Our approach to travel
Travel Team: We are dedicated to ensuring you receive unparalleled service from the minute you contact Destination Mongolia (SND Co.,Ltd) until you return from your trip. Therefore, our managers, guides, drivers and cooks are industry's most experienced and talented professionals. Knowledgeable travel managers can answer all your pre-trip questions. University trained, multi-lingual tour leaders guide your journey. From travel managers to guides, from cooks to drivers, you will find our commitment to offering the highest level of service, attention to every detail and friendly, personalized service will ensure your journey is a memorable and rewarding experience.
Accommodation: The variety of our accommodation around Mongolia and North East Asia represents the wide breadth of cultures we encounter - from luxurious, international hotels, 2-3 star hotels, and private apartments to ger camps and tents. We always look for conveniently located, comfortable, clean and friendly places, locally run and with plenty of local character. Often, our chosen accommodation will actually be an essential ingredient of the tour, such as the Altai mountain ger of a Kazakh family in the western part of Mongolia, or a tent camp under a Gobi Desert sky alive with stars, or perhaps even the huts of Reindeer herders at the pristine Khovsgol Lake area.
Meals: Our basic policy is to build as much flexibility into meal arrangements as possible, allowing you the freedom to choose dining in first class restaurants, taste local cuisine or prepare your own meal. All our Tour Leaders can recommend you the best places in town to eat out. As a rule of thumb, breakfast is included in the majority of our accommodations. When meals are included, they will normally offer a choice between local, European or Asian based dishes; there will ways be a vegetarian option. Whilst camping, the majority of meals are usually included, with fresh products purchased mainly from local markets.
The group experience: Smaller groups also mean greater flexibility when it comes to transport. The mode of transport will reflect the essential nature of the tour; 4WD for wilderness expeditions and wildlife viewing and a compact coach for cultural itineraries along a good network of roads. In fact we often use more than one type per trip. You will find yourself moving forward and back in time as you step out of a modern Land Cruiser 4WD at Khovsgol Lake and take a weeklong ride on horseback in land of Reindeer herders. We also travel by boat or the Mongolian "ship of the desert" the two-humped Bactrian camel. And, of course, we also travel by foot. On the longer stretches, small group travel is also an ideal way of enjoying the sociable side of your holiday!
Value for money: Holidays can be expensive. But when you take out the soulless 4 star hotels, in-house movies and room service, it's remarkable how much you can actually afford. We're all about thrills not frills. And with so many different tours to choose from with such a wide scope of duration and activity, even the most budget conscious traveler is sure to find something that suits their needs. Our holidays are structured to make the most effective use of time and resources. At the end of the day, it's not just a holiday, it's an experience. And a Destination Mongolia (SND Co.,Ltd) experience stays with you long after photos have been developed or the tan has faded.
Local lifestyles and cultures: In order to reap the full rewards of exploring these regions of the world, visitors should travel with a spirit of adventure and flexibility to accept local standards of amenities and services. Infrastructures are still developing and delays or changes in the itinerary and schedules are very likely. Expect to encounter problems with plumbing, bureaucratic service, road conditions, unpaved sidewalks, uneven surfaces and steps, and lack of availability of public restrooms. Transportation is by bus and four-wheel-drive vehicle; most roads are unpaved and can be very rough and dusty; there will be some drives of up to five hours. Meals are hearty, meat based, and simple. Hotel accommodations in Siberia are very simple. In Mongolia, accommodations include traditional nomadic gers and may lack in-house facilities, which are located in a central building. Air transportation includes the use of European made Fokker 50 aircraft. Trip participants should be in good physical condition and able to walk unaided on uneven terrain.