then the Gobi desert is one of the best places in the world to do it as the night sky is usually clear and there's no pollution or lights. I spotted several star constellations and I'm not up on what or where they are in the night sky.

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In the evening after dinner at our ger camp in Harhorin (beside the famous monastery of Erdene Zuu) we watched a musical and contortionist show by the Karakorum Group who played and sung traditional Mongolian songs and music. The songs featured traditional Mongolian instruments and, of course, throat singing. A young, rather too bendy, 12-year old girl performed a contortion act to the music by the group. They were all very good and I think they perform every night whenever tourists are in town. You can by a CD of their music after the show.

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This is one of the places to hang-out at night (or any other time of day for that matter) at. It's a large modern style pub/restaurant that opened in August 2005 and became an instant hit with locals and foreigners alike as it serves some great food and drink. The menu includes mostly western dishes such as salads, soups, pasta, pizza, stews, grilled meats, steaks, pork chops, Irish sausages and even fish and chips (although they didn't have this on one occasion I was there). They also serve some Mongolian specialities such as Khuushuur, Buuz and Khorhog. Draft beers include Altan gobi, Khan brau and Chinggis as well as Tiger and Guinness. The atmosphere can be relaxed or quite noisy as they do have some live music on some nights.

There are said to be some 27 cinemas operating in Ulaanbaatar of which this is probably the best as it’s the only multi-screen one. It's located on the western side of Freedom Square, 2 blocks north-west of the Sukhbaatar Square. Freedom Square is a bit hap-hazard as its made of reinforced concrete with the metal bars sticking out of the ground meaning that you have to watch where you step (especially if you come out of the cinema in the dark). I went to the cinema one evening to watch the new Indiana Jones movie which was in English with Mongolian sub-titles so I was laughing before the locals! The screens are like those you get back home complete with air-con and even cup holders. A counter sells popcorn, drinks and sweets. Western films are in English so you should be alright watching them. My ticket cost T3,500.

There is a neverending supply of restaurants, bars, discos, and clubs that have western names, themes, etc. You should have no problem finding what you want if you are a homesick. They are also lots of english speaking expats here too if you have a problem or are looking for some company.

Dress Code: Come as you are....

I had the great pleasure of watching the full moon rise with the red planet March nearly "touching" it over the hills surrounding the Tsarim Burt Steppe. The sun had just set so it wasn't completely dark. This was sooo nice. I got my camera out of the ger and ventured to take a photo of the scene. A flock of bleating sheep took an interest in this and surrounded me, so the lonely steppe scenery became clogged with unruly sheep.
If you have the chance for a full moon rise on the steppe, don't miss the chance. With the right person, no sheep and people around, but an urga, this scene could easily qualify for a VT "adult spot" tip... Raaaather romantic...

Now, let me see if I have photo. If not now, perhaps later.