Mongolia cycling vacation

Planet

Accommodation and Meals:
We spend nine nights camping in the wild, two nights in comfortable hotels, two in traditional Mongolian gers and one on a sleeper train. All accommodation is locally owned and run, which has a positive on the economy and community by increasing employment alternatives in the area. By spending the majority of the trip wild camping, we significantly reduce our carbon footprint for the trip. We also operate on a ‘leave no trace’ basis, which involves disposing of waste at major towns and Ulaanbaatar, rather than leaving rubbish where we set up camp. Fresh, locally sourced ingredients are used wherever possible where meals are provided. Chefs are often able to produce some delicious Mongolian specialties for clients as well, like ‘Tsuvian’- pasta served with vegetables and strips of meat, or ‘Buuz’- steamed dumplings stuffed with meat.

Activity:
As a cycling vacation, this trip has very limited detrimental impact upon the environment, residents and communities in the regions we visit. Use of the bikes allows us to cover fairly large distances, while offering very little adverse impact, like pollution and threat to wildlife. Cycling also allows for easy access to the local population, shops and restaurants, which facilitates cultural exploration. By hiring our bikes locally, we also give our business to the rental company, which is beneficial for the community. Through this activity, we are able to raise local awareness for a kind of tourism which refuses to sacrifice the environment and real connections with people for financial gain.

UK Office:
It all starts at home so we have first worked at reducing our carbon footprint in our UK Offices. Through energy conservation measures and recycling policies, we are proud to be actively reducing the waste produced and our impact on the environment. We support various projects all over the world to try and give something back to the places we visit.

People

Local Craft and Culture:
Although much of the tour is spent cycling through the fairly remote steppe, there are opportunities to become accustomed with local culture throughout. At the beginning of the trip, clients take an introductory tour of Ulaanbaatar, including Sukhbaatar Square and Gandan Monastery. We also visit the 16th century Erdene Zuu monastery, which is the largest and most famous in Mongolia. Handicrafts are available widely in the larger cities and typically include colourful leather boots, embroidered textiles, decorated flagons and carved wooden items. Buying traditional crafts is encouraged as this is a means of supporting the community and, in some cases, of keeping customs alive. However, guides will be careful to point out that some souvenirs on offer can be damaging to the environment or wildlife- like the horns of argali sheep or snow leopard pelts.

Charity:
Our local operator has been supporting the Lotus Children’s Centre in Mongolia. The organisation is a small NGO that acts as a home and school for about 80 vulnerable children. Our operators have donated bicycles, computers, and used camping equipment to facilitate the children’s education and play time. On occasion they have even provided employment for older children who were struggling to find a secure job.

Group Size:
This small group tour has a maximum of 16 participants, meaning that we have a low impact on the environments and communities we visit and are able to ensure that we do not disrupt or lead to the displacement of local people. The small number also allows us to stay in unique, family-run hotels that cannot benefit from coach tours and other mass tourism due to their limited sizes.