We’re a team all year round, whether tours are running or not — and that matters to us. It means we’re never scrambling for drivers in peak season, because we support them year-round, not just when guests are travelling. Our drivers are an integral part of who we are, and they deserve a space of their own. Here it is.
Tourism is a fickle beast, and many older drivers in Mongolia face growing marginalisation and fewer opportunities for stable work as the demand for high-end SUVs increases — vehicles that few can afford.
At EL, we see their knowledge and experience as irreplaceable. Most of our drivers are in their forties, fifties, or sixties — accomplished professionals who can read the road, the terrain, and Mongolia’s shifting weather like few others.
They love their vehicles as much as the freedom of the open road, and they are expert mechanics — keeping those vehicles moving even when Mongolia’s extremes push them to their limits.
Connected by family, friendship, and community, our drivers form the backbone of every journey. Working as a close-knit team, they support and guide each other, drawing strength from their own network. While the job provides income for their families, it also offers the freedom of travel and the pride of responsibility.
Currently driving: Lexus 570
From: Dundgobi Province
About: With an “old soul” and a deep respect for Mongolia, Turuu combines natural skill as a driver, mechanic, and improviser with leadership ability. He is happiest on the open road, but is equally capable of managing operations remotely—sometimes acting as second-in-command by phone from a windswept campsite.
Currently driving: Furgon
From: Dundgobi Province
About: The older brother of Hasaa, Sodo has faced challenges in life but found pride and purpose within our team. Skilled in the traditional Mongolian art of mongolcholokh (improvisation), he is exactly the person you want around if a vehicle breaks down. Resourceful and resilient, he exemplifies Mongolian determination.
Currently driving: Prius, as our city transfer driver
From: Dundgobi Province
About: Deeply committed to the EL team, his vehicle, and the success of his tours, Unuruu offers unwavering support to his brother Turuu. Caring and dependable, he plays a vital role both on the road and behind the scenes.
Currently driving: Lexus 470
From: Gobi Altai Province
About: Nyamaa is our anchor—calm, steady, and resourceful. No matter the situation, he’ll find a way through. Always observant, he looks out for everyone on the team. Though his English is limited, his presence alone enhances our guests’ experiences. Attentive and reassuring, he’s known for his favourite phrase: “Don’t you worry, Boss.”
Currently driving: Furgon
From: Dundgobi Province
About: A gentle soul and a kind giant, Ganba is a living source of stories, traditions, and wisdom. His van is like his ger, always open and welcoming. His Furgon is his “home away from home,” and no matter how bumpy the road, he makes sure guests feel the warmth of Mongolian hospitality.
Currently driving: Starex
From: Ulaanbaatar
About: Always recognizable by his hat, waistcoat, and boots, Bayaraa is admired for his loyalty and dependability. Known in our team for taking his time, he is valued for his principles and reliability.
Currently driving: Lexus 470 and Furgon
From: Dundgobi Province
About: As head of a large family, Hasaa carries significant responsibility. Tourism has provided him with stability, opportunity, and a way to support his loved ones responsibly. Deeply rooted in Mongolia’s rural traditions, he is a delightfully kind man whose wicked grin is never far away.
The dust. The lack of roads. The endless distances. The river crossings. The extremes of heat and cold. All of these are reasons why our drivers are not only skilled behind the wheel but also expert mechanics—choosing older, mechanical vehicles built to endure.
Their knowledge doesn’t come from books or classrooms. It is self-taught, born of necessity, and driven by a genuine love for vehicles, engines, and moving parts.
More often than not, they can repair their vehicle—whether it’s replacing a gearbox or a rear axle—in freezing winds, with nothing more than a small bag of tools, skill, ingenuity, and a little improvisation. And that’s a good thing, because breakdowns are simply part of the journey. When the nearest service station may be over 200 km away, self-reliance is essential.
For millennia, Mongolians have travelled farther, through tougher conditions, than most can imagine. They understand the power of mindset — so deeply, in fact, that they’re superstitious about the influence it can have on a journey. That’s why we’ll always ask you to embrace the journey — breakdowns, delays, and all — because every part of it is travel in Mongolia.
Our drivers own their own cars—and they love them. These vehicles are their lifeline.
Mongolia is the size of Western Europe: vast, wild, and often unforgiving. It should come as no surprise that our drivers and their vehicles are critical to every journey we run. That’s why we put a great deal of thought into the vehicles we use, building a system that works best for both our drivers and Mongolia’s conditions.
The vehicles our drivers choose are enduring and maintained for purpose. They don’t have electric reclining seats or 14-zone climate control (open a window instead). Why? Because electronics don’t cope well with mud, ice, riverbeds, or dust storms—all regular features of travel here.
The purpose of our cars is simple: to get you safely from point A to point B. They’re built to endure, to be repaired on the road if needed, and—when the worst happens—to source parts from across the country. Yes, things occasionally go wrong in Mongolia: flat tyres, gearbox or axle issues, even the odd engine o failure. We wish they didn’t, but that’s just reality.
If you’re after comfort and polish, that’s not us. We travel with resilience, good humour, and the know-how to keep moving when things don’t go to plan.
Toxic masculinity and the pressures of a changing climate weigh heavily on Mongolia’s male herders and drivers. Through long-term partnerships, regular visits, and interest-free micro-loans — and through the informal network our drivers have built with our partnering families — we help foster support that goes beyond financial aid.
It’s about fostering connection, dignity, and shared resilience across Mongolia’s rural landscapes.
Learn more about how we help to support Mongolia’s male tourism drivers here.
Vehicles are an inevitable part of travel in Mongolia. We’d love to use electric cars, but outside Ulaanbaatar there’s still no charging infrastructure—and they remain far beyond the reach of most Mongolian drivers. For city transfers we use hybrid vehicles, but for rural expeditions we, like all operators, rely on vehicles built to withstand the country’s demanding terrain. (That said, it’s not uncommon to see a family Prius tackling the same tracks—perhaps our very own Prius Adventure should be next/!)
We recognise that vehicles carry an environmental cost, which is why we focus on efficient loading and shared travel to keep per-person emissions as low as possible. While our overall footprint is relatively small compared to many forms of tourism—cruise ships, for example, generate around 451 kg of emissions per cabin per day—we don’t see that as an excuse, but as motivation to keep improving. You can learn more in our Climate Action Plan.
