Gift Ideas For When Travelling In Mongolia
Local Mongolians will not expect anything in return for their hospitality. However, it is perfectly appropriate to offer gifts when travelling in Mongolia as a small token of your appreciation. Gifts that are appreciated by rural families include both small tokens of friendship and also practical presents. Families in the remote areas of Mongolia rarely have stores nearby, are often on a tight budget, and they appreciate useful gifts. It is not necessary to bring large quantities – just a few items. You can also purchase items in Ulaanbaatar. One idea is to bring gifts that help to break the ice … which you can then give to the families when you leave.
- When you hand over the gifts do not worry if the recipients place it to one side without making much of it, this is normal as they will typically only look at the gift once you depart.
- Also, in Mongolia, generations still live under one roof, even in more affluent households in Ulaanbaatar. Typically, Mongolians consider everyone under one roof as the family so it can be impertinent as a visitor to try to define everyone’s role. Rather than providing gifts for specific family members, consider bringing a mix of gifts for different sexes and generations.
- Remember though that the gift must remain a symbol or a token. If you wish to offer multiple items or a more substantial gift then get in touch with us directly as there are many associations that we can point you towards and help you to arrange for that will best manage your gifts including the Buddhist NGO Asral. An alternative is the Uuliin Nuur community project. that we also work with and support.
Please do not give sweets (the dental service in Mongolia is very limited) or give vodka, for obvious reasons.
Here are some of our gift ideas for when travelling in Mongolia:
Ice Breakers
- The card game UNO
- Pack of cards (SNAP is a great language breaker)
- Twister
- Jigsaws
- Snakes and Ladders
For Children
- Frisbees
- Balloons
- Colouring books or notebooks with colouring pencils/pens
- Basketball
- Mongolian language picture books
- Hairbands, hair clips
- Small toys, such as farm animals or model aeroplanes
- Yo-yos
- Pick-up sticks
For Men
- Small pocket knives/multi-tools
- Handkerchiefs
- Woolly hats or socks
- Small torches (flashlight) – battery or wind-up
- Snuff or tobacco and rolling paper
- Standard prescription reading glasses
- Sunglasses
For Women
- Small mirror
- Sewing kits (scissors, sewing thread, needles)
- Perfume samples (in bottles)
- Headscarves/scarves
- Moisturiser (face or hands)
- Tapestry/embroidery kits
- Standard prescription reading glasses
- Sunglasses
In General
- First aid kits
- Standard prescription reading glasses
- Sunglasses
- Hand sanitiser
- Loose tea from your home country (not tea that is too ‘flowery’ or scented)
- Other gift ideas for when travelling to Mongolia include a couple of mementoes from home – great for starting conversations with Mongolian families. Items can include photos or postcards from where you live work well, such as photos of your family, your city or the countryside. Another good idea is videos on your cameras. Gifts to show and then to give could include decorated tea towels, coasters or keyrings.
If you would like to know a little more about our travel philosophy and the style of trips we run in Mongolia, please follow this link – https://www.eternal-landscapes.co.uk/
Jess @ Eternal Landscapes
