New LP Guide for Mongolia: Lots of GPS info!
 

Hello all: Lonely Planet just published a new edition of their guide book for Mongolia. This is long overdue, as the old one was very out of date.

The new one has GPS data for almost all the major sites in Mongolia, so if you are coming to Mongolia I recommend buying it even if you don't bring the hard copy with you. You can load all the waypoints before you leave.

And I'll repeat what I've mentioned before: Garmin's WorldMap base map is by far the best available base map for Mongolia. If you are buying a GPS for a trip here, get a Garmin (one that can load maps). Magellan will work, but has very little in the way of roads or towns.

I've been emailing waypoints to people before they come to Mongolia, but this will be a much more efficient.

Not that I don't love you all and live to serve, but I'm only human and often all too slow to respond to requests! http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/ubb/wink.gif

Scott (in Ulaanbaatar)

Scott, send me the list of waypoints, preferably in Garmin Mapsource format, also Excel is good, and I'll post them on the Routes and Tracks page.

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Grant Johnson

Seek, and ye shall find.
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One world, Two wheels.
www.HorizonsUnlimited.com

[This message has been edited by Grant Johnson (edited 27 May 2005).]

hey scott,

do you know if i can get a copy of LP in ulanbatar? where is the place to get maps in mongolia. youhave got an address?

thanks for information
daniel

scottw is the best one to answer you :-)

i used the local "road map" witht english and mongolian or russian writtings when i was in mongolia, excellent ! better than LP or NELLES. the "roads" were mentionned and also the petrol pumps, quite usefull there. accurate map.

i didn t use gps, just asking and meeting people around :-).

have fun there,

ps : scottw :

is there a kind of "bike market" in ub now or still "scarcity" of big bikes, spare parts, experiences, etc ... ? otgon at nassan gh helped me a lot when i had problems with my r100gs.

mercedes benz was quite helpfull when i was there, with their network.

and also the federation of motocross : they have a playground and their headquarters are just outside ub.

in summer 2002, the local bikers did their fist bike show in the streets of UB : so much fun and there were big bikes and cross bikes. does it still exist ?

a big travel agency was also renting for tours around 10 bmw f650s : they had a bit of spare parts. other travel agencies do this also now ?

Daniel: The LP is available in UB at Xanadu Book Store, just 10 meters west of the Chojin Lama Temple/Museum in central UB. Xanadu is the best English-language bookstore in the country. I also heard the new LP is available at some other local bookshops, but I know for sure it is at Xanadu.

As for maps, Xanadu has a very good collection, including some in English. There is also a special map shop in UB, but unless you need detailed topo maps, the ones they have in Xanadu are fine.

-Scott

Vincent: Still no real bike market in UB, and very few big bikes. Just some used Japanese models, about 3 BMWs and a lot of Russian Planeta 2-strokes.

The tour agency still has the F650s, but they are getting quite old and I heard they are not well maintained.

I know the motocross federation/club. They are nice guys. There are bike rallies a few times each summer, but usually they are hard to find out about in advance.

Mercedes used to have a German mechanic who knew something about fixing BMW bikes, but he has left Mongolia.

Options for "real" repairs of bikes in Mongolia, or for buying non-Russian bikes here, are still very limited.

-Scott



[This message has been edited by scottw (edited 07 June 2005).]