Our Story


‘If you’re afraid don’t start and once you start, don’t be afraid.’

“If you endeavour, fate will favour you.”

Mongolian Proverbs


 

It all began at a windswept campsite in the Gobi Gurvan Saikhan National Park in the southern Gobi.

 

Dungene Am in Gobi Gurvan Saikhan National Park, where our story started.

THE campsite in Dungene Am in the Gobi Survan Saikhan National Park

Turuu and I had been working together in Mongolia for four years as a tour leader and driver for a UK-based adventure company.

The Founders of Eternal Landscapes 2 years ago

One morning, I had to break the news to Turuu that our jobs had ended because the company was sold and restructured. That’s when he asked:

“Boss, why don’t we start our own company?”

Neither of us came from a business background or had any business experience. We hadn’t studied tourism or anything connected with travel. All we had were our separate and then combined experiences of working in tourism. But there are two Mongolian proverbs that have always been integral to our journey, especially in those early days: “If you endeavour, fate will favour you,” and “If you’re afraid don’t start, and once you start, don’t be afraid.” So, in our special hybrid language, we tentatively discussed ideas.

We didn’t approach selling tours from a ‘profitability’ perspective. Having spent four years in Mongolia already, I especially wasn’t comfortable with selling a stereotypical view of Mongolia, even if it sold more tours. Instead, I wanted to showcase the reality of the country in the 21st century—as I and all the local Mongolians that I knew and had met experienced it on the ground. While nomads and wilderness are popular and sell, I wanted to highlight that Mongolia is a diverse and dynamic country that deserves to be explored beyond its clichés.

And that’s essentially what has guided us as our journey began and we slowly bootstrapped our way up. We launched with a small website, a modest announcement, and a handful of early customers. Two of our first challenges—securing accommodation contracts and reliable guides—became the fundamental cornerstones of our ongoing business operations. To overcome these hurdles, we embarked on a path of innovation by forging long-term partnerships with local communities. Recognizing that our drivers would all be male, we implemented a policy to employ aspiring Mongolian women who sought opportunities to work as tourism guides. These initiatives have played a pivotal role in shaping the experiences we provide and have become the bedrock of our ongoing business operations.

In those early days, we kept our day jobs and lived frugally. My base in Ulaanbaatar was a $6 per night dorm bed shared with five other people. I learned how to blog, and Turuu mastered the art of small talk. Together, we gradually built Eternal Landscapes. We made mistakes, openly acknowledged them, and learned from them. We’re human and continue to make mistakes, but we still openly acknowledge them and continue to learn from them. We’re not scared of negative TripAdvisor reviews; instead, we embrace them. Our willingness to learn from our mistakes has allowed us to develop and strengthen.

We don’t have the help or reach of influencers or marketing experts, nor do we have angel investors or financial stakeholders. We don’t try to be all things to all people, which is why we remain small. But what we do have is a belief in what we do and the difference it can make. From our hub in Ulaanbaatar, we remain true to our original ethos of responsible and realistic tourism, committed to supporting local people, communities, and the environment. We’re a micro-business that calls itself ‘manaikhan’—family. We know the faces and names of every Mongolian we work with, whether it’s a Kazakh family in far western Mongolia or a philanthropist in Ulaanbaatar. We invite our guests to be part of our bigger travel philosophy and discover Mongolia from the local perspective through our immersive experiences that prioritize women’s empowerment, inclusivity, and community engagement to create lasting positive social change.

The ‘eternal landscapes’ of Mongolia and the broader context within which Mongolians live their lives remain integral to everything we do. Eternal Landscapes embodies the vastness of Mongolia and the way its people navigate life within this immense land. It’s about traveling through Mongolia’s landscapes as a visitor and beginning to understand how these landscapes shape the Mongolian personality—characterized by sturdy individualism, hardiness, endurance, self-sufficiency, tolerance, and a spirit of freedom.

This venture is a long-term love affair, complete with its peaks, troughs, and challenges. We are proud that our genuine love for Mongolia permeates everything we do.

And what’s next? As well as running EL, we are focusing on creating ‘Chandmana Erdene CIC’, an initiative designed to provide long-term, structured educational tourism training for Mongolian women. Additionally, it will offer employment opportunities for older men, who often face challenges related to societal issues like toxic masculinity. This holistic approach ensures the project contributes positively to the broader social fabric of our beloved Mongolia.


We Would Love To Hear From You!

Call: +44 (0) 7810280403     Mail: jess@eternal-landscapes.co.uk


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If you’re in Ulaanbaatar why not pop in to our office. We love receiving guests.
The kettle is always on.

Just call Tuya to arrange +976 88011476.