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More Than Three at Three Camel Lodge

Where: The Gobi, Mongolia

If you're staying in the desert of Mongolia, you really can't go past a night in a ger--those big tent things that we like to call yurts, too--but you might want to do it in a bit of comfort. That's where the Three Camel Lodge sounds like it's got the right mix going of authentic cultural stuff and a bit of Western-style comfort too.

The Three Camel Lodge is in the Gobi Desert, within glimpsing distance of the Gobi-Altai Mountain Range. We're talking a place where there are normal modern bathrooms, a TV, laundry service and, well, no internet by the sounds of it, but they do have board games.

Since you're kinda stuck in the middle of nowhere, the Three Camel Lodge has made sure there are plenty of activities to keep you interested (and staying longer), and that includes camel treks through the sand dunes. We've heard that they actually have access to a lot more than just three camels, so we don't know where the name comes from.

[Photo: AvidTraveler01]

Tags: Mongolian Gers / Ulanbator Hotel Reviews / Blogs / Mark Schatzker / Mongolian-Gerts / → All Tags

Mongolian Ger Trumps Tired Soviet Tower Hotel

Where: 5 Chinggis Khaan Ave., Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia

Condé Nast Traveler's Mark Schatzker is traveling around the world in 80 days and blogging it.

When we checked in, he was recounting day 32, a day where he traveled by Uzvee through Mongolia, picked up some horsemeat, and bought a cashmere robe.

The night before he spent at Hotel Bayangol:

Ulaan Bataar's Hotel Bayangol, a Soviet-style edifice notable for the fabulous neon sign hanging over its restaurant, but not much else. Byamba, my guide, picked me up at nine that morning and we piled into a funny-looking vehicle called an UVZ 3909 and drove west out of the city, headed towards a Mongolian ger camp.

While Mark comments very little on what sounds like a bland experience at Hotel Bayangol, he does rave about his night in a Ger, a traditional Mongolian hut type thing:

I headed into my ger, which Russians and Americans call yurts, but are nevertheless known as gers. There was a fire going, and through the skylight--which is just an open flap in the cotton roof so that the chimney has a place to exit--was a patch of blue sky. I lay down on the bed, listing to birds singing and the fire crackling, breathing in the clean Mongolian air. I fell away into unconsciousness. It was the deepest I've slept since departing New York on March 5th.

Let's see, tired Soviet-style hotel or a night out in a ger. No contest.

Mongolian Gerts Map

Related Stories:
· Ger Travel [SelenaTravel]
· Bayangol Hotel Comments [TripAdvisor]