We’re a team throughout the year, whether tours are running or not, and many of our drivers have worked together for years. Connected through family, friendship and shared experiences, they support one another both on and off the road. Their work provides income for their families, but also a sense of independence, responsibility and pride in their skills.
Most of our drivers are in their forties, fifties or sixties, and we value the experience they bring to our journeys. While Mongolia’s tourism industry increasingly favours newer vehicles and English-speaking drivers, we believe that mechanical knowledge, familiarity with rural conditions and sound judgement remain equally important.
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.
One aspect of travelling with Eternal Landscapes that makes us different from many other tour operators is that we don’t use driver-guides. Instead, our journeys are supported by two Mongolian team members: a male driver and a female trip assistant. Each has distinct responsibilities and brings different skills and perspectives to the journey. Our drivers concentrate on driving, vehicle maintenance, road conditions and the practical challenges of travelling across Mongolia, while our female trip assistants focus on supporting guests, facilitating communication and cultural understanding, and helping everyone feel part of the shared experience.
We don’t expect our drivers to speak English or provide detailed historical and cultural interpretation while also concentrating on unfamiliar or challenging road conditions. Equally, we don’t expect our trip assistants to be mechanics or experienced off-road drivers. By recognising and valuing their different skills, we allow each person to focus on what they do best while working together as a team.
Importantly, this approach creates two paid employment opportunities rather than combining everything into one position. It also encourages intergenerational teamwork, bringing together Mongolians of different ages, backgrounds and experiences. The relationships that develop between our drivers and trip assistants are an important part of how we operate, with plenty of shared humour, conversations, mutual support and the occasional difference of opinion along the way. For our guests, these personalities and interactions become part of the experience of travelling through Mongolia, rather than simply being the people responsible for getting them from one destination to the next.
You can learn more about our female trip assistants and our approach to creating opportunities for Mongolian women.
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.
Mongolia’s tourism industry is changing, and some experienced older drivers face increasing competition as expectations around vehicles, qualifications and language skills evolve. We have chosen to continue working with these men because we value their experience and believe that different generations should have opportunities to contribute.
Our wider approach also recognises the pressures experienced by men within some of Mongolia’s rural herding communities, particularly where changing livelihoods and traditional expectations of being a family provider intersect. Through long-term relationships, practical assistance and community partnerships, we aim to support connections that extend beyond individual tourism experiences.
Read more about why we support Mongolia’s male tourism drivers.
Vehicles are an unavoidable part of travelling across much of rural Mongolia, where distances are vast, public transport is limited and electric charging infrastructure remains insufficient for many remote journeys. Although we use hybrid vehicles for city transfers, our rural journeys continue to depend on petrol and diesel vehicles suited to the conditions.
We recognise the environmental impact of this and focus on practical measures, including shared transport, thoughtful route planning, vehicle maintenance and choosing appropriate vehicles for each journey. These measures don’t eliminate our emissions, but they’re part of our ongoing responsibility to reduce the impact of how we travel.
You can read more about our commitments in our Climate Action Plan.
