Accommodation styles in the Mongolian countryside
The vast steppe, deserts and mountains of Mongolia are dotted with a range of accommodation options for travellers in what Mongolians charmingly call 'the countryside' - all 1.6 million square kilometres of it!
We offer a range of accommodation styles to suit your holiday desires, budget and itinerary.
MANDALA MONGOLIA – $$$$$
Mandala Mongolia offers luxury back-country accommodation, on location for a fleeting moment just for you. Created for guests on tailor-made itineraries to enjoy the wilds of Mongolia whilst not giving up any comforts; en-suite, off-grid with the very best hosts to look after you. The interlocking components of our handcrafted ger are transported overland – by camel or yak, if necessary – to a magical location where we build your private refuge. After your stay, we pack-up the ger and it magically disappears, leaving no trace behind.
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GER CAMPS – $$$ to $$$$
A ger camp is a ‘countryside hotel’ with each single, couple or family in their own comfortable, stove lit, traditional ger. Ger camps have fixed western style bathroom facilities in a central location and hot showers are available at certain times of the day. There will normally be a restaurant in a separate building and most ger camps can cater for a range of diets. Facilities between camps vary widely and in recent years some ger camps have upgraded with ‘ensuite’ gers whilst others have gone for eco, hot-steamed towels instead of showers. We try to choose smaller, more personal camps but this will depend on where you are in the country and the time of year you travel.
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PJ GERS – $$$
We work with host families who act as caretakers for our PJ gers, meaning that you can stay alongside nomads but still have your own space in your own private PJ ger with a comfortable bed. You will experience nomadic lifestyle, sharing meals with the family, and can join in with as much or as little as you like. You’ll be able to help with the family’s daily tasks of milking the animals, collecting wood & dung for the fire. Try your hand at fermenting mare’s milk into airag or cooking traditional treats. Or simply relax in a beautiful spot. Facilities are basic, with a long drop or sit-on eco toilet housed in a tent or outhouse and a camping hand-pump shower as well as bowls of hot water for washing.
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NOMADS' CAMPS – $$
Have a taste of nomad life as you live with local families in their guest gers. Facilities vary, but generally they will be basic; you will sleep in the family’s guest ger and beds range from basic camping cots to makeshift beds. Hot water will be provided by your hosts for washing, and there will be a long drop toilet. Some nomad camps are slightly more developed and may have solar-heated water for showers at certain points in the day; other camps have a hand-pump camp shower whilst others only have a thermos with hot water for washing.
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NOMADS' HOMESTAY – $
Experience a true homestay, as a member of the family, sleeping in the shared family ger with the nomadic family. Facilities will be basic and shared: the long drop toilet may have a simple wood surround but, perhaps, no overhead covering. Water will be heated for washing in a bowl. Your guide and driver will also sleep in the ger with the family, although they may stay with the neighbour for the evening, depending on available space. Meals will be shared with the family and you may wake-up to the sight of the matriarch of the household cooking tea or fried bread over the central stove.
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