Customer Reviews

Lonely Planet Mongolia

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(12)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

I recently returned from a trip to Mongolia, where the Lonely Planet Mongolia guide was my principal source of information.

I am an experienced world traveler, and have had both up-to-date and out-of-date guidebooks with me. I have had books where I agreed with the characterizations in the books, and others where the characterizations seemed far off. Despite being a few years out of date when I bought it, this guide performed extremely well by both standards. The objective information all remained remarkably accurate and up-to-date, and the subjective characterizations were pretty much on the mark as well. Right on down to the small details, such as which museums make you pay a photography fee, which ger camps are more attractively located, and so forth. The history provided in the book is also very relevant; though not extensive, I was struck by how, during my travels, the history I encountered had pretty much all been laid out in the Guide.

I had a splendid time in Mongolia, and have come away with a warm feeling towards Mongolia and the absolutely wonderful people there. I would definitely object if, as some other reviews here have stated, the book took a patronizing or negative tone towards Mongolia. I frankly do not see this at all. It is candid in noting a few of the issues that confront a traveler to Mongolia, but this is vital information to know. I followed the instructions on "things to pack" for Mongolia, and I'm very glad I did; I used all that stuff along the way at some point -- the flashlight, the extra batteries, the bar of soap, the gifts for ger visits, the WetWipes, the bug repellent, etc. Rarely have I been so well prepared by a Guidebook.

If anything, I believe the book understates some of the things for which travelers should be prepared. It describes Ulaan Baatar as a "pleasant" capital city with many interesting restaurants, similar to a middle-sized European city. I enjoyed UB very much, but I know many people who would not regard it as "pleasant" at all: it is filled with hideous Stalinist architecture, it is polluted, and in many places very dilapidated. I found it stimulating and having much to offer, but many vacationers would not enjoy it, and the LP Guide probably downplays these aspects a bit. It also downplays the fact that even at the "touristy" ger camps, you're more likely to have a swarm of insects in your tent at night than to encounter any hot water pressure in the shower at the communal bathroom.

Mongolia is a wonderful place to visit, but it is not for everyone. I saw the LP Guide on the person of many a tourist there, and with good reason; it's an outstanding and indispensable guide.

Why not 5 stars? Well, there could be more. Mongolia is a big country, and this is a thin book by LP standards. Could use a little updating for some of the more recently constructed accommodations. Also could simply use more of everything -- it was a little hard to get a sense ahead of time as to what was worth visiting, because some of the regions of the country are not discussed in significant detail.

Bottom line: great guide, could be improved simply by offering more of the same.

Some of the negative reviews on this website actually got me wondering whether I should buy this book or not. Now that I'm back from the trip, I have no doubt about it: it's pretty much a must. Had I not brought the book along, I would've had to keep borrowing other travelers' copies during my visit. The information's extremely useful and complete, whether you agree with every single comment or not. I'm not familiar with other similar guides on Mongolia in English, but every foreigner that I met there seemed to be carrying a copy of this one.

Perhaps it is because Mongolia is changing so fast (individual visas were only issued from 1 June 1997) but this book is one of Lonely Planet's worst - and that's sad because Mongolia is a fantastic country. For example, almost all the backbacker accommodations mentioned in the UB section have closed down, and it doesn't mention Gana's Guest House which is the only place to stay if you're on a budget. Also, it underestimates the travel times between different towns, and makes some of them sound quite big when in fact they are tiny. But don't wait for a new edition - go to Mongolia before it changes!

I was very impressed with this guide and the Mongolians that we were with were also impressed with the accurate information.
There was quirky tidbits, the history was interesting reading, the culture and customs was relevant, and overall, very informative.

I think one of the reasons why this guide book comes in for criticisms has to do with Mongolia's mixed development since the collapse of communism. There was initially a great deal of optimism that the economy would take off and that Mongolia would become another asian tiger. At that time the Ghengis Khan hotel was thrown up. But in fact the country has endured a topsy turvy road to economic stability, with widespread poverty and crumbling infrastructure. People look at China, and its breakneck development, and think Mongolia must be improving at the same pace.

Tourists seeking the sanitised and comfortable journey they can experience in China, end up feeling very disappointed. Tourists must be forewarned: Mongolia is still an adventure destination and one that takes an adventurous spirit to tackle successfully. Don't expect things to work well, or food standards to be high, or the infrastructure to be new. It is a ramshackle country with a fantastic culture and great people.

The people's pride comes in to this. Being a democracy, Mongolians hotly debate the state of their country, and many are not happy with the path taken so far. This pride and anger comes out in its attempts to pretend the place is more advanced than it is, or to take offence when people comment frankly on the true state of the capital. But it is better to tell the truth because then people will know what to expect. I can think of equally volatile debates over guidebooks about the UK. But I had to agree with LP,since its writers point out the true state of a place.

Note: the reviews posted below apply to the old (2001) edition of the Mongolia guide. This new edition (2005) is truly better in terms of content and usability compared to the old version. I will use it on my trip to Mongolia this year with confidence.

I've been to Mongolia five time between 2005 and 2010. I book my travel arrangements through an established eco-tour company. And I would still not go to Mongolia without the latest Lonely Planet Mongolia guide.

Yes, it's badly out of date now due to being two years old and the fact that Mongolia is changing rapidly. (Much of the current print edition content appears to be on the LP website, but includes restaurants like the UB Deli, which have been out of business for at least two years.)

The history and culture sections are really well done. This is important since many people, especially Americans, don't really know much about Mongolia except for Chinggis Khan and his horde (and the knowledge is incomplete, too) The descriptions of the land, people, sights and parks match what I've seen on my trips. The author knows the country well.

The directory section in the back puts a lot of really useful information in one place and should be read by anyone planning to go to Mongolia for the first time. I do a quick review before a trip.

I found the maps to be somewhat frustrating. There are parts of the Ulaanbaatar maps which make it hard to see where some things are. In general, the maps need to be higher contrast since they aren't easy to read quickly or in less than bright light.

I'd like to see more on contemporary music, which is vibrant, fun and gives a special look into Mongol culture.

The restaurant section for Ulaanbaatar has worked well for me. I found the descriptions accurate and helpful and have been to about a dozen of the places listed.

The telephone section needs a thorough overhaul. Mongolia has skipped a whole generation of technology and gone straight to cell phones. I took my old Motorola Razr (the iPhone works, but the AT&T roaming charges are sky-high-$14/minute), went to the Mobicom office and for $8 got a new sim card with a decent number of minutes included. I only speak a smidge of Mongolian, but the woman behind the desk was friendly and helpful.

Hotel internet connections are another area that needs more coverage in a new edition. However, service providers come and go and the hotels seem to change what they do from year to year; wired to wireless, free to daily charge, no connection in rooms at all due to construction, etc., so one needs to be, uh, flexible. The guide is good, however, about letting you know where you can find free wi-fi.

I'm giving the book four stars, not because of the overall content, which is excellent (Full disclosure: I've met the author and am providing info. for the next edition), but because Lonely Planet really needs to fix the maps and put this guide on a one year cycle. Mongolia is changing fast due to mining activity (huge deposits of copper, gold and coal coming on line), which is bringing rapid economic growth (a Louis Vuitton store opened in UB not long ago). Also, they need to update the information on the website on an on-going basis, not just post the book content and forget about it.

I love Mongolia and always look forward to my next trip there.

Very old information, not well researched, and crudely written. New researchers were in Mongolia working on a new edition this summer, but from what I heard from those that met them, it won't be much better. Two males again, short amount of time in the country, and not very comprehensive visits.

I used the Lonely Planet guide for two trips to Mongolia and found it to be very useful. OK, doesn't have everything but not sure a single source could have everything and this is just to supplement your trip there I am assuming and that in deciding to go to such a place you understand that things are a bit different there - especially if you are from the west.

Mongolia is a place to go of you want to experience life as you have not experienced it elsewhere. It is truly unique, but again, if you are unfamiliar to such nations (the "stans" and central asia).

It's a guidebook - it's not going to answer anything, but this doesn't take away anything. Part of the journey my friends as well as part of the destination.

I served two years in the Peace Corps roughly the time this guide was written. I found this book not only derogatory of the Mongolian people, but woefully outdated (that was in 1997!). Furthermore, the maps in this book are tragically wrong; particularly when you get out into the rural areas. Lastly and most disturbing was the overall negative attitutde behind this book. Mongolian people are generous to a fault; It seems that the authors of this book missed the point entirely. Don't buy this book unless you want to have an undeserved negative opinion of a country before you go.