Our Mission and Vision behind Altai: A piece of Mongolia in the Netherlands

Hello! :) We are Rowan and Saran, the proud owners of Altai. With Altai, we want to do more than just offer a nice place to stay — we want to create a deeper connection between people, culture, traditions, animals and nature. That does not mean that we are stuck to old customs, because (in our opinion) traditions evolve over time. For us, Altai is not just a project, it is a mission that is close to our heart ❤️. In this blog, we would like to share our vision and what makes Altai so special.

The start of our journey

Our journey started in 2010, when Rowan's passion for Mongolian music was described in an article in the Helderse Courant. Saran, who already lived in the Netherlands, read the article and that's how we got in touch. For Saran, who grew up in a yurt, it sometimes felt like her connection with Mongolia was fading due to modern life in the Netherlands at that time. Our encounter brought that deep love for Mongolia, its traditions and culture back to life.

Together, the dream arose to bring part of that heritage to the Netherlands. This is how Altai was born, a place where we can immerse our guests in the richness of Mongolian culture, combined with the beauty of the Dutch countryside.

An authentic experience

At Altai, it's all about authenticity. For us, this means not only sleeping in a yurt, but also really learning about Mongolian culture and nomadic life. The yurt is much more than a “hip tent” — for nomads, it's their home. It is a home that moves with the seasons, a place that adapts to life in nature. When you stay in a yurt, you experience the security of a real home, while remaining strongly connected to the nature around you.

Our yurt is small but nice — minimalistic and “back to basics”. It offers everything you need for everyday life, without unnecessary luxury, but with a touch of comfort! You'll start the day with a traditional breakfast prepared by Saran himself, or join one of our cooking workshops to learn how to make Mongolian dishes. Everything we do is aimed at offering you not only a special stay, but also a deeper cultural experience. There are several photo books, CDs, and vinyl records to discover about Mongolia, and you can even play traditional Mongolian games. Outside, you can also try archery, one of Mongolia's national sports. We hope you leave after your stay with the feeling that you've really learned and experienced something new.

Traditions that keep up with the times

Although we attach great importance to Mongolian traditions, we realize that some customs must adapt to modern times. A good example of this is traditional Mongolian cuisine, which has traditionally been heavily based on meat and dairy. It is not surprising that Mongolians eat a lot of meat, especially in the winter, given the harsh winters and the limited opportunities to grow vegetables in the Mongolian climate. In the summer, however, nomads traditionally ate mostly vegetarian food, namely products made primarily of dairy. But this is far less the case these days. The motto “Mongolians can't live without meat” has unfortunately become quite established, even in major modern cities!

In recent years, we have experimented a lot with plant-based alternatives 🌱, so that we can also offer vegan versions of traditional dishes. While some dishes are obviously impossible to replace (such as the Mongolian barbecue “Boodog,” where an entire goat is filled with hot stones), we've found that many dishes are surprisingly easy to prepare with a modern, plant-based twist.

Our mission

Our mission is simple: we want to bring a part of Mongolia to the Netherlands. Altai is a place where culture, tradition, animals, nature and simplicity come together. We want you to experience more than just an overnight stay here — we hope you feel a real connection to the traditions and nomadic life that we love so much. In a world of technology and hustle and bustle, we believe that people are increasingly longing for rest and getting back to basics, and that's exactly what we offer here.

In addition, we want our guests to feel at home. Whether you're participating in a cooking workshop, a throat singing workshop or just enjoy the peace and quiet in our yurt or farm stay, we want you to feel welcome at our spot. For us, you are not a customer, but a temporary neighbor who we welcome with open arms. We don't have a specific target group; we welcome everyone regardless of gender, age or nationality. Over the past few years, we've been lucky to meet a hugely diverse group of people — and we love that! What we also find very important is that children can enjoy themselves here. They can experience our animals up close, such as our Saarloos wolfdog Raven, the funny pigs, or the mischievous chickens. Whether they're running around or playing outside, there's plenty of space to enjoy.

Our vision for the future

We dream of further expanding Altai in the future, but always in a small-scale way. We want to focus more on more workshops and activities and want to further renovate our farm and shed to create even more opportunities. We also want to do more with fun annual seasonal Mongolian holidays. Ultimately, we also want to offer children's parties with a Mongolian theme. In the summer, we want to hold small-scale children's camps every year, where children can go on adventures in our yard and do fun things in the region.

Why Altai is unique

Altai is more than just a place to stay — it's a unique cultural experience. Saran's Mongolian background and Rowan's passion for Mongolian culture are at the heart of what we do. Together with our children (and our dog, chickens and pigs 🐕🐓🐖), we create a warm, personal atmosphere where you not only relax, but also learn about a different way of life.

We believe that the simplicity of nomadic life, the connection with nature and respect for traditions — which move with the times — are something that many people long for. Altai offers just that, in a unique way, in the middle of beautiful Westerwolde.

We look forward to welcoming you to Altai, and we hope you enjoy this place as much as we do!

- Rowan & Saran