Mongolia is a beautiful country and its people are wonderful, cheerful, and very friendly to tourists.
My fellow travelers were a mix of Brits and Aussies - always a happy, friendly, inclusive crowd.
Wendy Wu's itinerary is great.
Our Mongolian tour guide was cheerful, had good English, was very attentive, and was VERY knowledgeable about Mongolia and its history.
The accommodation is good, but one must bear in mind that in the areas we traveled outside the capital, Ulaanbaatar, hotels (let alone high quality ones) are not available, and when chatting with travelers on other companies' tours, it became clear that Wendy Wu's selection of yurt accommodation was aimed at the best available in the area. All yurts (called "gers" in Mongolia) except one, had en-suite toilet, washbasin, and shower.
Mongolian food is basic (not much can grow on the steppe except grass), but for those who wanted to try the local food, this was often available, otherwise European-style food was available. Wendy Wu documentation does encourage you to bring your favourite snacks with you.
Beer is available at most of the places we stopped at, and wine was also available, but less frequently. Bottles of water were provided, free, throughout the tour.
Mongolia only has one major city, its capital. Roads quickly petered out beyond the region of the capital. Wendy Wu drove us around in a fleet of Lexus 4-wheel drive vehicles, which are probably as good as you are going to get. These vehicles took a hammering when driving over the dirt tracks of the steppe [as seen on the latest series of the BBC program "Race across the world"], but luckily the Lexus shielded its occupants from the worst of this. Nevertheless, I would advise people who suffer from travel sickness not to come to Mongolia until the network of roads is extended a lot further. Note that if you are staying only in Ulaanbaatar then the roads are fine.
This is a holiday/tour I can recommend to all adventurous, experienced travelers who want to go somewhere really different.
Our Response
Thank you for such a detailed review, it’s incredibly helpful for future travellers, and I'm sure many will appreciate the honest feedback about what touring Mongolia really involves.
I'm delighted you enjoyed the warmth of the people, the company of fellow travellers, and that our guide brought Mongolia's history to life so well. It's also great to know our choice of ger accommodation stood up well against others on the ground, we do try to secure the best available outside the capital.
Your practical tips on food, vehicles, and travel sickness are noted, and I'm glad you've shared them. Mongolia is certainly a destination for the adventurous, and it sounds like you embraced it with exactly the right spirit.
We'd love to welcome you on another truly different adventure in future. Thank you for travelling with us.
Jimmy, Wendy Wu Tours
