Korean Job Discussion Forums

LydiaSarah · Joined: 02 Jul 2008 Location: Bucheon, South Korea

I'm thinking about visiting Mongolia with a few friends this summer and was wondering if anyone had advice on a tour company/specific tour to go on. We'll have about twelve days in the beginning of August, and we really want to do some actual horse/camel trekking...not just an hour one afternoon. Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

huffdaddy · Joined: 25 Nov 2005

slimstinator · Joined: 04 Mar 2009

Yeah I agree. I stayed in UB Guesthouse (Korean owned), which is fundamentally a hostel, but actually a tour selling operation.

Once you are in the door, they will get you to sit down and talk to you about tours. Depending on the number of you, they will book transport for your group, or they will team you up with other travellers to get a tour for a group of you.

I was only there for 5 days, and did a tour out to Karakorum. Was really nice. I think for a longer tour you will look at going down to the Gobi.

Drew345 · Joined: 24 May 2005

I did the Gobi tour with UB guesthouse. It was OK.
You don't have to actually stay there to go on their tours. So stay where you like, and go there for the tours.
At one of the overnight stops, they served "hot water!" for breakfast. Just to let you know what you get for this budget tour. Most of the night stops they served bread at least, once even rice. You can stop at food stores every couple of days for canned and packaged goods.
The skies were the clearest I have ever seen. I saw the milky way so bright every night. That's something you just don't see from Korea (or America).
And yes, I got to climb those really huge sand dunes.
It was nice, but really basic travel.
Drew

slimstinator · Joined: 04 Mar 2009

Drew did you not get any horse milk??? Or even better Horse milk with vodka!!??

My meals on the road were mainly dumpling, mandu things. Quite good. No complaints.

There was just two of us in my group. We were in a Toyota Corolla. Was nice.

Many big groups are in the old Russian truck things/

Drew345 · Joined: 24 May 2005

We toured the Gobi in a VW bus, very durable. 6 Europeans and me.
The food was OK (as I remember), only the last stop served nothing but hot water. It was just a necessary stop to sleep before getting back to UB (and the lady running the ranch was serious alcoholic).
Some stunning scenary in the Gobi, but bring some word games to play ("who done it" kind of games) for long rides between the sites. I loves seeing the stars so bright.

Morgen · Joined: 02 Jul 2008

Do you guys remember about how much your tours cost?

Drew345 · Joined: 24 May 2005

I really can't remember, but it was dirt cheap, considering that there a 7 people in a VW van going through the desert. Say maybe $20 to $25 per day per person, maybe less. What you get is a VW van and a driver who hold up fingers to tell you how many hours to next stop. Really no frills. Price includes sleeping in the yurts at the nightly stops and dumplings for dinner and bread for breakfast.
About twice a week you see a big enough town for a shower. Mongloia uses community based showers where people wait in line for a shower to come free (they are cleaned between each use). It is probably similar to the ancient roots of the jim jil bang system in Korea. Just another of the Mongolia memories.