Three Camel Lodge

Each of the Three Camel Lodge gers (also known as yurts) opens right onto the Gobi Desert. Riding camels and horses by day, at night you will be enchanted by the sight of millions of stars blazing above the rolling sand dunes and the Altai Mountains. For intrepid adventurers to experience the traditional nomadic way of life amongst one of the most unique landscapes on earth.

Rooms: 40

Opening year: 2002

Last renovation: 2021

Sustainability:

• In a region without formal recycling systems, developed own comprehensive management program that diverts lodge waste from landfills – including paper, bottles and cans, and organic matter, which is composted onsite for re-use in organic greenhouse
• The first in Mongolia to successfully eliminate all single-use plastic water bottles, providing guests with a stylish reusable metal bottle that can be refilled throughout the property at purified water stations
• Nearly 100% of the lighting, including all the lighting in guest gers, is solar-powered, using only LED lights

Community interactions:

• Sponsoring English classes and sports teams in a nearby school, and in 2018 brought a team of optometrists to give eye exams to community members, resulting in the distribution of over 1000 eyeglasses
• In order to support community supply chains and help grow the local economy, purchasing and contracting policies favor local families, small Gobi businesses, and artisans selling locally-crafted goods. Also paying taxes to the local province rather than the national government, which funds local development where it is most needed
• Since 2008, supported local students studying traditional Mongolian music and dance at the Gobi’s Hanhongor School, regularly share their talents with guests through private lodge performances. In addition to donating supplies and musical instruments to the school, in 2018 sent ten students and two teachers to Ankara, Turkey to perform at the International Children’s Music Festival. In 2019, the lodge started a college scholarship program to support musical education for 5 students each year
• In 2020, the lodge launched a native Mongolian dog breeding program to place dogs with nomadic families to safeguard domesticated animals from predators

Certifications: Beyond Green

Management: local owner, local management