Comfort
Nights in Ulaanbaatar are in a comfortable 3* hotel (Wi-Fi available)
Nights in yurts with the nomads: 5-6 beds in a yurt, basic outdoor toilet facilities, bucket shower.
Nights in yurt camps: 5-6 beds in a yurt, bathroom facilities and hot water.
Nights in camp: two-man tents. Mattresses are provided..
Meals
The food is simple and often freshly made, prepared by a cook or the local nomads. Meals are served on small camping tables with stools, except for some picnics at noon.
Breakfast: Occidental and/or Mongolian.
Lunch: a cook often provides a hot meal if the logistic vehicle is available at that phase of the journey, if not a picnic lunch will be available.
Dinner: full hot meal (soup, main, dessert). It is likely a sheep will be bought from a local shepherd - dinner straight from the source!
Water:
Do not to drink water from unknown sources. The cook will boil water each day for you to fill up your water bottles but you should also bring water-purification tablets such as Micropur.
Climate
Mongolia enjoys around 260 days of sun per year!! The majority of the country receives very little rainfall, however the north receives considerably more rain than the south. The country is located in the middle of a system of high-pressure fronts (anticyclone), which means that the skies are often completely clear of clouds. Because of the constant blue sky Mongolia has received the label 'blue sky country'.
On the other hand, the country is also blessed with a continental climate of extremes due to the country's geographical profile: vast semi-desert plateaus at an average altitude of over 1500 metres.
Winters are tough and long (from October to April), with temperatures dropping to surprisingly - 30° or -40°C in January and February. Snowfalls are not unusual to be present in the Gobi desert up until April, even some lakes remain frozen up until June; you will start to see the end of winter around the last days of September.
Summers in Mongolia are inaugurated by a short rainy season, from mid-July to September,the rain is usually light and brief but and generally take place at the end of the day. Temperatures are mild in the north of the country and extremely hot in the Gobi desert in the south. Due to the high altitude, the evenings are cool, even during the summer.
Violent winds happen often, especially during the short spring, where they also bring with them sand storms. On top of this, the changes in weather can be vast and sudden. From spring and autumn temperatures can pass from - 5°C at the beginning of the day to + 30°C at noon.
The country also experiences dzud or zud, a Mongolian term for a severe winter; a white dzud signals heavy snowfall which impedes access to the grazing pastures for the livestock and a black dzud means that a lack of snowfall and freezing temperatures create a drought and the livestock suffer from dehydration.
Depending on the region of Mongolia you are choosing to visit, the best time to travel there is between May and the end of September.
Tips
Tipping is well received when you are happy with the service from your local guides and/or drivers. For Mongolia you could consider a tip around £40 however, tipping remains completely at your discretion.
Packing list
Important: For your riding holiday please make sure your luggage does not exceed 15kg. The cabin baggage limit is 5kgs.
You are in a mountainous area and temperatures can be cold, especially at night. Consider layered equipment and clothes that will allow you to adapt to each temperature you will face during your ride.
When packing, please remember that the region can be cold and it would be wise to bring layers!
Pack carefully and sensibly: the following guide is here to give you an idea of what to bring.
Soft bags are preferred as they are easier to fit into the back up vehicle
Head
- Equus Journeys strongly recommend that you wear a riding helmet and that you take your own to ensure a correct fit. There are many lightweight options available nowadays
- Sunhat for when not riding
- Sunglasses - with a cord attached so they don't fly off when riding
- Buff or bandana
- Warm hat for cold nights
Upper body
- Thermals (long or short sleeved)
- Long sleeved shirts provide protection from the sun and are an extra layer
- T-shirts
- Lightweight fleece or jumper
- Warm fleece or jumper (and a spare in case one gets wet)
- Warm and waterproof jacket - it can rain at any time of year and the evenings can be particularly cold. No ponchos or anything that can flap around!
Legs
- Lightweight, comfortable riding trousers or jodhpurs - we recommend riding in them at home before taking them on holiday to ensure they don't rub
- Thermals
- Casual trousers for the evenings, such as jeans or tracksuit bottoms
- Waterproof over trousers
Hands and Feet
- Comfortable riding boots. We recommend short boots with half chaps but you may wish to take long chaps as an extra layer against inclement weather. We don't recommend taking your favourite long leather boots in case they get damaged. We would suggest something with a good grippy sole.
- Waterproof shoes/boots can be useful for abundant dew in the mornings or when it rains
- Trainers or equivalent light shoes for moving around in the evenings
- Several pairs of warm, thick socks
- Gloves - your hands are particularly exposed to the sun, cold or rain whilst riding. Waterproof gloves can be particularly useful
Nightwear
- Sleeping bag. You need at least a comfort factor down to minus 5°C, but would recommend at least minus 8 or 10°C (especially outside of July/August). It is possible to request a sleeping bag from the local team (limited availability)
- Sleeping bag liner - silk, cotton or fleece - adds an extra layer
- Pyjamas or tracksuits or thermals for sleeping in
Please remember it can get very cold at night, especially if you are travelling in June/September: pack accordingly.
Other useful items
- Water-purification tablets
- Swimsuit - for swimming/bathing in lakes
- Towels - camping ones will both dry and pack more easily
- Small backpack for accessing items required during the day (carried by support crew)
- Camera and high capacity memory card. Spare battery
- Bumbag for carrying your camera and small items whilst riding
- Headtorch or small torch for moving around camp at night - bring spare batteries and bulbs
- Water bottle (2 litres or 2 x 1 litre)
- Wet Wipes or equivalent (for when washing facilities aren't available)
- Toilet paper and a lighter to burn it with
- Small plastic bags for rubbish
- Ear plugs (for light sleepers)
- Solar charger/powerbank
In your hold luggage
- Any liquids, such as shampoo, moisturiser, deodorant unless they are less than 100ml and all bottles can fit in a small, clear, plastic ziplock bag. We recommend biodegradable washing products where possible.
- Swiss army knife (or equivalent)
In your hand luggage
- Any valuables, such as your camera, ipod, ipad etc.
- Your riding hat
Medical kit
- Micropur tabs
- Sunscreen and lip balm - should be high factor
- Insect repellent, preferably containing deet
- Any medication you regularly take
- Blister plasters in case of any rubs
- Antiseptic cream, plasters, aspirin, anti-histamine, insect-bite salve etc...
- Spare prescription glasses/contact lenses
- Eye drops
- Imodium or similar anti-diarrhoea medication
- Re-hydration sachets
- Water purification tablets
- Antiseptic wipes
- Handwash gel
Our Recommendations
- Soft bags are preferred as they are easier to fit into the back up vehicle.
- Backpacks cannot be worn whilst riding. We recommend a small bumbag or a coat with pockets so that you can carry small items with you during the day (camera, sunscreen, lipbalm etc)
- We recommend travelling in your riding boots and carrying your hat and some riding clothes in your hand luggage - then if your luggage goes astray you are still able to ride!
- Tall riders may benefit from taking a pair of long stirrup leathers with them (the local stirrups are adjustable but are sometimes limited in length)
- We recommend taking a copy of your passport and insurance documents with you in case you lose your originals
- Please take your rubbish home with you. There are no recycling facilities in Mongolia, so take your used batteries, aerosols etc back home and dispose of them appropriately. Try to leave excess packaging material at home before travelling
- You may wish to take some photographs or postcards of your home with you to show your hosts. You may also wish to take some crayons, colouring books etc for the children
