Wanderlust UK – September 2019

wanderlust.co.uk September 2019 41

ACCOMMODATION EXPLORE

S

un-bleachedbonesdot

thedry,dustydunesof

Mongolia’sGobiDesert;

goldeneaglesprowlits

blazingblueskies;and

thethundering,ghost-likehooves

ofGenghisKhan’sarmyechointhe

emptinessaroundyou.Butcomfort

inthewildernessawaits:aclusterof

eco-consciousgers:round,felttents,

decoratedwarmlyintheMongolian

tradition,withlocalmaterialsand

hand-paintedinteriors.

ThisistheThreeCamelLodge.In

thedesertlight,theonlyluxelodge

intheGobiappearslikeamirage,

nestledbetweentheBayanzagcliffs

andtheAltaiMountains.It’ssocially

responsible,too–thesolar-powered

gercamphasbannedplastic use,

protectswildlifeandusesprofits to

supportstrugglingnomads in winter.

Itsremotenessdoesn’tdetract

fromitsaction-packeditinerary,

offeredviasistercompany

NomadicExpeditions.Hike across

mountainsinsearchofancient

petroglyphsorseekoutdinosaur

fossilsatBayanzag,theochre-red

FlamingCliffsthatappear to burst

aflameatsunset.

ListentotheSingingSands at

HongorynElswithadetour to Gobi

GurvansaikhanNationalPark,

ortakeatrekonatwo-humped

bactriancamel.Visitinearly

Get there

Aerolot oers

lights from London

Heathrow to Ulan

Bator via Moscow,

from £663; lights

take around 12

hours. Guests can

then arrive at the

lodge from

Ulan Bator via

a nine-hour

car journey.

October and you’ll also witness the

Golden Eagle Festival. Partly

founded by the lodge in 2000, it’s

now a national event that honours

age-old falconry traditions.

After a day’s adventure, soothe

your body in the massage ger, have

a drink in the Thirsty Camel Bar

then listen to a hoomi (throat-

singing) performance by staff. Curl

up in an intricately carved bed in

your ger, warmed by a wood-burning

stove, and fall asleep under a blanket

of starry skies outside.

A stay at Three Camel Lodge costs from

US$350 (£275) per person per night,

including full board; minimum

two-night stay. threecamellodge.com

Awe-inspiringsurroundings,moderncomforts

andMongolianhospitalityallmeldseamlessly

attheGobiDesert’ssoleluxuryeco-lodge

DREAM SLEEP

Three Camel

Lodge, Mongolia

Nomadic Expeditions; Michael Kleinberg

Mongolian marvel

The Three Camel

Lodge is an oasis

in the sensational

steppe of the Gobi