That Adventurer | Page 2 of 57 | Budget friendly outdoor adventures around the world

A complete guide to the Naadam Festival in Mongolia

by Hannah Kacary Ulaanbaatar

Once we’d decided we were going to travel on the Trans Mongolian Railway we did a quick bit of research and saw that the Naadam games were happening around the time we were looking at going. They looked fun and very different, so we planned our entire trip around them. Before deciding on going to Mongolia, I’d never heard of Mongolia’s Naadam Festival. But, having now experienced the wonder that is these cultural games in ...

Things to do in Yoho National Park

by Hannah Kacary Yoho National Park

On our road trip to Banff and Jasper from Vancouver, I knew that I also wanted to stop off in Yoho National Park on the return drive. Yoho National Park is across the provincial border from Banff, Jasper and Lake Louise and seems to receive a lot less attention than it's neighbouring national parks. I'm not quite sure why since it was probably one of my favourite areas we visited during that week. If you're ...

Our Trans Mongolian Railway 2 week itinerary!

by Hannah Kacary Trans Mongolia

Me: "Where do you want to go away this year? How about a Northern BC road trip? Thom: "I really want to go to Eastern Russia" Me: ... And that's how we ended up deciding to spend 2 and a half weeks travelling along the Trans Mongolian Railway. In truth, when Thom suggested Eastern Russia I wasn't exactly ecstatic. I knew nothing about the region, what was there or why on earth Thom had decided ...

How much does 2 weeks on the Trans Mongolian Railway cost? EVERYTHING we spent

by Hannah Kacary Central Asia

Budgeting for a trip can be hard, especially when it's a trip through three different countries! I didn't really know how much to budget for our Trans Mongolian Railway trip where we spent two weeks across China, Mongolia and Russia. Quite a lot of the costs came before we actually left; train tickets, hotel bookings, flights, travel insurance and visas. That still left quite a lot unaccounted for in terms of food and activities though. ...

How to travel the Trans Siberian Railway (Trans Mongolia route)

by Hannah Kacary Central Asia

I’ve always thought we’d travel on the Trans Siberian Railway I just didn’t realise it would be this summer. When Thom said he wanted to go to Eastern Russia, or Mongolia, I went to the library to look up guide books and came across the Trans Siberian Railway Lonely Planet book. A quick flick through and I realised we could go to Eastern Siberia and Mongolia (and also Beijing to see the sites we didn’t ...

How to stay at a ger camp in Mongolia

by Hannah Kacary Mongolia

Despite the fact that our main plan when travelling to Mongolia on the Trans Mongolian railway was to experience Naadam in Ulaanbaatar, I knew that I wanted to stay in a ger gamp in Mongolia too. Keen to get out into the fresh mountain air and away from the air pollution in Ulaanbaatar, the capital of Mongolia, we headed out to Bert's Eco Ger Camp in Gorkhi-Terelj National Park. If you want to head out ...

What to eat in Beijing, China

by Hannah Kacary Beijing

Ask me what the highlight of our Trans Mongolian railway trip was and I'll tell you it was Beijing. There are many reasons I liked Beijing (you can see what we did in Beijing here), but one of those was the food. On our first trip to China, I wasn't impressed. We ate something that Google translated as "pig arse" and there definitely wasn't a highlight dish on our trip. So, when it came to ...

A guide to Olkhon Island on Lake Baikal, Russia

by Hannah Kacary Olkhon Island

If you’re travelling the Siberian railway, the chances are you’ll stop off at Irkutsk, Russia in Siberia. And, if you do, then a trip to Olkhon Island is one of the best things to do in Irkutsk! Olkhon Island is a popular Siberia holiday destination thanks to its wildness and beauty. If you’re trying to decide whether to extend your stay in Russia and travel to Olkhon Island be sure to check out this guide ...

Things to do in Irkutsk, Russia

by Hannah Kacary Irkutsk

One of the major stops on the Trans Siberian route and Trans Mongolian railways is the Russian town of Irkutsk in Siberia. Irkutsk is the gateway to Lake Baikal, the world’s oldest and largest freshwater lake and is also a lovely place to explore in its own right. If you’re doing a Trans Siberian railway trip and plan to stop in Irkutsk, be sure to check out this guide to things to do in Irkutsk, ...

What to know before travelling to Mongolia

by Hannah Kacary Mongolia

I didn’t know much about Mongolia before we booked our Trans Mongolia railway tickets. In my mind Mongolia was full of yaks, rolling green hills and Ger camps. And, whilst that’s true to some extent, there’s so much more to know about Mongolia. Mongolia has a huge and fascinating history, hails a ruthless dictator as its national hero and its capital city is a huge sprawling place with a mix of Russian and Chinese influences. ...