I went on the 10 day ride in late September. I can not say enough about the quality of the horses, the equipment (both riding and camping), and the guides. Everything was well planned and provided for. The weather was cold, but the stove in the main tent helped considerably. The food was amazing, I still don't know how they were able to carry such a variety of fresh and delicious food on the pack horses. All around excellent, safe, responsible company with great horses and staff. Riding with the full herd of 16 horses was a lifetime experience.
Thanks Karen. As you saw, our pack horses take their job seriously when carrying all the gear and food we need for our trips. The wood stove and warm dining tent (a spike tent) do make it cozy when traveling, especially when waiting out a snow storm. It was great to have you along and share what we do with you.
My friend and I took the Trans-siberian rail this May. This was indeed a once in a lifetime trip for me, especially. Although our itinerary was packed, my friend kindly accommodated my request to stay in a Ger camp in Mongolia. And so here we are. Davaa picked us from the airport. On our way to the camp, he answered all our questions about Mongolia patiently and with good English. The Ger camp stay was amazing and wonderful. The host, Yadmaa and family, did not speak English but we felt welcomed at their place. Even the two dogs kept a lookout for us when we explored the area and at night. We were well fed (the food was great!) and kept warm throughout our entire stay. The inside of the Ger was beautifully decorated and clean. We really enjoyed our stay. Also thanks Keith for inviting us to his place for tea
Included in the package was a traditional dance performance and it was a pleasant surprise. It was indeed a memorable experience and a perfect start for our trip. Thanks to my friend for making a super choice and not to forget - thanks Stone Horse!
It was nice having you out there and enjoying a cup of tea and good conversation. Yadmaa and Davasuren provide the "real" herder experience and are always happy to share their home with visitors. We'll pass your comments on to them, which I'm sure they'll be happy to hear. Thanks for stopping by.
My husband and I took the Transiberian Railway as honeymoon trip this May. We stoped in Mongolia for only 4 days and contacted Keith for a 3 night ger stay and 1 night in Ulan Bator.
Everything worked as planned: we were picked up at the train station by Davaa (who spoke very good English) and were driven (along with another couple) to the ger in the beatiful countryside outside the city, where we were kindly hosted by Yadmaa and Davasuren.
We had a full ger for our own, with 4 single beds, drawers, a little table and chairs, a small sink and a nice stove that kept us warm during the nights (even too much!). Yadmaa lit the stove every morning in case it went out during the night, so we could wake up war every morning. Davasuren prepared very nice authentic mongolian food. Very filling!
We took a horse day trip around the national park. We encourage everyone to try it, even if you're a horse riding begginer (as we were), as you can really enjoy amazing landscapes you might not see otherwise. Plus, the horses are really nice and you might even get the company of one of the dogs.
Appart from this, we had a lot of free time to explore the surroundings, learn how to milk a cow and just relax.
I believe this is as authentic as it can get in Mongolia, as this is really not touristy. Keith is really involved in the community and commited to its development. He also organises longer tours by horse around the country, but we didn't have time to try them.
As for Ulan Bator, you really enjoy the shower when you get there! There's not much to see, but Davaa and Nara were great guides, very flexible, and really caring.
We truly reccomend Stone Horse Mongolia if you're planning to stop in the country during your Transiberian, or any time! If you can, go between june and september, it will be less cold and greener. You can probably enjoy it any time, though.
Thanks for your excellent review, we'll pass that on to Yadmaa and Davasuren. You're right, it is an authentic herder family experience for anyone who wants to see the "real" Mongolia and not a commercial camp. It was a pleasure to arrange for you and we're pleased you liked it.
From the off, Stone Horse hospitality, efficiency and actual expeditions are head and shoulders above anything similar in Mongolia. The staff know what they are doing and are interesting and good fun. They have horses for all riding experience levels; all have a sense of humour. The equipment (including the amazingly comfortable and beautiful handmade saddles) are second to none and the food deserves a Michelin star in camping cuisine.
The Khentii mountains expedition is incredible and goes through scenery most will only ever see in National Geographic. It is truly wild and seeing no other faces except those that you are with, leaves you feeling refreshed and relaxed.
I can’t stress how good this trip and to anybody reading this, GO! Its unlike anything else on offer and against awe-inspiring scenery, you will meet some great people and remarkable horses.
Sarah, that was a good trip. We never get tired of the scenery and are always amazed by it's beauty. It's nice to share it with people who appreciate nature in its finest and great to have you along for the ride.
This is the second time in 2 years that we are riding with Stone Horse (which just goes to show how much we enjoyed our trip last year!). We had the same horses as last year, and it was like meeting up with old friends again, from Keith and Sabine to Dolzoo, Byambaa, Byuanaa and our horses. My horse, Brownie, seemed to recognize me from last year and we had a great time together as we flew across endless meadows and hung out.
I now have so many more great memories that I can add to last year's ones. Galloping for the first time, little stories about Brownie (There was this one time I mistook another brown horse for him, went to the other horse with my saddle bags and then saw that he had stopped eating grass and was staring at me across the meadow with a priceless look on his face - it cracked me up!).
We chose to go back to Mongolia because it's really a land made for riding, with huge open spaces, rolling meadows and the lack of other human beings. And riding in Mongolia, we cannot imagine going with anyone else but Stone Horse. The equipment is top-notch, the horses are well cared for and every meal is delicious.
Stone Horse calls this trip an expedition and it sure is. This year, there was epic flooding and we discovered that our camp site was going to flood and had to move quickly. It was exciting. I went around using the word "evacuate" as often as I could. We were never in any real danger and it's one of those stories you tell all your friends about even a long time later. But for people expecting a luxurious Four Seasons glamping experience or a Disney Land nose-to-tail ride, this isn't the trip for you. And if you book a trip and show up without bothering to find out more first or ignore the packing list given, then you probably wouldn't have much fun and would even affect the others. But if you love horses, love dogs (I love you Stinky), are sensible, adventurous and want to ride in beautiful open country, go book a trip with Stone Horse now!!
It was great having you guys back for a second year and with the added adventure of nature pouring down on us and throwing up a few challenges to the horse travel. Now you're ready for the longer more challenging 14 Day Khentii Mountains trip. You have the experience and ability to ride anywhere now.
