Jalman Meadows Wilderness Ger Camp
Introduction
Just a three-hours drive northeast of the Mongolian capital Ulaanbaatar, yet remotely located in the uppermost parts of the Tuul River Valley, lies Jalman Meadows. It is a beautiful pasture teeming with wildflowers in the summer. It is located within the Khan Khentii Strictly Protected Area, which is Mongolia’s only true wilderness area, extending all the way up to the Russian-Siberian frontier.
The area constitutes the transition zone of steppe and the southernmost reaches of the boreal forests of Siberia. Hence, there are steppe valleys, lush meadows along the Tuul River, and extensive larch forests with patches of birch. Wildlife such as wolf, lynx, brown bear, red deer, gazelle, moose and wild boar are certainly present but hard to see during the summer. The surroundings are perfect for hiking or horse riding, and we offer a whole range of other activities including rafting, kayaking or relaxing in a river-side ger sauna.
While to the south in Gorkhi-Terelj National Park, the southernmost extension of that wilderness area, conventional tour-ism has been allowed to develop, Nomadic Journeys’s low impact ger camp, is located completely on it’s own next to the Tuul River. The camp is put up for the summer season and taken away in the winter, leaving no traces anywhere. We use low-impact indigenous, thus appropriate, technology to offer lodging and sometimes also transportation with the assistance of yak carts or riding horses.
| Trip Details |
|---|
| Jalman Meadows Wilderness Ger Camp |
| 4 Days / 3 Nights |
Trip Details
Day 1: To Jalman Meadows
We leave Ulaanbaatar in north easterly direction for the Upper Tuul River Valley in the Khan Khentii Strictly Protected Area, a 3 hours (120km) drive by bus or jeep. If you arrive in the city before 10 a.m. or have arrived the day before, we first visit the Gandan Monastery, the liveliest Buddhist monastery in all Mongolia. For the first hour of our trip we drive on a tarmac road out of the city, and then, leaving the tarmac, we follow a beautiful steppe valley, dotted with gers (yurts) and herds of livestock. We cross a mountain ridge at Zamtiin pass and drive up through forests until we reach the Upper Tuul River Valley. These are the winter pastures of the local herdsmen, why most of them are not in the area in the middle of summer. This allows for a profusion of wildflowers, such as edelweiss. At the Jalman Meadows Ger Camp we are met by yak carts, onto which our luggage is loaded, and move into the comfortable gers.
Day 2-3: Khan Khentii
Two full days can be used for exploring the area. Either on foot, on horseback or using the Russian catarafts or inflatable kayaks available at camp to float down Tuul river. You choose your pace of journey here, and also the modes of transport according to your preferences. The Khentii Mountains are covered with larch and birch forests and rivers flow down broad steppe valleys past wooded and alluvial meadows with broad leaf forests.
The strictly protected area was established in December 1993 and covers most of the Khentii wilderness, stretching all the way up to the Russian-Siberian frontier. While herdsmen keep their livestock in the southern areas, following a lifestyle essentially unchanged since the time of Genghis Khan, to the north there is only uninhabited wilderness. Although rarely seen, wolves are numerous in the area. There are also wild boars, moose, red deer, marmots and gazelle. As for other activities, on hot days swimming in the river is quite refreshing. There are also mountain bikes and kayaks available at the camp. If you wish to relax we can set up a ger sauna on the riverbank or you can enjoy a good read in the library ger.
Day 4: To Ulaanbaatar
After breakfast we drive back to Ulaanbaatar and bring you to your hotel. See the capital city on your own. Distances are short and nearly all points of interest can be reached by foot.
Itinerary Map
DATES 2024 ex Ulaanbaatar:
Daily mid May to end of September.
PRICE 2024 ex Ulaanbaatar:
2-12 members: USD 900 per person
Single Supplement (3n): USD 210
Additional night: USD 220 per night
Children: 0-2 years free. 3-12 years 25-50%.
Group discounts available on request for 4 persons or more.
Practicalities:
Transport:
This tour is supported by a private jeep or minibus (depending on the number of travelers) to and from Khan Khentii Protected area.
Staff:
An English speaking Mongolian guide will accompany you at all times. The camp staff consists of an English speaking camp manager, a cook and several local employees. Additionally the services of local herdsmen can be employed to provide riding horses or transport animals.
Meals:
Meals are served in the restaurant ger three times per day. Breakfasts are buffet style. Lunches and dinners consist of 2-3 course set meals. In the restaurant ger you will find a good selection of wines.
Tea and coffee are available all day long. If you go on day hikes or excursions our cooks will prepare packed lunches for you.
Additional:
We can organize hotel accommodation, city tours and transfers in Ulaanbaatar.
Includes:
All meals outside Ulaanbaatar. All overnights in double occupancy gers. All local transfers. All activities in the camp.
Excludes:
Beverages. Transfers and accommodation in Ulaanbaatar.
What our guests say
We appreciate your feedback about our tours and services.
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Great place to stay and experience mongolian way of living, no tv, wifi, phone. Just nature and great company of the staff and livestocks of mongolia. The toilet is a hole in the ground covered by a shed. It is clean, but can be smelly to those used to city life. Not hot water supply, inform the staff that you like to hot water half an hour earlier so that they can boil it over camel dung 🙂
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Beautiful location, fantastic service - best ger camp
This camp is totally secluded - which is amazing if you're looking for no cell service or power points (though they have power points in the library). The scenery is stunning, the gers are outfitted beautifully - having things like a sink (which actually has water), curtains, comfy outdoor chairs and proper duvets/pillows is the height of ger camping luxury. The food is quite good and they are very accommodating of vegetarians (if you tell them in advance). The staff were helpful and willing to organize things like a bonfire for us - but there was no set time, it just happened at some point.
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