Zavkhan horse riding vacation in Mongolia

Planet

It's hard to avoid the fact that you are likely to arrive in Mongolia by plane - although we do recommend the train for those with plenty of time! Once you are here, however, we minimise further carbon emissions by traveling in the most sustainable way possible - by horse. Mind you, once the horses get a taste of the lush mountain pastures where we ride, their carbon emissions do tend to increase significantly!

Happily, riding is also the best and most traditional way to experience Mongolia, traveling the way the locals still do.

Clean water is thankfully not a scarce resource where we ride, and we want to keep it that way. This is about maintaining the purity of rivers and streams that we camp near. We ensure that our toilet is dug a suitable distance from the water course each evening. Dishes and clothes are washed away from the waters edge. We do encourage guests to swim and wash in rivers, but soap-free is the way to go.

Our drivers are banned from washing their vehicles in the rivers, an unfortunately common sight near towns.

Nomadic herders have great respect for the rivers, and they have their own prohibitions such as not letting blood or milk enter the water. We follow their lead when it comes to living sustainably on the steppe!

People

Visiting Mongolia is as much about experiencing the local culture as it is about the beautiful scenery and fantastic riding. Over many years we have built up close relationships with our local staff and their families. We recognise that the best way to really get to know Mongolia is by drawing in close to the camp fire in the evening and getting to know the local people you are riding with.

All our staff come from the area where we ride. They are not tourism professionals from the city, rather they are 'real' Mongolians, a bit rough around the edges sometimes but with a strong desire to give you a wonderful and lasting impression of their country.

Zavkhan province is known as one of the least developed regions of Mongolia, due to its remoteness and the difficulty getting here. This is one of the reasons we decided to start running trips in the area, to provide local employment and help develop sustainable livelihoods.

Most tourism is concentrated around areas such as Lake Khovsgol and Terelj. By coming to Zavkhan you avoid the 'beaten track', experience the real Mongolia, and help families who do not otherwise benefit from the tourism industry.