RESPONSIBLE TRAVEL-MONGOLIA

 

PAST, PRESENT & FUTURE PROJECTS;

GOBI OASIS - TREE PLANTING - We have supported Gobi Oasis over the last seven years. We have assisted Byamba financially in the planting and maintaining of thousands of saplings in the Gobi desert, thus slowing desertification and giving rural employment in Mandalgobi. Planting Saksaul trees in areas of desert and semi-desert in order to protect the soil from erosion, provide diverse habitats for animals, fodder for livestock and firewood for people. These trees are particularly effective against erosion because they send out horizontal roots addition to the vertical roots which reach water deep underground.

ARTIFICIAL NESTS PROJECT - At our most recent Panoramic Journeys Party, we raised funds to donate to this worthwhile environmental project.

 

 

MIDWIFERY PROJECT - We have purchased a number of sonic aids and assisted Maaike Carter and Frances Barnsley in their ongoing midwifery project in Mongolia. Their workshops set out to enable Mongolian midwives to develop the skills that have an essential role in reducing maternal and infant mortality and morbidity.

CREATIVE SUMMER CAMP FOR DISADVANTAGED CHILDREN - Having visited Mongolia on a family holiday arranged by Panoramic Journeys, student Eloise Acland was inspired to return and make a difference. Panoramic Journeys are supporting her inspired camp project outside of UB by funding the cook, catering and video cassettes for the project.

 

 

REFUGIO - We have provided a regular source of income to nomads in Arkhanghai Province in Central Mongolia through the setting up of refugio. Over the last 4 years we have paid Chuluun and Adia to be caretakers for 3 gers that our guests stay in alongside their family. Due to the success of this pilot project for both parties involved, we intend to set up other similar refugios in carefully selected locations in Mongolia.

KINDERGARTEN PROJECT - We have supported the refurbishment of a kindergarten playground in Bayan-Olgii in Western Mongolia.

 

 

KHATGAL SCHOOL DORMITORY INSULATION - We funded the insulation of the dormitories in Khatgal School in Muron Province, Northern Mongolia.

CAMDA - We have raised funds for the Cambridge Mongolian Development Appeal which is particularly important to nomads who have suffered from the terrible Dzud’s in recent years.

 

 

ITGEL FOUNDATION & TSAATAN COMMUNITY VISITORS CENTRE (TCVC) - Whenever we visit the Darkhad valley in Northern Mongolia - we work closely with the Itgel Foundation and TCVC to make sure that our visit is beneficial for the local community. We have also fund raised for these projects.

NURSERY GARDEN - We funded the establishment of a nursery garden in Central Mongolia. The idea being to supply the Monastery camp with fresh produce, encourage local people to plant their own vegetables and earn extra income for local families in the long term.

 

 

WILD CAMEL FOUNDATION - Panoramic Journeys has raised funds to donate to the Wild Camel Foundation. We are also involved in providing the logistics when donors or media want to visit this remote project site.

QUILTING CENTRE - The Mongolian Quilting Centre was established by a Mongolian woman, Selenge Tserendash, in 2003. This project aims to improve the livelihood of women in suburban and rural communities. The Centre runs workshops for women to make patchwork quilts thereby giving them a means to generate their own incomes. We purchase water bottle containers for all of our guests made in their workshops.

 

 

LITTER COLLECTION - We encourage our guides, drivers and guests to collect litter as and when they can. Many hands can make light work when a group attacks the litter for instance at an ovoo. The biggest impact is when locals witness us doing this activity and think again before dropping litter.

TUMEN TEMEE CAMEL PROJECT, OMNOGOBI - The Tumen Temee Association was founded to support Mongolia’s decreasing camel population. The project promotes sustainable ways in which camel-herders can earn an income. The Sustainable Projects Fund has sponsored of the Thousand Camels Festival over the years.

WHAT OUR GUESTS CAN DO;

BEFORE YOU GO

BE PREPARED - Before you head off on your trip, we provide a suggested reading list and some Mongolian phrases. Any language that you can pickup before and during your journey will enhance your experience and enrich your encounters with locals.

ON YOUR TRIP

 

 

SOCIAL CONSIDERATIONS

Witnessing first hand a way of life so different to our own is an extraordinary experience and a precious opportunity. In doing so, we feel sure that you will have no wish to disturb or be an impact on the lives of the nomadic people you will visit.

• To this end, we ask you to:
• be respectful of ger etiquette and Mongolian traditions
• always ask permission before taking photographs and respect people’s wishes if they’d prefer you not to. Whenever possible, it is good to take a postal address and follow through with sending the photographs back to the family.
• be complimentary about any food or drink you try. Do try everything offered if you possibly can.
• be patient. Sometimes things can happen at a slower pace in Mongolia than westerners are used to.
• take part in the family’s daily life – collecting wood, dung, milking for example. These are tasks which people have to repeat day in day out and they are delighted and appreciative if people finding them interesting.
• realise that if you are visiting in April or May you are visiting at a time when people are coming out of the winter period. Resources may be scarce, animals weak, their numbers reduced.
• dress appropriately covering your ankles and arms when visiting a monastery
• Gifts - Please do not give money, pens, or sweets to the local people in the communities we visit, as it can promote a 'begging culture'. It can create unequal elationships between tourist and visitor, with tourists being seen as purely 'givers', and it can also strip self esteem away from people when they get money for simply being poor rather than having to solve their own issues of poverty through community action. With sweets - local people may not have access to dentists, nor be able to afford them. Instead, please read the “Suggested Gift” section of our “Practicalities” document.
• Shop Locally - Why not do as much of your Christmas shopping as possible in rural Mongolia! Any money you spend on artifacts in the countryside can have an impact on problematic rural -urban migration! Please also consider shopping ethically and not buying:
• items derived from endangered species e.g. fur, ivory
• items where animals may have been treated cruelly

 

 

ENVIRONMENTAL CONSIDERATIONS

• Use of water - Water can be a scarce commodity especially in the countryside where is has to be carried from rivers, drawn up from wells or brought in by truck, horse or camel.
• keep your use of water to a minimum at all times in the countryside. Going without showers and running water in toilets is to be expected in some areas.
• hot water supply may be erratic – please be understanding of the difficulty involved in providing this service and use water conservatively
• bring your own water bottle - and we will provide a handmade bottle holder. Our vehicles normally have a 60 litre bottle of drinking water from which you can refill throughout your journey. Last year we estimate that we prevented 6000 plastic bottles being used and thrown away.
• Biodegradable products - Please bring and use biodegradable soap/washing products with you.

• Fires - Please do not to burn anything other than wood/dung on the stoves in the gers.
• Respecting animal life/wildlife - We ask you to not;
• feed animals unless specifically asked to do so by the owner
• pursue or touch animals as they may get distressed
• pick flowers. Tour Leaders and local guides will provide a reference book where possible so clients can identify plants/birds in situ.
• touch or move fossils
• stroke dogs. Dogs outside/in gers can be aggressive. Stray dogs can carry rabies.
• Electrical equipment - Turn off all electrical equipment and lights when not in use.
• Litter and reduction of waste - Since the increase of packaged goods, litter has become a problem in Mongolia where there is limited or no infrastructure for waste disposal, let alone recycling facilities. The first step is to ensure that we minimise our use of resources in order to generate less waste. Then we try to ensure that waste is disposed of in the most effective way possible. Waste will be carried on board until we are able to dispose of it responsibly. We encourage you to:
• avoid accepting plastic bags for everything in shops and reuse the ones you have (for litter collection etc).
• reduce the amount of packaging taken on tour as it is more effectively disposed of at home than on tour
• on camping tours, where possible, to use reusable food containers rather than foil or plastic bags and avoid using disposable plates, cups and cutlery
• dispose of litter responsibly
• compost food waste – if possible. Alternatively it should be carried until it can be put in a rubbish bin.
• take a plastic bag and collect a few pieces of litter and dispose of it at the end of the walk, leaving the environment cleaner than when you found it! We often initiate clean up walks. Your help on these is much appreciated.
• If camping please be sure to dig a deep latrine far from any water sources - and cover after use.

• Visiting ancient/sacred sites - We ask you to:
• not disturb or remove fossils
• avoid touching deer stones or cave paintings
• avoid climbing on ruins
• avoid disturbing ovoos (stone cairns)
• walk around Buddhist monuments and temples in a clockwise direction.

DONATE

As it is, we donate a percentage of each of our journeys to our Sustainable Projects Fund, so by booking with us you are already making a contribution. We invite our clients to make any additional donations to the fund or to any of the local charities that we have identified to be doing good things. You can send a cheque payable to the Sustainable Projects Fund to our UK office or transfer money to Sustainable Projects Fund, IBAN GB67MIDL40171971454757, BIC MIDLGB2125W. Sort:40-17-19. Account 71454757.

GET INVOLVED

Please contact us if you would like to volunteer during your stay in Mongolia. We treat each enquiry on an individual basis. Get in touch if you would like to plant trees, monitor Sakar falcon nesting sites or teach in a school.