Flexible Tour Options
What is a tourist camp ?
For the sake of simplicity, tourist camps are like hotels, but instead of buildings and rooms, they consist of 20-30 gers, traditional Mongolian dwelling made of wood and wool. Apart from the gers, the tourist camps have couple of separate buildings operating as bathroom(toilet and shower) and restaurant or spa. The standard gers at the tourist camps have 2-4 beds(towel & bedding provided), along with table, stools, and stove(during cold seasons) inside. Breakfast, lunch and dinner are served in the restaurant or bar(separate building). For shower and toilet, you will have to go out of the ger and walk to the bathroom building which has two wings for man and woman, each having 5-10 small private sections.
Some camps also have so-called luxury gers which feature more furniture like sofa, glass door, window, bathroom(so no need to go out), floor-heating, and access to Wi-Fi and electricity.
Generally speaking, there are two types of traveler. One that prefers comfort and luxuriousness over money, and the other who favor budget and local experience over comfort. The Magnificent Mongolia team respect both types of travelers. Therefore, we offer flexible options for our tour prices.
Basically, the difference maker in the tour price is the type of accommodation you choose. There are two types of accommodations available in the areas outside Ulaanbaatar. Tourist camps that are comfortable yet expensive; and ger home-stays or so called ger-guesthouses that are cheaper yet authentic. Both options have their pros and cons. Another alternative is to mix the tour accommodations. For example, if you are to go on 10 nights and 11 day trip, you can choose 5 nights at tourist camps and 5 nights at ger guesthouses. To sum up, we offer three different distinct prices for your Mongolia trip: budget, standard, and the mix.
What is a ger-guesthouse or nomad home-stay?
Some locals who live close to the national parks or popular attractions earn money by providing accommodations for backpackers. Most of the people who run these small business are nomad families. They build 5-10 extra gers next to their home, and rent to guests. The gers usually have 4-6 beds(no bedding), table, stools and a stove. Some guesthouses provide food and restaurant, while some do not.
In terms of bathroom situation, a few advanced ger-guesthouses have proper shower and toilet facilities, but majority of them do not have. Instead they have outhouses for toilet and no shower facilities.
When traveling to very isolated areas of Mongolia, it is much harder to find places to stay. So we ask nomad families randomly to stay in their home for the night, and most of the time, it end up being an unforgettable night for our customers and the nomads, having dinner and interesting talks about each other's culture. Thanks to the hospitable custom of Mongolians! This kind of stay is called nomad home-stay. But even at some nomads' guesthouse who live in more touristic areas, you can experience the same thing.
The Gobi Mirage Tourist camp
Standard ger at the Gobi Oasis Camp
Luxury ger at the Red Rock Camp
Tourist camp bathroom
Tourist camp shower
The Secret of Ongi Camp
Tour vehicle
Our tour vehicles are Toyota Land Cruiser Jeeps, Toyota Delica and Starex, as well as Russian UAZ Vans. We are able to serve mini-buses, sedans and SUVs on request.
