Xinjiang-Bulgan (Khovd province) border crossing, and other stupid ideas

So, I've been reading a lot on these forums about backpacking, hitchhiking, and traveling around Mongolia in general, but I haven't quite seen someone with the kind of plan that I'm hatching and I'd like to float it around here.

This is part of a grand final journey that will cap off a year of teaching english in Henan province, China, and the idea started with a plan to travel all over Xinjiang via train and bus. After realizing that my residency permit for China would be expiring somewhere near the end of June, I tried to find all kinds of ways to get into Mongolia as easily as possible (being an American citizen, I figured that freebie-we-love-you-americans 30 days would be the perfect quick way out of China and into a place I've always wanted to go anyways). After a questionable amount of internet research, I found what can only be described as a rumor that foreigners (one or two, unconfirmed) have been getting across the Mongolia-Xinjiang border at a point called Bulgan in southern Khovd province. This doesn't seem entirely unreasonable, although official Chinese and Mongolian sources are contradictory over this issue, mostly because it was easy to confirm that this Bulgan crossing point does actually see quite a lot of traffic, simply of the commercial or industrial nature. There are also two Chinese travel agencies in Urumqi that have been empowered to arrange these crossings - although for whom is not clear. Chinese and Mongolian citizens only? Friendly lao wai bribery? Who knows? (If it doesn't pan out, the whole post is moot and I'll just go 40 hours around by train to come in at Erlian like everyone else)

Anyway, the crazy idea that I wanted to put out for some perspective is that right now my plan is to buy a plane ticket (school buys it, so probably has to be done before I even leave) out of UB back to the States for, say, the 20th of July, and aiming to make this Bulgan border crossing around the beginning of July, leaving me around twenty days to simply get to UB in what I am hoping is a relatively enjoyable and scenic manner. Money isn't too much of an issue so I could afford to take buses and trains whenever they may be an option, but since I've been in ugly rural China for a year, and have a backpack and tent, the idea of traveling slowly and inefficiently, spending nights out under the stars, has really appealed to me. Am I just being clueless here? Is twenty days anywhere near enough to go from what looks like the middle of nowhere (and that's saying something) in the far west of Mongolia, to UB and still make a few impromptu day trips around whatever route I happen to take?

I feel like I'm putting quite a lot of faith into this whole plan, and while I've read enough to make me feel that faith in Mongolia and her people isn't entirely foolish, it also bears mentioning that I have never done anything like this before and could easily be assuming things that are laughably far from the truth.

Thank you in advance to anybody that has something to say about this, and apologies if I missed someone else's post that might have already answered all of this. I've done some research, but I got impatient and wanted talk to someone, lol.

Best,

Julian

Something that may be working in your favour is the fact that the Naadam Festival is around the time you could be there. That means there will be an exceptional rare amount of "traffic" heading towards the capital.

Hi Julian

I agree with you that when ever the Bulgan border crossing in south west Mongolia will open, your rout will be a dream route going from west China to west Mongolia as a starting point in Mongolia.

Unfortunately the Bulgan border is not open for non Mongolian Chinese tourists.
From your post it is clear you have seen our last year's discussion about Bulgan border crossing.

There is no further new information about this issue.

If you do decide to try it out, go between the 15th and the 30th of the month, that is when the Mongolians send a border control team to take care of the border post in Bulgan. Leave enough Chinese visa time to go all the way back to the Erlian border crossing several thousand miles to the east.

Let us know what happened.

Dan

Update to the 2009 Bulgan crossing thread. There are (at least as of mid April 2010) weekly flights from Almaty to Oskemen to Ulgii flights. See this thread: Almaty to Olgii and this website: Valentina guest house

Ruth

Edited by: everbrite

Tomongolia, Everbrite, you are the two that I was most hoping would respond to me, and thank you for your attention!

I have read quite a bit about this border crossing, and my impression is not that it is closed to foreigners, it is that nobody has any actual firsthand experience with it. There were several posters last year that claimed that they were going to attempt this crossing, but we never heard anything from them again. This, plus the contradictory reports of those two Australians crossing, with both governments not explicitly denying nor allowing entry to foreigners in their announcements, makes me feel like going up to Urumqi and pestering these two Chinese tour companies for a couple of days. Since I've decided to simply extend my residency permit for another month, it will be time well spent, and with any luck I can report back here with some real information instead of the many conflicting rumors we currently have.

Everbrite, thank you for the tip about the plane route, but overall it would be much cheaper for me to take the train to Erlian :P

Enigma of the Bulgan Crossing aside, how does the plan of having no real specific destinations, avoiding long tour packages, and generally emphasizing flexibility sound for Mongolia? I mean, of course I will want to see certain sites as well but rather than trying to organize some kind of many-day timetable with specific destinations, how feasible is it to sort of just wander with a general goal until something closer by strikes your fancy, you go see it, and then you go back to wandering? Is this a huge waste of time in Mongolia, 'drifting from one dreary aimag town to the next', or is a great way to soak up the natural beauty and culture? Plus, it seems like your daily costs would be really low when you're not renting a jeep for six days just to leave UB. Does everything remarkable and trip-worthy require a jeep and a hired driver?

Thanks again for all of the advice that I got, I am so stoked about this!

Best,

Julian

IMO because you are going at a very busy time of year, then many of the vehicles will be booked up.

The main issue is that public transport etc is mainly between the aimag centres/other towns and that 'attractions' are usually huge distances out of town. Even at that time of year, you could rely on getting a local van from the black market to an aimag centre (not a comfortable way to travel as the vans are packed very full but a cheap way to go - you might not be able to see out the window because of someone sat on your lap, so don't rely on seeing the countryside this way!) and then arrange transport at the aimag centre out to a destination, but this might not always be logical. Put it this way - the aimag centres are not the main attraction in Mongolia and you are likely to end up spending a fair bit of time in them if you wing it at that time of year :-D

If you head by public transport somewhere like Tsetserleg, you can go to Terkhiin Tsagaan Nuur (White Lake) or Moron to go to Lake Hovsgol - at each place you can hire a horse and explore the area for a while? That would probably be a better use of time then randomly seeing which aimag centre you can get a van to. As an alternative, your guesthouse may be able to arrange a pickup/drop off. If you go to Terkhiin Tsagaan Nuur, you could travel back via Karakorum, Khongor Else and the North Gobi (flaming cliffs etc) which would give you a little flavour of the monasteries and desert. You will need your own transport (not public transport) to visit these.

And to answer your question, of course not every trip requires a vehicle and driver, but you will get added value from this just by being able to go exactly where you want. If you do happen to meet some travellers going somewhere you want to go too, you may be able to hitch a ride with them for a while, but in that case plan for extra days in case you can't get transport back when you want. Mongolians themselves are pretty accommodating, but vehicles are often full and not found at the tourist sites.

Any help? :-)

I am currently in Urumqi and am trying to cross the bulgan border. I have already been to Qinggil near the border where the police told us the border was closed and then escorted us to the bus station so we would promptly leave town. They did however say that the border is open the second half of the month but weren't sure about westerners getting through. Back in Urumqi we were able to contact one of the travel companies (markinfo@163.com) that said he had been in contact with the border and was told that the crossing is open to all with no fees attached. We will be attempting to cross again on the 16th. I will be sure to post an update.

Edited by: worldbum

Thanks for this update. It would be interesting if international passport holders are able to cross at this border.

Ruth

Well we made it to the border when it was "open" after being told that we would be allowed through. No success. The border patrol said only chinese, russian and monolians are currently permitted to go through. Tehy mentioned that there is no current agreement between the two countries about third country tourist passing through at this border and possibly will allow access a year. They also mentioned something about a special permit that could be obtained in Urumqi, but when we asked how to obtain the permit they decided it was time for us to leave. We couldn't get any more info from them and they only asked us to leave. Good luck to anyone else that tries. Please post if you have better luck than us.

Thanks for the update. Sorry you were unable to cross here. I suppose I will continue to repeat the same information that these crossings are not for international travelers. OTOH first hand reports often help people make travel decisions more wisely.

Ruth

I have recently been in Khovd (October 2101) and authorties there assured me that you can not cross the border into China at Bulgan. I asked multiple sources and received the same answer. It seems very unlikely that you will be able to cross by just showing up at this stage.

However I did receive information from a guy at a travel travel agent in Urumqi that he could arrange everything. His details are :
www.china-holiday.com/english
markinfo@163.com

He claims he can organise a two-day tour that will take you between Urumqi and Bulgan. The cost for is US$960/1380 for 1/2 people. I did not try this myself.

There are now AeroMongolian flights that fly from UB to Urumqi via Khovd. they cost $US173 oneway from Khovd so are a far better option. Ez Nis is also starting the same flights.

Thanks for the update.

Ruth