Shopping in Ulaanbaatar
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Computerland
Techie travellers will find joy at Computerland a three-storey building crammed with dozens of private dealers selling everything from flash drives to the latest laptops. It is located behind the Canon Showroom, which also has a computer shop.
reviewed
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Gobi Cashmere Shop
The major cashmere and wool factories are Goyo (Mongolian-American joint venture), Gobi Cashmere (government-owned) and Buyan (owned by the prominent politician Jargalsaikhan). Excellent products can be purchased at the Gobi Cashmere Shop opposite the Russian Embassy.
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Librairie Papillon
Ulaanbaatar's finest bookshop, although almost everything is in French.
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D
Naran Tuul Market
Naran Tuul Market, east of the centre, is also known as the Black Market (Khar Zakh), but it's not the sort of place where you go to change money illegally and smuggle goods - though this certainly happens.
The market is huge, one of the biggest in Asia and in summer up to 60,000 people a day squeeze inside. There's an around Tug50 entrance fee. You can buy cheap gear for a camping trip, among other things, but the real reason to visit is to marvel at this enormous emporium.
An undercover area has a decent selection of clothes, such as bags, leather boots and fake North Face jackets. This is also one of the cheapest places to get traditional Mongolian clothes such as a del
reviewed
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E
State Department Store
Known as ikh delguur or 'big shop', the State Department Store is virtually a tourist attraction in itself, with the best products from around the city squeezed into one building.
The 1st floor has a supermarket in the back. The 2nd floor has outlets for clothing, cashmere and leather goods. The 3rd floor has electronics, a Mobicom shop, CDs, books, sports equipment, camping and fishing gear. The 5th floor has a great collection of souvenirs, traditional clothing, maps and books about Mongolia.
Foreign-exchange counters are found on the 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 5th floors, with cash only changed. The store also sells phone and internet cards.
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F
Gazaryn Zurag Map Shop
There are several maps available of Ulaanbaatar; the best is the 1:10,000 Ulaanbaatar City Map, updated annually. On the back is a 1:200,000 map of the area around Ulaanbaatar. Maps can be found in bookshops and hotels. A central map shop is the Gazaryn Zurag Map Shop . It produces its own maps, some of which are cheaper than those of Cartography Co, but the selection is much smaller and it doesn't have topo maps.
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Cartography Co Map Shop
There are several maps available of Ulaanbaatar; the best is the 1:10,000 Ulaanbaatar City Map, updated annually. On the back is a 1:200,000 map of the area around Ulaanbaatar. Maps can be found in bookshops and hotels but the best place to buy them is the Cartography Co Map Shop on Ikh Toiruu, near the Elba Electronics shop. You can also buy good topographic maps of Mongolia here.
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H
Argasun
Traditional musical instruments make perfect gifts for friends who are musically inclined. The morin khuur (horse-head fiddle) is particularly nice as a piece of decorative art (and Mongolians consider it good luck to have one in the home). Argasun, is a morin khuur workshop near Aeroflot. Morin khuur range from around Tug100,000 to T450,000.
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Shonkhor Saddles
Produces and sells saddles and other horse paraphernalia. The workshop is behind School No 5 on Baga Toiruu but is difficult to find on your own - contact the owners at the internet centre opposite the German Embassy. Ask for Tomor or Nara.
reviewed
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J
Tsagaan Alt Wool Shop
This nonprofit store, which sends money directly back to the craftspeople, has all manner of wool products, including toys, clothes and artwork. It's Christian-run, in case you were wondering about those Jesus Christ felt tapestries.
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Pro Shack
If you need tools for a self-organised jeep/motorcycle trip or a generator big enough to power a Mongolian village, drop by this German-owned hardware outlet. The shop will move in 2009 so call for its new location.
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Egshiglen Magnai National Musical Instrument Shop
Musical instruments including yattag (zithers) and two-stringed Chinese fiddles are available at the Egshiglen Magnai National Musical Instrument Shop, on the east side of the Museum of Natural History.
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Merkuri Market
Merkuri Market is sort of a flea market for food where you can bargain with individual vendors for all manner of imported goods, meat, cheese and vegetables, as well as luxuries such as caviar and crab sticks.
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Sky Shopping Centre
If you are based on the east side of town, the Sky Shopping Centre may be more convenient than the State Department Store and offers similar goods and services. It's behind the Chinggis Khaan Hotel.
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Minii Delguur Market
A standard supermarket. At the back of this market is Merkuri Market, a sort of a flea market for food where you can bargain with individual vendors for all manner of imported goods and luxuries.
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O
Seven Summits
Stocks German-made Vaude gear, GPS units, maps, travel books and accessories. It also hires out gear, including tents, sleeping bags, gas stoves, mountain bikes and inflatable kayaks.
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Werner's Deli
Genuine German deli serving all cold cuts and sandwiches, Werner's is located at the back of the Passage Market (the same complex as Minii Delguur and Merkuri Market).
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Xanadu
Offers a the best selection of fiction and nonfiction books in English, plus titles about Mongolia. It also carries a selection of Lonely Planet titles.
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Fuji Film
Photo-developing studios are everywhere, including the State Department Store; we like the Fuji Film, northwest of Sükhbaatar Sq.
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Ayanchin Outfitters
This place sells Western camping, fishing and hunting equipment, plus GPS units, mainly imported from the US.
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Nomin Ikh Delgur
This place is well-stocked in Mongolian-language books and has a few English titles on the 2nd floor.
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Northland
Sells fishing tackle and Chinese-brand (but acceptable quality) camping gear at reasonable prices.
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Container Market
This is the cheapest place for everyday food purchases. It's just south of Bakula Rinpoche Süm.
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Eternal Art Antique Shop
One of the premier antique shops in the city. Credit cards are accepted.
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