In Mongolia you will find many different modes of accommodation:
* Hotels: In Ulaanbaatar there is a wide range of hotels ranging from 5* luxury hotels to very simple guesthouses. As a general rule, in the city we use 4* hotels which offer comfort and value.
* Ger camps: Out of the city, ger camps are the most commonly available full service facilities. Ger camps use the traditional home of steppe nomads, the felt covered ger, as guest rooms. Each ger normally has between 2 and 4 single beds in it, along with a traditional stove, a simple table, and sometimes cupboards and wash stands. There will generally be a central building that houses hot water showers, sinks, and western style toilets. This building will be some distance from your ger. In a separate building there will be a restaurant or dining room, and sometimes a bar or a recreation room. Many camps have outdoor recreation facilities such as a volleyball or badminton net. Ger camps usually run a generator or provide lighting from solar charged batteries for some part of the night, allowing you to have light for using the washroom facilities, reading, charging your camera gear, or playing a game of cards in the evening.
* Camping: Mongolia offers fantastic camping possibilities in beautiful landscapes, and often the places we visit will have no ger camps or local hotels. On all of our camping trips we provide our guests with high quality tents and mattresses. On most vehicle supported trips, your camp will be set up safari-style with a toilet tent for privacy and a shower tent with warm water showers. On treks or kayaking trips, where equipment must be carried by pack animals or in the boats, the camps will be expedition style. No formal toilet or shower facilities will be available. You will use a field toilet and we will provide you with water for washing up.
* Nomadic Family Stays: You may be staying at least one night with a nomadic family. This gives you a chance to get closely acquainted with the way of life and culture of the Mongolian people. If the group is small, we may stay in the family’s gers, using our mattresses and sleeping bags. If our group is larger, we will set up our tents next to the family’s ger so we have more room to spread out. Most nomadic families do not have formal toilets in their summer camps, so the most you can expect to find is a designated toilet trench that may be screened on three sides. No showering facilities will be available. Nomads wash in basins their gers, or in a nearby river in warm weather.
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| Local Food
The local diet is based on meat during the winter time and milk products during summer. Mongolians also eat a lot of dishes made with rice, noodles, or dough of some sort. Meat is almost always well cooked, Most of the milk is pasteurized during the production process, but if you have doubts, consult with your guide. Local food tends to be greasy or fatty, and although root vegetables are common you will encounter few greens or fruits. The most commonly experienced stomach disorder is slight constipation, rather than diarrhea. If you regularly eat lots of fiber, we recommend you bring a powdered fiber drink or similar with you as a supplement.
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