Renting a vehicle in Mongolia

Mongolia is a vast nation, with not so much population and not a very good road system. Roads connect only main cities. Public transportation is available but not in abundance and does not connect all the parts. If you really want to travel to Mongolia, it is essential to find a vehicle and a driver (note, you cannot drive in Mongolia, unless you have a Mongolian driving license and this rule is for your own  safety, so do not think about bypassing it). Also, it is essential that vehicle is a good one which can take on the absence of roads in Mongolia, preferably a 4WD.
Before travelling to Mongolia, I did a lot of research on hiring a vehicle and I know how confusing it can be. So I thought of putting some information and a few tips here and hope it is useful to other travellers.

Following are the average costs quoted by different travel agencies to me for a decent 4WD or a Russian Van:

Vehicle rental per day: USD 80-100
Driver’s salary: USD 15
Driver’s food and accommodation: USD 10 (You can negotiate this with driver)
Fuel: USD 1-1.5 per Litre and any vehicle needs between 15-20 litres per 100 kms

So the conclusion is that it is quite expensive and not affordable for most of travellers, unless the group is big.

But when I actually went there, I was surprised the ease with which we found a driver and a vehicle for a very cheap cost (may not be always that easy). We found a driver just strolling through the town of Tsetserleg. An owner of a 4WD approached us and asked us if we would like to hire him. Within half an hour’s of negotiations, following was the agreement:

Vehicle rental: None (No agency involved, car was owned by the driver himself)
His salary and food: USD 25 per day
Fuel: As per the distance

So, we ended up removing the rental from our costing entirely and this is what you can do too.

1. Do not approach a rental agency directly
2. Wait in the town/city for at least a couple days to find a driver. Be patient.
3. There are always a few drivers roaming around in Mongolia and can approach you or you can approach them
4. If they ask for rental, refuse and pay salary, food and accommodation instead. You can give him a USD 5 more and he will be happy.
5. Ask around to locals or other travelers if they know a driver. If there are any expats or travelers who have settled in Mongolia, they would surely know one.

Advantages of having a vehicle:
1. Total flexibility. Go where you want, when you want. Change the plan whenever you want.
2. Usually driver knows the roads and has a lot of mechanical experience too and hence you do not have to worry about breakdowns (our car did not break down a single time in spite of so many warnings given on internet)
3. You can camp in the middle of nowhere. That is what its all about!
4. The costing turns out to be very cheap if you don’t go through an agency
5. Usually drivers are good singers :)
6. Ask around at your guesthouse for travelers to join you. More the people, lesser the cost per head.

Hope this helps you..I am looking for the contact of the driver we hired and will update it as soon as possible.

Edit: Finally I am back home and was able to find the driver's contact. Here's the picture of his visiting card. I am sorry it took so long.

Cheers!

From one lake to another

Our main destination was going to the great Khuvsgul lake, one of the largest fresh water lakes in the world...its situated in northern Mongolian near the Russian border.
Having done a small hike in the morning on nearby hills, we left before noon...clear sky and the young sun meant that weather was comfortably warm..we had to say goodbye to two German girls and the French girl and our group was once again down to four.

Mongolian Breakfast

Saying goodbye to our hosts

It was a long journey ahead of us, of at least 300 kms and considering the lack of any roads, we decided to split it in two days..we set off with our bellies empty hoping to find some lunch on the way..however for next four hours we did not come across any civilisation..natural beauty surrounding helped us to forget the constant hunger, but finally our driver decided to take the matters in his own hands..we stopped besides a fresh and clean stream of water...and our driver started cooking! We had the most amazing meal of Yak meat, stream water, salt and rice before setting off again...that was the first time we saw funny side of our driver and a few smiles on his face..

Our driver cooking Yak

The stream

With bellies full, our mood was relaxed and the Mongolian music was playing on the radio..the same song would repeat again and again for the rest of the journey we sang along with our driver breathing in the Mongolian country-side..at around 7 PM, we came across the first ger camp and decided to rest there for the night instead of taking risk of spending the night out in the open.
The next morning was as any other mornings in the Mongolian country-side...sheep grazing away the abundant grass, a few birds chirping around and a distant sound of cutting wood..we set off for Lake Khuvsgul, but soon stopped at a small town for no apparent reason...our driver went to meet his police friend and we used this time to convert some currency and take a few snaps of locals...locals are always curious about outsiders since there are not many this country...they chatted with us and spoke a few words in Mongolians and we all shared some good laugh..

Just another morning in Mongolia

The Town

Locals chatting

A Lone horseman

Awww

Our driver was in special mood that day having consumed adequate amount of Vodka and the afternoon again went quick with Mongolian music...we reached a town called Murun, which turned out to be his hometown and stopped at his place for light snacks and some Mongolian goat tea.

Our driver and his son

Hatgal is a small village situated at the starting point of lake Khuvsgul  and the driver’s mother owns a ger camp there..we entered the ger camp to be welcomed by warm smile of an elderly woman, with wrinkled face and shining eyes..keeping the luggage in the ger allocated to us, we set off to explore the town and the lake...

Hatgal

Seemingly another ghost town

There was a profound sense of lack of activity to this town..especially due to the off-season..the town consist mainly of ger camps and hotels and very few locals stay after end of August..there were no tourists, not even many Mongolians and it looked like a ghost town..as we reached the lake and checked our map, we realised that the great expanse of the water ahead was only one tip of the lake..it was hard to imagine the size of lake...we came across more horses and cattle than humans before reaching what looked like a ship dock...we were approached by a boatman who offered to take us on a ride on his speed-boat to an island in the lake..our company increased by two with a Chinese traveller and his guide joining us.
The boat sped on the water jumping every now and then in the air, leaving behind jets of water bubbles...the boatman, with his unchanging cold face stared ahead..only to move his lips to let out a puff of smoke from the cigarette..soon, there was only water on all the sides with no shore visible and that was when we realised the size of that lake..it was ocean-like...

The tip of the huge lake

We reached the island, jumped out the boats and were instructed by the boatman to climb a small rocky cliff..the view from the top of the cliff was exquisite and snowy mountains in the distant and the huge lake below...i was tempted to jump down just to feel the purity of the water, but decided against it.
I climbed down the cliff and went to the shore to sit...others were still on the top clicking photos and the time was right for meditation...odd wind carried small waves of water to the shore, kissing the pebbles..making a soothing sound...our boat swayed with the water, as if enjoying the movement...a seagull like bird decided it was time to take it to the air, flapping its wings...and my heart breathing lungful of purest air on this planet.

Lake Khuvsgul

Colors

At the lake

Cliff

Our boat and the boatman

This was actually a bar...deserted bar

No beer flowing there...

The boat took us back to Hatgal and night fell before we set off to find our ger camp..we lost our way..found it..lost again and found it again...and finally were glad to see the familiar wrinkled face beaming from the door...we entered our ger and the wrinkled face appeared again, this time with our dinner...only means of communication then, were the eyes glittering with fire-light and the smile...it conveyed that the woman cared about four total strangers and had opened her heart to welcome them to her home..

Ovoo, Dead volcano and the White lake under the stars

After a lot of discussions, our little group reached the conclusion that we needed a vehicle and a driver to go around in Mongolia due to lack of proper public transportation. We decided that the vehicle and driver would continue with us at least till Erdenet via Lake Khuvsgul, making the total journey worth about 1200 kms..finding a driver in Mongolia, especially out of UB is not very easy and we were particularly lucky to find one while just strolling the town...a pen, a diary, a map and a mobile phone were our means of communication with the driver...negotiations lasted for half an hour and within next 1 hour, we were ready to move on...we were now joined by a couple of German ladies who needed a ride till white lake, which is about 170 kms from the town..

Our 4WD

So, our group set off in the newly hired comfy vehicle..for next 4 hours, we came across hardly any vehicles, gers, town or any human presence...it was an empty world...only some inch-high grass on hills and ever-present blue sky...snow capped mountains were straight in front of us, giving us a company for a long time, hiding themselves sometimes with the turns and then returning again in sight...

A large gap in the earth appeared on our right side, which turned out to be a river far below...we stopped near the river by a pilgrimage tree and the sacred rock pile called Ovoo.... if you come across such a place, you need to add a rock to the pile, circle around the pile for 3 times and then go ahead...and if you are in a hurry, in a vehicle, just blow the horn thrice..

Road to the mountains

Steppe

A sacred tree

Ovoo

River

Continuing on, our driver stopped abruptly at a base of a mountain, asked us to get out of the car and climb the mountain...as we started climbing, rubble started to increase and we realised that it was indeed the famous dead volcano...there are two big craters in the mountain, one at center-top and one just below it...the view from the top is stunning..bordered by a few hills and a small portion of white lake visible..soon the cold became unbearable and we had to climb down...at the base, in a small temparary structure a woman and her daughter were selling fresh hot goat milk...a little casual chat with them, warm smiles on their faces and a glass of goat milk gave us enough energy to fight off the cold..

Crater

View from the top

Goat-milk sellers with Adrian (Australian) on right

We headed onwards and passed through a small village (another seemingly deserted location) before reaching White Lake..September is end of summer and most of the Ger camps had wound up business and moved back to the nearby villages...but there were a couple of Ger camps still open for latecomers like us..and one camp offered us rate of about USD 6-7 per person per night...

We were quite enthusiastic for our first experience in the ger and were thrilled to see the inner structure...it is simple, with one single pole in the middle, surrounded by a wooden net on which animal-hide etc is wrapped..in the middle there's a small stove which kept burning by feeding wood, to keep the cold away..

As we came out of the ger and we beheld the beauty surrounding the ger camp..white lake is a great expanse of the lake...blue sky reflected its clear water and the white ger camps stood out from the green grass surrounding the lake..clear sun-light meant bright colors everywhere..but the weather changed with lapse of a moment and blue sky was converted into the shade of grey..dark clouds started gathering and storm was in the offing..soon, it started to snow..and in spite of tiredness and cold, the whole group burst with joy..we started enjoying the first snow in Mongolia..but every now and then, we went back in the ger to get some warmth from the stove, before going back in the storm again..

Nachiket, Victor and Adrian- My 3 companions

Our first Ger

Ger camp by the lake

Storm in the offing

White lake

Mongolian Supper

The storm lasted only for a while and went away leaving behind a thin snow sheet...the sky was clear again, but the sun had sunk in...soon, the snow sheet would melt away and the stars would spring back to life...to say that there were a lot of stars would be like saying there's lot of water in the ocean..the sky that night was an ocean of stars...with a crescent moon smiling proudly...it was the first time i saw the milky way with my naked eyes...it was a perfect day and it was a perfect night..and it ended perfectly with traditional hot Mongolian meal of soup and Mongolian nan-like bread..

From city camouflage to the real Mongolia

Tsetserleg is a small town located in Arhangai province, west of UB..the journey takes about 8 hours by the daily bus leaving from Dragon bus stand...
Having done our breakfast, we hopped on the bus, waiting for it to begin the long journey...it did leave on time and withing 20 minutes or so, we left behind the city and its architecture and the view on both the sides was replaced by green grasslands, sharp blue sky and a few rolling hills..only to be dotted once a while by a sole "Mongolian Ger" or a few horses herded by a nomad..we realised that now this, this was real Mongolia..and this was what we went there for..

Mongolian countryside

Bus to Tsetserleg

Halfway through the journey, our group of four increased by one more person who was on the bus..so now the group consisted of 2 Indians, one guy from Singapore, an Australian and the french girl we met on the bus...
We left the tar road behind and were on dusty roads for the most part..in fact, sometimes, no roads at all...the bus followed tyre marks created by previous vehicles..the bus kept producing dust clouds for rest of our journey.
Soon, with AC malfunction, the sun started baking our bus...opening the emergency window earned a round of applause for me from the commuters..after which, all seemingly cold faces till then, had warmth in them and smiles all around..it was the ice breaker and rest of the journey went faster, chatting with locals, as much as their broken English could allow..
We passed a town called Kharkhorin (an ancient capital of Mongolia), before reaching Tsetserleg. Tsetserleg is a small town, mainly famous for attractions nearby...a white lake, a volcanic mountain, fishing and such activities..situated on various sloping hills, it is dotted by various colored rooftops of houses..red, green, yellow, blue..the town itself has very little to offer..but has a modern European style guesthouse called Fairfield, run by an Australian guy...it costs about USD 20 per night and provides good hot showers, free internet and lavish bakery.

Checking in, we came out of the guesthouse to roam around the town for a while..even before the sunset, the town already seemed deserted...the only life in town was a few locals sitting, smoking cigars and staring at us blankly and a stray dog wandering aimlessly...it had the feeling of a cowboy town...but we realised the reason behind this emptiness as cold wind started piercing through our clothes and our skin..we had no other option but to retreat to our warm and cozy rooms..

Tsetserleg

Broad day light and deserted street

A walking tour of Ulaanbatar

Get up- Cold shower- Breakfast- Ready for the day!

The morning walk was sublime! Early morning breeze, young sun rising and shining on our backs, school children running to catch their buses and UB business class rushing to their offices...The shops and buildings on both the sides of Peace Avenue were still not fully awake, but the Russian architecture was shouting out aloud the Communist presence that left more than a little mark on the city..

  

Peace Avenue

After buying bus tickets for our journey to Tsetserleg planned for next day, we decided to visit Gandan Monastery, which is off the main street...a road runs sloping upwards a little from peace avenue to the monastery. Small red, yellow flags swim through the wind, against the bright blue sky..entering the monastery, you will be greeted by a whole flock of pigeons, who are not so afraid of people as it is customary to feed them there...you can literary walk through them and they would make a temporary way for you by jumping to another spot..the monastery has a feel,,the feel of the prayer wheels, monks and peace..you can hear the music in your heart, distant drum beats and the music played by the ever-present wind..the literal translation of the word Gandan is "Great Place of Complete Joy" and you will experience that joy, a peaceful joy!

Prayer flags swimming the wind

Taking it to the air

Birds and the Monastery

The monastery houses around 150 monks and a big Buddha statue and history tells that it was partly destroyed and all of its contents were taken away by the communists during their rule and were converted into ammunition required for the war effort of Russia...but the Mongolians re-constructed the monastery and its contents and the tall Buddha's satisfied face suggests that monastery is peaceful, once again, despite atrocities by the communists! 

Circle round the monastry with the prayer wheels ..rotating one at a time, slowly...to make each prayer heard by the divine power... but do not rush or push the wheel too fast, else you come back to where you started!

Lion standing vigil

Tall Buddha statue

The evening came rushing in as our afternoon was spent trying the first Mongolian beer, finding our lunch and visiting a few more guesthouses for more options...

As evening progressed, streets started to become more and more lively...all of a sudden, vans parked at road-sides opened their rear doors, to reveal various things inside for sale, fruits, shoes, clothes, hats.. Rather convenient alternative for a shop!

We reached Sukhbaatar square with evening sun still reflecting on the modern glass buildings surrounding the area..The square is huge and is named after their modern hero of revolution, Sukhbaatar....it has an equestrian statue of this revolutionary and also statues of Genghis along with his 9 heroes...there are few benches to sit on and locals come there to spend free time with their families....after a peaceful joy at the monastery, the square was filled with an energetic joy! Families having happy conversations, kids cycling and skating, couples taking photographs...we spent our evening there till the nightfall, which came sooner than expected! Without any warning, the square became deserted, both of people and of the energy and cold started to remind us of its presence...

Genghis Khan and his Heroes

The Square

Modern revolutionary- Sukhbaatar

Mongolian Inspiration and first impression

When I was a kid, I watched a Lonely Planet (Globe Trekker) episode on Mongolia, featuring Ian Wright. The most inspiring thing for me was the vastness of the country and equally vast emptyness... the seemingly cold faces of mongolian people there and the history behind that...very simple life and the every day struggle that they have to put.....and the Mongolian Steppe!

We got first glimpses of the vast country and its landscape from our flight....it was quite hard to take my eyes away from the sight and kept looking at it till my neck started complaining to my brain..All this while, various travel episodes on Mongolia and also the book on Genghis Khan I was reading at that time, kept playing on my mind and it had made an imaginary Mongolia...the real one, to my surprise was not much different..that goes to show the unchanging nature of the country..its description during the period of the Great Khan, the travel show hosted by Ian Wright somewhere during 2004 and the country i witnessed myself, were not much different, well except for a few cities and mainly the capital, Ulaanbaatar..

Landing in UB (as most travelers call it), we braced ourselves for the cold weather, but were greeted by the evening sun, which had warmed up the city...as we headed to the guesthouse in the cab with our friendly hosts, the great expanse of the city revealed itself...barren land on both the sides and the city within...as slowly we entered the city, dust clouds gave way to more clearer view and the Russian impact on this age-old nation became apparent in its architecture..glimpses of karaoke bars, khoosoor houses, pubs and restaurants, banks and offices made it apparent that this city moved at a faster pace than many believed...