M.A.D. has designed a full set of custom made city orientation solutions to better assist our assignees to adapt to Ulaanbaatar.
At M.A.D., we believe that our client’s relocation to Ulaanbaatar is more than just shifting home country or changing job – it is the start of a new life in a new environment. Our city orientation services are designed to open a window to this new world.
All our city orientation tours are conducted by a western expat that has lived for a while in Mongolia, this is to ensure that all our client’s expat specific questions can be fully answered by someone who has lived through those same issues and understands the challenges that expats may face when recently arrived in Ulaanbaatar. We have expats on staff that speak a multitude of languages so if the client’s preferred language is not english, we will strive to find an expat amongst our staff who speaks the required language.
No two of our orientation tours are the same, prior to each of our client arrivals, we will work with the client to make sure that the orientation trip is entirely custom made to our client’s needs and requirements, the assignees will each receive a detailed questionnaire that will allow us to construct a full timetable of all the stuff they are interested in and really want to see. They might not necessarily be interested in visiting cashmere factories or seeing the black market of Ulaanbaatar, this is why we work with each and every assignees to make sure our city tours are a perfect match to their expectations.
Amongst the options of things to see are religious places of worship, shops, supermarket, markets, cashmere factories, restaurant, schools, medical centers, bookshops, gym’s and fitness centers, entertainment centers and museums, we will also be delighted to work with our assignees on any special requests that they may have. Whenever possible, we also try to include a couple of hours of walking around the main commercial streets of UB to get a better feel of the city.
As soon as we meet for the first time, the client will receive a free copy of our comprehensive settling in guide as well as a detailed itinerary of their upcoming visit with all the details of each sector we are about to visit. This means that if we carry out together a visit of schools, we will provide the clients with a hard copy document listing all the international schools in UB, their fees, conditions, timetables etc… for the clients to refer to after their visit.
Helping the assignees hit the ground running with a good understanding of Ulaanbaatar! They will learn about transportation, food, timing, people, customs, history, shopping, going out – all in a few hours! No matter how many guide books they have read- nothing can prepare them better for the reality of daily life in Ulaanbaatar.
In just 4 fun hours they will feel like they have always lived in Ulaanbaatar and will be ready to start their new life in Mongolia with ease. The first day in a new city is scary and lonely- the half day Ulaanbaatar City Orientation automatically brightens up those first day woes as we explore the city together. All the assignees questions and doubts will be answered and they will have a trusted contact for the rest of their time in Mongolia. We will start the day with a briefing of the city, usually done on Zaisan hill.
After that it is entirely up to the assignees to decide what we see, their custom city orientation will take over and our professional staff will guide them to the places that are most relevant to them and their family. The tour will end with either lunch or dinner with the expat guide at one of the most happening and trendy restaurants in town.
The 8 hours full day Ulaanbaatar orientation is a comprehensive overview with substantial question and answer consultations with the expat guide to help our client’s navigate day-to-day living in the city.
The full day Ulaanbaatar orientation is our most popular orientation package as it helps the client identify housing, learn about commuting, medical and banking facilities and any special security concerns that may be applicable. M.A.D. will work with the client to make a customized orientation schedule according to the client’s different needs.
We will include all the city landmarks and the major places where the client and the client’s family will normally go in the daily life, e.g. shopping center, major banks, post offices, hospitals, schools, gym, book store, restaurants, entertainment area, churches, etc….
3 - 2 Day Ulaanbaatar City Orientation
Truly getting under the skin of Ulaanbaatar for an in-depth orientation of the city.
The most comprehensive of our Ulaanbaatar city orientation packages, while it can be completely adapted to your needs and requirements, we normally follow the following timetable of events: The first morning is spent as a property orientation tour, starting at Zaisan hill, you will receive a property briefing there where the lay of the land and the current state of the Ulaanbaatar property market will be explained to you. We will then follow this by a tour of the 3 main shopping places (State Department Store, Mercury, Sky), the Ganden Monastery, the SOS clinic, the furniture warehouse at Misheel and finally, we will complete the first day with a 2 hour walking tour of the city center of Ulaanbaatar (weather permitting).
On the second day, as with all our tours, the client will be taken to all their places of specific interests in Ulaanbaatar, the 2 day tour will allow us to be a lot more comprehensive about all that we visit as we will have more time, this means more schools, more medical centers, more places of worship etc… really making sure that you see all that the city has to offer, it also means that after the 1st day the client will be given a chance to change the timetable of the 2nd day based on what they have seen during the 1st day.
4 - Spouse Specific Orientation
Getting to know all those things essential for a spouse to have a great life in Ulaanbaatar
For a new assignees in Ulaanbaatar, keeping their spouse happy is probably the most important thing on the schedule. This is why M.A.D. has designed a specific orientation program for the female spouses of our assignees. Those programs are half day programs carried out by one of our female or Mongolian expat staff members who really knows which is the best beauty salon and where to find the best cashmere jumpers in town.
This Ulaanbaatar orientation tour not only includes the usual suspects of showing the best markets, shops, beauty salons and small cafes but also has a strong cultural understanding and social networking elements. We will explain the specific do’s and don’t of life in Mongolia and then introduce you to the various, expat wife specific networking events that are taking place in and around Ulaanbaatar.
As with all our city orientation tours, this one will be custom made to the client’s requirements prior to their arrival.
- City tours can be scheduled at your convenience, we can start either in the morning or in the afternoon for the half day tours.
- Full day tours can be split off into two separate two day tours but an extra charge may apply.
- Each city tour will include a free settling in guide, detailed timetable and fact sheets about each sector of industry being visited.
- If you or your office is able to provide a vehicle and a driver for the orientation visits, a discount may be applicable.
- City orientation prices are based on 2 people or less per tour. Extra charges may apply for additional people depending on available space in the car. 1 additional child up to the age of 16 is inclusive in the price of the tours.
- All assignees are expected to pay for their own food and drinks while on tour, guides will also pay for their own food. Bottled water will be provided during the tour.
- We require a minimum of 48 hours notice prior to each and every city tour.
