Ed Blank's Adventures Main Page

Frequently Asked Questions

International Flights Ulaanbaatar (ULN) is serviced by regular flights from Beijing (Air China and
MIAT), Moscow, Irkutsk (AeroMongolia and MIAT) and Seoul (MIAT/Korean
Air/AeroMongolia) and Tokyo (MIAT). We have timed these trips to coincide with the most convenient air flight schedules to/from Mongolia through Beijing, Seoul and Moscow.

You can anticipate paying approximately $1,500 for a round-trip, economy class
flight from the US or Europe. When we last checked, Korean Air was accepting
Delta award points for travel to Mongolia. United, Lufthansa, Northwest and
several other major carriers service Beijing.

Visas US citizens do not require a visa for entry to Mongolia. Most other nationalities
must secure a visa prior to arrival. Please contact us regarding the latest
requirements. Currently, South Korea does not require a visa for most international visitors.
Passengers transiting through Russia do not need a visa. UK and US citizens
transiting through China generally need a visa for a stay of over 24 hours, most
others do not. All foreign nationals staying in China or Russia need a visa. If
you need a visa for traveling through these countries, please be sure to secure a
double entry visa prior to departure.

Transit Overnights Flights through Seoul and Beijing do not generally require an overnight stay.
However, many guests decide to spend time in Beijing on their way to/from
Mongolia. We visit Beijing frequently and would be happy to suggest hotels,
offer logistical insights and, if you desire, direct you to reputable guides and tour
operators.

Beijing Train We really like the train to Beijing. Sitting in a private compartment, sipping a
glass of wine and watching the Mongolian countryside transform from the
northern steppe to the Gobi desert is a treat. Once you reach China, the
landscape becomes much more pastoral (and crowded). The train usually makes
a thirty-minute whistle stop at the Great Wall before arriving in downtown
Beijing. The whole trip takes about thirty-six hours, depending upon the time it
takes to switch the carriages (Mongolia and China have different gauge tracks)
at the border. Taking the train usually means an extra day or two in Mongolia. The train books
very early. However, with enough advance notice, we can easily arrange a trip
extension for a very reasonable price, including hotels, guide, tickets and
transfers to the station in Ulaanbaatar. Please contact us for details.

Insurance: This is an “at your own risk” adventure. We require that all guests carry their
own comprehensive medical (health) insurance, medical evacuation insurance,
and travel insurance. Most health insurance policies include medi-vac. Please
verify this with your provider. International SOS offers reasonably priced
overseas medical insurance and operates a health clinic and evacuation service
in Mongolia (www.internationalsos.com and www.sosmedica.mn).

Communications Email, telephone, cell, fax, etc. is all readily available in Ulaanbaatar. Once
outside of Ulaanbaatar, you are beyond the reach of all of these. In the field, we
have a satellite phone at camp for emergency use only and the guides and
drivers carry short distance radios.

Hotels We will make certain you stay in the best hotel available. Several new hotels are
completed each year, constantly improving the market. NJ knows them all very
well. We will make certain of excellent service and a convenient location.

Add-On Trips We operate trips all over Mongolia. If you want to take the train to Beijing,
spend a couple of extra days in UB with a guide visiting cultural sites, volunteer
on a research project, or take a couple of weeks riding a camel across the Gobi,
please let us know and we can easily arrange a private trip for you.

 
Ed Blank's Adventures Main Page

PO BOX 180446  BOSTON  MA 02118
Phone: 888-857-6700  
Fax: 617-427-7890
ed@flyfishingheaven.com