After a 6-day tour of the Mongolian Desert and an epic 8-day trek along the Chulut River, we realized we were running out of time on our 30-day visa in Mongolia. We decided to visit Terelj National Park before time ran out. We caught the bus from Ulan Bator at noon (3 hours/2500 MNT) from the stop across from the Narantuul Hotel on Peace Ave. When we arrived at our ger camp, we knew it was going to be a great experience.
Dariece and I always get excited about staying in a new place, and moving into a new ger (a traditional Mongolian nomadic home) felt even better. We had our own private ger with two big beds and a gorgeous view of the national park. Our showers in Mongolia had been few and far between, and usually more like a trickle. But, the showers at Terelj Lodge ($40 per ger) were fantastic! Huge rain shower heads sprayed hot water in a spotless, clean shower room. It felt like heaven!
On our first day, we took a short hike around the area and, for once, the sun was shining brightly in Mongolia. The lodge’s restaurant surprised us with affordable wine. Being wine lovers, we bought a bottle (okay, two) and enjoyed some wonderful Australian red under the sparkling blue Mongolian night sky.
Our ger had a small stove inside which we didn’t need since it was warm at night, but we lit it anyway and enjoyed the sauna-like atmosphere. We just wanted to have a fire going.
The next day, we set off on a long hike around the southern parts of Terelj National Park. We did the classic tourist activities, which is unusual for us, but we really enjoyed it. We visited Turtle Rock, a massive rock that looks just like a turtle.
After exploring Turtle Rock, we continued our hike and had lunch on a cliffside, just the two of us. We looked out over the park and a large monastery perched on a cliff.
The southern part of Terelj is quite developed, with many upscale Ger Camps. Though we didn’t have time to explore the untouched wilderness we love in Mongolia, our hike still gave us a good sense of the beautiful landscape.
Back at our ger, we indulged in another amazing shower (we had three in total). We spent another evening sipping wine and enjoying the warm fire.
After the 8-day trek and Gobi Desert tour, relaxing with some easy hikes at Terelj was just what we needed. We’re so glad we made the quick trip from Ulan Bator. Terelj Lodge was by far the nicest ger camp we’d stayed in, and we treated ourselves well there.
Now we’re back in Ulan Bator, and today we’re hopping on the Trans-Siberian train to Lake Baikal in Russia! We’re sad to leave Mongolia but excited to see what adventures await us next.