The name Eternal Landscapes was created in Bulgan, back in 2010. Now, there are a few towns called Bulgan in Mongolia, but the one I’m referring to is the provincial capital of Bulgan Aimag, located in northern Mongolia. As a tour leader, many of you might have joined me on a visit to the local shop for ice cream (I…
In September, we received some tough feedback about one of our tours—feedback no one wants to hear, but the kind that prompts reflection, especially on equity in tourism and its true meaning. Tourism is about people—not just those we take on holiday but also those we employ. All our trip assistants are women, many of whom are mothers balancing work…
Have you ever read the book in the image below? If not, the synopsis is simple. A Fortune Teller Told Me by Tiziano Terzani, an experienced Asia correspondent, tells the story of his decision not to fly for an entire year after being warned by a Hong Kong fortune-teller in 1993. Instead of taking to the skies, Terzani re-explored Asia…
The deel is an item of Mongolian traditional clothing and remains an integral part of Mongolian culture. You can find plain and practical ‘working’ deels and then more ornate versions worn at ceremonial occasions such as Mongolian Tsagaan Sar (Mongolian Lunar New Year). The deels worn by Mongolian herders are an all-purpose garment. They are usually a long overcoat often with long…
A recent addition to our Mongolian reading list has been Young Mongols, Forging Democracy In The Wild, Wild East, by Aubrey Menard. This powerful, inclusive book introduces readers to modern Mongolia through the stories of young leaders fighting to make their country a better, more democratic place – https://www.youngmongols.com/ ‘Its intersectional perspective explores the complexity of Mongolia today: the urban planning…
Last year, I wrote a post about how we need to have a rubbish revolution in tourism. This was as a result of our annual two-day rubbish clean-up of Terkhiin Tsagaan Nuur National Park in Mongolia where we noticed an increase in discarded wet wipes, sanitary items and hygiene products. Our wilderness areas (and our wilderness experiences) are being spoilt…
Meet our Zumbee … Zumbee is a dedicated and long-term member of our EL family – one of our team of female Mongolian trip assistants. Zumbee is from a herding family in Dungobi Aimag in Mongolia’s Middle Gobi although she is currently based in Ulaanbaatar (UB – Mongolia’s capital city) where she moved to start university. Zumbee came to us…
Toilets. Always high on the list of travel stories and experiences – especially the ones involving a dropped passport out of the back pocket into a long-drop pit toilet (I sense a nodding of heads). In health and safety terms, long-drop toilets should have a risk assessment heading all of their own. What if there are no toilets? Just hundreds…
Let me introduce you to a place. It is called Erdenedalai in Mongolia’s Gobi Desert in Dundgobi Province – also known as the middle Gobi. It’s where the open steppe starts to turn into the desert steppe. Where grass meets gravel plains. The views are expansive. Is it considered a highlight? A must-see destination? No. Not by guidebooks or tour…
Let Me Introduce You to Dakhar Dakhar calls the Tsambagarav Uul National Park his home. High above the provincial borders of Khovd and Bayan-Olgii Aimag in western Mongolia, this snow-capped peak stands tall at 4208m, surrounded by vast open valleys. It’s part of the magnificent Mongol Altai Mountain Range, and it’s where Dakhar has lived a life full of freedom,…