Pastoral Nomads of Mongolia

Stay with the pastoral nomads and experience the nomads’ life

Stay with the pastoral nomads and experience a lifestyle that has changed so little over the hundreds of years.

Experiences and some facts about the nomads.

What are nomads? Why are Mongolians nomadic?

The Mongolian nomads are almost totally dependent on animal herding, moving in search of edible grass, water, and shelter for their livestock. Herds of camels, horses, cattle, sheep, and goats are the only means of nomads’ livelihood.  Visiting the nomads is a way you travel back centuries while discovering the culture and meet hospitable locals.

Will I stay in the same ger with the nomads?

The nomad families, we choose for our customers have extra gers in which visitors can stay to enjoy privacy and comfort at night. However, some guests even opt to stay in the family’s ger. The families with extra gers are at certain locations and sometimes move to different areas. In such cases when they move to remote areas, or if clients wish to stay with nomad families in areas where we do not have nomadic partners, we arrange a stay with a local nomad family at that time, just as Mongolian travelers do; this is an example of the unique hospitality within the nomadic culture.

How do Mongolians live? What do Mongolian nomads eat?

Nomads live on the meat and dairy products from their herd, supplemented with flour, rice, pasta, and some common vegetables.

About our nomadic hosts, they serve Mongolian, European-Mongolian mixed, or vegetarian dishes upon request. Expect a lot of meat for meals, mostly mutton, beef (sometimes camel, horse, and goat), flour products and dairy products such as milk, yogurt, milk butter, very hard and sour dried curds, salty milk tea (black tea is available as well), sour fermented mares’ milk and sometimes vodka.

Please inform us in advance if you have dietary restrictions, and will gladly arrange the meals accordingly. We provide bottled water daily.

They sell or barter animals, dairy products, cashmere, and meat to obtain manufactured products, utensils, ger parts, and clothes.

The main cash sources are cashmere in spring and meat/animal trade in autumn.

Washing and bathing facilities of the nomads

The conditions with the nomads are basic.

No shower available as there is no running water. Cloth washing is done by hand pouring heated water into a basin. Hand and face wash is done using a mobile washstand with a re-fillable small container connected to a small tube. Or sometimes a pot or a kettle filled with water.

Mongolians bath in a washtub; refuse to wash or bathe in rivers, lakes, and streams.

The ger interior of the nomads

As pastoral nomads, Mongolian nomads are unable to possess many precious things, except for the absolute essentials.

Based on nomads’ fact can’t move heavy, they beautifully ornament and paint the objects, horse tack, furniture, and the ger wood frame.

Nomads’ gers usually have 2-3 beds, 1-2 alters – shrines and family pictures placed on,  kitchen area, a table, and some stools.

Nomads’ toilet

There is usually a pit latrine if the nomads are residing in a relatively permanent area. If no pit latrine, just walk away from the residence and animal shelters/fence to urinate.

How often do Mongolian nomads move?

Depending on the pasture, water, time of the year, and size of the herd, the nomads have to make 4 seasonal migrations, plus several more if required. Their winter area is relatively permanent as they build shelters for animals. However, harsh winter causes most unexpected moves. For example: if there is excessive snow – animals can’t self-feed digging, or the area is grassless, or the grass is too short, or on the contrary, being snowless, which causes excessive cold except for animals lack snow water.

They move in spring, summer, and autumn in search of abundant edible grass, fertile pastureland, salt and mineral water for animals. Depending on the condition, individual seasonal moves could be one to several times.

Overall, the lack of rain causes more movement.

Modern day nomads of Mongolia

With improved transport, infrastructure, and the influx of modern technology, things are changing for the modern day nomads. Satellite phones, trucks, and motorcycles have taken the place of horses.

You will see the horses roaming free on the steppes, more motorbike riders than horse riders.  There is usually a vehicle/truck or a motorbike by a ger, satellite panel, solar panel, and car aqua to lit the ger or watch TV. The cellphone reception available vastly – the nomads access the internet through 3G, 4G to connect the world or communicate with Facebook friends.