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Black Ibex Tours a nightmare
by Marthamaire
I want to file a serious complaint against the Black Ibex travel company. I have photographs and emails to prove what I am going to tell you. Dates of travel – left July 7 returned July 18, 2011. I have been in 43 countries all over the world and traveled with many many tour companies. Black Ibex was the worst I have ever traveled with. Here are some of my complaints:• they endangered the lives of people on the tour• they promised four star hotels and put me in dirty, smelly, two star hotel rooms• the two guides were below standard. • they lied to people on the tour rather than give them correct information which they thought would upset us• they promised us air conditioned vehicles to travel through the Gobi Desert and did not provide them until I complained• the private guide they promised me the final two days of my tour never showed up and I had to get my own guide from the hotel•...
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Changing money.
by illumina
On the train from Beijing, once over the border the restaurant car will have been changed from the Chinese one for a Mongolian one. If you're lucky, they may still accept smaller Chinese yuan notes, but if you go in there with no change, they'll offer to change it for Mongolian tugruk. DON'T accept - the rate will be approximately half what it should be; for example I only had a 100yuan note, and he told me the rate was 100T to 1Y, so offered 10000T in exchange. Luckily I'd already checked the exchange rates and knew that it should be closer to 200T to the yuan, and told him so! He wouldn't give me the correct rate, and I wasn't changing at his!
Take a flashlight!
by CliffClaven
Power failures are common in Ulaanbaatar. The lights went out while old Cliffie was shopping in a department store. The lights went out while he was drinking in a bar. And, more dramatically, the lights went out as he entered his hotel late one night. He had to climb 11 floors in a pitchblack stairwell to get to his room. So don't forget to take a torch/flashlight when you go to Ulaanbaatar!
Traffic
by Willettsworld
Traffic in UB gets very bad virtually any time of the day. Black spots include most of Peace Ave (the main east-west road through the city) and Chinggis Ave (which is the only road over the railway). It gets even worse when it rains as it took us a long time to do a short distance when it was raining. I was quite surprised by the standard of vehicles on the roads. Of course, there are loads of 4x4's around, some of them very posh like Porsche Cayenne’s, Range Rovers and BMW X5's, but there are also some expensive cars like a BMW M6, Mercedes S Classes and BMW 7 series. But most of the cars are small Korean Hyundai's or similar. One thing that was interesting to see was that there were more right hand drive cars than left hand ones. Most of the cars are straight Japanese imports which are cheaper to buy if they are right hand drive.
Pick pocketing
by Willettsworld
I had heard and read reports of many pick pocketing tails and backpack slashings before I went to UB and so was a little paranoid that something might happen to me whilst there. So to combat this I only took my small camera (albeit in my pocket) and a map wherever I went. There are certain off-the-beaten-track areas in the city which I would, personally, recommend not to venture in to. UB is a bit shabby and unloved and a one word summary of it would be "broken". It has an element of the "underworld" about it so be careful and try and not to take too much with you like bags or money etc.
Naadam - National Holiday
by Willettsworld
The biggest event of the Mongolian year for foreigners and locals alike is the Naadam Festival held during three days in July - normally 11th, 12th and 13th. During the three days, few restaurants and shops open and virtually no-one works so be warned.
Riding horses
by jobae
In our team's experience, the horses were brought to us and we rode them. The horses themselves only listen to their owners' commands, which is fine, I guess. The problem was that two of the horse owners (or their helpers) were playing with us -- two of our women companions almost fell off their horses because the yelping sounds of the owners startled the horses they were on and/or it caused them to go on full gallop. Next time I try this, I would make sure that the owners/helpers know what we expect and that they should and shouldn't do.
Riding horses
by jobae
In our team's experience, the horses were brought to us and we rode them. The horses themselves only listen to their owners' commands, which is fine, I guess. The problem was that two of the horse owners (or their helpers) were playing with us -- two of our women companions almost fell off their horses because the yelping sounds of the owners startled the horses they were on and/or it caused them to go on full gallop. Next time I try this, I would make sure that the owners/helpers know what we expect and that they should and shouldn't do.
Pickpockets at the Black market
by Invisibledave
Beware of the very brazen pickpockets of the Black Market in Ulaanbataar, these guys work in teams and have very little finesse somtimes, for a laugh stick a low value note in an obvious pocket get your mates to do the same, and place your bets. And the lucky pickpocket gets his lunch.
Vodka - the 2nd pest of Mongolia
by Saagar
When the Russians introduced the Mongolians to vodka, the Mongolians took to it like airag - in the same volume. They did not change their glasses' size.The result is a deep abyss of alcoholism and drunkenness penetrating Mongolian society.For travellers this may not have more effect than the occasional binge and drinking fun and party. It may also, however, include a drunk driver, lost days and changed schedules on the road, bureaucrats not attending to your file and issue, cutting yourself on broken glass and not getting to sleep at night because of a neighbouring ger brawl with ensuing fist fights etc. It can in fact be very annoying. The most visible thing is the tremendous littering. I think you can see the glittering of broken bottles along the roads of Mongolia from satellites.
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