MANDALA NOMADIC
SUITES-ON-THE-STEPPE
Mandala Nomadic gers are made up of sumptuous en-suite gers (or yurts) and a ‘Magic Ger’; a space to dine and relax: listen to music, play games, be entranced by the view, play vinyl, have a massage or gaze at the endless stars through the Mandala telescope.
A short walk away is one of the nomadic families engaged in the Mandala project. They continue to go about their daily tasks of rounding up and milking the livestock, happy for guests to observe or participate or walk on by.
Like their nomadic guardians, the Mandala Nomadic gers move seasonally to pastures new.
On the surface, there is no trace of the stay after, but delving you find that there is a deep impact not only on the guests, and their hosts, but also on several projects that Mandala are involved in – all sharing the common goal of climate action (SDG13).
For each night spent at Mandala Nomadic, at least $100 goes directly to projects that our trying to reduce the impacts of climate change or increase the steppe-land’s ability to absorb carbon.
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This article by Marie Shollenbarger, Travel Editor of Financial Times – How to Spend It, gives a great insight into the philosophy behind Mandala.
What's Included
Every Mandala Ger experience is made up of:
- A pair of luxuriously furnished, handcrafted felt gers made up of a master bedroom and adjoining washroom
- A stand-alone Magic Ger; set up as a dining space and relaxing space, the ger can ‘magically’ transform to a cinema ger, games room, art space, a music room…
- A modern Mongolian menu with a twist, using free-range, seasonal, local produce, as well as a selection of soft drinks, beers and house wine
- Discreet Gercierge staff remain out of sight a short distance away. Yet to hand whenever you need them. Serving you meals, snacks and the obligatory sundowners, lighting fires, making drinks and servicing your gers.
- The en-suite heated bathroom ger features a shower, organic toiletries, and a discreet bench eco-loo
- Traditional stoves ensure a cosy stay even in cooler weather
- Mongolian felt slippers to keep your toes warm
- Snug bath robes and organic toiletries
- A solar powered hub is used to light your ger and as a power source to charge your devices
- A powerful telescope to enjoy stargazing Mongolia’s endless night skies.
Your nomadic hosts
Your nearby nomadic family hosts can offer:
- An experience of the nomadic lifestyle, share meals with the family and join in with as much or as little as you like: milk the animals, round them up, ferment mare’s milk to make airag, craft dumplings for dinner and more.
- Horse rides across the wide-open plains, challenge the family to an archery match or simply sit back, observe and absorb the patterns of nomadic life
- Non-intrusive insights into the heritage and lives of nomadic families
- All are educational, life affirming, perspective-changing experiences
Mandala & Climate
Climate Crisis; Mongolian nomads face numerous challenges as the climate crisis impacts pasture for their animals and plays havoc with the weather patterns. Panoramic Journeys, the company behind Mandala, work to find creative ways to contribute to combating this crisis:
- Supplementing the incomes of nomads to help them to cope with the increasing occurance of Dzuds (severe winters).
- Purchasing hay for nomads
- Raising awareness of the crisis through film projects
- Supporting local climate activists ie. through helping with language and networking
- Proactively involving guests in the stories and solutions
- Donating to NGOs that support families impacted by the crisis, whether that is the consequences of rural urban migration or air pollution.