Danista Nomads Tour Hostel

Our four days in the Gobi and one day on the city tour were full of personal touches. The rough toilets and showers at some campsites were a small detail, and I never felt unsafe traveling with Melody and Airka. The highlight was visiting Airka’s relatives. We had a blast arm wrestling, learning how to tame wild horses, and making huushuur from scratch. On a rainy day, the dumpling mutton soup he brought really hit the spot. Melody, our private guide, shared local music, explained how food is prepared, and told fascinating stories about places we visited. She also helped me post our trip when I ran into problems with the next tour. Airka, our driver, and Melody went above and beyond to make the tour feel authentic. It was an incredible experience, and I can’t recommend them enough.

The hostel was clean and fairly priced for our one-night stay. They arranged an airport transfer for the time we wanted and put together a takeaway breakfast for our early flight. It was handy that we could pay for the transfer at the hostel by card along with the room.

Our six-day Gobi tour with Danista Nomads Tours was great from the start. They were quick to reply to our questions and messages. Once we met our guide, Purevbaatar, and driver, Erdenechuluun, we knew we were in good hands. Erdenechuluun was reliable on Mongolia’s roads and a very sweet person who took good care of us. Purevbaatar was also lovely to talk with, and happily explained Mongol culture and history. We enjoyed the breathtaking natural sights together. I’d gladly recommend Danista if you want to see Mongolia’s beautiful wilderness.

The staff were friendly, knowledgeable, and really helpful with logistics and travel plans around Mongolia. A small annoyance was that WiFi sometimes didn’t work in the dorm building, but the main building always had fast, reliable access. I stayed in a six-bed dorm with a toilet and shower for USD 10 a night, which felt like excellent value. Breakfast each morning was cheese toast, eggs, tomato, and coffee or tea. It’s about a 30-minute walk from downtown UB, far enough away to avoid traffic noise.