Mongol Horse Trail
10 July 2024
The Riding
The Accommodation
Do you have any comments about the accommodation and food?
The teepee tents were spacious and the cots comfortable to sleep on. I really liked that they provided warm blankets to put on top of our sleeping bag, as well as a proper shower tent. 3 of the 5 teepees had some issue or another, for example, broken zippers and missing straps for the suspension cords that pull the top hood up for air circulation.
The flies were extremely bad for the majority of the trip, which is to no one's fault, but while at camp, it would be nice to have fly deterrents set-up around our teepees and inside/around the communal ger (where we spent most of our down-time after the ride). While we were eating, a few flies kept dropping into our food.
We had some good meals and a few not so great ones. Some of the meat served for dinner, such as the steak and pork chops, were very overcooked and dry. Lunch one day was a ham sandwich, mostly fat, and a hardboiled egg that broke apart from riding. However, the soups, chicken and pasta were delicious, and the highlight was the traditional meat pastry pockets (Khuushuur) and the Mongolian bbq (Khorkhog). I'm not sure if this was prepared because we requested these meals specifically but it was very much appreciated and such a special experience to witness the entire process in the making.
All this being said, the team was incredible. From the yak and horse herdsmen to the cook, helpers, etc., we were grateful for their hard work setting up and breaking up camp. We even learned a thing or two about how they de-construct gers and load the yak carts.
[Becky from In The Saddle replies: Thank you for letting us know about the flies and some of the tents at camp. We will certainly pass this onto the team in Mongolia.]
Before Your Holiday
Did you have all of the information you needed to:
How could we improve the quality of pre-holiday information that we send?
No improvements I can think of. Rebecca did an amazing job prepping us for the holiday!
How could we improve the way we handled your booking and payment?
Allowing for credit card payment for the balance would be great! Transfers can get tricky and expensive with extra fees.
[Becky from In The Saddle replies: We do prefer bank transfers for the final balance but are more than happy to take credit card payments. On this occasion I was happy to take your credit card payment and waive the international fee.]
Sara who has been on 2 In The Saddle rides. Exhilarating ride with exceptional guides and horses | We always look for riding holidays that are fast paced, and this one definitely delivered! My horse was one of the best steeds I've had the pleasure of riding; he was responsive, fast, and we connected with each other so well.
We couldn't have asked for a better guide in Batana. There were a couple of people in the group who had less riding experience, but Batana did an excellent job managing expectations of riders with different levels of confidence. He ensured that for those who wanted to go fast (the majority of us) got to do just that while keeping safety in mind. My favorite moments were the long gallops across the valleys as well as riding through birch tree forests and wildflowers.
The lead herdsman, Gana, clearly knows his horses and has trained them well. His energy, laughter and smiles were contagious. It's amazing how much he knows the territory and weather patterns; there was one day where we were able to dodge isolated rain for almost the entire time on horseback, all thanks to Gana!
[Becky from In The Saddle replies: We are so pleased to hear how much you enjoyed the riding in Mongolia.]