N.TUNGALAG: I’M PROUD THAT WE CREATE UNFORGETTABLE GOBI MEMORIES FOR OUR GUESTS

Over a century ago, the world started to know about Mongolia’s Gobi Desert when American explorer and paleontologist Roy Chapman Andrews arrived in the 1920s. His expeditions in the South Gobi led to the discovery of the first dinosaur eggs ever found, placing Mongolia’s Gobi firmly on the world map. Today, this boundless Gobi desert continues to capture the imagination of travelers. The Umnugobi remains one of the top destinations for visitors to Mongolia, famed not only for its breathtaking landscapes but also as the ancient cradle of dinosaurs. Here, among the sun-baked dunes and mirage-shimmering plains, lives and works a woman who has spent the past two decades welcoming travelers into the heart of this land—N. Tungalag, founder and CEO of Gobi Mirage Lodge. With the grit and grace of a true Gobi native, she has built a place where guests can rest in comfort under star-strewn skies and leave with stories they’ll treasure for a lifetime. Located in Tsagaan Tolgoi, Ulaan Ereg area of Khankhongor soum, Umnugobi province, Gobi Mirage Lodge has been a labor of love for Tungalag. In this interview, she shares her journey of turning a dream into one of Mongolia’s most respected eco-lodges.

-Gobi Mirage Lodge has now been operating for 20 years. How did you start your company?

-Umnugobi has always been known to the world as the land of the Gobi. I`m very proud to live and work in the Gobi Desert and run a tourism business here, where many guests from all over the world come to see this beautiful land. My husband started working in the tourism sector back in 1997. Bit by bit, we set aside savings from our modest salaries until we could afford our first UAZ-469 vehicle. On the advice of Kh.Tumendelger, head of the “Amazing Gobi” Tourism association, my husband began driving for the “Juulchin Gobi” tourist camp. That was our first step into tourism. Soon after, my husband joined *Nomads Tour & Expeditions* as a driver, traveling across Mongolia and falling in love with the industry. It was my husband who first dreamed of building our lodge, and together we decided to venture into business on our own. At the time, establishing an eco-camp was a global aspiration, and we embraced that vision wholeheartedly.

-Could you share the achievements of the Gobi Mirage Lodge, and what are you most proud of today?

-Our tourist camp has grown steadily, year by year, expanding capacity and improving quality. From the outside, running a tourist camp might seem like a simple and nice job. In reality, behind every guest’s stay lies the hard work of many people. In tourism, the heart of the experience is service and food. Creating a cozy, comfortable atmosphere, offering service that makes guests feel at home, delighting them with delicious meals, and ensuring our staff are well-rested, motivated, and working in a pleasant environment are very important. These have been my top priorities over the years. Because of this dedication, we’ve been named “Best Tourist Camp” twice by the Mongolian Tourism Association and three times by Umnugobi province. The most important thing is having loyal partners and a strong presence in both domestic and international markets. Above all, these have been built on the strength of a good husband, a supportive family, and a committed team. And perhaps most importantly, on the trust we share with our tourists, both from abroad and domestic, and long-term business partners, because in tourism, that trust is everything.

-The Umnugobi is a true brand of Mongolia. What do foreign visitors come to see here? And which nationalities visit most often?

-This is a broad topic. Mongolia’s sweeping, beautiful landscapes, our nomadic way of life, culture and traditions, and the warmth of our hospitality—these are the very things that make us unlike anywhere else in the world. In the Gobi, travelers can witness endless steppe, distant mountains, wild animals, and rare birds roaming freely, the 36 oases scattered across the golden dunes, and fossil-rich lands that cradle the history of dinosaurs. This magnetic blend draws visitors from around the globe. That is why we built an information house that shares knowledge about the local environment, wildlife, and bird species. What makes our camp unique is its location: from here you can take in a 360-degree view of the boundless steppe, watch the sun rise as if emerging from the Gobi itself, and witness the evening sun sink into the golden-red horizon. Foreign tourists find this breathtaking scenery especially captivating. Guests have come to us from countries I had never even heard of before. We keep a tradition of crafting and displaying each nation’s by our visitors.

Every tourist arrives with different expectations, shaped by their culture, and we take care to balance and meet those needs. Our tourist camp is especially unique for being popular with European travelers. Many of them are older and prefer peace, comfort, and privacy, space to enjoy the stillness without interruption. Asian visitors, on the other hand, are usually younger. They bring lively energy, enjoy taking photographs, express their emotions openly, and in the evening, they love to gather around campfires, stargaze, sing, and dance. These contrasts are always fascinating. Before the pandemic, most of our visitors came from Europe. Since then, South Korean travelers have become the largest group. We’ve also seen many guests from Taiwan, Singapore, Vietnam, Hong Kong, and China. And the numbers keep growing year after year.

At “Gobi Mirage Lodge”, we’ve developed our own “service culture,” something that can be seen from the feedback we receive. We have a guest survey to learn exactly what travelers value most, what needs improvement, and what is especially important for different nationalities. The majority of answers are “It was wonderful, thank you,” but some leave thoughtful suggestions, and we take those seriously, doing our best to make them a reality.

-Could you tell us about the main tourism routes and products in the Umnugobi province?

-In recent years, travelers have started exploring much deeper into both the western and eastern regions of our province. This is thanks to better infrastructure and the significant archaeological and paleontological sites. Destinations that once felt too remote—Khaniin Khets, Nemegt Canyon, Khermen Tsav, Shar Tsav—are now more accessible, allowing guests to stay longer in the desert and increasing the value per visitor. Special-interest tourism is also on the rise, especially wildlife and birdwatching tours. This has prompted tourist camps to open earlier in spring, thus lengthening the tourist season. Tourism is one of the most promising sectors in Mongolia. We have so much untapped potential. I’m grateful that our province recognizes this and is putting real effort into developing it. They’ve begun creating and implementing management plans for key attractions. For example, at Bayanzag—famous for its dinosaur fossils—and at Khongoryn Gol, new developments are taking shape.

-Success doesn’t simply arrive at your doorstep — it comes after crossing many mountains of challenges. Could you please share how you overcame challenges?

In my 20 years in the tourism sector, we’ve walked through valleys and climbed ridges to reach where we are today. For example, in the mid-2010s, very few foreign tourists visited Mongolia. At the time, I even considered leaving tourism altogether. There were moments when I thought about selling the tourist camp and told a few close friends in the industry about it. But they told me, “This land where your camp stands will always be yours.” Those words kept me going. Then came the pandemic-two long years of complete shutdown. But the Umnugobi province administration stepped in, placing mining company drivers in the tourist camps for accommodation. We also didn’t just sit and wait; we renovated, improved, and reimagined our operations. Those changes became the seeds of later success.

-What is the most rewarding part of running a business in the tourism sector?

-Tourism empowers people, and empowered people create more. It connects you to friends, partners, and people from all over the world. There’s nothing more rewarding than seeing a visitor leave happy, and knowing my team gave their all. Even in moments of fatigue or doubt, seeing what we’ve built here, in the middle of an empty steppe, fills me with pride. In this sense, I take great pride in giving every visitor an unforgettable memory of the Mongolian Gobi. It truly fills me with joy and satisfaction.

-What are the future goals for “Gobi Mirage Lodge”?

-I want the world to truly know our beautiful province. The long-term and short-term goal of not just my tourist camp, but for all Gobi tourism businesses, is to join forces with each other and take our Gobi miracle to the global stage. We have been thinking and planning for this for many years. The world may seem endless, but thanks to today’s connectivity, it’s also right at our doorstep. Like it or not, this digital era is pushing us closer to that dream. We warmly invite women entrepreneurs from around the world, as well as from Mongolia, to visit and experience the Mongolian Gobi.