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Your Words – We tell it like it is! Holiday Reviews by previous Exodus travellers

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17 Reviews

4.2 out of 5

John Cross

Reviewed July 2014

Mongolian Adventure and Nadaam festival

This was a trip to Mongolia with the 3 day Nadaam festival slotted in towards the end of the trip. 11 of us toured round the country in two ex Russian military 4 x4 vehicles spending a lot of time off road, bouncing up and down. We stayed in a hotel in the capital and Ger camps in the country side.

Most Inspirational Moment

This was driving into the edge of the Gobi desert and finding that our drivers local village were having a horse race for 2 year old horses over 15KM the jockeys were all young boys and girls under the age of 10. Some of them were riding bare backed and a girl riding like this was second in the race. We then spent 2 nights in a remote Ger camp near to the village. We were the only Westerners present for the 2 days we were there. magic. Seeing a Cinereous vulture at close hand and watching it take off was like seeing a feathered Vulcan bomber on a bomb run. They are enormous (wing span up to 2.95M)

Thoughts on Group Leader

Our group leader was a very likeable lady and immensely charming. However as it has been a year since she last led a trip and had not been able to practice her English language conversational skills it was difficult to understand her pronunciation of some words. This also meant that many questions posed to her went unanswered or were met with a smile and a blank look

Advice for Potential Travellers

Take a small thermarest, or similar, padded seat with you. A few small balloons to entertain the many (very, very many) small children you will encounter along the way. This helps to break the ice with their parents etc. and can lead to some very cute photographs. if you are interested in bird life, particularly Raptors take a small pair of binoculars as there is a lot to be seen.

Suggestions

This is a great trip. The country is far greener than I expected. The mode of travel is what I expected from the other reviews (ie; cramped and bumpy) but the drivers we had were magnificent and got us to places I never thought possible. The Ger camps are comfortable (except the last one in Terelj national park) and the food is mostly good with more vegetables and salads than I expected. The people are lovely and anxious to help. They are also well organised and things work and happen pretty much on time. Things are changing in Mongolia and it is rapidly becoming more modern with extensive building work going on in the capital. Things there are changing rapidly, go now before it becomes too spoilt.

Reviewed September 2013

MONGOLIAN ADVENTURE

Mongolia is a country well worth a visit. The scenery, the people, the customs and traditions combine well to make it a truly fascinating country.

Most Inspirational Moment

I enjoyed the sweeping vistas of the steppes dotted with Gers and herds of fine horses. It was good to see that customs and traditions are being maintained.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Our leader was helpful and sociable. His English was very good (one of his many languages). We were able to visit a couple of sites that were not on the itinerary because of his suggestions.

Advice for Potential Travellers

It is not a physically strenous trip as there are few opportunities for walks; however, the long journeys on really bumpy and dusty roads are bone jarring and tiring. The food can be challenging especially if you are a non meat eater. Be prepared to eat a lot of carbs and chocolate bars (for desserts!). The picnics were not well done. If thinking of arriving early I'd pick a hotel in the centre of town. Our tour hotel in UB was inconveniently located a long walk from the centre and its facilities were poor.

Suggestions

Don't rely on the trip notes for an accurate or an up to date picture of Mongolia or the trip. It is true that Mongolia does not get a lot of tourists yet, but many companies follow the same itinerary. As a result you do get clusters of tourists at popular sites. Also, some of the Ger camps are big, noisy and crowded so don't be surprised to see 50 seater tour buses disgorge large tour groups. The Russian 4wds are well suited to the task but are not built for comfort. We were a small group so space was not an issue, but a big group might find the long road journeys rather tight. Also, the local company failed to confirm our group's accommodation at two places forcing us to squeeze into fewer rooms. We managed to do it because we were a small group. Lastly, if you are thinking of last minute shopping in UB, it might very well come to that. We were booked on the late afternoon flight back to UB and not the morning flight as indicated in the trip notes. That meant we were stranded in a ger camp for a whole day with nothing to do. Consequently, our last day was a very hectic one and the fact that Exodus did not secure a day room at the hotel in UB when the group left at midnight was a bit cheap.

Reviewed August 2013

MONGOLIAN ADVENTURE

This is a challenging trip through a remarkable, amazing country which still seems "new" to tourism.

Most Inspirational Moment

The vast and beautiful grasslands of the steppe and immense landscapes of the Gobi Desert are truly amazing. What was remarkable was that it was completely unbroken by fences or roads. Go during Nadaam. The festival is wonderful and colorful. Insist that your guide allow you to stay through to the end on the last day. It is worth watching the finals of Mongolian wrestling and all the awards to the winners.

Thoughts on Group Leader

She was very sweet and worked hard, but her language skills were definitely less than ideal. That said, she did an excellent job of arranging meals and accommodation.

Advice for Potential Travellers

When other reviewers refer to the ride on the Mongolian dirt roads as "bumpy," they are understating. It is often lurch/twist/throw you off your seat bumpy. Anyone with back issues should definitely think long and hard about this trip. That said, I developed sort of an attachment to our Russian vans, even though we had to push ours twice to start it!

Suggestions

I found the people we met to be charming and generous. Tourism sometimes trains people to have their hands out all the time, but that was not the case in Mongolia. I came away from the trip with a great deal of affection for this extraordinary country. But the "roads" really are rough.

Reviewed January 2013

MONGOLIAN ADVENTURE

Good outdoor, wild country trip. Attended the Naadam Festival and came away feeling that there is not a huge amount of culture but that is to be expected from traditionally nomadic peoples. Museums have a rather unloved feeling about them.

Most Inspirational Moment

The great open plains.The hospitality of the nomadic people and the camel's cheese, salted tea and soured mare's milk that they offerred us.The Mongolian way of re-commencing religion/Buddhism in their country after Soviet rule.

Thoughts on Group Leader

She was absolutely lovely. Did her best at all times.English skills required polishing up.She didn't have very much control over the drivers and we kept losing the other trucks (we were in a convoy of 3 trucks) and had to double back etc. Also, got lost in the Gobi desert twice! Ended up having extremely long drives of 12hrs and 14hrs on 2 of our travel days. She didn't want to worry us and told us that everything was fine when it was obvious that it really wasn't. It would have been better if she had told us the truth and we could have helped her look out for landmarks.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Beware of pickpockets at the Naadam Festival in UB. They are particularly aggressive and use the slash (yes, with a knife) and grab method.The view in the stadium from where tourists are seated is not ideal. We couldn't really see anything happenning in the centre of the stadium where the opening ceremony was held. Try to catch a festival outside of UB and you will get a much closer and rewarding experience.Bring travel sickness medication if you suffer from it as the truck rides are rough, bumpy and very, very long.Food isn't bad just boring. Be prepared for lots and lots of coleslaw and boiled mutton. Condiments and lots of beer will assist in washing it all down.

Suggestions

There was a lot of time spent on the road to get to not very much at the end of a long, hard day. I can truly say that unless you really enjoy long and rough truck rides, this is not the trip for you.

Reviewed August 2012

MONGOLIAN ADVENTURE

Definitely go to Mongolia-even better go during Nadaam.

Most Inspirational Moment

The hospitality of the nomadic people we dropped in on to visit and trying their camel's cheese, mare's milk, goat and vodka.Encounters with the interesting characters who gather for the Nadaam in Ulaanbaatar.Travelling through vast and varied landscapesCrazy journey to get to the horse racing-never experienced anything like this before.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Erdene was a lovely person and also a good guide.He had a lot knowledge though sometimes he needed a little prompting to give it

Advice for Potential Travellers

Be prepared for any sort of weatherSome of the views in the Nadaam stadium are a bit distant, much better for the archery and ankle bone shootingAlthough it didn't seem unsafe,probably wise not to carry unnecessary amounts of cash/valuables around UB at festival time.

Suggestions

Trip should also definitely include the huge Chinggi's Khan statue (photos towards start of Lonely Planet guide) as it is only a short deviation from the Terelj National Park. This is a fairly new attraction and we all chipped in for the extra fuel to get here which was well worth it.

Reviewed July 2012

MONGOLIAN ADVENTURE

A really enjoyable and rewarding trip. The Steppe , the Gobi , the Gers and the people are something quite special. Travelling in the russian 4 wheeel drives is definately the way to travel. These vehicles allow you to travel into the real Mongolia. Generally well organised and good staff all make for a memorable trip.

Most Inspirational Moment

Enjoying the Gers in the middle of nowhere. No fences , no restictions , no phone or email just the odd horseman riding past in the morning.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Group leader quite good. English skills adequate but did create some confusion with translations. Could not have tried harder and just a lovely person.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Pick pockets in Ulaan Bataar the worst I have struck ANYWHERE. [ especially during the Nadam ]Don't excpect too much in the way of cuisine whilst travelling - some chilli paste / tabasco will win you a lot of friends around the table.There are not many towns that have ATMs and changing anything except US dollars in towns banks can be an issue. Addtionally old US notes [ older than 2007 ] can also be a problem.

Suggestions

Bring a sense of humour , be flexible and don't expect the showers to always be hot - then you will have a great and memorable trip.

Reviewed January 2012

MONGOLIAN ADVENTURE

Mongolia is a fascinating country. Enjoyed every minut of the trip.

Most Inspirational Moment

Visiting a couple of families in their gers and seeing how they live on the plains.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Excellent group leader.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Sit back and enjoy the whole experience - Russian jeeps are not the most comfortable - but travelling this way enables you to see so much. The gers are basic, but extremely comfortable. The food - which was my big worry - was excellent. Salads, vegetables and fruit every day.

Suggestions

Would love to go back and explore other parts of the country!

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