{"id":9309,"date":"2012-05-13T19:37:33","date_gmt":"2012-05-13T11:37:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/le-mckernan.com\/?p=9309"},"modified":"2014-08-19T16:42:50","modified_gmt":"2014-08-19T08:42:50","slug":"op-ed-words-are-wind-with-blue-wolf-travels","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/le-mckernan.com\/?p=9309","title":{"rendered":"OP-ED: Be _Very Careful_ with Blue Wolf Travel of Mongolia …"},"content":{"rendered":"
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(photographed with an infra-red camera and with slow shutter speed)<\/em><\/p><\/div>\n

[ This is a long and detailed account of my personal travel experience with this company. \u00a0If you don’t have the time to read the blog in it’s entirety, then the headline is: Mongolia is a beautiful country and I would encourage people to visit. \u00a0But please chose your travel\/tour company wisely. \u00a0Based on my experience, I would never<\/strong> travel with or use Blue Wolf Travel again. ]<\/em><\/p>\n

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The following is based on my experience (*<\/span>) using Blue Wolf Travel<\/strong><\/span>\u00a0(www.bluewolftravel.com<\/span> & www.mongol-altai.com<\/span>) during my travels to Ulgii for the 2013 Golden Eagle Festival<\/strong><\/a>. \u00a0Although Blue Wolf Travel (“BW”) is listed in The Lonely Planet<\/strong> guide for Mongolia, I wanted to do my own independent research before deciding on which travel agency to use. \u00a0In particular, I wanted my tourist dollars to remain in Mongolia and thus I placed particular priority on local agents. \u00a0Furthermore, I wanted an agency that had deep local connections because I wanted to do a homestay\/gerstay with a local family. \u00a0Finally, for maximum flexibility, I needed an agency that could provide my husband and I with a dedicated car, driver and guide-translator\u00a0for the seven nights that we would be spending in the region. \u00a0Hours of Google-searches revealed no red-flags about this company. \u00a0In addition, I found out that BW sponsors the Sagsai Eagle Festival (a rival festival to the Ulgii event). \u00a0On paper, it would appear that BW ticked all the boxes: \u00a0it is locally based with great connections to the local Eagle Hunter community. \u00a0In addition, my initial contact with the company was equally promising. \u00a0The owner and manager (Canat) advised that BW has organized many photography tours before and that BW was perfectly placed to help us. \u00a0With the above in mind, I felt reasonably confident that I could trust BW and thus began working with BW to organize the October 2013 trip. \u00a0Everything that I’d discussed with Canat was summarized and confirmed in email. \u00a0Sadly, words are wind with Blue Wolf<\/em>. \u00a0<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Although all of my requirements were confirmed in writing as well as re-confirmed with Canat face-to-face at our initial ‘greet and meet’ at the BW office, very little of what was agreed (and paid for in full and in advance) was actually delivered.<\/strong> <\/span>\u00a0(For details on the specifics, see read the Appendix of this OP-ED.) \u00a0As annoying, frustrating and disappointing as my experience with BW was, the real motivation for writing this OP-ED is to advise potential clients that\u00a0<\/span>under certain circumstances, I believe that travelling with BW can actually be quite dangerous<\/strong><\/span><\/em>. <\/span>\u00a0This opinion is based on what happened to a fellow traveller we met as we’d shared our horror stories about Blue Wolf Travel over coffee at the airport.<\/p>\n

Our fellow traveller (“FT”) is an independent soul and likes to travel solo. \u00a0In addition to attending the Ulgii Eagle Festival, she made arrangements with BW to spend a few days on horseback (accompanied by a guide-translator) to explore the mountainous regions of western Mongolia. \u00a0Unfortunately, the person that BW assigned to her could neither translate nor guide. \u00a0(We actually had this person as our guide-translator\u00a0for the first 1.5 days. \u00a0She is a very lovely young lady but she was absolutely useless as a translator. \u00a0From what little that we could understand when speaking with her, it sounded like she worked in the local market and was roped in to fill this role at the last minute!) \u00a0The alarming thing was that this young guide-translator (“YGT”) was not trained for mountain expeditions and yet was tasked to take FT to the base area in Tuvan Bogh for a multi-day exploration. \u00a0After travelling some distance (by car) \u00a0towards the overnight ger in the Tuvan Bogh and in face of declining daylight, falling snow and below-zero wind chill factor, FT became concerned about the overall situation and asked her driver to stop an approaching car travelling in the opposite direction to inquire about their current location and the remaining distance to the overnight ger. The guide in the other car advised FT that the base camp was already full to capacity and that there was simply no room for her (or for her support crew). \u00a0But, as there was nowhere else to go and as it would be too dangerous to proceed forward (or return back to Ulgii) because it was getting dark and cold, the guide offered FT a place with her group. \u00a0(Unfortunately, FT’s support team had to sleep in the car!!!). \u00a0In short, a disaster was averted because of the kindness and hospitality of this group<\/p>\n

The next day, YGT told the other guide that she was taking FT to a lake nestled in the mountain regions and offered to take the other guide’s group along as well. \u00a0FT actually questioned this because she thought that this was doubtful as visibility was very poor. \u00a0Nonetheless, YGT convinced the other guide that she knew the way and was going nonetheless. \u00a0In short, YGT proceeded to get everyone lost! \u00a0Later, she admitted to FT that she had never been to the lake except once before (but that was in the summer and in perfect conditions).<\/p>\n

When FT returned to Ulgii, she spoke to Canat about YGT. \u00a0Specifically, FT mentioned that YGT made very bad decisions on the trip which actually compromised FT’s safety. \u00a0And that YGT is neither experienced enough nor matured enough and therefore should not have been entrusted to take any traveller up to Tuvan Bogh — especially in winter conditions. \u00a0According to FT, Canat made some general excuses for YGT but, more importantly, he took no responsibility for this<\/em>. \u00a0In short, it seemed to FT that Canat thought that it was perfectly acceptable to send a single female traveller up a mountain in winter with a guide who could not speak English and who knew nothing about the history or culture of the area and who didn’t know what to do in an emergency!<\/p>\n

In short, my friend FT paid a premium (she had to carry the full costs of hiring the guide, car & driver) to enable her to have an authentic experience in western Mongolia. \u00a0She had hoped to be able to converse with the locals, learn about their lives and culture, and share in the history of the beautiful country side. \u00a0This was made impossible as the YGT could barely speak English — and when she did, she did it poorly (i.e. \u00a0mistranslation resulting in embarrassment and chagrin).<\/p>\n

My experience with BW suggest that what happened to our friend was not an isolated case. \u00a0In my opinion, BW was as equally careless with our arrangements as they were with hers. \u00a0The difference was that although we were greatly inconvenienced, our friend was actually put at risk. \u00a0First, she was assigned someone who was untrained and inexperienced and both were placed in a high-risk situation. \u00a0As such, there was a failure in duty-of-care by BW to both<\/span> the traveller and to the guide. \u00a0Second, BW failed to ensure that they both had a guaranteed place to shelter at night.<\/p>\n

If you are travelling to Ulgii to see just the Eagle Festival and are quite content to stay at one of the BW gers set inside their industrial park behind the BW office, then you should be OK to use them. \u00a0However, if you need something extra \u00a0— i.e. \u00a0have a private car, driver, translator-guide, gerstay, etc., then you do need to exercise caution. \u00a0Even with the simplest arrangements, BW still managed to muck it up for us<\/span>.<\/em> \u00a0For the full details on our issues, please see the Appendix<\/strong><\/span> below.<\/p>\n

Given that BW is one of the largest travel operators in the region and the options are quite limited, you may find that you have little choice but to use them. \u00a0If this is the case, then please see the below as I’ve outlined some tips\/suggestions<\/span> on how best to navigate BW.<\/p>\n

The above aside, I hope that this OP-ED does not deter you from travelling to western Mongolia. \u00a0Blue Wolf malarky aside, I thoroughly enjoyed visiting the country (please check out my travel blog<\/a> about the Golden Eagle Festival and travel tips for Mongolia). \u00a0And, I simply love my host family as they were truly wonderful. \u00a0If anything, I encourage you to visit this region with it’s remarkable landscape, history and people. \u00a0But, if you do visit, then please ensure that you have a good partner — don’t let a careless and amateur organisation ruin such a lovely experience.<\/p>\n

Happy and safe travels!<\/p>\n

Tram<\/p>\n

(feedback@le-mckernan.com)<\/p>\n

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(*) Notice:\u00a0<\/span><\/strong>each person will need to make up his\/her own informed decision about the merits of this OP-ED blog. \u00a0As such, if the reader is researching any of the named party(ies) mentioned in this blog, then it is advisable that the reader continues his\/her research to form a more robust finding. This blog is purely an OPINION which is based on a personal experience which may or may not be applicable to others.<\/span><\/p>\n

+ \u00a0+ \u00a0+ \u00a0+ \u00a0<\/strong>+ \u00a0<\/span> Appendix: \u00a0Specifics Issues Encountered<\/span> \u00a0 + \u00a0+ \u00a0+ \u00a0+ \u00a0+ \u00a0<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

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Whoops! That didn’t go according to plan . . .<\/p><\/div>\n

Background information:<\/strong><\/p>\n

The plan agreed with Blue Wolf Travel (“BW”) was that they would provide the logistics to enable us to do a private photography tour of the region. \u00a0This entailed having a dedicated driver, car and English-speaking guide-translator with us the entire time. \u00a0In addition, we would spend seven nights in a private ger with an Eagle Hunter and his family and that this would be a full board (i.e. all meals included). \u00a0This was organized as a private tour so that we would have maximum flexibility. \u00a0It was important to us to be able to catch sunrises and sunsets in places of outstanding natural beauty and for that, we needed a driver and guide who were willing to wake up before the crack of dawn. \u00a0In addition, I wanted to have two full days dedicated to photographing the Eagle Hunters in a variety of settings (a total of eight hunters were booked to be our models for the two days). \u00a0This was to be a private event as we didn’t want to other photographers getting in our frames or determine the direction of the photo sessions. \u00a0All of this was agreed in email and the costs were paid for in advance and in full.<\/p>\n

\"Mongolia<\/p>\n

With the exception of Oct 5th and Oct 6th (during the Eagle Festival whereby BW had little logistical involvement), nothing really went according to plan!<\/p>\n

The Details<\/strong>:<\/p>\n