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Mongolian Eagle Festival - Expedition
A unique trip combining western Mongolia's exciting Eagle Festival with trekking in the Altai Mountains
Spend two days at the incredible Eagle Festival in Western Mongolia. Witness competitions based on the speed, accuracy and agility of these magnificent Golden Eagles, as well as other exciting traditional Kazak games. We live with and get to know Kazak families while they participate in this celebration, as well as spending time in the beautiful remoteness of the Altai Mountains. For those seeking a frontier adventure combining gentle trekking with unparalleled cultural interaction, this Expedition trip offers it all!
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Tour Highlights
- Mongolian Eagle Festival
- Former Soviet Union-influenced Ulaanbaatar
Inclusions
Peregrine expedition leader, local guides, arrival transfer, transport, camping equipment (except sleeping bag), entrance fees.
- 4WD vehicle
- Minibus
- On foot
- Plane
- 13 breakfasts, 10 lunches, 10 dinners
Mongolian Eagle Festival - Expedition
Day 1
Ulaanbaatar
Meals Privided:
On arrival in Ulaanbaatar, you are transferred to your hotel. As the hotels we use in Ulaanbaatar are subject to change, please check the itinerary your final documents to confirm your correct hotel. In the evening, you meet your tour leader and the other group members for a pre-tour briefing. This is generally followed by an optional group dinner at a local restaurant.
Day 2
Khovd - Tsambagarav Uul National Park
Meals Privided:
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
We are transferred to the airport where we board our flight to Khovd. On arrival we visit the local town museum, which contains some comprehensive information of the flora and fauna of Khovd province, as well displays of its colourful traditional costumes. After lunch we drive about 3-4 hours to the north side of Tsambagarav Uul (Tsambagarav Mountain) National park and make our way up the mountainside until we reach a place called Tavan Belcheer (Five Pastures), where we stay overnight in gers. Here there are numerous petroglyphs depicting the daily lives of the early inhabitants of what is now Tsambagarav Uul National Park, depicting Stone Age people and animals. The area is also blessed with various scenic wonders, such as waterfalls and the snow-capped Tsast and Tsambagarav peaks. During the summer months, this is a great place to meet one of the famous Kazakh eagle-hunters, who use their trained eagles to hunt small animals.
Day 3
Tsambagarav Uul National Park
Meals Privided:
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Tsambagarav Uul (4208m) is one of the most beautiful snow-capped mountains in Mongolian Altai. It is just on the border of three western provinces of Bayan-Ölgii, Uvs and Hovd. As well as the impressive peaks, there are rocky valleys and crystal-clear spring waters. We pay visits to the nomadic Kazakh and Urianhai (one of western Mongolian ethnic groups) families, where we get to experience their warm hospitality.
Day 4-6
Altai Trek
Meals Privided:
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
We meet our local trekking crew and load our pack camels for our three-day trek. We start by walking east through rocky high Altai mountains, enjoying en route the beautiful and spectacular views of snow-capped mountains, that surround us from a distance. The next day we continue our trek to east. After reaching Tsambagarav Mountain we walk down to Lake Bayan Nuur (Rich Lake). Here we find the summer pastures of the Kazakh nomads, who move from over 3000 metres above sea level to 1600 metres. Bayan Nuur is a salt lake surrounded by the Bor Khyarin Els sand dunes - the combination of which makes for a striking scene. The locals claim that the lake is good for fishing. Coming down to the lake we see a landscape of red rocky mountain granites and sandy beaches surrounding the waters. There are many water birds here and it is also a good place for swimming. Staying overnight around lake, we get to see both stunning sunsets and sunrises. We camp out in tents during this trek. Our itinerary over these days can vary from trek to trek and the Kazakhs are nomadic people, but we are likely to meet some of eagle-hunters and perhaps endeavour to camp next to them and their families.
Day 7
Ölgii
Meals Privided:
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Today is a short day as we drive to Ölgii. After lunch we visit the local sights of this somewhat unattractive frontier town. Instead of a market it has a bazaar with a distinct Kazakh ambience. Instead of a Buddhist monastery it has a mosque, which has been renovated in recent times. There are some very interesting backstreet handicraft shops and a well-stocked local museum. We stay overnight in a ger camp.
Day 8-9
Sagsai Eagle Festival
Meals Privided:
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
We enjoy two days of festivities at the Sagsai community, which is a half-hour drive west of Ölgii. Kazakh eagle-hunters arrive at the festival on horseback, with their trained hunting eagles. There will be various sporting contests such as 'bouzkhasi' (similar to polo, but played with a carcass of a dead goat), horse races and more unusual events like picking up objects from the ground while riding on a galloping horse and eagles hunting for objects that are being dragged by horses. The local people turn up in very colourful local costumes. In the evening we drive to stay overnight with a Kazakh eagle-hunter and his family. The Mongolian Kazakhs only hunt with the larger female eagles, which can be nearly a third heavier than the male birds. These are golden eagles and they are collected as chicks from nests up in the mountains. Once the hunter has obtained his eagle, he will spend several months rearing it and training it to fly for its reward of food. Eventually the eagles become a highly efficient hunting machine with acute eyesight and powerful talons, which they use to hunt rabbits, hares and foxes. The eagle hunters lavish great care on their birds and eventually after ten or 15 years will release them back into the wild in the hope that they will pair up with another eagle and breed.
Day 10
Döröö Nuur
Meals Privided:
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
We drive a short distance and pass Tolbo Nuur on our way to Höh Serhiin Nuruu (Blue Goat) National Park, where we camp for one night at scenic Döröö Nuur. There is a chance to enjoy a hike in the area and visit the national park, which is full of high mountains that are a habitat for the beautiful and endangered snow leopard.
Day 11
Khovd
Meals Privided:
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
We spend the morning exploring the Döröö Nuur area. The lake and the mountains make for a visually stunning vista, but the enduring notion is the privilege of being somewhere remote and beautiful, but also a place that has seen very few visitors. Late in the afternoon we depart and drive for two hours back to Khovd, where we overnight in a basic hotel.
Day 12-13
Ulaanbaatar
Meals Privided:
Breakfast
In the morning we are transferred to the airport at Khovd, where we board our flight to Ulaanbaatar. We enjoy our final day-and-a-half as free time to go sightseeing or do some shopping for souvenirs. Ulaanbaatar is Mongolia's largest city - the name means 'Red Hero' and it is indeed shaped by the influences of the former Soviet Union in that most of the city is full of Russian-style apartment buildings. Sukhbaatar Square is the central point in town and is dominated by the Parliament building and a statue of Damdin Sukhbaatar (on horseback), the man who confirmed Mongolian independence from China. There are also statues of Genghis Khan and his sons – in recent years acclaimed as heroes from an earlier age. The magnificent Gandan Monastery is the largest and most important in the country (please note that no photography is permitted inside). Another optional site to check out is the Winter Palace of Bogd Khaan - a controversial figure and the last king of Mongolia. His death in 1924 ushered in over 65 years of communism for the country. The Museum of Natural History is also fascinating, particularly the Dinosaur Hall. The National Museum of Mongolian History offers an excellent overview of the country's past, whilst the Zanabazar Museum of Fine Arts is also worth a visit. The State Department Store (also known as the 'big shop') is an excellent place to look for souvenirs. Mongolia is a 'Mecca' for stamp collectors and the best range of postcards, as well as a wide variety of colourful stamps, can be obtained at the post office. In the evenings there may be a chance to enjoy a performance of the Tumen Ekh folk show (optional). Alternatively we can enjoy the long Mongolian summer twilight in one of the several cafes or outdoor beer-gardens, located near the centre of town.
Day 14
Ulaanbaatar
Meals Privided:
Breakfast
The tour ends after breakfast. A transfer to the airport is not included; however, your tour leader will be on hand to advise you as to the options available.
IN A NUTSHELL
14 days
$4,895
11
TOUR INFORMATION
| Start | End | Price |
|---|---|---|
| 14/09/2012 | 27/09/2012 | $4,895 |
