Our long-time MIR Tour Manager Michel Behar has taken many modes of transportation leading groups to MIR’s uncommon destinations – so many that he’s lost count. But when it comes to camels, Michel remembers them all! Here he offers his camel insights and riding tips.

Yearning to Ride a Camel?I’ve ridden a few camels in my life, and my conclusion is that it’s a very bumpy ride. Centuries of Silk Road traders and travelers used camels to carry their precious bundles of silks, spices, teas, and jewels from East to West, old to new, known to unknown. These creatures can carry up to 400 pounds, traveling 25 miles in a day. Try doing that in a marathon! You can experience what it’s like to ride a camel, just as these early explorers did for generations.

Gobi Desert in MongoliaVenture into Mongolia’s Gobi Desert for a ride on a double-humped Bactrian camel. From this vantage point you’ll wonder how these shifting sands create such massive dunes. Try climbing a dune and see how far you get. Your camel is waiting – maybe even snickering at you.

• Tidbit: Those aren’t false eyelashes on your camel. They’re long – two rows – to protect their eyes from the sun and blowing sand.
• Try these MIR small group tours:
  • Mongolian Explorer: The Gobi & Beyond with Naadam Festival 
  • Siberia & Mongolia: Spirits & Nomads
  • Mongolia & Tibet: Steppes to the Roof of the World
• Try a private custom trip handcrafted to your interests, dates and pace.

Contact us today to talk about all the travel options to Mongolia.

Gobi Desert in ChinaThe Mogao Buddhist Caves aren’t the only highlight in the Gobi Desert near Dunhuang, China. Nab a camel for a ride among sand dunes at the foot of Mingsha (Echoing Sands) Mountain. When a breeze blows, the sands sound like music, echoing.

• Tidbit: That camel hump isn’t filled with water, like a water balloon. Instead, it’s filled with fat that converts into energy and water when needed.
• Try this MIR small group tour: China’s Silk Road & Tibet: Route of Monks & Merchants
• Try a private custom trip handcrafted to your interests, dates and pace.

Contact us today to talk about all the travel options to China.

Taklamakan DesertHow to tackle the Taklamakan? This desert is for camels, and you’re in for a ride! Here two-humped Bactrian camels even today carry milk, fuel, and furs, conserving their water supply for 5 to 10 days. 

• Tidbit: Camels don’t sink in the sand because their wide, leathery pads spread out like snowshoes, keeping them from sinking.
• Try this MIR small group tour:  Chinese Turkestan & Central Asia
• Try a private custom trip handcrafted to your interests, dates and pace.

Contact us today to talk about all the travel options to China.

Kyzyl Kum DesertSpend the night at a yurt camp in the Kyzyl Kum Desert of Uzbekistan. After a morning lesson on the A-B-Cs of camel riding, hop a one-humped dromedary and head into the red sands. Every which way you turn, there’s sand in all directions in this immense desert – the size of Arizona or Nevada. Interestingly, Uzbekistan is the only country where you can find both dromedaries (single-humped) and Bactrian (double-humped) camels.

• Tidbit: Just as some people get motion sickness on planes, others get “camel sickness” from the side-to-side swaying motion of their rocking beasts. You might pack Dramamine to help reduce these rock-n-roll symptoms.
• Try this MIR small group tour:  Silk Road Odyssey: Caravan Across Uzbekistan
• Try a private custom trip handcrafted to your interests, dates and pace.

Contact us today to talk about all the travel options to Uzbekistan.

Travel to Camel Country with MIR

Learn more about destinations that MIR visits for these rock-n-roll camel rides, including Central Asia, Mongolia, Tibet and China. You can also book a custom private journey.

MIR has 30 years of travel expertise. Our full service, dedication, commitment to quality, and destination expertise have twice earned us a place on National Geographic Adventure’s list of “Best Adventure Travel Companies on Earth.”

Wondering which destination or itinerary is right for you? In addition to browsing the pages of our free catalog, you can narrow down your choices online using our Trip Finder and the Destination Map. Or chat with our Private Journeys department to have a trip handcrafted to your interests, pace and budget.

Contact MIR today at info@mircorp.com or 1-800-424-7289.

Top photo credit: Michel Behar

PUBLISHED: July 2, 2014

Tags: Bactrian camels | camel rides | camels | Central Asia | China | Chinese Turkestan | dromedaries | Kazakhstan | Michel Behar | Mongolia | Silk Road | Silk Route | Uzbekistan | Western China

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