Aelfgifu Travels

Hi Aelf Crew,

Today’s post is all about Kharkhorin, the former capital of Mongolia established by Genghis Khan.

After my long bus ride (see my post on Mongolia’s bus journeys for details), I was met at the stop by someone from Monkhsuuri Guesthouse, where I was staying. I did share my travel details in advance with them and they were incredibly helpful from the get-go.

I stayed in a traditional Mongolian ger (yurt), which I had all to myself – an absolutely incredible experience.  

Logs were delivered in the evening to keep the fire going in the wood burner throughout the night, but by sunrise (around 5:30–6:30am), the fire had long gone out and so I was awoken by the cold. I walked out the ger to see snowfall from the night – so was grateful for the logs!

Breakfast was included in my stay and whilst I couldn’t see any kitchen facilities to allow me to cook myself, they had reasonably priced meals available – of course, just the usual mutton and hot water – but I will go into more detail on that in a future post.

That evening, I took a walk to Erdene Zuu Monastery, one of the oldest surviving Buddhist monasteries in Mongolia. I went around 7pm and it was completely desolate, creating an eerie stillness. In hindsight, I would recommend going earlier when other people are around.

On the way there, I detoured up a nearby hill and stumbled upon a curious circle of horse heads arranged in what looked like a shrine, or maybe something else entirely – I’ll never know. 

Later that evening, two singers came to perform traditional throat singing with the national instrument of Mongolia – the morin khuur (also known as the horse-head fiddle). This was absolutely amazing to sit and listen to – we all had a go at throat singing and it is quite a technique that not a single one of us could do! Impressive! 

Before heading back, I visited the Kharakhorum Museum, which gave great insight into the city’s historical significance. I was the only visitor at the time, so the staff kindly played an English-language video just for me. A peaceful and informative way to end the trip.

Once again, someone from the guesthouse drove me to the bus station for the return journey – they were super accommodating throughout.

Top Tips to Learn from Aelfgifu:

• Mongolian names have lots of variation of spelling – so you may see this city spelt as “Karakorum”, “Kharkhorin” or “Kharakhorum” but don’t be alarmed for they are all the same place.
• I would highly recommend staying in one of the gers for a proper Mongolian experience – cosy and unforgettable.
• Be prepared for cold, even in late April!

Have you stayed in a ger? What was your experience? Let me know down below!

With snow at the door and songs in the air,
Aelfgifu