First Impressions of Mongolia - Exploring Ulaanbaatar and Trying Mongolian Food

It's our first day in Mongolia, and we are exploring Ulaanbaatar to get our first impressions of this brand new country! We traveled to Mongolia without knowing a whole lot about this country, expect that it is rugged, not commonly visited, and beautiful! For this first Mongolia travel vlog, we decided to head out into the capital city, Ulaanbaatar, to get our bearings on what Mongolia is all about. Ulaanbaatar is the biggest city in all of Mongolia. It's home to nearly half of the country's 3 million residents. It has a huge central square called Sukhbaatar Square where a giant statue of Genghis Khan remind visitors that Mongolia was once the largest empire of all time. It was here that we had the chance to try our first Mongolian street food, Khuushuur. We've learned that Mongolian food is extremely meat heavy, and this street food had us diving right in. We honestly had no idea what Mongolian food was like prior to arriving in the country, so all the food we ate on this first day in Mongolia was a surprise to us! Walking the streets of Ulaanbaatar is an experience of it's own. Our first impression of the roads is that traffic is wild. Not only is there a ton of it, but it doesn't seem that many rules apply. So walking along the sidewalks is our preference to driving, but even this is an adventure! There are so many things to look at as you walk the streets that just walking between sights was an experience. We visited Gandantegchinlen Monastery and were totally blown away. Mongolia is a predominantly Buddhist country, and this Buddhist Monastery was one of the few monasteries preserved through the Soviet Union era, and it's just stunning. After our visit, it was time for our first Mongolian meal! We opted for a Mongolian food chain that had been recommended to us, and it was quite the experience. Mongolian food is unlike any cuisine we have ever tried. The final stop of our first day in Mongolia was to the Black Market, or Narantuul Market. It is said you can find anything you need here, but beware of pick pockets! We were so surprised by how different this market was from the markets we have become accustomed to in other parts of Asia and loved walking around to see all the random things for sale. If you enjoy our videos and want to give us an extra special thank you, we would love to have you become a channel member! Check out the perks here https://www.youtube.com/nicoleandmico... If you choose to support us in this way, THANK YOU so much! Planning a trip? Check out our packing video to see what we pack for long-term travel:    • What to Pack for Travel - FULL Packing Lis...   SafetyWing is our favourite travel insurance provider (including health insurance): https://tinyurl.com/2p87ewbr Wise is our travel debit/credit card: - https://wise.com/invite/ihpw/micojamesm Sign up for our free newsletter for behind the scenes content and our travel plans: https://tinyurl.com/3x8y26re Want to work with us? Email: [email protected] == Connect with us! == ♥ Instagram: @nicoleandmico_ ♥ Website: www.nicoleandmico.com ♥ Email: [email protected] Our FULL Packing List: https://nicoleandmico.com/our-packing... == OUR FAVOURITE TRAVEL GEAR == Matador soap bar case: https://amzn.to/3S9JheW HeroClip Carabiner: https://amzn.to/3itXX5Z Toiletry kit: https://amzn.to/41T51z8 Travel Adapter (Universal): https://amzn.to/3HEwqL3 Makeup Remover Cloth (Erase-Your-Face): https://amzn.to/47lUP3a Ex-Officio Underwear: https://amzn.to/47rT7NF Nicole's long white shirt (this isn't the exact one, but it's the one I'd buy today): https://amzn.to/3HtO0SB Vessi Shoes: https://crrnt.app/VESSI/pgldkja7 Sleep Mask: https://mantasleep.com/?rfsn=7760145.... Passport Wallet: hhttps://amzn.to/427d4Iq Laundry Clothesline: https://amzn.to/3n7BrCi Eagle Creek packing cube: https://amzn.to/356xrN3 Mico's main backpack: https://amzn.to/41RUW5a Nicole's main backpack:https://amzn.to/3TmHy6N *Some of the links above are affiliate links and we may get a small commission at no cost to you if you choose to use a link to purchase a product! == Chapters == 0:00 Our first day in Mongolia begins now! 3:37 What is happening 4:16 Mico's Travel Superpower 5:12 Can't wait to try XYYWYYP 7:14 Car vendors? 8:14 Gandantegchinlen Monastery (aka Nicole's new fave) 10:52 First Mongolian meal! 13:40 How to get around Ulaanbaatar 15:30 Visiting Mongolia's Black Markey (Naran Tuul Market) 18:55 Some extra funnies #travelmongolia #ulaanbaatar Map Credits: Canuckguy and many others, CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/..., via Wikimedia Commons