Mongolia

Travel Mongolia on your gap year. Ideas for gap year travel to Mongolia.

Mongolia gap year - Gap year programmes in Mongolia

If you want to visit somewhere a little more ‘off the beaten track' on your gap year then Mongolia has to be one of the ultimate destinations. The term ‘Outer Mongolia' instantly conjures up images of visiting a remote place where few other travellers have set foot. It's precisely this reputation that makes Mongolia such an exciting place to visit for the more intrepid gap year traveller. The word ‘Mongolia' is also closely associated with Genghis Khan - the ruthless warrior-king who successfully united Mongolia's various different tribes in the late 12th and early 13th centuries to create the mighty Mongol Empire, which extended from Beijing all the way to the Caspian Sea.

One of the great things about modern-day travel is that even remote outposts such as Mongolia can now be visited, something that's really only become possible relatively recently. In many respects Mongolia remains largely untouched by the modern western world and visiting Mongolia can make you feel like you're visiting a different period of history, never mind a different country. Mongolia is home to some beautiful scenery and some of the world's most remote landscapes, and travelling through this part of the world is an unforgettable experience. If you want to get involved with some worthwhile voluntary work on your gap year Real Gap operates some highly rewarding programmes in Mongolia.

It is possible to fly to Mongolia, but a far more satisfying and rewarding option is to travel to Mongolia on the Trans-Siberian Railway. Real Gap's ‘The Trans-Siberian Railway' programme is an ideal way to travel to and from Mongolia using this method of transport. The train journey starts in Russia - either in St Petersburg or Moscow - and continues on through Mongolia before finishing in Beijing. Taking the train also means that you get to see remote parts of Mongolia and other places as you pass through them, which just isn't possible when you fly to Mongolia.

Whether you fly in to Mongolia or take the Trans-Siberian Railway the main arrival point in to Mongolia is its capital city, Ulaan Baatar. Ulaan Baatar is built along the scenic Tuul river and is surrounded by some of Mongolia's most beautiful mountains.

Ulaan Baatar is the venue of one of Real Gap's most rewarding people-based volunteer programmes in Mongolia. The ‘Mongolia Youth Volunteer Project' provides vital support and care to some of Mongolia's most impoverished adolescents (aged 12 to 18), many of whom have been orphaned. This centre in Mongolia has been recognised by UNICEF for its high standard of care and volunteers help provide vital support and assistance. Volunteers stay with a local family, which provides them with a unique insight in to life in Mongolia. There are also plenty of organised activities provided for volunteers, as well as help with learning some of the local language.

Travel in Mongolia definitely isn't the easiest in the world, but it is some of the most authentic and rewarding. Another worthwhile volunteer programme that Real Gap operates in Mongolia is the ‘Mongolia Teaching English Volunteer' Volunteers on this project help supplement the work of local school teachers in Mongolia by teaching English to pupils. As with Real Gap's adolescent centre project in Mongolia, volunteers stay with a local family and receive plenty of on-site support.   

Mongolia isn't an obvious gap year destination for many people. However if you're one of the more intrepid travellers and want to do something a little bit different on your gap year, then you should strongly consider Mongolia. Mongolia isn't yet part of the typical backpacker trail and is one of the few remaining areas where it's possible to experience almost completely uncommercialised travel. If you want to get involved with a worthwhile volunteer project on your gap year then Real Gap's Mongolia programmes are equally rewarding.

Mongolia gap year - Gap year programmes in Mongolia


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