Holiday in Mongolia
| country: | Mongolia |
| trip type: | A small group adventure |
| departures: | 2008: 25 Aug 2009: 25 May, 15 Jun, 6 Jul, 27 Jul, 17 Aug |
| price: | From £1145 (21 days) excluding flights. Local payment US $250. Max group size 15 people. Note: reverse itinerary applies to the 10 Jul departure. |
the amazing things you'll be doing
An incredible journey to the land of blue skies, green hills and nomadic people. Get out and explore the city of Ulaan Baatar and lush green countryside, which is dotted with ancient monasteries. Join nomadic herders who live in 'gers' in the land where wild horses roam free.
Highlights include Ulaan Baatar, remote monasteries, wilderness camp, Bayan Gobi dunes, Khogno Khan, Karakorum, Khovsgol Lake and camel riding.
Highlights include Ulaan Baatar, remote monasteries, wilderness camp, Bayan Gobi dunes, Khogno Khan, Karakorum, Khovsgol Lake and camel riding.
day-by-day itinerary
| Day 1: | Arrive Ulaan Baatar. Arrive in Ulaan Baatar at any time. |
| Day 2: | Ulaan Baatar. As the city used to be a Russian protectorate, much of the architectural styles remain alongside traditional Mongolian gers (tents) and modern shops. You have free time to explore the Museum of Natural History with its dinosaur exhibits, the Choijin Lama Temple Museum with displays of Buddhist artifacts, or perhaps the Ganden Monastery, the most important in the country. |
| Day 3: | Mandalgovi. Head south into the Gobi Desert, and on to Mandalgovi, a trading town with a definite Soviet character. See gazelle, cranes, and eagles in the surrounding countryside. |
| Day 4-5: | Yolyn Am. Yolyn Am, the “Vulture’s Mouth” is an incredible gorge in the desert. Hike deep into the gorge to where ice remains, even in summer. |
| Day 6: | Gobi Desert. Explore some of the largest dunes in the Gobi Desert. |
| Day 7: | Ongi River. Drive north through areas made famous for the fossils and dinosaur eggs discovered there in recent years. |
| Day 8-9: | Khongo Khan Mountains. Take in the amazing views from these mountains rising from the plains - a great place for bird-watching. |
| Day 10: | Karakorum. We visit the ancient capital city and beautiful Erdene Zuu Monastery. |
| Day 11-12: | Great White Lake. Continue across the green hills to Great White Lake. This natural volcanic lake surrounded by rocky mountains provides a surreal landscape in Khorgo. Climb up to one of the peaks for spectacular views of the nearby area. |
| Day 13: | Grasslands. Our drive takes us deep into the steppe to really experience the nomad life as we head towards Khovsgol Lake |
| Day 14-16: | Khovsgol Lake. Journey to the pure waters and pristine wilderness of Khovsgol Lake, surrounded by emerald green grasslands dotted with the white 'gers' (traditional tents) of nomads. Swim in the icy waters or hike through the nearby forests. |
| Day 17-18: | Selenge River. Soak in the beautiful surroundings of the picturesque Selenge River. |
| Day 19: | Khustai National Park. Khustai National Park is home to the wild Takhi horses, the last truly wild horses in the world. |
| Day 20: | Ulaan Baatar. Head back to the capital through the grasslands to explore Ulaan Baatar once again. |
| Day 21: | Depart Ulaan Baatar. |
small group adventure holiday
Typically you will be sharing your experiences with between 4-20 like minded travellers (depending on the trip, operator and how many others are booked on the trip) and you'll have a group leader with you. Whether you are travelling alone or with friends its good value, and a great way to meet new people! While itineraries are pre-planned there is some flexibility and you'll have plenty of privacy. This trip will appeal to travellers of all ages who enjoy meeting new people as well as seeing new places.how this holiday makes a difference
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Group size: In order to keep the environmental and negative social impact of travel to a minimum, we operate this tour with a maximum of 15 passengers.
Accommodation: The majority of our hotels are small, locally owned and family operated establishments. This tour includes two homestay nights, which will give our travellers an opportunity to experience the Mongolian way of life firsthand. This tour also includes eight nights in a traditional Mongolian ger. Local guides and operators: By working with local guides and operators, we provide economic benefits directly to the local people and businesses. Our local guides are experts in flora, fauna, history, culture, and provide our travellers with insight into local knowledge. Tour leaders: Our tour leaders receive special training in low-impact travel and regional conservation issues and projects. They are also provided with a Sustainable Travel Manual. Tour leaders are selected based on their knowledge of, and commitment to sustainable travel. All our tour leaders speak English and have first aid and CPR certification. Our foundation: Through our commitment to responsible tourism we have developed our own foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated to making a positive difference in the lives of people and communities around the world through support of international charities, local organizations and community projects in the places that we visit on our tours.  Through this, we support Seva Canada Society, an international non-governmental organization dedicated to the elimination of preventable and treatable blindness. Seva has worked in Nepal and India for 25 years and more recently in Tibet and Tanzania. Today, nearly 40 million people are blind with ninety percent of the world’s blind living in developing countries. Another 135 million have debilitating low vision. The good news is that most of this blindness can be prevented or cured. Half of the world’s blindness is caused by cataract that is reversible with a 15-minute operation costing $20 - $50 in most developing countries. |
Tourism can be good and bad for destinations & local people. We carefully screen every holiday against our criteria for responsible travel. 'Look behind the brochure' to find how each holiday makes a difference (see left). We don't claim to be perfect - there is no global accreditation - but we've led the way since 2001 and screened 1000's of holidays. We invite every traveller to write a review about their experiences and responsible tourism. This valuable feedback is sent to the people who run the holidays. We keep a very close eye on it and take off holidays that don't live up to our standards. |