A landlocked country flanked by two huge countries – China and Russia, Mongolia is one of the few places in the world where nomadic life is still prevalent. Aside from the nomadic life there is in Mongolia, it also has the lowest population density amongst all independent countries.
When you travel Mongolia, it wouldn’t take you lots of days to stroll around it since it’s relatively a small country.
Here are five activities that you must keep in mind or at least observe for you to understand better the Mongolian culture, which is full of adventure activities:
1. Throat Singing
This kind of singing isn’t like those you commonly hear with anyone who sings. Tuvan throat singing is a version of overtone singing in which one or more pitches sound concurrently over a primary pitch thereby creating a unique sound. You can watch people who do throat singing in Ulaan Bator.
2. Riding Horses
Horses for Mongolians are an indication of good wealth. The movement of their life is ruled by the speed of the horse. Horses are also depicted in their songs, verses and history. Mongolians are affectionate of their animals. The horses serve as an important transport for them. If you want to experience the Mongolia way of life, try riding their horses or camels which you can luckily find in the countryside.
3. Playing Knuckles
The traditional game called Tsewelmaa is a game using sheep knuckles. The knuckles of the sheep are played like marbles and/or used as deck of cards for many different type of games.
4. Staying overnight in a Ger
A ger is a felt – lined tents with a Russian counterpart called yurt. Almost all herders in Mongolia have their own ger as it is considered to be their most important possession.
Its importance extends even to marriage. Whenever a couple gets married, the family will make them or buy them a new ger. A ger actually looks like a tent (round to be specific) and are easily constructed for an easy life of nomads.
When you’re there in Mongolia, you will never miss seeing a ger as there are little villages outside Ulaan Bator have communities with living in ger and camping in the great outdoors. There are also ger camps made especially for tourists.
Wait for the clear sky at night – absolutely incredible.
5. See a Contortionist
Mongolians value contortion as part of their culture and there is a long cultural history here. You would know that when you catch a show in Ulaan Bator where they will let you know that contortion actually started in Mongolia, only that other countries have made better versions. Many of their contortionists started out their training at a young age to build for themselves a career on that field.
Mongolia as a tourist destination is a great place for those who love to seek outdoor enjoyment and adventure with plenty of worthwhile trips available to choose from additionally. The country may be regarded as small but it sure has lots to offer from checking on its wide plains, riding camels and horses to meeting and sleeping with nomadic families. Mongolia is just one good place to travel and the last independent country in Asia to remain unspoiled.
