Nothing beats the peace you get when you spend some quality time with your family โ and nothing offers people the opportunity to bond in the way that traveling with your family does. Travelling offers so many opportunities for meaningful interactions with them โ and if you pick out a good place, you may make even more beautiful memories together.
Mongolia has proven time and time again to be exactly this kind of place. Initially, you might not think that Mongolia would be that interesting; you donโt hear much about it. Paris, yes. New Zealand, yes. Greece, for sure; youโve heard of their beauties. But Mongolia? What does it have that makes it so special for family trips or overlanding? Well, this article should tell you exactly why along with some Mongolia travel tips for first-timers.
A guest post by Chester Lambert – You can see more on our guest blogging opportunities here
1. You Have a Multitude of Outdoor Activities
When you go to Mongolia, you can see that youโll have several activities to indulge in. You have cycling, rafting, hiking โ and a lot of outdoor activities that every family member can take part in. For example, the Gun Galuut Nature Reserve is the perfect place where you can get out of your car and go for some old-fashioned horseback riding.
Youโll have plenty of opportunities to observe the pretty river valley, whose mountain ranges are surrounded by wide rolling steppes.
If your kids loved reading adventure books, then they will certainly love going through Mongolia. They will be feeling that adventure themselves, outside the pages of a book. They may ride a two-hump Bactrian โ a very unique experience, as Mongolia is one of the very few regions that have these creatures.
2. You May Forge Authentic Connections
Many countries allow you to see various impressive sites โ but when you are traveling with your family, you will want to feel the connections. Many of the most popular countries have locals that might be friendly but are still quite distant. They donโt allow for much connection, and aside from giving you some polite directions, they are not as open to tourists.
However, in Mongolia, things are different โ in the sense that the local families are much more welcoming towards visitors. Quite often, they allow travelers to visit their home, talk to them about what their daily life is โ some families even allow you to help them with their chores. Even the kids wonโt be able to complain, because things in Mongolia are done quite differently in comparison.
Whatโs interesting about these nomadic families is that children begin to ride a horse before they even get to walk. This means that if you have someone in your family eager to start horse riding, thereโs no better person to teach them than a Mongol. It will prove to be a great experience for everyone.
3. You May Go Camping
Mongolia makes it so that it is quite easy for you to get away from the crowd. You have quite impressive landscapes where you can escape โ numerous places where you may go and enjoy the outdoors.
For example, if you are overlanding in Mongolia, you may decide to make a stop at the Three Camels Lodge โ a place that will allow you to experience the Gobi desert in a very comfortable manner.
You can sleep in a ger tent if you wish to feel what it was like to live as a Mongolian herder. Still, if you have your own tent that you are more comfortable with, you may choose to sleep in it as well. Mongolia has various places where you may go and connect with nature.
4. You Can Go Fossil Hunting
Does your kid enjoy going on Easter hunts or following treasure maps? Well, in that case, they will certainly love the perspective of hunting for fossils. The Flaming Cliffs, for example, named after the red-orange sands that almost look like theyโre burning at sunset and sunrise are a great place to start. Here, there were several fossils found.
Actually, this is where the worldโs first discovered dinosaur egg nest was found. In 1922, Dr. Roy Chapman Andrews was leading an expedition for the American Museum of Natural History โ and this is exactly where they found these eggs. More and more people kept going to this place after the news began to spread, and they soon realized that Mongolia used to be the hub of dinosaurs some million years ago.
Final Thoughts on Mongolia as a Family Destination
As you can see, Mongolia is certainly no boring place. You have numerous places to see and quite a few outdoor opportunities. It is one of the best places to go to if you wish to escape a busy place and want to reconnect with your family.
With thanks to Chester for sharing his insights on Mongolia
Author’s Bio: Chester Lambert is a travel enthusiast that uses every free moment of his life to enjoy the outdoors. Mostly, he appreciates family-friendly destinations, as he often likes to go overlanding with his wife and two kids. The farther they are from the busy city, the better.