To visit the Sant Ger Camp, a collection of traditional Ger accommodation in rural Mongolia you have two options. You can find it at N 50°28.758, E 100°09.786 or ///scrunches.diaphragm.whisker. If I asked you to re-read those two options then close your eyes, which one do you think you’d be able to remember?
Many of the world’s most remote and stunning locations similarly are only accessible using GPS coordinates. Should this limit us from having the option to see them? Should the people who have beautiful sights to share not be able to market themselves because they don’t have a traditional address? Lonely Planet has teamed up with what3words to put every attraction across Mongolia on the map, because the grasslands of Mongolia are truly the definition of remote.
How does it work? what3words is a new global addressing system of 57 trillion 3m x 3m squares each with a unique 3 word address from the dictionary, so if you open your what3words app and type in ///scrunches.diaphragm.whisker, it will take you precisely to that camp in northern Mongolia no matter if you are starting off from Mongolia or Monaco.
We can no longer leave traveller experience up to chance
From confusing street names to inaccurate maps, all the challenges of navigating to a location are tenfold while abroad, especially for the traveller without data. Yet these all too real daily traveller occurrences traditionally have been seen as unavoidable. The combination of expert travel advice from Lonely Planet and innovative location technology from what3words is shifting this dynamic.
This means you’ll have the reassurance of knowing you’re going to precisely the right point on earth to enter this particular camp, not roughly to the area or village, where you may not be able to ask for directions in Mongolian. “But we have pins!” you say, and this is true, but unfortunately pins are impossible to communicate human-to-human without a device, and are commonly used improperly - they often pinpoint the center of buildings as opposed to an actual entrance.
As a woman travelling the world and an enthusiast of a quick weekend getaway where every minute is precious, if someone gave me a better way to find them I’d be happy to use all of the resources available to make sure I don’t get lost.
Language is a huge barrier when travelling
As much as I would love to be able to read and speak Mongolian, it is sadly not in my skillset. Locals to Mongolia have a gold mine of insight they could share with me, but if I am unsure of how to pronounce, write or locate their recommendations, the probability of me finding them is slim to none without quite a bit of guided help, and if neither of us speak a common language, then not even then.
Lonely Planet thinks that not understanding the language or having a grasp on the addressing system shouldn’t hinder you from seeing the world. With 3 word addresses local knowledge is suddenly transferable in 3 simple words and no matter the language barrier or poor addressing. This is possible due to what3words being available in 26 languages including Mongolian, French, German, Arabic and Japanese giving travellers access to anywhere and everywhere on the map.
How will this change the traveller experience
Now someone who has never been to Mongolia before, can travel like someone who has lived there all their life.
If you could tell someone precisely where to go with ease, would that change what you recommend? Would you pinpoint a viewpoint? Explain a trailhead a little better? Share the best picnic spot? Or maybe feel a little more empowered to go off the beaten track a little more?
This commitment to safer and more efficient travel isn’t just an option for Mongolia but for the entire world. Now you can find all D&D restaurants across London, YHA hostels and Stayokay across England, Wales & The Netherlands and Kempinski Hotels across the world with a simple 3 word address. A traveller’s first interaction with a hotel or experience starts before they arrive, how accurately you instruct them to get to you is all part of their experience. Now companies are committing to giving visitors the most accurate information possible, doing what they can to help them find their way.
It’s just the beginning, but as Lonely Planet spearheads this shift in travel, we look forward to a world of safer and more efficient travel in corners of the globe you didn’t know existed.
