What tours do Mongolia offer?
The following information should give you a good idea of how our Mongolia tours are run. For more detailed information about a particular trip, we encourage you to contact us.
Tours in Mongolia vary greatly depending on the objective. Some tours are designed to cover a lot of ground - if you like off-road adventures and want to see the most of Mongolia that you can in a short time, these are for you. Other tours focus on specific interests, such as trekking, wildlife watching, or participating in cultural events and nomadic life. These tours move at a slower pace and you have more time to explore, experience your surroundings, and get to know local people. On every tour, there is a chance that your guide may have to change plans. Mother nature doesn’t always cooperate with our itineraries, and part of the quirky charm that is travelling in a place like Mongolia is that your vehicle, or even your aeroplane may get stuck in mud, the local lams may consult the moon and decide to move a festival date by a couple days, or you may happen upon an unexpected celebration in a village that just can’t be missed. Don’t worry, our field and office staff are always in contact via satellite phone or other mysterious means, and we will make adjustments accordingly in order to assure your safety and enjoyment.
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FIRST TRAVEL TO MONGOLIA?
The first-time visitor to Mongolia often feels that there are two different countries under one flag. On one hand, the gateway for most visitors to Mongolia is Ulaanbaatar. The city is under constant development, heavily influenced by the ‘gold rush’ derived from the discovery of some of the world’s largest gold deposits in the Gobi Desert. On the other hand, the infrastructure of the city is based on old Soviet planning and construction, and neglect is widely spread, in common with other post-soviet states. Traffic jams are notorious, and the streets are not particularly clean. Despite this, the city has a charm of its own. It is a fusion of old and new, between east and west, and between unsophistication and rapid development. However, drive a few kilometers out of the city, and you will find yourself taking a journey through time, some 800 years back, to the time when Chinggis Khan united the tribes of the steppes into a mighty empire. You will see the Mongol nomads living their lives based on the old traditions (but with TV sets and motorcycles!), in run-down towns along run-down roads but with an ancient culture which is still vibrant.
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HOW ARE MONGOLIA TOURS RUN?
Our fixed departures are carefully researched tours, designed to maximize your time for leisure, outdoor activities, sightseeing, and… having an adventure! If you request a custom tour from us, we do our best to design an itinerary that will suit your needs and interests, based on the information you provide us and our extensive experience of traveling in Mongolia. Some days may look very long, with a lot of driving, while others may seem sparse on activities. Mongolia is a very large country with very little infrastructure, so we may have to make many kilometers in one day in order to reach our camp or to show you the most spectacular sights. Be assured that the days are organized so that overall you will be able to make the most of your time in Mongolia and have a once in a lifetime experience. Adventure travel is always a bit unpredictable due to the nature of the terrain and the experiences we seek. Sometimes, the forces of nature or a change in the dates of a festival will require some changes in the plan. Flight schedules may change at a moment’s notice, or muddy ground may make a route impassable. All of our staff, at the office and in the field, are there for you, and we will make our best effort to handle any situation so that you will have an enjoyable and safe tour. In rare cases it may be necessary to change some places we will visit, the order of days on the trip, the route taken, or the mode of transportation. Flexibility and a resilient sense of humor will guarantee that you have a great experience in Mongolia.
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IS THIS THE RIGHT TOUR FOR ME?
Travel to Mongolia does not suit everyone. Mongolia is underdeveloped, the Mongolian diet is very different from what we are used to eating in the west, and the lodging facilities are more basic than in other travel destinations in the region. Journeys can be long and rough, and the Mongolian attitude towards service is very different from our expectations in the west. Mongolia is for the curious, the patient, for those who can laugh at adversity and who accept that life just happens differently here.