Holiday Reviews
We invite every traveller who books a holiday via us to send in a review. Because we don't run the holidays they're completely independent and unedited... remember to read between the lines though, as two people on the same trip can have different views!
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Naadam festival tour, Mongolia, independent reviews
 Reviewed 20 Jul 2009 by Cat Grant |  |
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday?
Riding a yak and falling off a camel. All of it was fantastic really, there were no favourite bits, the saddest bit was leaving.
2. What tips would you give other travellers booking this holiday?
Don't read the travel books they give you a bad impression, the food is great and Ulanbaaar is fabulous. You can drink the water and you will be full all the time.
3. Did you feel that your holiday benefited local people, and minimized impacts on the environment?
Lots of local people were employed by the camps and the tour company. Everything appeared simple and nothing fancy, just the way I liked it.
4. Finally, how would you rate your holiday overall?
Marks out of 10 - 10! Just a shame it was over. The vastness of Mongolia is something to be experienced and Ulanbaatar is a lovely city - loved it, loved it.
| Reviewed 16 Jul 2009 by Maggie Lawlor | |
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday?
There were a number of memorable elements to this holiday, one of the best being invited into a local family home and being shown how to cook their traditional food and distil vodka. Our small group were also invited to ride their yaks and then taken on a yak pulled cart ride through the mountainous landscape. The other exciting parts of the holiday were that due to the flexibility of the small group we were able to visit three Naadam festivals rather than the one which had been scheduled. We also were able to ride local ponies and camels through a small part of the Gobi desert.
2. What tips would you give other travellers booking this holiday?
Booking a tour took more time than I expected and paying by bank transfer was problematic for my bank as it took me 3 visits to my bank to achieve a successful transfer. Catherine at the tour operator was very helpful in helping me through the booking process, obtaining a visa and getting appropriately priced flights. Therefore I think that the best tip is to be patient and don't panic - it was worth the wait.
3. Did you feel that your holiday benefited local people, and minimized impacts on the environment?
Local people were beneficiaries of employment at the camps we used, using local animals for rides and money spend purchasing local made trinkets for souvenirs went directly into the local economy. As far as I could see there was limited impact on the environment as we used the same facilities as the local people.
4. Finally, how would you rate your holiday overall?
Excellent - I hope to return to Mongolia.