Mongolian Adventure

Our Clients’ Reviews

Here at Exodus we thrive on feedback from our customers. It's the only way we can ensure our trips continue to be the best they can be. So, for the real tales, twists and turns of the trip you're interested in, look no further than the reviews from our previous travellers. Any feedback collected (Good or bad) from Exodus clients is posted straight onto our website - totally unedited. Read more...

Average Review Rating: from 8 reviews.

PENNY HOUGHTON

MONGOLIAN ADVENTURE

Written August 2011
Mongolia is a fascinating country. Enjoyed every minut of the trip.
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What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?
Visiting a couple of families in their gers and seeing how they live on the plains.
What did you think of your group leader?
Excellent group leader.
Do you have any advice for potential travellers?
Sit back and enjoy the whole experience - Russian jeeps are not the most comfortable - but travelling this way enables you to see so much. The gers are basic, but extremely comfortable. The food - which was my big worry - was excellent. Salads, vegetables and fruit every day.
Is there anything else you would like to add?
Would love to go back and explore other parts of the country!
Nirmalee De Silva

MONGOLIAN ADVENTURE

Written September 2009
All the camps were surprisingkly comfortable but what was a little worrying was that there was no means of communication between the vehicles so if one got lost it caused a lots of problems. Also you can change sterling in the city banks. Both your hand luggage and your hold luggage is weighed at the internal airport so get your shopping early and leave it in the hotel!
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What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?
Getting really close to seven wild horses including 2 foals and seeing one of them feeding - all because we had a puncture on the way back to camp!
What did you think of your group leader?
They were both very friendly and helpful. The more experienced one was extremely good when it came to any medical emergencies!
Do you have any advice for potential travellers?
Pack some warm leggings to put under skirts for the cold mornings and the windy camps! Be prepared for fighting eagles and startled ibex. Take all medicines with you as the ones there have instructions in Cyrillicand you can't tell if you are allergic to some of the ingredients.
Is there anything else you would like to add?
Be prepared for anything to happen, be relaxed about time and just enjoy it!
jonathan hood

MONGOLIAN ADVENTURE

Written July 2009
Fantastic trip. Great group of travellers. I have posted a load of pictures on Flickr which you are most welcome to use (subject to acknowledgment !)http://www.flickr.com/photos/jonahood/collections/
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What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?
Meeting the nomads and visiting their gers.
Also the Festival Concert was a revelation as to the highly sophisticated musicianship and the beautiful and unique sounds produced by both the instruments and the performers. To hear high quality 'long song' and throat singing was a real privilege. The concert needs more promotion and I woukd strongly sugest it is added to the package.
The experience of driving has to be seen to be believed. They drive as they ride their horses. Traffic in the capital is almost always at a standstill as they have no concept of traffic rules and accordingly spend hours gridlocked. The drive to the races was like somthing out of Mad Max; unbelievable. Huge fun !
What did you think of your group leader?
Erdene was both charming, efficient and altogether first rate. His assistant, Uyanga could not have been more fun. Without doubt both added hugely to the success of the trip.
Do you have any advice for potential travellers?
On this trip the rigours of being tossed around for hours at a time in Russian vans should not be underestimated. Huge distances at speed off road not for the feint hearted!
Is there anything else you would like to add?
We went for the Nadaam. The opening ceremony was fantastic, as too was the Festival horse race. The closing ceremony was interminable; partly because of having to sit through hours ( literally) of painfully slow Mongolian wrestling which is like watching giant tortoises mate. Junk the closing ceremony. It would also help if the rules of wrestling could be incorporated in the paperwork as clearly its a very big thing in Mongolia and without knowing the rules the undoubted subleties ( I assume) are missed.
James Thomson

MONGOLIAN ADVENTURE

Written July 2009
A chance to sample a vast country populated by a people with a unique culture and a lifestyle which has changed little in centuries.
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What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?
Meeting the nomads in their camps where their life was very traditional, but with the comfort of solar panels and satellite TV(!)
Experiencing the vast emptiness of the steppes and the Gobi
What did you think of your group leader?
Very friendly and she tried very hard - she was on her own as group leader and tour guide.   Unfortunately her limited English let her down at times, this may be why she wasn't very good at discussing programme options with the group.   We had to insist on going back to the stadium on day 2 of the Naadam festival.
Do you have any advice for potential travellers?
The ger camps are good, better than expected, but be prepared for erratic standards of showers and toilets.
There are some very long driving days.   These are unavoidable in such a vast sparsely populated country.
Don't expect to see many old buildings.   Nomads don't go in for "permanent" in a big way!
The weather can be very changeable and you should be prepared for hot, cold, sunny, windy, and torrential downpours.
Is there anything else you would like to add?
Terelj National Park can be covered adequately as a day visit, an overnight stay drags it out too far.
It's quicker and easier to get to the Naadam Stadium on foot than by bus.   Ulaan Baatar traffic is busy and a bit anarchic at the best of times, at Naadam it becomes grid lock.
Stephen Jolly of Mythop

MONGOLIAN ADVENTURE

Written July 2008
Mongolia was astounding. However, it is clear that tourism is still very young there. Our guide was lovely but spoke poor English and the tour organisation was hit-and-miss, to put it politely. Exodus needs to take a more proactive management role and not depend on callow local suppliers. It wasn't the Mongolians' fault but Kharkorum Expeditions - being run by an Australian - should know better. Toyota Landcruisers rather than bone-breaking ex-Soviet military vans would have taken a lot of pain out of the long-distance travel.
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What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?
Too many to recount.
What did you think of your group leader?
I loved her to bits - kind, helpful, unfailingly polite - but she was a Russianist. English was a problem. Mongolian notions of time/punctuality, distance and organisation are very distinctive!
Do you have any advice for potential travellers?
Look out for the camel spiders in the Gobi:
http://teamgobi.com/news/?p=427
Is there anything else you would like to add?
The balance between cultural sightseeing and outdoors activity perhaps needs re-thinking?
Exodus Response

In response to Mr Jolly's review of July 2008, we have been working together with Kharakorum Expeditions for many years. They are a very experienced operator and use vetted and experienced suppliers and leaders. However as always your feedback is most welcome and has been passed on to the operator.
Thank you

Emma Garrick
Asia Product Manager

- Exodus Staff
Khan Mohammed Firoz Ullah

MONGOLIAN ADVENTURE

Written July 2008
Itinerary was perfect, along with some great tour guides. Some fairly exhausting road trips, as the roads are terrible outside the capital. The Naadam festival really adds to the Mongolian experience. Gers in the camps are very comfortable, however if it rains the floor of the gers can become very muddy. Also keeping a fire alight during the night is crucial as the mornings can be very chilly (except the Gobi region). The shower and toilet facilities are adequate and not as bad as I had imagined.
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What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?
The Naadam festival was a real highlight, and the Culture Show one evening was great. Ulanbaatar is a modern city and the city tour was great fun. Trekking up the sand dunes was tough but worth the view upon reaching a suitable height. Visiting Mongolian nomads was insightful too.
What did you think of your group leader?
Group leaders were fantastic and always made sure we were ok, and our needs were attended to. They both worked great as a pair and really added to my enjoyment of my trip. Fantastic people, they really tried their best and were always helpful and accommodating
Do you have any advice for potential travellers?
Some of the road trips are really long and can be exhausting. The roads outside the capital are terrible. The shower and toilet facilities at the Ger camps are adequate and not as bad as I had imagined. I never had to use my mosquito repellents. When headed towards the Gobi, beware that the weather can get extremely hot. Try to avoid the town of Arvaikheer as they are not too fond of tourist there. I would recommend this trip if you have a fond interest of the country.
Is there anything else you would like to add?
Overall in had a great time, although it was difficult at times. It was everything expected it to be and nothing like what I expected it to be. The Mongolian people were friendly especially our tour leaders who were fantastic. I feel the group size of 16 may be a bit too much, along with the road journeys. The Ger camps were adequate along with the facilities.
Teresa Stopa

Riding a camel into the sunset whilst singing "we all live in a yellow submarine...."

Written September 2007
What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?
The varied and rugged landscape
The friendly and generous people
Being close to the wild horses of Mongolia
Drinking mare's and camel's milk
Sharing a ger with mice and gerbils
Fantastic sun rise and sun set
Beautiful sky at night, countless stars
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What did you think of your group leader?
A wonderful, knowledgeable lady with a terrific sense of humour