Due to the fact that much of Ulaanbaatar's infrastructure lacks regular maintenance, you may only have sporadic access to hot water at our hotel and other accommodation throughout the trip.

Our transport for the trip are sturdy and reliable vans, known as 'furgon'. These are definitely the best way to tackle the Mongolian roads that await us! Please note that depending on the size of the group we may be split into a number of vans. Your leader will take it in turns spending time with each van and you are welcome to swap around so that you get a chance to spend the travel time with different members of your group. There's plenty of driving on this trip across some rough terrain but the experience of our drivers will make the journey pass as smoothly as possible. Driving times will vary and any times listed here are approximate only. Actual travel time will rely heavily on weather and road conditions. As we have our own vehicle it may also be possible to make some stops along the way for photos, meals or to chat with locals however we need to aim to complete our drives before nightfall for safety reasons. Most days we drive up to 9 hours total. Mongolia is a vast and sparsely populated country so in order to see as much of the landscape and culture in the two weeks that we have we cover some large distances on this trip.

The gers at the tourist camps on this trip where we stay most nights vary in standard and facilities. Most sleep up to 3 to 4 people with comfy beds and plenty of blankets. In the colder months you might want to stoke up the stove in the centre of the ger and you'll be toasty warm in no time! Some have generator or mains electricity although not all have power sockets in the gers to charge electronic equipment.

As the conditions are very basic here this family stay may be a culture shock for some. There are no toilet facilities as such; your leader will point you in the right direction of the 'bathroom'. You will sleep in a mattress on the floor of one of the family's gers. It can get very chilly here in the evenings, so warm clothes are essential. There is also a one-camera policy on these homestays, which makes for a more immersive engagement with hosts and minimises intrusion. This is one way you can live the philosophy of responsible travel while in Mongolia. (Photos can be copied and shared among the group back in UB.)

It's Mongolian tradition to bring some gifts when visit another family so we advise that you may wan to consider bringing some small gifts for the family ger stays on this trip. Your leader will be able to advise what's appropriate and it would usually cost about 3-5 USD.

While you're here the camp staff might offer you the option to visit a local settlement of reindeer herders. These reindeer are brought to Lake Khovsgol from other regions so that the herders can benefit from tourism. This area, however, is not ideal for these animals, as they are native to much colder climates. For this reason, Tuuur does not recommend or support this activity.