Our traveler's feedback

I did the Discover Mongolia 11-day tour that goes to Karakorum, the big beautiful dues in the Gobi and dozen places in between. We had lunch with a nomad family in a ger (yurt) in the middle of nowhere, stayed in wood-heated gers each night. Togos Togosoo was a warm and wonderful guide and just a beautiful spirit, and Mr. Nandi was a great driver, really watched out for us in a million ways and was a fun and steady presence. They both were fun and great at their jobs. It wasn't all 5-star accomodations (thought the last night in UB was a great room and great meal), but that wasn't what I was looking for, and everything was perfectly good. We were the last trip of the season, so it was getting a bit chilly, but something quite beautiful about hunkering under down comforters and thick camel-hair blankets after a day hiking or riding horses or two-humped camels. Saw some wild sheep, a fox, wild horses, and great birds of prey. I gave it five stars but I'll leave a sixth here for Togosoo.

Although the tour is normally for people who know horse riding well, our guide was very helpful and patient. Doggie (our guide) was friendly and fun and very generous with his attention and care. The accommodation had great facilities and the whole crew from Discover Mongolia were very hospitable and helpful.

It was a wonderful experience to spend time in Mongolia. the tour was provided by Discover Mongolia, Ulan Batar. The your guide named Uka was excellent and coupled with the driver, Dambaa were a dream team. The two other travelers,who were with me, were great as well.
All went well, except the day of departure, when the driver from Discover Mongolia did not show up to pick me to take me to the airport. I had to take a taxi to the airport.

It was a dark and stormy night, and that caused our transfer from HK to UB to be delayed by 14hrs. We were supposed to set off to the Gobi the day after arriving, but because of the delay, we had to make alternate arrangements. In all my communication with Ooyuna, who was helping to reschedule the whole tour, she was extremely accommodating and helpful, and we made it to the Gobi in the end. :')

When we finally made it to DZ, our guide, Sara, and our drivers (alas I do not know how to spell their names), were warm and friendly, and made us feel taken care of. They've got a good sense of humor! :) It's okay to ask them to stop at something that looks interesting, such as a small town or a herd of camels.

The places we stayed at had wonderful views, fantastic facilities (proper toilets and showers with hot water) and excellent food (you will have to pay extra for beers and extra bottles of water, but these were about USD $2~5 each).

The activities are at scenic spots, but may be physically challenging. Our guide cheered us on at each spot, but if your physical condition is not good, you may have to sit out on some of the activities (such as the sand dunes).

Two things to take note of: 1) electricity and WiFi are in short supply, so bring along portable chargers, and expect spotty connections. 2) although the vans they supplied are comfortable enough, the trails between sites are terribly bumpy, so if you have back or neck problems, it might be quite hard on you. Expect 3-4hrs of driving each day.

Overall Great Experience: My 83-year-old father had hinted for several years that he'd like to visit Mongolia. He's traveled around the globe, but very much wanted to see what life is like across the vast, sparsely populated steppes and desert areas of Mongolia. He and I shared a father-son journey that I will cherish in memory for the rest of my life.

We took the 11-day Beauty of Mongolia trip from August 25 to September 4, 2019. This was the perfect length for us, although it left us wanting to see more of the country.

The star of the journey was the country and its welcoming people. But a key to any trip is the spirit within the group. My father and I were joined by just one other traveler. (Our new friend Ben from the Seattle area is a wonderful travel companion who had done his historical research before the trip and proved to be both a good teacher and an eager learner. I will remember warmly our nightly discussions over a Mongolian beer or two.) We were led by our guide Uka and driver Dambaa. Both were beyond wonderful. Uka kept us on schedule, well fed, and happy. Even though it was her last trip of the season, she showed the enthusiasm and cheerfulness of someone leading a group for the first time. Dambaa is a marvel. His driving skills are incredible. (Given the absence of roads through much of the country, this is critically important.) He took great care of his van, always keeping it both maintained and clean. But Dambaa is more than just a driver. He is also something of an assistant guide, participating in all the group's activities. He shows a playful, youthful enthusiasm tempered just enough by the wisdom and resourcefulness needed to safely navigate Mongolia's countryside.

(Oyuna and Bodi were our guide and driver during the tour's last day, which was in Ulaanbaatar. They also were great, although we had much less time to get to know one another.)

The joy of some trips is evident from a highlights list of activities or visited sites. For me, at least, the joy of visiting Mongolia is not found on any such list (although I loved visiting a nomadic family and some other activities). Rather, the joy came from taking in the landscape and from the interactions with the Mongolian people as we moved through our itinerary. The overall experience was so much more than any activities list could ever capture.

Don't Let Any Pre-Trip Communication Frustrations Deter You: As my dad and I researched travel firms, I began exchanging emails with Discover Mongolia. I always got responses to my questions. However, sometimes those responses were slow in coming and sometimes they were incomplete. If you read the reviews here, you'll see that some others (but not all) have had a similar experience. You'll also see, though, that nearly everyone posting here has rated the trip itself very highly. My advice is that you ought not let any communication frustrations deter you. If our experience was typical (and from the reviews here, it seems to have been), you'll be very, very happy with the trip itself.

Advice Based On An End-Of-Trip Glitch: Discover Mongolia arranged a driver to pick us up at 4:00 am to take us to the airport for our trip home. That driver did not show up. We had to scramble to get the hotel staff (half-asleep at that hour) to get a taxi for us. We made it to the airport and Discover Mongolia paid the fare. But we ought not have had to scramble. For those with an early flight out of Ulaanbaatar, my advice is that you have a telephone number for someone at Discover Mongolia who can help if you find yourself, as we did, stranded without a driver.

(I'd offer practical trip-planning advice, but anything I'd write (e.g., dress in layers because temperatures range from quite cold to quite warm) already is well covered in other reviews.)

Bottom Line Advice: Go to Mongolia. Take it all in. And give serious consideration to using Discover Mongolia.

The tour was fantastic, well organized and great people involved. From visits to little known waterfalls to impromptu stays with families in gers the program provided something new every day. Comments on the support; The vehicle might not look much but it was incredibly capable, getting us in and most importantly, out of some very rough terrain. Our driver Honai was dedicated and always safe. Our cook Sairan was so hard working, first up in the morning and often one of the last to turn in, we never went hungry and the food overall was great. Lastly our guide Ebo looked after us every step of the way, sharing knowledge of the places and people to answer our many questions.

First day was a visit to an eagle hunter and his family, staying in a ger and partaking of milk tea, arul and arig and then meeting the magnificent eagle. From there we were into camping, spending the next 3 nights moving toward the Potanni glacier and what was the highlight of the tour. The horse ride through magnificent countryside and then views of the mountains and glacier were breathtaking.

We would reccomend this to anyone seeking some authentic experiences and a great trip.