Oyuna was very helpful in organizing the trip. At first I thought I was going alone, but when I found a travel companion, she easily adapted the itinerary to accommodate the additional person.
In UB we stayed at a very nice hotel, the BayonGol, and then the rest of the 11 day trip was spent either in Tourist Camp gers (yurts) or in Nomadic Family gers. The trip involved a great deal of driving to get from place to place and I was glad we had a large Mitsubishi van with an excellent driver as the roads were often really bad jeep tracks.
The guide was friendly and would have been perfect for someone who just wanted to know about the current living situation in Mongolia. Unfortunately, I also wanted to know much more about the history and legends of the various regions and this was clearly not her forte. This should not detract, however, from using Discover Mongolia.
They are an excellent firm and pay close attention that their clients are safe and well taken care of. I can heartily recommend them for anyone traveling to Central Mongolia.
The Trip was amazing.
At first I wasn't sure if I wanted to do such a tour, as usually I travel on my own. But then I thought my time there is limited and there is a lot to see, so I'll make an exception and go for it.
First of all, it was really easy to book, once I decided which tour I wanted to do. The contact was so friendly and helpful.
Once I got to Mongolia things went smooth. Pickup from the hostel was no problem.
We had a really good and experienced driver and probably the best tour guide ever. She showed us so many interesting things and places where locals went - no other tour guide would have done this.
The camps we stayed at were Tourist Ger Camps. Usually not my thing but it was okay, the places were clean and the food tailored for tourists but still good/okay.
Would definitely recommend.
I went on the 7-day Karakorum and Gobi tour in July 2018 and loved every minute of it! To start with the booking arrangements were fairly straightforward and the communication with the company beforehand was good and relatively prompt. The information about the itinerary and arrangements and what to expect was thorough and easily digested. I was traveling alone so I was very pleased when Bat from Discover Mongolia managed to find another person to join my tour and reduce the costs.
The tour itself was just fantastic. The range of landscapes and conditions across the Gobi were simply breathtaking. From sand dunes, to rocky outcrops to lush fields with sheep and goats grazing, mountains, valleys, and gravel beds. The open expanse is a feeling as much as it is a visual experience. The highlights for me were
- seeing the Takhi horses at Hustai National Park,
- climbing the massive Khongor sand dunes,
- and visiting the ancient monastery at Karakorum.
Our guide was Gana and you couldn't have wished for a more perfect person to show you around. So knowledgeable, passionate and attentive to every detail. Her enthusiasm was infectious and will make you fall in love with this country and people. Drawing on her own experience with the nomadic life, she regaled us with stories and fairy tales, entertained us with traditional games and educated us about the history and culture of Mongolia. Gana was constantly looking for ways to ensure we were comfortable and enjoying the trip. For example, when it seemed like there wouldn't be enough time for us to see the Hustai horses and do the horse ride, she arranged with the park staff to take us on a hike up the mountain and see the horses at the top, rather than waiting at the bottom for them to come down with everyone else. That was a truly special moment to observe those beautiful creatures in their natural setting. We also saw deer, elk, and all sorts of different birds of prey. Thanks to Gana and her capacity to negotiate a solution.
Our driver was Ayush, and he was awesome. The Gobi was experiencing significant flash flooding events during our visit and Ayush's calm and cautious approach and exemplary skill in getting us through was outstanding. Without him, we may not have got to see everything on the itinerary. Some other tours were not so lucky and got stuck in mud and rivers. He was a consummate professional, meticulously maintaining and cleaning his vehicle to ensure we were all comfortable and would not have any problems along the way.
There is a lot of driving on this trip as there is a lot of ground to cover in 7 days, but it is worth it. The ger camps we stayed at ranged in quality with some better than others but overall much more comfortable than I was expecting.
I strongly recommend this tour and if coming back to Mongolia will definitely choose to go with Discover Mongolia again.
My partner and I had a wonderful winter tour of central Mongolia. The staff (at the office and the on-site guides and driver) were all so wonderful and friendly, as were all the locals we met. This is definitely an experience I will never forget! :)
I booked the 10 days trip from Ulaanbaatar, through central part of Mongolia to desert Gobi. From the first email contact until the last airport transfer. Everything was perfect organized by ‚Discover Mongolia. The tourist camps were always clean, warm showers and had even western toilets. The meals are delicious (a lot of meat!) but even a special requests are possible.
Our tour guide Munkhbold was amazing!! This person is very passionate about his work and life. He has a great attitude and he made everything possible to make us feel comfortable and enjoy every moment of our trip. Munkhbold told us so many facts about the history and culture of Mongolia that I think he is the Mongolian Indiana Jones who took us on a great adventure ;-) It was magnificent!!
The professional driver’s Battulga and Ayush are super careful. It was quite funny how they loved their Vans and took care so we had a safe trip.
It was a lifetime experience. The people are so friendly and kind in this beautiful country.
I have to visit again!
I would like to congratulate Mr. Bat and all at Discover Mongolia on providing an amazing service - thank you so very much indeed. We went on the South Gobi tour and our trip could not have been better (except for the rain that is....!)
Oyungeri (our guide) and Dampur (our driver) were just brilliant - informative, relaxed, superbly efficient and very very kind - a real credit to your company!
The accommodation was all top class, the food was excellent and the scenery was - of course - exceptional.
Many thanks for such a wonderful job that you do - I will recommend you to all who come to Mongolia!
