Mongolia: Steppes, Deserts & Nomads

Most Inspirational Moment

Visiting the sand dunes on the Gobi desert. Not an easy climb, but once at the top of the dunes as the sun begins to set, you get a sense of the scale and peacefulness of the Gobi, and a landscape which is like nowhere else I've ever been.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Excellent - Mars was a fabulous ambassador for his country and took good care of us!

Advice for Potential Travellers

There are some very long drives on this trip, and whilst they give you a chance to look at the changing landscapes, they are mostly off road and very bumpy- so I'd advise some travel sickness tablets if you suffer from this! The Ger camps were great and really made the trip - just be aware that electricity supply can be a little erratic in some of the more remote camps, so power banks are useful. And definitely take a torch!! Outside of Ulaanbaatar, there is very little in the way of WiFi or phone signal, and there are no tvs or computers at the camps. Personally I loved this and it meant I simply focused on the trip - but its something to be aware of if you like to keep in touch with what's happening back home! There is some downtime during the trip at the camps, so it's a good idea to take a book (and in our case we all became avid card players in the evenings!)

Suggestions

A great mix of wilderness and culture on this trip - it isn't the most active of trips - there are some short walks, and an optional climb up the sand dunes - and i learnt a lot about mongolian history and culture. Overall I'd definitely recommend this trip!

Most Inspirational Moment

The sights of the Gobi desert. Discovering that Mongolia was better than I imagined it would be

Thoughts on Group Leader

Excellent, A wiberaul ambassador for Mongolia,.

Suggestions

A visit to the National Museum in Ulan Batur

Most Inspirational Moment

The sights of the Gobi desert. Discovering that Mongolia was better than I imagined it would be

Thoughts on Group Leader

Excellent, A wiberaul ambassador for Mongolia,.

Suggestions

A visit to the National Museum in Ulan Batur

Most Inspirational Moment

This trip was a real adventure. Mongolia is a stunning country and we saw breath-taking and different landscapes during our visit, as well as animals galore: herds of sheep and goats, herds of horses, camels and yaks and, a highlight for me, the Takhi horses. Other highlights were Karokorum and the Ger camp we stayed in there, where a local musical group came to perform for us specially. We also enjoyed the trips to the Singing Dunes just before the storm came in, the Flaming Cliffs and the trek into the Yolyn Am gorge. There had been a lot of rain and several cars got stuck on the approach, but our drivers were great. They got us through and also helped to pull others out. At one point, in the middle of the Gobi Desert in temperatures of 40 degrees, they replaced a broken driveshaft on our vehicle! Visiting the gorge is billed as a walk, but there are horses to hire there, which my partner and I chose to do. It made the trek really memorable.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Odka was very enthusiastic, knowledgeable and generally helpful. There was one issue which she was unable to help with and said I should contact Exodus. As we were without wifi or mobile phone signal, this wasn't possible at the time. However, once I was able to contact the office, the issue was sorted very promptly.

Advice for Potential Travellers

This trip is billed as 2, a leisurely to moderate trip. This is true in the sense that there isn't much walking involved. However, there is a very great deal of driving and some very long driving days off-road, so be aware of this, especially if you have a back problem, as did one member of our group. The off-road vehicles we travelled in were ok, but not that comfortable - this is Mongolia afterall! - and the sheer amount of driving took its toll physically. Although there was some downtime during the trip, it wasn't till day 8 that we got a half-day to ourselves, so I wouldn't say downtime balanced out the driving. And remember that Mongolia is 1300m above sea-level in the capital, and we went up to 2000m elsewhere. The UK body takes a good time to adjust to that altitude.

Suggestions

There was no shortage of food and we were very well fed throughout. It was generally set meals, but the Gobi Erdene Ger Camp, where we stayed two nights (Day 7 and 8), had a good and varied buffet option.

Most Inspirational Moment

Walking around the main square with all the locals in traditional dress. The welcome from the nomadic families ran it a close second.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Terrific! Competent, flexible and a good laugh

Advice for Potential Travellers

Don't hesitate, it's fabulous. The food is good, the camps are comfortable and spotless.

Suggestions

There is a lot of driving on rough tracks, but the scenery is worth the effort

Most Inspirational Moment

Just driving through the countryside, bumping around in the jeep, having breaks in the middle of nowhere with a vast country stretching out for kilometres all around you. So different from crowded Europe. I also liked the wildlife in Vulture Gorge - picas and ground squirrels. The opening parade of Naadam Just walking around Ulaanbataar, seeing the people - especially during Naadam, when people dressed up in their nice clothes. My room-mate. She was great and I really enjoyed talking to her. I'd never set eyes on her before but it was a good match.

Thoughts on Group Leader

I liked her very much. Dorjo tried to keep everyone happy, which was not an easy thing to do because four of the 16 people were very demanding. Maybe they expected a five-star luxury holiday. The rest of the people were easy-going and relaxed, just happy to be there and see the country. Dorjo is very pleasant, her English is fine. She likes to laugh. Naturally, when one gets excited or emotional, words are hard to find. She was always willing to explain things and it was clear how much she loved her country. I hope to stay in touch with her.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Don't expect five-star luxury. I certainly wasn't expecting it, so I was pleasantly surprised by how much better the accommodation was than I thought. I thought we'd be sleeping on the floor in tents, sharing them with local people. Instead, we got a tent between two people and the beds were in wooden 'boxes'. Apart from one camp, all the beds were very comfortable and I was surprised by how well I slept, even with the open part of the tent in the middle of the roof. (Normally, I keep all doors and windows shut when I sleep.) You don't go to Mongolian camps for the cuisine. Some people complained because we got starters consisting of tomato and cucumber often. What you have to keep in mind, though, is that very little grows there. Take a look out of the window when you're in the jeep. See how little grows. The camp cooks do their best with the little they have. I have to avoid gluten so I took extra fruit and nut mixes and some snack salami sausages just in case. However, the camp cooks were able to give me gluten-free food. Dorjo had a word with them when we arrived in a new camp. Remember that when you are in a ger camp that you are in the middle of nowhere. Do not expect entertainment. Do what people used to do in the past - make your own entertainment. Take books with your. Crosswords puzzle books. Talk to your fellow travellers. Just sit back and watch the sun go down and think how lucky you are to be able to be on holiday, not having to do anything. Just chill out. As for travel sickness, I took plenty of travel sickness chewing gum because I have problems with bus journeys in towns. Did I need any of them? Nope. Even though sitting in the jeeps was a case of "shake, rattle and roll". It's a completely different movement in the jeeps. Not once did I feel travel sick. I was also impressed by the washing and toilet facilities in the ger camps. I thought we'd be washing in buckets, but no.. there were brick and mortar buildings with showers, sinks and toilets. Some were better than others. If you go when everyone else goes, then you're not going to have lots of hot water. Me.. I waited until everyone had gone to the dining tent about 10 minutes early and rushed in for a quick shower.

Suggestions

Just go with the flow. Don't complain that your beer is not cold in the middle of the Gobi Desert. Be thankful that you HAVE the beer in the first place. The holiday is called "Mongolian Adventure" and not "Mongolian 5-Star Luxury All-Inclusive Holiday".

Most Inspirational Moment

Amazing night skies with no light pollution . Endless horizons with no mand made structures

Thoughts on Group Leader

Can only echo Caroline's comments , Dorjo needs to improve her leader/guide skills. Perfectly pleasant on a one to one basis but clearly most anxious to avoid any conflict whatosever , which means that placatory answers are given. That may solve immediate "issue" but leads to others when promised things dont occur , information isnt forthcoming , scheduled itinerary items are omitted / curtailed , general lack of information ( lunch stop , toilet stop / duration of any stop ) , general feeling of "not prepared " and unable/unwilling to actually go and find out the information .

Advice for Potential Travellers

When checking in for your flights ensure your luggage is checked ALL THE WAY through to Ulan Baator and not just Beijing. Take some spare clothes as hand luggage for overnight in Beijing off airport hotel. Do not expect an Air China rep to "assist " you with transfer to hotel , you have to fill in 72 hour temp visa form , then take transit train to luggage arrivals building ( hopefully if your bag checked through you wont have to collect luggage ) , leave customs and arrivals , go out into public arrivals hall. look for tiny Air China Hotel desk !!! Be prepared to argue that the room has been included and , if paid extra for single supplement , that you have a single room . Lots of driving in mini van , being bounced around for hours at a time so take some sweets for sharing . Also carry some hand gel and own toilet paper , be prepared to see more of your fellow travellers than you normally would ( at comfort stops) . Take own entertainment for evenings as very little to do after evening meal or those occasions when delivered back to ger camp at lunchtime with no activities availble in area. During the season its highly unlikley there will be any "single " Gers available and only then at FULL price ( not the hinted top up price in trip notes . small supplement ) . For the internal flight everyones luggage is weighed en-masse INCLUDING any day packs/rucksacks / hand luggage - and only 15KG allowance per person. So 6 people is 6 x 15 = 90 KG total . Any excess works out at about 1 USD per KG and has to be paid local currency - dont forget to ante up your share . Carry a small torch , for those night time/early morning start bathroom visits ( not every toilet block had lights on during night ) .

Suggestions

Driver Samdan was outstanding - always checking on his passengers and their comfort . Always willing to provide assistance , a hand up , fetching a stool to stand on etc.

Most Inspirational Moment

To sit under the vast star light skies with no noise or light pollution and to realise how very small you are and what a big world we live in. It helps to put things into perspective!

Thoughts on Group Leader

Dorjo had a good heart and intentions but lacks both leadership and organisation skills. It is clear that this is a side line job because she can speak some English. But even this was a little difficult to understand at times. She also does not take an active part in pointing out things of interest along the journey to break it up. She did not seem to know as much about things as we had hoped and this resulted in very short answers and despite further questions revealed nothing more about the subject matter. So we read our guide books and shared fact between ourselves. She does not do it often enough to lead a group of professional people who have traveled the world. The fact that she is a ex teacher showed in how she thought that she could lead and organise us. We are not kids and don't want to be treated like one! She often avoid difficult situations by agreeing to something (to pacify us) then later changing her mind later on ....to our absolute frustration and fury! Eg, There only beer as the ger camps, and some of us wanted soft drinks, so we asked that on return from our mornings outing we could go into town (which was close by) to buy some... "Yes we could". Then when the time came we could not, "there is not enough time and it's too far!". Yet we spent the afternoon twiddling our thumbs in the ger camp. "Would we like sand boards to slide down the sand dunes"..."Yes we said"..... " I will organise that for you". The next day she told Marion she had considers overnight and it was too dangerous.... then when I asked where they were she said " I forgot!" and so this is how it went on the whole trip. Conflicting stories, changing the decision without consultation. Further e.g. Will there be hot water for a shower at any of the ger camps..."Yes, at the next ger camp"... but there wasn't. They forgot to put the stove on for the hot water!. "Can we have breakfast early and go to the dune in the early morning so can climb in the cool"..... "Yes, I will organise it for 7 am with the ger camp"..... but we all sat around for 20 - 30 mins at 7 am waiting for Dorjo and the people running the ger camp to get up, cook & serve breakfast ! Breakfast was hurried and late! Further e.g. There were times that we went out on a morning excursion and could have spent the whole day at the canyon, or rock painting, or monastary, but she rushed us back to the ger camp to sit with nothing to do. So rather than asking us if we would like to take picnic lunch out there and spend most of the day exploring and walking. We were taken back to the Ger camp for lunch then to sit about. There was no activities planned so we amused ourselves by going off walking. We all wanted to make the best use of our time in Mongolia ,so following long days of driving, we wanted to stretch our legs and take the opportunity to explore and walk when we could on the excursions, but this was curtailed. We were viewed as naught children because we laughed and joked with each other and had great banter between each other and the driver. We were even told we were like children! Her style of leadership and organisation is out dated,so although she was doing her best or what she knew, it was not up to the standards that I am use to or would expect from a guide. I like all the others on the trip have worked hard to earn my money to afford to take this trip ....I not some sort of spoil rich kid!. Yes, I have high standards expect of me at work and have feedback and coaching all the time to improve. I therefore expect high standards of those people leading the trip. I therefore would suggest that Karakorum Expeditions need to take seriously the feedback that I know a number of us on the trip made to them on their blue feedback forms we handed in to Dorjo (that's if they did not get put in the bin!) and also take this feedback seriously too.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Be prepared for some long bumpy rides off road for most of the trip. Be prepared to shower in cold water as they never seemed to have the hot water on when we were showering mornings or evenings! Take some cards or games to play in the evening after dinner which finishes by 8 pm or days when you are just left in the ger camps as there is nothing else to do!

Suggestions

I can not speak highly enough about the driver Samdan who made the holiday for all of us. He was an excellent driver, who care for us, looking around often on the long drivers to see if we were OK. He could not speak English but we understood each other and he was away very attentive and caring towards us. Well done that man!

Most Inspirational Moment

Climbing the sand dunes in the desert. It was physically very challenging but also beautiful and exilarating.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Erdene (Eddie) was an excellent group leader. His English is excellent and he is very knowledgable. He was very attentive and accommodated everyone on the group, despite very different needs. He was well organized and advocated for the group when necessary. I'd highly recommend him!!

Advice for Potential Travellers

This trip involves lots of long drives over bumpy terrain. The scenery is beautiful and I found the drives quite relaxing. Staying in the ger camps was fun, and interesting. It was more luxurious than I expected, but having said that, there were times when there wasn't electricity, most times the water was cold, and at times water (shower and toilet) was not available. Realize though, that if you can't tolerate such drives and lack of water, or cold water, this trip is not for you (a number of people on my group couldn't, and all they did was complain). After all people, this is the desert!!

Most Inspirational Moment

The remote ger camp where we were the only visitors, riding a horse for the first time, the unexpected horse race, the opening ceremony of the festival, seeing a couple of long eared hedgehogs.

Thoughts on Group Leader

A nice lady but her English was quite poor and she wasn't very organised.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Take some sweets for sharing during the van journeys, mind your head on the ger doors and the van doors. Note that the luggage allowance for the internal flight is 15 Kg in total (i.e. checked plus carry-on) and that any excess has to be paid in local currency.

Suggestions

The people are friendly and were as intrigued by us as we were by them. There is a good deal of building work taking place in Ulaan Baatar which is starting to mar the place. A previous review mentioned 50 seater coaches, we only encountered anything like this at the very last ger camp which is quite close to UB and appears to be popular with day trippers, the rest of the camps might have a couple of vans of other people at most.