Set in a sweeping valley surrounded by four sacred peaks of the Khentii range, Ulaanbaatar is the capital of Mongolia. It is undoubtedly the political, economic and cultural centre of the nation, and is a city rich in wonderful character. As befitting a famously nomadic country, it is appropriate that Ulaanbaatar was established as a moving - and moveable - city back in 1639. After a few varying locations (though none was very far from the present site), it stayed permanently in its current location from the later years of the 18th century.
Though the skyline is dotted with modern buildings such as skyscrapers, Ulaanbaatar also hosts many traditional yurts - the felt-covered tents that have been used by Mongolian nomads for centuries. The city took its current name in 1924, after Mongolian hero Damdin Sükhbaatar, together with the Soviet Red Army, saved the country from Chinese occupation. The name 'Ulaanbaatar' means 'Red hero'.
29/11/2018 · By Sukie Chapman
The idea of travelling aboard a night train holds an almost mysterious allure, conjuring images of moustachioed Hercule Poirot aboard the Orient Express or stepping into the high heels of Jack Lemon and Tony Curtis as they bunk down with Marilyn Monroe in Some Like It Hot.
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11/10/2017 · By Jack Stacey
Has there ever been a finer example of luxury, glamour and class than the Orient Express? Possibly the first luxury train in the world, the Orient Express combines a refined heritage, elegant carriages and the highest class of on board service to offer passengers a once-in-a-lifetime experience on history’s greatest rail journey.
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05/10/2017 · By Sukie Chapman
“I could never have imagined such expanses of unspoilt, natural country without actually seeing it myself, it was like a glimpse into another age, another world, and it made a very strong impression on me. It was strange to be sitting in a train, which is the product of technology — the invention of mankind, and travelling through land so untouched and unspoilt by man and his inventions.”
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