2 minute read
Embracing the Land of the Eternal Blue Sky
from Range - Volume 6
by Ensemble
Our local expert shares the transformative experiences to be had in the company of nomads in Mongolia’s unspoiled wilderness.
By Robert Liwanag
01 What surprises travelers most about Mongolia?
Throughout history, Mongolia was the meeting point of the Western world and the Asian world, but it’s also distinct from both. I think that’s because we were nomads and had an adaptability — to harsh weather and situations — that shaped our culture.
02 How can visitors immerse themselves in that culture?
Get out of the big cities like Ulaanbaatar and embrace Mongolia’s nomadic lifestyle. Nomadic herders make up onethird of the population — they move around four to eight times each year following their goats, sheep and horses — and they’re renowned for their hospitality. On a home stay, they will invite you in for milk tea, boortsog (fried dough) and a hearty meal, and you’ll make a meaningful connection, whether you speak the language or not.
03 What does an overnight stay look like?
We talk about the importance of sustainability and minimalism, but Mongolian nomads have always lived that way. A family typically has two or three gers (yurts): one for the kitchen and others for sleeping. Many modern gers have private bathrooms and electricity (powered by solar panels), but traditional gers only consist of basic things like beds and a fire. If you’re traveling as a family, it’s cozy to sleep together in one place.
04 What sorts of wildlife should travelers keep an eye out for?
At Hustai National Park, 60 miles from Ulaanbaatar, you’ll spot Przewalski’s horses, a.k.a. Mongolian wild horses. They were once declared extinct, with only a few left in zoos. But in the 1990s, Mongolia started reintroducing them into its national parks, and today there’s a population of about a thousand.
Uyanga Galbadrakh
CO-FOUNDER AND MANAGING DIRECTOR OF WILDMONGOLIA
Born and raised in Mongolia, Galbadrakh spent some of her childhood living nomadically. In 2022, she co-founded WildMongolia, which crafts custom itineraries in the Land of the Eternal Blue Sky.
