2 weeks across Central to Western Mongolia… where roads don’t really exist. Just open land, sky, and direction. We travelled in old Russian military vehicles, built for anything.
No fixed plans. Just a rough route and trust in the journey. Slept under the stars or with nomads in their ger. Life felt simple, slow, and very real.
Even as an Indian, used to cultural chaos, I had a cultural shock here. Life is tough beyond the beauty, people walk 5 km just to carry 10L water. And yes… morning “toilet ceremony” with endless open views ..
As a vegetarian, food was a challenge. Carried basic Indian ingredients, cooked when I could… survived and loved it.
Got stuck for 24 hours once due to breakdown. But this place teaches patience. People help each other without question, no religion, no divide… just human support.
Drivers here are next level—reading wind, land, and mountains to find the way. Language didn’t matter… a smile worked everywhere ..
Travelled with a friend, Mongolian by birth but raised in Europe. Even for her, it felt like discovering home again.
No reels, just real travel. Raw, wild, and deeply rewarding.
------
CURRENT UPDATE : Now there are many local travel agencies available, which makes things easier than before. Still, the country remains quite expensive to travel because transportation is limited compared to many other parts of the world.
But honestly, it’s very rewarding. Ulaanbaatar feels a bit retro and familiar at first, but once you leave the city and central region, the cultural shift feels massive.
Apart from a few main highways connecting central areas to west, north, south and border routes, much of the country still feels untouched and raw..
------
feel free to ask in personal if need any details travel guidence.