Classic Gobi Tour
Description
This tour takes in some of Mongolia's crown jewels; the magnificent Gobi with its eerie singing sands, martian expanses of arid landscapes populated with the ghosts of dinosaurs and the hardiest living plants and animals; the magnificent Erdene Zuu monastery on the site of the ancient capital, Kharkhorin, and the ruins of the Ongiin Khiid monastery deep in Dundgobi province.
Traffic will consist of herds of ibex and Bactrian camels; the soundtrack will be the whisper of sand between your fingers and granite and sandstone under your shoes, or the velvet thud of your camel's hooves; the company will be your fellow intrepid travelers, most new to Mongolia and its particular pleasure and hardships, in the care and company of our fantastic crew.
This trip is accessible to anyone fit and healthy for 8,9 days on the road, and curious about the unique and memorable treaures of the Gobi. We can extend it to suit specific interests and diaries, please just enquire at hello@morindoo.com
Whilst the named sites are all memorable and impressive in their way. It's in the yawning spaces between them you will get a sense of the scale and majesty of this martian, but always living, colorful expanse, and also an appreciation of your Morindoo team, keeping you safe, entertained and comfortable on the road.
If you are one of the derby supporters we have timed this trip to fit in perfect for Derby friends and family who are in country for the duration of the event and will be joining their rider at the finish line, by arrangement with the race organisers. We have ridden, organised and delivered the Derby ourselves and so understand your needs, curiosities and appetites while in Mongolia - you really are in expert hands.
TRAVELLING IN MONGOLIA - THE GOBI IN AUGUST
Clothing and climate
If you book a place on the trip we will send you a comprehensive kit list in the run-up. The Gobi in August is hot and dry, but even in the height of summer the evenings can be chilly. You'll need windproof and waterproof clothing if you are to be in Mongolia for two weeks in August. On hot days, breezy long sleeved shirsts and zip off hiking trousers work brilliantly on this trip. Though there is the opportunity to ride horses and camels, you don't need to bring special clothing for this. Always ride in proper boots though! You'll need them for hiking up dunes and down gorges too...
Lodging
At the ger camps you will be in shared gers, or traditional Mongolian yurts, usually 3-5 beds per ger. Often these are couples only gers too, so let us know if you are booking as a couple and we will accomodate you as one as far as possible. All camps have running water. but it can be intermittent. Some are truly luxurious, and others more spartan, and this is classic Mongolia - be prepared to go with the flow and give up the hot showers for a day here and there.
Food
Most of the food at the camps is international rather than traditional Mongolian, but be sure to sample some of the local delicacies on the way round. Vegetarians can be accommodated with relative ease, but more selective or restictive diets may need some additional thought and attention. If in doubt please ask us and we can supplement the catering options. All of our crew are well versed in camp cooking and going the extra mile for our clients and we will be with you throughout to keep you comfortable. If you need 100% Arabica espresso in the morning to be civil, you'll need to bring your own supply.
Road tripping
Driving in Mongolia is an experience in itself. Mongolian drivers are highly skilled, not just in handling, but in navigation mechanics and problem solving, and you'll bond with the drivers and the whole Morindoo crew as much as with each other during the adventure. The terrain can be very challenging and so even being a passenger can get tiring. We break the journeys up, and recommend an easily accessible kit with you in the vehicles. Travel as light as you can to maximise leg room in the vehicles. Have binoculars and your camera to hand in cars - there is always something to stretch your eyes and imagination where you are going!
Fly in. If you are in UB already, breakfast at the Holiday Inn, Ulaanbaatar, and meet your guide in the lobby for a day’s sightseeing in the city. We’ll take in the National History Museum which has been recently renovated, Chinggis Square with its striking Parliament Buildings, the spiritual centre, The Gandan Monastery, and the Dinosaur Museum, to set you up for our later treasure hunting in the Gobi. We’ll enjoy an early evening concert before dining as a group. Twin rooms at the Holiday Inn unless specified.
Day 2 - August 5th - Hit the road!:Today you'll meet your drivers and guide, and pack up to tour the Gobi in style. You'll drive around 250kms south, first on good sealed road, approximately 4 hours, and for the last hour on dirt road, the classic Gobi off-roading. Your destination is the magnificent sacred rock formations of Bagagazryn Chuluut, some 50kms from Mandalgobi. Legend has it that Chinggis Khaan camped here. It's a huge granite rock formation, with caves, sacred springs and ovoos a-plenty.
Day 3 - August 6th - Tsagaan Suvarga:Drive to Tsagaan Suvarga, or the White Stupa. Poorly named as if it's only a single structure. This incredile granite canyon looks so much like a ruined cathedral complex its hard to comprehend that is shaped only by natural forces. It's full of marine fossils which suggests it was underwater at various ponts in the earths history. This is Mongolia's Grand Canyon, and it's beauty is so sublime you'll want to spend hours there. It's a long drive, some 230kms, but we'll break the journey several times and make the most of the roads and tracks, with camels, ibex and the odd oasis to enjoy.
Day 4 - August 7th - Vultures Gorge:Drive to Yoliin Am, "The vultures Gorge", a 205 km journey. This spectacular deep narrow canyon is about 40km long and because of it's high elevation, this is only place in the Gobi desert where you can see ice. The cliffs of the gorge rise so steeply that they block the sunlight from the river below so that parts of it remain frozen throughout the year. It's a rewarding two hour hike through Eagle Valley to see it and hopefully catch some of the gorge's iconic residents. Including ibex, eagles, vultures and buzzards, as well as numerous small rodents endemic to the Gobi.
Day 5-6 - August 8-9th - Khongoryn Els:This is the big one; conjure an image of the Gobi Desert and it’s likely to include towering golden dunes, as far as the eye can see. Today you’ll see them with your own eyes, as we drive to the iconic Khongor Els (dunes), around 190 km. They stretch for 100 km, and some are 400 metres high, and they really do sing as they shift and undulate in the wind. It’s a challenge to climb them, but a rewarding one; the dunes are bordered by lush green vegetation supported by a small river, the Khongor river, which is fed by underground water sources from the surrounding mountains. Herding families graze their animals and horses along the Khongor River and oasis. It’s a view that will stay with you forever, so enjoy the sweat to get there.
Drive to the world famous Bazanzag, or Flaming Cliffs. It's around 200kms on and off-road, and will reward you with one of the best paleontological sites in the world, a genuine dinosaur playground. This is where American paleontologist Roy Chapman Andrew first discovered dinosaur eggs in 1922, advancing our understanding of natural history in one huge leap. The camp you willl stay in has some incredible teaching materials on the subject. The cliffs are so named because of their beautiful glowing color at sundown and we will aim to have you there to enjoy this Northern Lights - standard natural phenomenon.
Drive to Ongii Monastery, a less arduous 140 km but still very much off-road and off-grid so we will take our time. This is the ruins of an important Buddhist monastery, on the banks of the Ongi River. In 1760 the monastery was founded, but was purged in 1937 by communists. The camp nestled in the bend of the river is one of the finest we have seen; after six days on the road you can get a cold beer, a frothy coffee and a hot shower, all in the Gobi Desert. They have a lovely sauna, and an excellent masseuse, to put you back together again for the homeward leg. Sundowners on the deck are highly recommended, and a climb up the hill to the ibex statues for a fabulous view. This is luxury for body and soul for your last night in the Gobi.
Day 9 - August 12th - Erdene Zuu and Kharkhorin:Drive to Kharkhorin, 270 km. Kharkhorin was the ancient capital city of Great Mongolian State, founded in 1220 under Chinggis Khaan, and today is the site of a small mining and tourist town. We will take you to Erdene Zuu monastery. It's a beautiful and fascinating site with a huge richness of history and influence, that will show you just how cosmopolitan and forward-looking the Mongol Empire was. There is an outstanding new museum close to the monastery with some excellent artefacts and well presented information. There are also plenty of local vendors by the monastery selling local crafts or a selfie with an eagle if you prefer. We’ll stay in a fine camp close to the city.
Day 10 - August 13th - Sports and Culture day in the dunes:Sports day! We will have a short 70kms run to Elsen Tasarkhai, some startlingly golden sand dunes which are some of the most picturesque in the region. They are sandwiched between river, green oasis and pure rolling dunes; a microcosm of all Mongolia in a single photo. Here you will have a chance to ride two-humped Bactrian camels, an unmissable experience. They are a law unto themselves but generally great fun and very patient with tourists. If you'd rather we will put you on horses and you can ride with our lovely wranglers and get some speed up with the wind in your hair. We have the whole day here for you to play however you choose. You’ll enjoy meeting some local herders, and a very traditional celebration meal, the khorkhog, a delicious pot roast, no doubt to be washed down with some airag, or fermented mare’s milk, which is the herder’s reward for a long summer of milking and tending their animals. In the evening we will deliver to you're a beautiful camp at Khogno Khan. This region is absolutely gorgeous, with dunes, steppe, forest and river all in the same view, and a highly significant Buddhist site.
We’ll deliver you back to the Holiday Inn, and back into your twin rooms unless otherwise specified. You can rest in the afternoon and we’ll gather for one last celebration dinner as a group that evening.
Day 11 - August 14th - Khogno Khan and Home:Khogno Khan - it roughly translates as "garroted monk" and you can learn why this morning if you choose to hike in the valley and visit the caves where many hundreds of monks hid out before eventually being purged by the Communists during the Stalinist era. A truly dark episode in Soviet history.
In the afternoon you will return to Ulaanbaatar and check back into the Holiday Inn. You'll be back in time for tea and any souvenir shopping you might want to do, and we'll meet for a final farewell dinner as a group to celebrate our epic road trip, and get to the airport the next day to fly home.
P.S. If you are one of the 2024 Mongol derby riders loved one we will deliver you to the Mongol derby finish line in the afternoon of the August 14th and you will be travelling back to UB on August 17th with the Mongol derby riders and crew.
