TRIBAL EXPEDITION

Raw, rugged and remote, this off-the-beaten-track region has for centuries been isolated – both geographically and culturally – from the Mongol heartland. With its glacier-wrapped mountains, shimmering salt lakes and the hardy culture of nomads, falconry and cattle rustling, western Mongolia is, in many ways, a timeless slice of Central Asia.

Day 1.    Ulaanbaatar

Day 2.    Murun

Day 3.    Khuvsgul lake

Day4.    Tsagaan nuur

Day5.     Zuun taiga

Day6.     Zuun taiga

Day7.     Tsagaan nuur

Day8.     Murun

Day 9.    Tsetserleg soum

Day 10. Khyargas lake

Day 11. Khyargas lake

Day12. Ulaangom – Uureg lake

Day13.  Bukhmurun –Achit lake

Day14. Ulgii

Day 15. Ulgii – Tolbo lake

Day 16. Ulaanbaatar

Day 17. Departure

Day 1. Ulaanbaatar – Arrival in Ulaanbaatar, transfer to hotel and start city tour in Ulaanbaatar, the nation’s capital, visit Chinggis square, Zaisan Hill; Museum of National History, famous for its exhibition for Stone and Bronze Age, Turkic and Mongol Empire, rise of Buddhism and communist regime. Overnight and relax in the hotel.

Day 2. Murun – After breakfast we will take morning flight to Murun, a provincial capital. Lunch at Murun then we will drive 100 km to the Khuvsgul lake. Overnight at the ger camp.

Day 3. Khuvsgul lake – Breakfast at the base camp. Full day to explore the breathtaking shores of this beautiful lake. There is an ample opportunity to discover local nomad’s lifestyle. Free hiking and photo session along the shoreline. Dinner and overnight at the ger camp.

Day4. Tsagaan nuur – Today we will drive to the Tsagaan nuur about 300km. Picnic lunch on the way. Tsagaan nuur is the sum administrative where Darkhad ethnic minorities live. Overnight at the ger camp

Day5. Zuun taiga – Today we will horse ride to the Tsaatan, community of nomadic reindeer herders who engaged in reindeer husbandry, live in two distinct areas known as East and West Taigas. The East Taiga, which is home to roughly eighteen households, lies northeast of Tsagaannuur soum center, across the Shishged River. Our horseriding will continue approximately 7 hours to the Zuun taiga. Overnight at the Urts, special Tsaatan dwelling near the Tsaatan people.

Day6. Zuun taiga – Today we will spend a day with Tsaatan ethnic minority. The Tsaatan rely on the animal for most, if not all, of their basic needs: milk, which is also used to make cheese; antlers, which they use to make tools; and first and foremost, transport. They do not use the reindeer for meat. This makes the tribe unique among reindeer-herding communities. They are also famous for its shamanistic rituals. We will experience shamans and reindeer riding. Overnight at the Urts

Day7. Tsagaan nuur - Today we will ride back to the base camp which is located in Tsagaan nuur. Our horse riding will take about 7 hours. Overnight at the ger camp near the Tsagaan nuur.

Day8. Murun – After relaxed breakfast at the camp, we will drive to Murun, a provincial capital. Overnight at the hotel.

Day 9. Tsetserleg soum – Today we will start our western adventure and drive 150km to the west. On the way we will visit deer stone, which are usually constructed from granite or greenstone. Reindeer feature prominently in nearly all of the deer stones. Reindeer are depicted as flying through the air, rather than merely running on land. Reindeer and the sun is a very common association in shamanism. This reindeer-sun-bird imagery perhaps symbolizes the shaman's spiritual transformation from the earth to the sky: the passage from earthly life to heavenly life. Another theory is that the deer spirit served as a guide to assist the warrior soul to heaven. Overnight in a tent near the nomadic family.

Day 10. Khyargas lake – We will continue to drive to the west 350km to the Khyargas lake. Khyargas lake is elevated at 1023 m above sea level that is in the south of Uvs province, descended from tectonics, covered 1406.8 km2 square, 75 km length, 31 km width and 92m depth of water. Khan Khukhii Mountain laying behind of Khyargas Lake is damaged from rainwater thus there are many creeks and chutes. Overnight at the camp near the lake.

Day 11. Khyargas lake – Today we will have a relaxing day at the lake. Khyargas lake has many kinds of fishes that are pikes, herrings of Altai, herrings of Nokhoi and the migratory birds, which are rare, foregather mostly in the surround of the lake thus there is a gorgeous native land. Hiking opportunities. Overnight at the camp

Day12. Ulaangom – Uureg lake – We will drive 150km to the Uureg lake via Ulaangom, a provincial capital of Uvs province. We will visit local market for our supply and continue to drive to the Uureg lake, a lake in an endorheic basin in western Mongolia, north-west of the Great Lakes Depression, near the western edge of the Uvs Nuur basin. Overnight at the camp near the lake

Day13. Bukhmurun –Achit lake – After breakfast we will drive 80km to the Achit lake via Bukhmurun village. Achit Lake is the largest freshwater lake in the Uvs Aimag of Mongolia, in the west of the country. At an elevation of 1,435 m above sea level it covers an area of 290 km². It is 28 km long, 16 km wide, and 10 m deep. The coast is covered with steppes, mostly hilly but swampy on the northwest and northeast. Several rivers also flow into the lake. We will experience biggest man stone in the west. Overnight at the tent near the lake.

Day14. Ulgii – Today we will drive 170km to Ulgii, a provincial capital of Bayan Ulgii, where Muslim Kazakh people live. The culture of the Kazakh majority is strongly influenced by Islamic traditions. The mosque of Ulgii also houses the Islamic Center of Mongolia. It is placed at an unusual angle within the fabric of the city, because the building was oriented exactly towards Mecca. The aimag is famous for the traditional hunting method using trained eagles. The captive eagles work in a similar way as hunting falcons do. We will visit local museum and market. Overnight at the ger camp.

Day 15. Ulgii – Tolbo lake. Today we will drive to 50km drive to Tolbo lake, Tolbo Nuur is a freshwater lake about 50km south of Ulgii. It is high (2080m), expansive and eerie but the shoreline is treeless with few mosquitoes and a few families camp here every summer. A major battle was fought here between the Bolsheviks and White Russians, with the local Mongolian general, Khasbaatar, siding with the Bolsheviks. The Bolsheviks won and there are a couple of memorial plaques by the lake. We will visit Kazakh family and experience Kazakh tea and meals. Drive back to Ulgii and overnight at the ger camp.

Day 16. Ulaanbaatar – Fly back to Ulaanbaatar. Arrive in town in the afternoon check in to the hotel. Visit Cashmere factory and State Department Store for shopping. Traditional cultural performance with traditional folk songs, throat singing, beautiful melody of horse-headed fiddle, ethnic dances and arty contortion. Overnight at the hotel  

Day 17. Departure. Our travel in Mongolia ends here by transferring to the airport.