Reviews
★★★★★
I 100% recommend traveling with Baha and her team! I had a 12-day custom solo trip that was truly one of my best travel experiences. Baha was my guide and Amaka was my driver/cook/hiking partner - but I met some of Baha’s other drivers and guides and they were all kind, friendly, and hardworking.
The experience was truly authentic - I stayed with remote nomad families, hiked to lakes that virtually no tourists visit, and travelled far off the beaten path. We also did the Altai “must-do” experiences of staying with an eagle hunter family, glacier walking and Malchin peak, and horse riding.
This was one of the most special adventures I have ever had, thanks to Baha!
Some helpful tips for travelers:
* Be flexible. Some days our itinerary changed quite a lot, and I didn’t always understand what was happening or why. But it always worked out to be an amazing day.
* Prepare for rustic conditions. You may go several days at a time without running water, reliable electricity, or internet. Suggest bringing plenty of toilet paper and wet wipes, power banks, headlamp, sleeping bag liner, and water filter and/or 10L jug or water from Ulgi.
* Show gratitude! Your nomad hosts will offer you so much of the little they have, it is best to bring gifts to share. At a minimum, cookies/candies, but practical gifts are also appreciated (ball caps or T-shirts for men, paper/crayons for children, scarfs or K-beauty products for ladies). And tip your driver well, they are 4x4 heroes!
* Baha also runs an English camp and trains other female guides. Reach out to her before you depart to see what supplies you might be able to bring her from your country!
★★★★★
Awesome trip! My stay with the family was super nice, the horseback riding is an amazing experience and the views are breathtaking! You have to be prepared for lack of English and some pretty low sanitary standards, but it didn't bother me at all.
★★★★★
Baha is a beautiful woman inside out and a great experienced tour guide that customises the best tour you wish to experience according to your needs.
My partner and I asked Baha for a customised trip to explore Western Mongolia and experience Kazakh culture in August for 2 weeks. We mostly stayed in Khovd and Ulgii province to see sand dunes and Altai mountains. And that was absolutely amazing that we cannot even put words to describe how it was because everything was beyond our imagination or expectation.
Western Mongolia is very different from the big cities like Ulanbaataar. People are mainly Kazakhs and they speak Kazakh language. Most of the roads were unpaved and bumpy, so it would be the best trip for those who seek adventurous stuff and you must trust your driver. Our road trip was handled by the excellent skilled driver, Yerlan who drives a Russian van and our great chef, Guljan. Unfortunately our beloved guide, Jan had to leave the trip earlier due to his health condition, but we enjoyed our trip with 4 of us so much. We met Baha during the trip too, she welcomed us to stay in her place in Sagsai. Homestay in nomad families and Kazakh families made us go into the depths to learn their cultures. The meals Guljan cooked was yummy and made us warm in heart especially in chilly weather. Consuming lamb and horse meat, cheese from cows, goats, yaks etc. and milk tea is their traditional thing, you should try eating them all if you wish to really enjoy experiencing their food culture. Also, we would say Altai Tavan Bogd national park is a must go. That was awesome!!! Seeing the Potanin glacier and sleeping in a tent at base camp was absolutely wonderful experience. Just be aware that the weather up there is changeable. It's warm when the sun is out and sunscreens are a must but we experienced snowstorm at base camp and Malchin Peak. Most of climbers gave up going to the summit due to the rough weather. So you must prepare some suitable mountain clothes and you want an experienced guide for the safety. One important note is that the water is so valuable in western Mongolia so don't expect to be able to have a shower or bath during the trip. And there might be no toilet either while you're riding on a van which is 5-6 hours or more per day. So sanitising wet wipes and trash bags would be useful if you bring them with you.
I swear it will definitely be a kind of life changing experience if you ask Baha for your trip in Mongolia.
Thank you so much Baha and all the crews from the bottom of our hearts. We already miss you all loads!
★★★★★
Baha organised a 12-day horse trek for our family of 7 people through the southern section of Altai National Park. It was an amazing experience and one our family will cherish always. It absolutely exceeded all our expectations, and we will definitely be back.
We were welcomed into a big, Kazakh family and the trip was so authentic. We stayed with local nomad families or camped each night. The families we stayed with were so generous and welcoming, and we learnt huge amounts about the Kazakh culture and the nomadic lifestyle. Highlights were helping to pack up a ger, being taken to valleys where we were the first tourists to visit and having a dance party under the stars. It is definitely a tough life out there and it was amazing to see how resilient the nomads are. As previous reviews mentioned, toilets are very basic if available, and beds are generally camping mats.
All the people which Baha organised to accompany us on the tour were fantastic and despite the language barriers we left as great friends. The food cooked by our chef Maks was delicious, and our horse/camel guides Esen and Unka provided great banter. We also got to be the first trip Baha's son Beka came on which was very fun. The horses (and camels) we used were just incredible, like little 4WDs which could go anywhere and were just so kind and quiet (except when we were having horse races!)
Baha is extremely passionate about empowering her local community, encouraging women to be more independent and protecting the environment. She is really inspirational and a fantastic role model. Not only that but she is a great tour organiser! We felt absolutely relaxed with Baha in charge. Communication was quick and easy. Baha was very flexible and adapted the trip quickly to the needs of our group by organising extra horses when we needed them. I am so happy that we arranged the tour through Baha as our tour directly benefitted the local community and families we stayed with. We are all looking forward to going back and will definitely arrange a tour with Baha again or participate in her volunteer English camp for local nomad kids in Sagsai. I would highly recommend booking with Baha (and with Indy Guides) for the trip of a lifetime.
★★★★★
Bakhitgul has helped to make our trip truly unforgettable! She was extremely helpful and flexible, everything was possible. Our driver Saka and our guide Umirtai were absolutely great! They have even helped me with my plan to propose during our trip! It has been an incredibly way to explore the beautiful Mongolia!
★★★★★
The journey with Baha, Maks and Boladia was indescribable. In three weeks we delved deeper and deeper into people's lives. In the first week we enjoyed a lot of nature, attractions and traveled a lot with the Buchanka. The Russian car often had surprises in store. :) But our very experienced drivers always had a solution. In the second week we were in the Altai mountains. The landscape is magnificent. The trekking to the glacier was sometimes challenging due to the altitude. The keeper of the measuring stations, Jura, explained everything and led a good tour over the glacier. In the third week we were able to get to know the everyday life of the nomads. There was slaughter, we experienced a wedding and rode horses for the first time in our lives. We were enchanted by the many children in our extended family. For us the trip was perfect and we would do it again and again. A note for people planning such a trip: you should have a certain level of robustness, washing is not possible every day, the toilet is often in the countryside and the car can sometimes get stuck in the river. If that doesn't scare you, you can have a wonderful trip. Despite language barriers, we got along really well with the drivers. The mood was often relaxed and happy.
Рахмет Баха, Макс және Болдия
★★★★★
We had an incredible 2 weeks exploring Western Mongolia organised by Baha. Our tour guide and driver were excellent and accommodating - we spent many hours together in the trusty Russian van as we explored this remote part of the world! The scenery and wildlife were amazing with the hike up Malchin Peak a highlight of the trip, alongside enjoying the Naadam Festival! Sun cream and insect repellent are a must-have!
★★★★★
I travel the western region of Mongolia, overall I am satisfy the journey and arrangement. I could see the snow peaks, beautiful leaks,grassland, horses, sheep, goats,cows.... and meet the eagle hunter. I lived in Ger of Nomad that I could experience the living condition of Nomad. Thought Nomad have regular life pattern and hard work but we can see their happy face of their simple life. It is unexpected that no fresh mutton to eat. The diet has the dry salted meat of sheep and a lot of small pieces of fat. Moreover, we lived in Ger of Nomad is very good experience, but they do not provide the pillow and blanket. Due to some are prefer to have their own sleeping bag. So, it is better to inform us beforehand.
★★★★★
All in all, the trip went well. Horse riding is tough awhen over rough terrains and you will need some level of fitness.
Baka gave us a good guide who was energetic. Do request for Zhacku if you plan to take trips from her.
★★★★★
We had an amazing experience staying with Bakha, she is an amazing host and guide and really went above and beyond to make sure we had a great experience. We went outside of the "main tourist" season and everyone as very friendly and welcomed us into their homes. It was amazing to meet the eagle hunters and learn about their traditions. I would love to come to Mongolia again some day and experience another season, and will definitely be booking with Bakha when i do!
★★★★★
Baha is such a kind and welcoming person. She’s a leader in their community, so you feel connected to the town & people the moment you arrive. I stayed mostly with her family, and they treated me as their own.
★★★★★
The experience was great, untouched nature, vibrant culture, beautiful landscapes... it's a modern days adventure to get to Altai, rough for European standards but totally worthy!
Bakhitgul was a great host, very well connected in the area and always looking for us to be ok. Erlan, great diver and very nice person, the same for the rest of the team, and the eagle hunters family, it's our small mongolian family now :)
★★★★★
To be clear, I did not have Baha as a guide, I never met her, but she arranged other guides for me - therefore I cannot comment on her as a guide, only her arrangements. Overall I got exactly what I wanted. I was alone without any other travelers, I spent most of my days on horse, riding through the landscapes. It was hard some days, getting my body used to riding 40km each day as a complete horse-riding novice, but whatever hardships I experience there was my own problem considering I asked for it.
I stayed with a nomadic family in western Mongolia, Kazakh-people. Everyone was very friendly and respectful where every we went, always treated to chai, homemade bread and cheese and so on.
The Kazakh-horses are very friendly and easy, they are like mountain goats and in fact the only time I saw a horse stumble was on completely flat land. The introduction to riding was fast - not more than 1 hour into first sitting on a horse did we scale a *very* steep mountain side on our horses.
I did not meet anyone who could speak proficient English for maybe 10 days, but body-language worked fine, and I got taught some Kazakh words which was enough for me. I personally don't see this as an issue, and I did have an English speaking guide for the beginning and end of my tour.
My hosts were kind, my guides were kind and I felt more like I was traveling with local friends than with guides. For sure I have some cherished memories from this journey. If you enjoy being very close to nature and animals then this is probably for you. Also, please bring a sunhat, sunscreen is not enough.
★★★★★
My trip to Oglii and the camp at the lake went very smoothly. Baha organised the drivers and guides and who made sure I was safe and comfortable. The guides took me on great and unforgettable horse riding adventures! Baha’’a organisational knowledge and English made it very easy to plan a 9 day visit to Mongolia.
★★★★★
Baha and her team were fantastic guiding us for our 12days of adventure through deserts, forest, river, lake, yurt stays and best of all the Sagsai Eagle Festival. We lived with the eagle hunter family and it was just an unique experience from any other tours. Baha is well liked and known by the eagle hunting community so she organised and introduced us to the eagle hunters so we had unique opportunities to have drinks, chats and photos with them. Baha made our trip as comfortable and authentic as possible. Most unforgettable adventure. Don't hesitate to contact Baha to start your trip. She is very responsive with chats and will give lots of ideas.
★★★★★
I am very happy to have selected Bakhitgul as our guide for western Mongolia. She worked with us to put together the perfect itinerary and her support team was amazing. She provided us with opportunities to stay in ger camps, enjoy Kazakh hospitality and learn about nomadic life, ride Mongolian horses, explore glaciers and waterfalls and experience everything western Mongolia has to offer. Travel can be a bit rugged: long, bumpy days in a Russian-made van, sleeping on the floor of a ger (yurt), not showering for days....but the payoff is possibly the most authentic and enriching experience you can have in western Mongolia. I am particularly happy that our trip directly benefited locals and that Bakhitgul is operating a pioneering, woman-owned business.
★★★★★
I recently decided to travel solo to Mongolia for 16 days. I found Baha as a guide through the IndyGuide platform. The places we visited in Mongolia were very remote but the views were definitely amazing. Big thanks to Baha for recommending the underrated areas in Mongolia where many tourists don't frequent.
Baha is also very resourceful as she can easily think of different alternatives or solutions to any hiccups you may encounter during your trip together.
Erka, the driver was very skilled in navigating the difficult terrain in these remote areas. I had complete trust in his skills as a driver and was never worried even when we ran into minor car issues during the long drives from Central to Western Mongolia.
Mongolia isn't the easiest country to travel to nor is it a typical country that most tourists would be accustomed to. It's a truly unique experience travelling to this country with lots of unforgettable first time experiences.
I've had a great 16 days in Mongolia with Baha and Erka and even though I was flying solo, I felt safe and comfortable travelling the remote wilderness with them. They were both an excellent guide and drive respectively.
I would highly recommend the IndyGuide platform for your Central Asia travels and Baha as your guide in Mongolia.
C
★★★★★
I am a well traveled adventurer/photographer, and for over a decade now centered around the remotest areas of Asia (Himalayas, Tibet, China, Tianshan). Mongolia was a dream of mine, and thanks to Bakha everything went way above my expectations. Bakha and Max, had everything so well organized, my homestay with the families of eagle hunters, the riding experience of my eagle hunters favorite hunting spots, even a private mini eagle festival, just to please us (for just 3 visitors, such an honor!). There I witness, how well-respected member of the local community she is, with deep connections with the eagle hunters, since she is the granddaughter of the famous Baytei Babi Ulii Eagle Hunter (his pictures are still one of the best among famous photographers). I truly push things to the limit, and I am very pleased to find also her crew members (Max was an amazing experienced driver and rider), willing to walk the extra mile. Furthermore, wherever we went, we found warmhearted people. The security and great hospitality is a personal matter for the local Kazakhs of Mongolia. I absolutely recommend Bakha and her crew, and can t wait to be back in Mongolia & explore with them further this stunning country and inspiring people. (for more pictures from our trip in Mongolia visit https://beacons.page/alpha0929 )
Amazing,unbelieveable trip.Spectacular view.Central Asia 's culture trip.
★★★★★
In late April 2022, we spent almost a week discovering the unique beauty of the Altai region. It was a life-time experience that we will always keep in our hearts and lots of credit goes to Baha, who was an amazing guide. Despite the fact that we were in one of the most remote places we have ever been, we felt immediately home with her.
Baha is not only an experienced guide, but also a well-respected member of the local community. She has deep connections with all the eagle hunters in the area and their families, since she has been always living there and her grandpa was a famous local figure.
It was an honour to live with the Kazak nomads and experience their life. We shared the same food, ride horses together, listened to their stories and sleep at their place. What a great hospitality! Also the weather was good: yes, the temperature might rigid, but since it is very dry, we never really felt cold. Overall, we had many sunny days in a row.
This holiday in the Altai region (and more broadly in Mongolia) was a dream that has come true. Everything was above our most positive expectations. Thank you Baha (and everyone around you) for taking care of us and sharing some moments that we will never forget!
★★★★★
I used Baha as a guide for a 6 day trip with my son to the Altai in October 2019. It was a terrific experience. We felt we had a truly authentic "nomad" experience . her support staff ( and truck) were great She speaks very good English which is so important in this part of the country because no one else does. Couldnt rate her highly enough.
D
★★★★★
Our holiday in Mongolia was the trip of a lifetime for our family, and we can`t thank Baha enough for organising our experience. If we`re lucky enough to someday return to Mongolia, we would definitely want to book Baha as our guide, and we recommend her (and Indy Guide), without hesitation, to any other travellers considering a visit to Western Mongolia.
We used Indy Guide for our initial trip planning - to work out the best length of time to spend in Mongolia, and where. After receiving a number of messages and quotes from potential guides, we chose Baha to be our guide, because of her experience, communication skills, warmth and responsiveness. She also understood our needs as a family, and was flexible in tailoring an itinerary suitable for children.
Unfortunately, it was several weeks before we could book flights and finalise our travel dates, and our dates did not fit with Baha`s availability (she had another booking for the dates we were able to spend in Western Mongolia).
However, Baha suggested a friend of hers as a replacement, and organised two guides and a driver for us. She didn`t just leave it at that, though. She remained in constant contact with me in the two months leading up to our trip, and was helpful in making suggestions and reassuring me. I was nervous about travelling with a 10-year-old and an 8-year-old to such a remote location, and was worried about the physical demands and safety for them. I had many, many questions, and I`m sure I wasn`t an easy customer! Despite the fact that Baha was not able to guide us personally, she was very patient, provided me with answers to my questions, and was incredibly generous with her time. She was a constant source of advice and support - and before, during and after our holiday she has remained in touch with us to ensure we were happy with our experience. She is passionate about her job, and her country.
The 7 days we had travelling around Altai Tavan Bogd and Western Mongolia were the highlight of our holiday - it was pure adventure for all of us. Our children had a blast riding horses and sleeping in tents, getting to know locals and playing Kazakh games. It is a breathtakingly beautiful part of the world, and we felt privileged to be able to experience it. We loved sleeping in tents and gers, learning about Kazakh culture, hiking Malchin Peak and exploring the countryside in a Russian van. Sofia, Maks and Altu, the guides and driver who Baha arranged for us, were wonderful. We had such a lot of fun with them, many laughs, and were always well taken care of. They were so caring towards our children, and were trustworthy, genuine, kind people. Even now, nearly a month after our time with them, we think of them often, and remain changed by our experience with them.
Western Mongolia turned out to be the ultimate travel destination for us, and it will be hard to top this now, the experience was so enriching. However, I think it`s worth mentioning that some families would find it challenging. Much of the driving is off-road, across bumpy terrain and it can take hours to cover short distances (our kids found this fun). There are few toilets in Altai Tavan Bogd (a couple of locations have a pit in the ground with a make-shift shed for privacy, but mostly you need to be prepared to do your business behind a tree or rock), and in most situations there is no electricity or running water.
However, we`re not seasoned campers, and we managed just fine without these daily comforts. If you asked our kids, they`d go back to Western Mongolia tomorrow. And the lack of roads and amenities are what keep the destination such a magical experience - untouched beauty, few tourists, and no pollution.
We`re so grateful to Baha for her role in our holiday - she went above and beyond to support us, is completely trustworthy, and we hope to use her services again in the future.
We`re also big fans of Indy Guide after this experience. The bookings process was easy, and we were happy to be using a platform where we could connect directly with guides, where guides were able to determine their own prices for services, and where we knew that the guides themselves were receiving the bulk of the fee. The costs were much more affordable than booking through a larger tour operator. We`re excited about the possibilities of further Central Asia travel, and look forward to using Indy Guide`s platform again to plan our trips.
A
★★★★★
Baha was an amazing guide for our group of 3 trekkers from US + Spain. You can tell she’s very experienced in giving these treks and goes out of her way to give you a real local experience, from interviews with an eagle hunter to finding the best route up the Altai mountains. You can tell she is very much loved and well connected within the community, saying hello to all the nomadic families living in the yurts throughout the trip.
Baha is very detailed about the itinerary but at the same time very flexible if you have something specific you want to do. She goes out of her way to accommodate you and makes your trip exactly what you want it to be.
She is extremely knowledgeable about the different local customs and is very open to sharing this info with you - answering our 1000 questions. We even met her son and her family.
Baha is extremely trustworthy and also puts a lot of trust in her amazing team. We had a very experienced off road driver (daolet) and a great chef during the trip who made the trip seamless.
We couldn’t recommend her more for your Mongolian adventure.
Sincerely
Fahey, Andréw, Carlos
PS. If she doesn’t respond immediately - it’s because she’s most likely giving a trek and there is no coverage out there, truly.
A
★★★★★
Baha was not on the trip with my group, which is just me and another traveler from HK. She was taking another bigger group. It was the driver and the cook that were with us throughout the 14 days trip in July 2019. Logistics were well planned and taken care of, we didn`t have to worry about anything. The most wonderful thing Baha did for me was that i had to leave earlier so she arranged the driver to fetch me to the airport and send me off. My flight to Chinggis Khan airport was delayed due to bad weather and she helped me to translate and communicate with the staff and eventually I got a statement from the airlines certifying the delay so I can claim from my travel insurance. Wonderful guide in general, but I really wished I have her on the trip with me so we can have more wonderful memories together! :)
S
★★★★★
Baha organised the trip very well. Her team is kind and fun to be with. We communicate with basic English but the journey was still amazing. I`d definitely pick them to be part of my next journey in Mongolia again!
A
★★★★★
Bakhitgul is a very knowledgeable person and knows a lot about the nomadic culture. Her spoken English was fairly ok and helped me to communicate with the nomads which was really great!!! Along with a driver, they were a good team to go around. The driver, Barbol was an excellent and a safe driver. When in Western Mongolia your trip totally depends on having a good guide and Bakhitgul was the best!!! Totally recommend her to the other travelers. Thank you so much for everything. My trip was so memorable :) Hope to travel with you again in future
S
★★★★★
HI Baka, sorry to be so slow. Trying to fit back into my western, first world life has been an adjustment.
My experience in Ulgii has changed me. I really appreciate you pairing me with my guide, Sonia Sophia Sultankhan. She was such an attribute to my experience of Mongolia. Her knowledge of English, her understanding of the Kazakh people and her kindness, all added immensely to my trip.
I want to thank you for setting up my home stay with Galeena and her Eagle hunter family. To live with them in their yurt for 6 days was fascinating. I even learned to milk a cow amongst all the other amazing experiences living so close to the land with eagles will certainly bring.
I will say, I appreciated my time with them more than the Eagle Hunter Festival.
Thank you so much for sharing your culture and your beautiful country in such a personal and meaningful way.
I hope to see Mongolia again.
The very best to you, Sandra.
S
★★★★★
I had a fabulous trip with Baha for 13 days. We hiked to malchen peak BC, visited lakes, petroglyphs, stayed with nomads and attended the eagle festival. Overall I felt very well cared for and have come home with amazing memories of west Mongolia. Baha is a great cook, very friendly and keen to share her knowledge. She also organised a skilled and friendly driver which added to the trip experience. I highly recommend Baha and would love to travel with her again.
K
★★★★★
I just returned from my vacation in Mongolia and am deeply impressed with the country. I wanted to cross the whole country from West to East and Baha did an amazing job organizing this long trip. I can highly recommend her as a guide- she is very knowledgeable, experienced and connected. And equally important also a fun person to hang out with.
For trips in Mongolia, having a good driver is very important. Baha’s choice was excellent. The 3 of us enjoyed the time. I wouldn’t have wanted to do the trip with anyone else.
The landscape is amazing, it changed completely at least once, sometimes twice per day. Especially the views in the Altai mountains are on another level. The people are very welcoming and extremely helpful.
M
★★★★★
Baha is a nice and friendly guide who tries everything to fulfill all her guests` wishes. We could even spend a night with a Nomadic Family, which was very interesting and an experience we will never forget. She also speaks very good English and is a great cook!
S
★★★★★
The scenery of Western Mongolia is stunning as well as the people I met during the trip are all very friendly. The trip went smooth and enjoyable. Baha even helped me to contact the shared van driver of Olgii to the Chinese border (but beware, the whole process can easily take 30 hours if you head straight to Urumqi). Great experience.
S
Sunshineseveryda
July 2018
★★★★★
Everything went according to my expectation and the itinerary. Very responsive before the tour. Would definitely recommend the guide.
E
★★★★★
The tour went perfectly as planned. Bakhitgul organized everything in a very professional and reliable way, I always felt safe. All meals, horseback rides and overnight stays were memorable. All the families we met and her were all very friendly and hospitable. She is also very knowledgeable about her homeland, culture and traditions. I can totally recommend her tours to all other tourists.
W
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