For Nomadays, Mongolie remains a vibrant destination where the relationships you build with locals lie at the heart of your journey. All of our trips place paramount importance on these interactions, and you will likely spend one or more nights with nomadic herding families. This is the best way to discover the country's culture and understand nomadic life. Staying with local families will give you the opportunity to share in their daily routines and participate in their work. You may find yourself helping with the making of dairy products, taking part in animal herding, or helping the head of household round up the livestock. While it's difficult to provide detailed information for each family, we'll explain below how things will unfold so you're as well-prepared as possible and won't have any unpleasant surprises once you arrive:

• Gers (typically three or four) are set up in the encampment, near the family ger. Each ger contains four to five single beds. On group trips, you will generally share your ger with other participants. If the group is small, it's possible, depending on availability, to have separate gers, particularly for couples or families.
• Bedding is of modest quality. In the most visited regions, we've equipped families with thick mattresses, but some beds, or in certain families, mattresses may be thinner felt. In very rare cases, particularly with families who host infrequently, there may not be a bed for everyone, and the family may simply offer you a mattress on the floor.
• For certain "backpacker" circuits, accommodation may be in the family ger, shared with the family, with sleeping on a mattress on the ground.
• Families cannot wash blankets after each visitor, which is why we provide you with an individual sleeping bag. There isn't always a pillow available, and bringing your own can add to your comfort.
• For toilets, all families on our standard circuits are equipped with latrines (the small cabin at the back of the property).
• For showers, ten families on our standard circuits were equipped in 2014 with a small wooden shower cabin. These showers were tested during the summer of 2014 with mixed results (water sometimes cold). These cabins will remain with the families, but do not constitute a contractual commitment on our part. Note that basins are provided, so washing by basin is possible. Also note that certain families, particularly in the Gobi, don't have easy access to water, so water conservation is essential.

Staying with local families offers a dual benefit. It allows you to live as closely as possible with Mongolian nomads and understand their way of life. Sharing their daily routines is particularly rewarding in the Orkhon Valley or in the Naiman Nuur National Park, for example, which are major nomadic regions. It also offers an interesting alternative in terms of accommodation—less expensive than a ger camp and more comfortable than a night under canvas.

Certain rare families, particularly in national parks where herds have been prohibited, such as Terkhiin Tsagaan Nuur National Park, now live from welcoming travelers. Their company is very pleasant, though they are no longer nomads.

We make every effort to ensure only one group stays with each family at a time, and we work with several families in each region we visit. However, during peak season, particularly for tours starting after Naadam or in early August, it's possible that several small groups may stay with the same family simultaneously.

When you stay with a family, it's normally the family who prepares dinner (your guide or cook, if you have one, may participate). In this case, you'll eat Mongolian food. This food is good, but simple and not very varied—principally featuring meat (mutton and goat), flour (made into noodles, dumplings, bread, or typical preparations like khuushuur or buuz), rice, and potatoes. Regarding vegetables, you'll find cabbage, carrots, and onions. Dairy products are also widely consumed in summer. There's no particular concern for people with dairy allergies—simply inform your guide, who will explain this to the family.

Breakfasts and dinners are prepared by the agency. If you have special requests, we can accommodate vegetarian meals or gluten-free options.

One final note on hospitality: when groups return, some tell us the families were extraordinary and the welcome was magnificent, while the next group staying with the same family reports they didn't feel that special Mongolian warmth. Why the difference? First, remember that families are not hotels, and hospitality isn't a service you purchase—it comes from the heart. Friendly, open, and curious people always receive a warmer welcome than grumpy ones. In short, the more you give, the more you receive in return. Additionally, something may have happened that we haven't yet learned about—illness in the family, a birth, work obligations, a family member's departure—brief events that mean the family isn't in a position to welcome you as they'd like. Rest assured, this rarely happens and shouldn't affect more than one family throughout your entire stay.