West Altai Adventure

The Altai is where Steppes originated and got its name from. Following an exploratory trip by our Chairman Nick Laing to the Altai region of Russia, just above the Mongolian border in Siberia in 1989. It has remained the ethos of our company, travelling to extraordinary destinations and our expertise and passion for this area is vast.

This trip, in particular, is, for anybody with a love of wild, uncomplicated, big-sky places where people and wildlife live side by side. It is also for anybody with a yearning to understand the nomadic lifestyle and gain insight into a way of life that is, sadly, under threat.

The season for travel to Mongolia is very short with reliable weather from mid-June through to September. During June the climate should be warm and dry, possibly with some thunderstorms. At this time of the year, there will still be snow on the high peaks, so the landscape is very photogenic. By the end of June, the local nomadic people should have set up their summer camps making for great encounters.

You will explore a diverse range of regions by 4×4 and on foot, looking for argali sheep, ibex, snow leopards, wolverines and birds of prey. Steppes has recently donated $1,800 to the Altai Institute to fund the collaring of a snow leopard in the Chigertei Valley in October 2018. The Executive Director of the institute, Dr Barry Rosenbaum is responsible for the collaring exercise and will be available to meet with the Steppes group in the field.

The arid Dorgon plains are seemingly endless and home to the endangered saiga antelope and the Mongolian gazelle. The enormous Dorgon Lake and Khar Us Nuur (lake) offers sanctuary to a myriad wading birds, waterfowl, terns and gulls (including the rare relict gull).

Yes. As part of this small group Mongolia tour, visit a Kazakh family and meet with a Kazakh eagle hunter who maintains a hunting partnership with a magnificent golden eagle. Move on to the area around Dorgon and vast open plains and colossal lakes and sand dunes.

With hotel options minimal, our Mongolia group tour offers accommodation in mobile gers (yurts). We have recced the area and have found three exceptional locations in which to locate our camps. Expect to be cut off from the rest of the world, surrounded only by space, blue skies and breath-taking landscapes. Being remote will not mean being without comfort, however, as our camps have modern amenities and good, wholesome food with a view each morning to rival anywhere in the world. There is no wi-fi, and thus no risk of distraction from the view and the blissful serenity.

For your three nights in Ulaanbaatar, you will stay in a centrally located local 4* hotel.

Our group tours are perfect for solo travellers, as travelling as part of an organised group in faraway places does provide security and peace of mind. We handle all of the arrangements for you and there will be a local tour guide on hand throughout to provide advice and help if needed, as well as the expertise of a Tour expert.

If you are willing to share, we will always do our best to match you up with another solo traveller of the same sex so that you do not have to pay for a single room.

If you would prefer the privacy of your own room and would like this guaranteed, then the single room price supplement will apply.

Mongolia is not a gastronomic destination and the staple cuisine is largely based around meat and milk with limited availability of vegetables or spices for local people. As a western traveller in Mongolia, you will be served a good range of western foods often including noodles, rice and pasta plus imported vegetables and fruit. The same chef will cook at each camp so he or she will be able to accommodate any dietary requirements you may have.

Local delicacies that are certainly worth trying include mutton dumplings, noodle soups and the local tipple known as airag which is fermented mare’s milk (an acquired taste!).

Moderate levels of fitness should be fine, with the ability to cope with long days travelling and uneven terrain. Any walking undertaken will be short walks at a slow pace with plenty of stops to rest and take in the surroundings. This trip is very much about being in the place and experiencing what is around you. Whilst none of the treks are mandatory, exploring on foot is one of the best ways to get the most out of your time in Mongolia. Travelling in Mongolia does require a robust constitution; even in June, the weather can change quickly, from glorious sunshine to snowstorm so an ability to adapt and cope with the unexpected is a must.

We can arrange additional days at the beginning or end of the tour if you wanted to extend your time in Mongolia. Please speak to one of our experts for more information.