I’ve had a few days to decompress from my amazing trip to Mongolia and I wanted to talk about the tour company I used, Discover Mongolia. I found them through TripAdvisor (Award of Excellence!) 5 years ago when we were originally going to take this trip in September 2020. Well, that didn’t happen, but four years later I finally did it.
I can’t say enough good things about Discover Mongolia. First of all, they are a Mongolian company, which was very important to me as all the profits stay in country. Also, compared to itineraries of more well known tours, like Overseas Adventure Travel (OAT), they are about 1/2 the price and go to many more remote places, like Karakoram, The White Lake, Erdene Zu monastery , Secret of Ongi, The White Stupa, and more.
We had a small group, only 4 travelers compared to the 30 we saw with OAT (which they split into two groups) so we were able to take a small 4 wheel drive van that could literally go anywhere.
This tour, and in fact Mongolia, isn’t for everyone. You spend a lot of time in the car driving over rough dirt roads (the distances are great, sometimes 250 kilometers and 5 hours a day on dirt roads). There’s no beach to hang out on and no super fancy restaurants. You sleep in gers (nomadic tents, which are very comfy). But if you have a sense of adventure and are a true traveler, then Mongolia is for you. You will experience so many things, the best for me seeing and being a part of (even for a few hours) the age old Mongolian nomadic culture, which may be a thing of the past in a generation or two.
I saw airag being made (the Mongolian national drink of fermented mare’s milk, that helped Chinggis Khan and his warriors conquer a continent), learned how to make Mongolian vodka (much like my beloved mezcal), and experienced a Mongolian barbecue with a nomadic family. Since there were only 4 of us travelers, we could all hang out inside the ger, being honored guests, which is a big deal in Mongolia.
The time of year is important. July is festival season and the most crowded. But you’ll see the famous Nadaam festival, an age old custom in Mongolia featuring wrestling, archery, and horse racing. In early October there’s the Eagle Festival, featured in the great documentary, The Eagle Huntress (which is located in the far western part of Mongolia). In late September, when I went, it was chilly and in fact snowed one day. Do your research to see what’s best for you.
So I can’t recommend Discover Mongolia enough. Amy and I rarely take tours, but in Mongolia you really have to. And this company is fantastic, with great guides and drivers. Our guide, Khishig was amazing, as she took wonderful care of us and taught us so much about Mongolian customs, food, landscape, history, etc. Our driver, Dambaa, was incredible, taking us over the Mongolian landscape in what seemed at times just camel trails. And the staff in the office is great, too. Shinee, who was our contact, always answered my questions promptly.
So if you’re ready for the adventure of a lifetime, Mongolia may be right up your alley.