"EXPLORING THE BEAUTY OF MONGOLIA: A GROUP TRIP LIKE NO OTHER"
Let me explain how I came to host this group trip. I am a solo traveler, but some places in the world are hard to navigate. Mongolia intimidated me and I just didn't know how to even start. In comes a group trip led by a local Kazakh Mongolian, Ainabek Khavduali better known as Bek, in Western Mongolia and the rest is history.
I wanted to visit Mongolia for over 10 years, but I found it difficult to figure out where to start, especially once out in the countryside among the nomads. Sure I could get a flight to Ulaanbaatar, but then what? I read in guide books that you could basically just arrive at someone's ger (yurt) and they would invite you in, but I don’t know, I find that a bit too unplanned even for my adventurous blood when factoring in weather. Sure in blue skies and temperate temperatures I’ve got no problems pitching a tent randomly on the side of the road if I can’t find a place to stay, but I do believe in safety and if I don’t know the language, customs, weather, telecommunications infrastructure, or where to get gas, well it all just starts to feel overwhelming, especially while traveling alone.
Of course then my mind goes to I need a guide inside of Mongolia, but who to trust? Who is the real deal? That takes me to an internet search and as we all know somehow the glitzy websites rule and those sites aren’t necessarily the local Mongolians in the backcountry. I resonate much stronger with finding local guides and giving the local economy the money. But, how does one find the right local if you do not know anyone in the country or know anyone who has traveled there? It’s difficult to say the least. Basically, you choose someone and cross your fingers and hope for the best. Well, I found one of those locals to trust in Bek.
While I am the so-called “middleman” for this trip I wanted to also be transparent and say that I am not getting paid. I am literally inviting you to join me on my trip because I can’t wait to get back to Mongolia. What I have worked out with Bek is that depending on how many people join he will host me free of charge. There are no added costs to this trip because I am hosting.
I am sharing my time, my experience, my adventure, my feeling of safety, and my excitement to get back to Mongolia and I am helping you find someone who has been there, taking away the leg work, and helping you feel good about your choice. I have created this itinerary with Bek based on hotels that I have stayed in and liked. Areas that I find convenient and I even factored in how to have alternative choices. I know where the market is, but I also know how to help you pack.
I find time fleeting. As we all know so many things can happen in one's life, in the world, and opportunities might never come again. This trip is a once in a lifetime, because I don’t know what or where my future will lead and this trip I am inviting you to join me. I might never do it again.
This will be my second time in Mongolia and my first time in the summer. I am looking forward to seeing how it has changed with the summer months. In the winter nomads do not stay in their gers much because it is considered summer housing. Summer is the time for us to go hiking, horseback riding, camping and being a part of the nomadic culture. I am so looking forward to seeing the green expanse, but at the same time we will get to hike on a glacier. Diversity at its best.
I scheduled this trip to coincide with the National Naadam Festival. Mongolia focuses on three traditional games: horse-racing, wrestling and archery. Mongolian Naadam is connected to the nomadic civilization of the Mongols, who have long practiced pastoralism on Central Asia's vast steppe and I believe when visiting a distant country it is always best to arrive when one can partake in local traditions.
This trip will be for 14 days and I believe in that amount of time you will get a true sense of Mongolia. I hope to incorporate action packed moments, but also enough time to settle into daily life. I do not want to have every minute of every day filled. I hope we will get to sit around a table and enjoy each other's company as well.
Travel and adventure is fabulous on its own, but it also bonds people in ways that can't be explained. The light in our eyes, the exhaustion in our bodies, the laughter at our ruggedness, and the shared experience is what stories are made of. I can't wait to meet you in Mongolia and make the story a reality.
See you soon,
Monique
July 8-21, 2024
Can't wait!