Mongolia: The land of the blue sky. Also a place I regretfully admit never made it to the top of my must-see list. Ulaanbaatar is the capital and accounts for over 40% of the entire Mongolian population. The people there are as kind as they are beautiful, and truthfully they have to be some of the toughest people on this planet to live through repeated Mongolian winters.

I had the pleasure of spending 10 entire days in Ulaanbaatar on a work trip and thoroughly enjoyed myself. I highly recommend the Shangri-La Hotel for it’s luxurious amenities and landscaping views of the city. Additionally, the hotel connects through a private entrance to the Shangri-La Mall which houses several excellent restaurants, tons of shopping and an IMAX if you’re so inclined. I frequented the mall to keep loading up on warm clothes since my original itinerary only had me staying for 36 hours.

1) Cashmere

Listen, I live in Hawaii and there is not a logical reason on earth I would need cashmere anything. Unless of course I unexpectedly found myself in the coldest location I’ve ever been. The local currency is the Mongolia Tugrik and currently exchanges for about 2700 tugriks to $1 USD. So, dare I say, 100% cashmere is actually affordable. And it’s also 1 of Mongolia’s top exports (#3 to be exact), which means putting money back into the pockets of the locals. I’m all about that. I went to several different shops, the Gobi cashmere store has the best selection for both men and women’s goods. I also bought a gorgeous blanket from Nadam Cashmere.

2) Chinggis Khaan Statue

About 50km outside Ulaanbaatar stands a 131-foot statue of the Emperor riding a horse. The location is so far outside of the city because legend has it this is where he found his golden whip. At the base of the statue there’s a few locals that have “touristy” things for you to do. Of course I did them because they involved petting animals. Fun fact: 2-humped camels are known as Bactrian camels and they’re an at-risk species. Mongolians are actively working to save the wild bactrian camel population from going extinct. The locals also have a golden eagle that will hop up on your arm, flap its’ wings and look majestical AF. To this day there are still Mongolians who use golden eagles to hunt, they’re called Eagle Hunters. How utterly terrifying is that? WOW.

3) Temples & Monasteries

The predominant religion in the area is Buddhism and Shamanism and they make for gorgeous and ornate temples you can visit. The Bogd Khaan Winter Palace museum is located downtown Ulaanbaatar and opens for tours and visits daily. It’s just a short walk from the Shangri-La Hotel which is how we stumbled upon it. And it’s located next to an amazing restaurant called Veranda. Which leads me to number 4.

4) EAT EAT EAT

If there’s 1 thing I learned from this trip, it’s that staying warm in well below freezing temps burns serious calories. So you must eat, and eat we did. Listen, I love food. No, wait, I love REALLY good food. And I was pleasantly surprised by the food scene in Ulaanbaatar. I’m not an award-winning food critic but I like to think I know my way around a menu. Here’s a list within a list of great places to eat while visiting Ulaanbaatar.

1. Veranda – A Mediterranean restaurant on the outside houses a delicious menu and cozy atmosphere on the inside. Every single dish our party of 5 ordered was absolutely delicious. We actually tried to return for New Year’s dinner but they were all booked up. I’m still dreaming of my Tagliata with Chimichurri Salad.
2. Hutong – Features excellent Chinese cuisine served family style. We had family dinner here 3 times because it was delicious and conveniently located. I highly recommend the deep-fried chicken with sesame lemon sauce, fried rice with lamb and the seafood hot and sour soup.
3. Rosewood Kitchen + Enoteca – Don’t let the less than appealing exterior fool you, this place is legit. The interior is tranquil yet vibrant and the food is divine. I definitely felt like this place had been transplanted from a hipster neighborhood in Seattle, but I didn’t mind. This place seemed popular with the ex-pat crowd and for good reason. You must get the Cauliflower Fritti and ask for extra naan, you won’t be disappointed.
4. Chili – Serves up Shabu Shabu and sushi. This place is more casual but they definitely don’t slack on the food. With the freezing temps we all ordered hot pots to share and sushi to snack on. The sushi was delicious and fresh and the hot pots made for a wonderful social atmosphere with a wide range of flavors.
5. Cafe Park – We ate here every morning for breakfast. I loved that they had a wide array of items to choose from, and they had traditional Mongolian breakfast items such as Buuz, Khuushuur and noodle soups and various dairy items. I especially love the the eggs that were hard boiled in black tea and had soup every morning.
6. High Tea – The Lobby Lounge at the Shangri-La hosted high tea every day from 2-5PM and we were loyal patrons. Again, always cold. Look how cute that tiered treat display is. The treats were just what I needed as an afternoon pick-me-up and the whole pot of tea didn’t hurt.

5) Get Outside

I truly hope I can re-visit Ulaanbaatar during the summer months so I can see the green rolling hills, wild horses grazing, hike into the Terelj National Park and spend some time in the Gobi desert exploring where Mongol nomads still live and work. These are all options during the summer months and you can trade in hiking for dog sledding in the winter, I just wasn’t adequately prepared for such low temperatures.

If you want more travel content pop over to this piece about Gibralter or even this one about Cologne, Germany. Thanks for reading!

xo -Emily