These
are very unique custom trips. You are with a grassland Mongolian who
speak fluent Mongolian and Chinese and very good English. Not
people who speak no Mongolian. These are tours designed for Western
travellers, not domestic Chinese travellers. Domestic tourists are used
to paying very little and yet wanting everything to be 5 star. Western
tourists, however, know that you get what you pay for. If you pay
little, you get less. If you pay more, you get more. Western tourists
are not used to hidden charges, but domestic tourists are even though
they do not realize it. If domestic Chinese tourists come on these
trips, they must play by Western tour standards. You get what you pay
for. If you bargain very low, you get less, not the same as if you did
not bargain. The tour changes if you bargain more. Westerners do not
play by the same rules. Domestic tourists bargain hard for the same
tour. Western tours are priced low without hidden charges, and if you
bargain for less, you get less, not he same thing. Western tours are
more set. We had a problem with domestic Chinese tourist on one of our
trips wanting everything to be 5 star without bugs. That person would
have been better served on a domestic tour. We show the real Inner
Mongolia, not what domestic tourists want to
see(artificial).
Dress casually. Jeans and a T-Shirt is fine. I wear green nylon travelling pants and a T-Shirt.
If you knew the "Red Tape" getting to some places, you would be amazed. We will stay some places where government officials love to come and sing Karaoke. Nara sings Mongolian songs, and red tape melts away.
We will insulate you from many of the hardships of coming here, but if you want to go elsewhere in China or Inner Mongolia, just ask and be prepared for a totally independent trip. Usually you will have a very comfortable room with hot water. Only in the deep country will you possibly have a small room with cold water. The food maybe different, but you will still LOVE it. There is no Western food. If the hotels do not give toilet paper, ask, . ask. If you do not have a hot pot to make hot water, ask, ask, ask.
You will need to wash your clothes several times on a trip over a week. We will try to stay two days in a place, so wash soon so clothes have time to dry. If you ask, ask, ask, someone will wash your clothes.
If you want to teach some English, fine. We will pass through small towns where friends have an English school. If you just want to visit, OK. No problem. China, Mongolia, and similar places have been isolated for a long time, so English schools abound as people want to catch up. You will find that you will provide needed pronunciation and can meet Han and Mongolian kids.
China is changing with blinding speed. The old is going. If you came to these places five years ago, they were very different. For example, in ManZhouLi we can eat at our favorite Russian restaurant. Five years ago there was a rickety bridge leading to it. Now the bridge is solid wood and metal. Five years ago there were only streets for cars. Now, there are walking streets.
Chinese hotels are much noisier than Western hotels. Be prepared. Talking is often yelling. Doors are often open. Ear plugs are highly recommended. You cannot get ear plugs in China.
With enough notice we can usually get a 4 or 5 star hotel, but understand you will be isolated. In Hailar the hotel has Mongolians. The 4 or 5 star hotel does not. There is a surcharge of US$50.00 for a 4 star hotel and US$75.00 for a 5 star hotel. The differences include nicer rooms, more quiet, elevators, room service, INTERNET cables, and isolation from the city. If you want the guide to stay in the same hotel, you will have a double surcharge. The rooms we have chosen are nice, but not 4 or 5 star, but a much better location. Domestic people will say that we are trying to save money. Not so. We value location. The fancier hotels do not have the best location. This is true in Laos, Thailand, India, Uzbekistan, Outer Mongolia, etc.
The same is with meals. We or the hotel will provide breakfast. We will provide dinner, usually something Western people will like. For lunch, you pay. We may go to a "hole in the wall" Mongolian noodle restaurant, but in larger cities you can bring chicken hamburgers. In smaller towns, there is bread, jam, cream, corn, tea, Coke, as well as a plethora of Chinese and Mongolian food. You will never go hungry.
One thing I hate is meeting a guide in a city, then flying to another city and meeting another guide. Then taking a bus to another city and meeting a third guide. You never feel comfortable with a guide. People do this to save cost, but there is a big negative. On these trips, you meet Nara in Beijing and she takes you herself to all these places, and back to Beijing. She definitely knows more than "local" guides, as she has been to all these places many times only to find the "good" places.
One thing you will find out about China guides is that they sometimes do not know the "good" places, and definitely do not know what Western tourists like. The official Chinese guidebooks for guides to these places are dismal. They commonly list "tourist" places. They are educated and geared for domestic tourists.
Beijing and large cities are different. The guidebooks are good, and guides are also fairly good.
Be wary of guide costs. Many guides are a "loss leader'. You can fairly easily get English speaking guides for Rmb 200 to 300 per day, but these guides will arrange cars at Rmb 1,000 per day. Horse riding at Rmb 1,000 per day. "Cheap" hotels at Rmb 500 per day. Such guides will not take a bus, stay in cheap Rmb 50 cubicles without water, private toilet or shower, not eat country food, and not speak Mongolian. Unless the guide speaks FLUENT Mongolian, horse riding will be in a tourist compound and prices are fixed. You take it or leave it. The same with hotels. Take a Rmb 500 cheap hotel room or have no room. No bargaining. You may think you can bargain with guide arranged services, but don't count on it. If you do it yourself, yes. Maybe you will be luckier.
You are better off getting a knowledgable guide who knows costs, the "good" places, and where to ride horses on the vast grasslands, not in a tourist compound. You are also much better off getting a guide who gets no kickbacks.
On "average", costs are about:
US$200.00 per person per day for one person
US$150.00 per person per day for 3 to 6 persons staying in 3 star hotels.
Staying in Mongolian tents can drop the cost to about US$100.00 to US$150.00 per person per day. Six maximum. Contact us for an exact quote. These prices are only general guides. Other prices are +- these. It could be lower or higher depending on what you want. In general, higher costs are with a nicer hotel or a nicer car. Lower prices are with no car and simple hotels (Mongolian tents are less expensive). Real Mongolian tents are simple hotels. The US$100.00 to US$150.00 per person per day figure is for tourist Mongolian tents close to towns with running water.
You have a choice for us to give you an all inclusive price or cost plus. We have no hidden costs. It is up to you. See "prices" for details.
If you go directly to the grasslands and stay in a real but simple Mongolian tent to hike or ride horses, costs are much less as there is no shower, no running water, no bath, no restaurants, no shopping. Only nature and peace. If you do not want a guide and speak some Chinese or Mongolian, costs are even less. Perhaps about US$300.00 per person for 5 days (about US$50.00 per person per day) if 6 people go and no guide goes, but prices change for many factors such as cars, food, and so on. The costs are less for more people. These are only "ABOUT" costs. Be sure and ask the details
All inclusive prices usually includes breakfast, dinner, a Mongolian/Chinese/English speaking guide every day 24/7, a nice car with driver, road tolls, standard hotels (3 star) in simple hotels (best hotel in smaller cities), and drinking water. Not included is lunch, drinks other than water, (tea, coffee), entrance fees to places not mentioned, incidentals such as alcoholic drinks and snacks, curios, any shopping, items such as umbrellas and ponchos, passport and governmental fees related to visas and entry to China, tips or gratuities, or any health related costs. A surcharge will apply for 4 or 5 star hotels, meals in restaurants other than comparable restaurants we select. Here is where you see the difference between domestic tourists and Western tourists. Domestic tourists always want something better and will complain. Western tourists get what they pay for.
Please compare costs. You will find some guides quite cheap. Beware of going on a bus with many people and not seeing the real Inner Mongolia. Busses cannot take the small roads. Contact us and we will answer any questions you have. Please read books and look on the INTERNET.
I wish I could show you that all tours are not the same, but maybe you need to find out for yourself. Domestic tours stress comfort, good hotels, very good meals, and culture-history secondary or very little. We can do the former, if you want, but the latter is much richer. Maybe a balance is best. It is up to you. Remember, we give a tour to Inner Mongolia whereas domestic tours are geared to domestic tourists and are many times filled with kickbacks.
Read and agree to the <Terms and Conditions>.
Updated 9/28/2010
see(artificial).
Dress casually. Jeans and a T-Shirt is fine. I wear green nylon travelling pants and a T-Shirt.
If you knew the "Red Tape" getting to some places, you would be amazed. We will stay some places where government officials love to come and sing Karaoke. Nara sings Mongolian songs, and red tape melts away.
We will insulate you from many of the hardships of coming here, but if you want to go elsewhere in China or Inner Mongolia, just ask and be prepared for a totally independent trip. Usually you will have a very comfortable room with hot water. Only in the deep country will you possibly have a small room with cold water. The food maybe different, but you will still LOVE it. There is no Western food. If the hotels do not give toilet paper, ask, . ask. If you do not have a hot pot to make hot water, ask, ask, ask.
You will need to wash your clothes several times on a trip over a week. We will try to stay two days in a place, so wash soon so clothes have time to dry. If you ask, ask, ask, someone will wash your clothes.
If you want to teach some English, fine. We will pass through small towns where friends have an English school. If you just want to visit, OK. No problem. China, Mongolia, and similar places have been isolated for a long time, so English schools abound as people want to catch up. You will find that you will provide needed pronunciation and can meet Han and Mongolian kids.
China is changing with blinding speed. The old is going. If you came to these places five years ago, they were very different. For example, in ManZhouLi we can eat at our favorite Russian restaurant. Five years ago there was a rickety bridge leading to it. Now the bridge is solid wood and metal. Five years ago there were only streets for cars. Now, there are walking streets.
Chinese hotels are much noisier than Western hotels. Be prepared. Talking is often yelling. Doors are often open. Ear plugs are highly recommended. You cannot get ear plugs in China.
With enough notice we can usually get a 4 or 5 star hotel, but understand you will be isolated. In Hailar the hotel has Mongolians. The 4 or 5 star hotel does not. There is a surcharge of US$50.00 for a 4 star hotel and US$75.00 for a 5 star hotel. The differences include nicer rooms, more quiet, elevators, room service, INTERNET cables, and isolation from the city. If you want the guide to stay in the same hotel, you will have a double surcharge. The rooms we have chosen are nice, but not 4 or 5 star, but a much better location. Domestic people will say that we are trying to save money. Not so. We value location. The fancier hotels do not have the best location. This is true in Laos, Thailand, India, Uzbekistan, Outer Mongolia, etc.
The same is with meals. We or the hotel will provide breakfast. We will provide dinner, usually something Western people will like. For lunch, you pay. We may go to a "hole in the wall" Mongolian noodle restaurant, but in larger cities you can bring chicken hamburgers. In smaller towns, there is bread, jam, cream, corn, tea, Coke, as well as a plethora of Chinese and Mongolian food. You will never go hungry.
One thing I hate is meeting a guide in a city, then flying to another city and meeting another guide. Then taking a bus to another city and meeting a third guide. You never feel comfortable with a guide. People do this to save cost, but there is a big negative. On these trips, you meet Nara in Beijing and she takes you herself to all these places, and back to Beijing. She definitely knows more than "local" guides, as she has been to all these places many times only to find the "good" places.
One thing you will find out about China guides is that they sometimes do not know the "good" places, and definitely do not know what Western tourists like. The official Chinese guidebooks for guides to these places are dismal. They commonly list "tourist" places. They are educated and geared for domestic tourists.
Beijing and large cities are different. The guidebooks are good, and guides are also fairly good.
Be wary of guide costs. Many guides are a "loss leader'. You can fairly easily get English speaking guides for Rmb 200 to 300 per day, but these guides will arrange cars at Rmb 1,000 per day. Horse riding at Rmb 1,000 per day. "Cheap" hotels at Rmb 500 per day. Such guides will not take a bus, stay in cheap Rmb 50 cubicles without water, private toilet or shower, not eat country food, and not speak Mongolian. Unless the guide speaks FLUENT Mongolian, horse riding will be in a tourist compound and prices are fixed. You take it or leave it. The same with hotels. Take a Rmb 500 cheap hotel room or have no room. No bargaining. You may think you can bargain with guide arranged services, but don't count on it. If you do it yourself, yes. Maybe you will be luckier.
You are better off getting a knowledgable guide who knows costs, the "good" places, and where to ride horses on the vast grasslands, not in a tourist compound. You are also much better off getting a guide who gets no kickbacks.
On "average", costs are about:
US$200.00 per person per day for one person
US$150.00 per person per day for 3 to 6 persons staying in 3 star hotels.
Staying in Mongolian tents can drop the cost to about US$100.00 to US$150.00 per person per day. Six maximum. Contact us for an exact quote. These prices are only general guides. Other prices are +- these. It could be lower or higher depending on what you want. In general, higher costs are with a nicer hotel or a nicer car. Lower prices are with no car and simple hotels (Mongolian tents are less expensive). Real Mongolian tents are simple hotels. The US$100.00 to US$150.00 per person per day figure is for tourist Mongolian tents close to towns with running water.
You have a choice for us to give you an all inclusive price or cost plus. We have no hidden costs. It is up to you. See "prices" for details.
If you go directly to the grasslands and stay in a real but simple Mongolian tent to hike or ride horses, costs are much less as there is no shower, no running water, no bath, no restaurants, no shopping. Only nature and peace. If you do not want a guide and speak some Chinese or Mongolian, costs are even less. Perhaps about US$300.00 per person for 5 days (about US$50.00 per person per day) if 6 people go and no guide goes, but prices change for many factors such as cars, food, and so on. The costs are less for more people. These are only "ABOUT" costs. Be sure and ask the details
All inclusive prices usually includes breakfast, dinner, a Mongolian/Chinese/English speaking guide every day 24/7, a nice car with driver, road tolls, standard hotels (3 star) in simple hotels (best hotel in smaller cities), and drinking water. Not included is lunch, drinks other than water, (tea, coffee), entrance fees to places not mentioned, incidentals such as alcoholic drinks and snacks, curios, any shopping, items such as umbrellas and ponchos, passport and governmental fees related to visas and entry to China, tips or gratuities, or any health related costs. A surcharge will apply for 4 or 5 star hotels, meals in restaurants other than comparable restaurants we select. Here is where you see the difference between domestic tourists and Western tourists. Domestic tourists always want something better and will complain. Western tourists get what they pay for.
Please compare costs. You will find some guides quite cheap. Beware of going on a bus with many people and not seeing the real Inner Mongolia. Busses cannot take the small roads. Contact us and we will answer any questions you have. Please read books and look on the INTERNET.
I wish I could show you that all tours are not the same, but maybe you need to find out for yourself. Domestic tours stress comfort, good hotels, very good meals, and culture-history secondary or very little. We can do the former, if you want, but the latter is much richer. Maybe a balance is best. It is up to you. Remember, we give a tour to Inner Mongolia whereas domestic tours are geared to domestic tourists and are many times filled with kickbacks.
Read and agree to the <Terms and Conditions>.
Updated 9/28/2010
