Back from 4 weeks in Mongolia

Hi Thierry, Thanks for sharing your experience—Mongolia is one of the Central Asian destinations we’re interested in, and like you, in those vast expanses, it’s best to be guided by locals. We’re hoping to go there someday.

We travel in your style: backpacking and using local transport, prioritizing connections with the people we meet.

I see you enjoy mountain sports. If you’re interested, I’m organizing a trek in Nepal for April 2026, heading toward Jannu and Kangchenjunga.

For now, we’re a group of three: two men aged 65 and my wife, 63. The local operator is a long-time friend, so the budget is reasonable.

See you soon, Gilles

Hello, I read your post about your trip to Mongolia. For about thirty years, I’ve been organizing trips with friends, using local agencies to get as close as possible to nature and the people. I’m planning a trip to Mongolia in July 2026. Could you share your guide’s contact details? Best regards, Josette

we did 7 trips there, always with the same local driver-guide because he’s really good! If you need, I can give you his contact details so you can compare with all the other good guides you’ll get recommended.

Help with everything, everything’s tailor-made—we decide everything on the go, so you have perfect control over your itinerary, choices, needs, and budget. It’s all about getting close to the nomads because connecting with the local people is always a priority. He’s a great travel companion—it’s simple and authentic.

Mongolia is such a captivating country, and I’m sure you’ll have an amazing trip full of encounters.

Happy planning and safe travels!

Message for Ribou, You sent me a private message asking for Hacha’s contact details, but I can’t reply to you. Could you resend it and give me your email address? That way, I’ll be able to respond while respecting the forum rules.

Hello, Having really benefited from the tips on this site, I’m now adding my own contribution in return. We’ve just returned from 25 days exploring Mongolia. A trip that took us from the capital to the Gobi Desert, from the ancient capital Karakhorum to the Orkhon Valley, but also through places off the usual tourist trail, close to nature and nomadic life, known to our guide Hacha. Used to traveling as a couple or solo in "backpacker" mode, I rarely—or only occasionally—hire a guide. But this time, I have to admit that choosing to work with a guide-interpreter and a driver was an excellent idea. So there were four of us to split the costs. I had spoken with Hacha, a Mongolian who worked at the Alliance Française, fluent in French, and who has been organizing trips for over 25 years. Needless to say, she knows her job inside out and has built strong relationships with nomadic families over the years. Since she only works with small groups, she can steer clear of the main tourist spots. With her help, we were able to customize our itinerary—and even adjust it as we went along. For example, we had planned to attend the Naadam festival in a small town, but we learned there was another festival two days later that wasn’t on the schedule. So we tweaked our route to attend both, and we didn’t regret it. Anyway, if you’d like more details or Hacha’s contact info, feel free to reach out.

Hi Thierry, I just discovered this forum today, and it really interests me. Just a couple of questions: Could you share Hacha’s email so I can check if she can guide us (two women) in Mongolia starting from Sainshand, since we’re planning to arrive by train from Ulaanbaatar? Do you know if she organizes custom, non-touristy trips that get you close to the local population, with very local accommodation so we can live among the residents and experience their way of life? We’re interested in an itinerary in the Gobi Desert. Do you have any idea of the cost for 5 or 6 days, knowing we’d take the train back from Sainshand? Thanks, and see you soon! Bernadette

Hi,

Hacha can organize your trip to get you as close as possible to the local people. She has contacts all over Mongolia. Here’s her email: hhacha@yahoo.fr Contact her on my behalf. Explain exactly what you want—comfort, food, itinerary, etc. She’ll give you a detailed quote that’s really cheaper than what you’d usually find. She can adjust your trip based on your wishes. The price will depend on your requirements, so you’ll need to get in touch with her to discuss.

For the Gobi, we went there—it’s stunning, but there’s a lot of driving and Korean tourists. It’s not the most authentic place in Mongolia… but that’s just my opinion, to each their own.

Have a great trip!

For the Gobi, we went there, it's amazing, but there's a lot of road and Korean tourists. It's not the most authentic place in Mongolia… but that's just my opinion, to each their own. Have a good trip

Hello, Just a thought on this observation/appreciation. The Mongolian "Gobi" is immense—roughly a good thousand kilometers from east to west. Most "tourists"—Mongolian, Chinese, or Korean—concentrate around the Dalanzadgad region and take a trip to the southern erg or the gorges near that city. That has nothing to do with the atmosphere of the Gobi... where you can drive hundreds of kilometers without seeing a nomadic camp (normal, there's nothing for the animals) or even a village... So don’t confuse the reality of an extremely deserted region with its very touristy approach.

Hey, You’re absolutely right. Unfortunately, my takeaway is that of a rushed tourist trying to see too much in too little time. Mongolia really deserves spending a lot more time there. Thanks for the great tips you share on this forum

Hi there, I haven’t really studied the country yet, but from your perspective, could you tell me what the most authentic places are, and where you can get closest to the nomadic population? Thanks

Hi there, Two weeks is pretty tight for your time. Ask Hacha what she can suggest for you. She’s got tons of contacts with the nomads

Hi there,

We’re heading to Mongolia for a 14-day trip. I’ve read online that you need to be really careful with food to avoid traveler’s diarrhea. What was your experience like, especially with homestays? Should we really refuse anything that isn’t pasteurized (like cheese or milk)?

Thanks for your feedback,

Cécile

Hi, we were careful with the water, but I think it really depends on the person and where you eat. We ate with nomads a few times and never had any issues. Just use common sense and everything will be fine. Also, if you go with Hacha, our guide for part of the trip, you won’t have any problems at all. Have a great trip!

Hi, My experience is a bit old, but I can tell you that with the nomads, there’s no problem. Everything is cooked twice rather than once, so it’s fine. For drinks, it’s the same—with nomads, it’ll be tea (boiled water), or you can drink bottled water. If you drink fermented milk, it might help you go to the bathroom, but it’s nothing like traveler’s diarrhea—it just makes things easier. Basically, you only eat cooked food, you only drink boiled or bottled water, and you’ll be fine. As for cheese, I ate it often and nothing happened to me, but if you’d rather not try it, you’re not missing much.

Thanks for your reply. Those are indeed the precautions I was planning to take.

Thanks for this reassuring message and for getting back to me so quickly.

Cécile