Travel to Ongi

Ongi Temple Ruins

The travel to Ongi was via dirt and rock roads that were mostly unmarked. Luckily, our driver knew the way via landmarks. We enjoyed seeing some animals along the way, but the landscape was mostly flat and either dirt or steppe. We also drove through some rocky hills towards the end. Then we arrived to a more lush area near the river, and stopped out the Secret of Ongi ger camp.

In the area, the highlights include the monastery ruins and newer temple built on top of it. The lady responsible for the site and museum runs an antique shop, and she walks over to open the buildings for any visitors. Her dog Houder followed her everywhere and was very friendly and cute. We enjoyed walking around the ruins and up to the top for a nice view. Our driver Khosoo was near the river washing the dust off of the car.

Back at the camp, we first enjoyed massages. After that we ate dinner and then watched a quick traditional fashion show before a big rainstorm arrived. It was windy and noisy all night. The morning sunrise over the camp was beautiful and I had a great hike up in the hills to see the animal statues and view.

Morning hike up hills
Secret of Ongi Ger Camp
River near Secret of Ongi

Highlights

  • Ongi Monastery ruins from 1660 and current temple
  • Museum at the monastery- your guide will ask the worker to open it
  • Surrounding hills and the river for hiking and views, statues of goats and sheep
  • Cultural and traditional costume show at the Secret of Ongi Ger Camp
  • Area of good energy
  • Local villages meeting area
  • Ankle bone fortune telling game on each table

Before you go

  • There are very few cash machines in the Gobi, so ensure to get your cash in Ulaanbaatar
  • Weather can be warm during the day and cold at night, sometimes very windy
  • Mobile data was sporadic and the camp had wifi during the day at reception
  • There were more ants and bugs around due to the nearby lake
  • Around the camp, watch our for tiny, sharp rocks. We had to wear slippers in the ger
  • It is safe to wander around the area on foot, to the river and up the hills
  • The area is known for having good energy
Unmarked dirt roads
Ongi Monastery ruins
Secret of Ongi ger camp

Transport

  • For travel around the rural areas, you must go with a driver who knows the area. We booked via Agate Travel which then used a local company called Amicus Travel. Luckily, we had an excellent guide and driver!

Accommodation

  • We stayed at Secret of Ongi Ger Camp, which was quite luxurious. It has 24-hour electricity and wifi in the reception area for most of the day. Additionally, one could book a massage treatment, and they had entertainment
  • Since there are few websites reviewing Ger camps, I wrote my own Mongolia Ger Reviews.
Cute dog Houder
Ongi Monastery temple
Secret of Ongi at sunset
Secret of Ongi fried bread boortsog
Beef salad for lunch at Secret of Ongi
Vegetarian pasta for lunch at Secret of Ongi
Chicken, rice and vegetables for lunch
Dinner, vegetarian steamed and fried dumplings

Food

We were fed so well at this camp for lunch, dinner and breakfast. They did a really great job to make me some vegetarian foods.

When we arrived for lunch, they served us a two course meal. The starter was a beef salad, and I skipped that. In general, I stopped eating raw salad because my stomach was not feeling great. For the main course, there was chicken two ways, vegetables and rice. And my vegetarian meal was pasta with tomatoes and cheese. Very tasty!

Dinner was served as a buffet, and there was a separate plate with the vegetarian food. However, other non-vegetarians were taking it, so I luckily was able to get a couple dumplings before they were gone. They had both steamed and fried dumplings, and I really like the fried ones (khuushuur). The filling was a mixture of potato and vegetables. The side dishes included vegetables, rice and mashed potatoes.

Our last meal was a buffet breakfast. I enjoyed trying the boortsog, which are fried bread pieces. They are slightly sweet. There were also freshly cooked eggs, bread, vegetables, fruit and more. Lots of choices.

We noticed that the serving staff were the same people who do massages and the fashion show. Some of them are young trainees, because the ger camp is also one of the hospitality industry training sites.

Ongi Monastery temple
Secret of Ongi fashion show
Secret of Ongi at sunrise

FAQs

Q: Do I need a tour guide?

A: Yes, you need a driver and preferably a guide to reach this area and see the nature

Q: Do people speak English?

A: Most people at the Ger camps speak a little English, but we relied a lot on our guide

Q: Is it a walkable area?

A: It is not walkable to get to the area, however you can walk around near the camp and up the hills

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