A ger is 2,500 years of engineering. Circular, collapsible, five-wall or six-wall depending on the family, built for -40°C winters and 35°C summers. You will sleep in one. Here is what that actually means.
The Arrival
The door faces south. Always. You step across, never on, the threshold. Shoes off at the edge. The host side of the ger is to your left as you enter; guests sit on the right. If you are offered milk tea (suutei tsai) the moment you arrive, accept it with both hands or with the right hand under your left elbow.
The Bed
A simple wood-framed cot with felt mat, cotton sheets, and heavy wool blankets. In summer, this is plenty. In winter, the stove is stoked with wood or dried dung and the ger stays at 20°C through the night.
The Fire
Respect the stove. Never throw trash, water, or unclean objects into it. The fire is the heart of the ger, the Mongolian word for family (geriin khün) literally means 'person of the ger'.
The Toilet
Outside. Usually a wooden outhouse about 40 metres from the ger. At our stays, Big Sky Lodge, Otugi Hotel, Orkhon Valley Ger Camp, private en-suite bathrooms come with the ger. At traditional nomad homestays, the outhouse is part of the deal. We will tell you which is which before you go.
The Stars
When you wake in the night to go to the outhouse, pause for a minute in the cold. The sky in rural Mongolia has no light pollution. The Milky Way is not a metaphor there. It is a bright band you can read by.
The Morning
You will hear the animals first. Horses neighing. Maybe a goat at the door. Tea will already be on. Breakfast is usually dried curd, bread, fresh yogurt, and more tea. Then you ride.
