Mongolian Overland Guided Tours

13/04/2016

23/03/2016

amazing

18/03/2016

Amazing

15/03/2016

Saker falcon attacks to Bearded vulture in Central Mongolia,

15/03/2016

Kazakhs
During the communist period in Kazakhstan, many Kazakhs fled for Mongolia, settling down in Bayan Ulgii, an area that has been designated for the Kazakhs of Mongolia today. Kazakhs (Altaic Kazakhs or Altai-Kazakhs) living in Bayan-Ölgii Province of Mongolia continue to hunt with eagles today. There are an estimated 250 eagle hunters in the Western Mongolian province.Their falconry custom, so-called 'horse-riding eagle falconry', is unique in practice only with trained Golden Eagle (Aquila chrysaetos daphanea) on horseback. Their hunting target is almost limited to Red Fox (Vulpes vulpes) or Corsac Fox (Vulpes corsac). In the first week of October, 70 eagle hunters gather for the annual Golden Eagle Festival of Mongolia They use eagles to hunt foxes and hare during the cold winter months when it is easier to see the gold colored foxes against the snow. Many Kazakh traditions have been preserved by the Kazakhs in Mongolia, eagle hunting being amongst them. Although the Kazakh government has made efforts to lure the practitioners of these Kazakh traditions back to Kazakhstan, most Kazakhs have remained in Mongolia.

14/03/2016

Welcome to Mongolia

12/03/2016

12/03/2016

Archery
See also: Mongol bow

A women's archery competition held during the 2005 Naadam festival.
In this competition both men and women may participate. It is played by teams of ten. Each archer is given four arrows; the team must hit 33 "surs". Men shoot their arrows from 75 meters away while women shoot theirs from 65 meters away. Traditionally the archers wear their national clothing (Deel) during the competition. All the archers wear leather bracers up to the elbow on their outstretched arm, so that the deel’s cuff does not interfere with shooting.

Mongolian archery is unique for having dozens of surs as targets. Each sur is a small woven or wooden cylinder. They are placed one on top another forming a wall 3-high, which is approximately 8 inches high by 5 feet wide. Knocking a sur out of the wall with an arrow counts as a hit, though knocking a sur out of the centre will bring a competitor more points. When the archer hits the target, the judge says uuhai which means "hooray". After each hit, an official repairs the damaged wall and makes it ready for the next attempt. The winners of the contest are granted the titles of "national marksman" and "national markswoman"

12/03/2016

Horse racing
See also: Mongol horse
Unlike Western horse racing, which consists of short sprints generally not much longer than 2 km, Mongolian horse racing as featured in Naadam is a cross-country event, with races 15–30 km long. The length of each race is determined by age class. For example, two-year-old horses race for ten miles and seven-year-olds for seventeen miles. Up to 1000 horses from any part of Mongolia can be chosen to participate. Race horses are fed a special diet.

Children from 5 to 13 are chosen as jockeys and train in the months preceding the races. While jockeys are an important component, the main purpose of the races is to test the skill of the horses.

Before the races begin, the audience sings traditional songs and the jockeys sing a song called Gingo. Prizes are awarded to horses and jockeys. The top five horses in each class earn the title of airgiyn tav and the top three are given gold, silver, and bronze medals. The winning jockey is praised with the title of tumny ekh or leader of ten thousand. The horse that finishes last in the Daaga race (two-year-old horses race) is called bayan khodood (meaning "full stomach"). A song is sung to the Bayan khodood wishing him luck to be next year's winner.

12/03/2016

Wrestling

Main article: Mongolian wrestling
A total of 512 or 1024 wrestlers meet in a single-elimination tournament that lasts nine or ten rounds. Mongolian traditional wrestling is an untimed competition in which wrestlers lose if they touch the ground with any part of their body other than their feet or hands. When picking pairs, the wrestler with the greatest fame has the privilege to choose his opponent. Wrestlers wear two-piece costumes consisting of a tight shoulder vest (zodog) and shorts (shuudag). Only men are allowed to participate.

Each wrestler has an "encourager" called a zasuul. The zasuul sings a song of praise for the winning wrestler after rounds 3, 5, and 7. Winners of the 7th or 8th stage (depending on whether the competition features 512 or 1024 wrestlers) earn the title of zaan, "elephant". The winner of the 9th or 10th stage, is called arslan, "lion".In the final competition, all the "zasuuls" drop in the wake of each wrestler as they take steps toward each other. Two-time arslans are called the titans / giants, or avraga.

12/03/2016

Naadam (Mongolian: Наадам, classical Mongolian: Naɣadum, [ˈnaːdəm], literally "games") is a traditional festival in Mongolia. The festival is also locally termed "eriin gurvan naadam" (эрийн гурван наадам) "the three games of men". The games are Mongolian wrestling, horse racing, and archery, and are held throughout the country during midsummer. Women have started participating in the archery and girls in the horse-racing games, but not in Mongolian wrestling.

In 2010, Naadam was inscribed on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity of UNESCO.
Overview[edit]
The biggest festival (National Naadam) is held in the Mongolian capital Ulaanbaatar during the National Holiday from July 11 – 13, in the National Sports Stadium. Naadam begins with an elaborate introduction ceremony featuring dancers, athletes, horse riders, and musicians. After the ceremony, the competitions begin. The competitions are mainly horseback riding.

Naadam is the most widely watched festival among Mongols, and is believed to have existed for centuries in one fashion or another. Naadam has its origin in the activities, such as military parades and sporting competitions such as archery, horse riding and wrestling, that followed the celebration of various occasions, including weddings or spiritual gatherings. It later served as a way to train soldiers for battle. Now it formally commemorates the 1921 Revolution when Mongolia declared itself independent of China. Naadam also celebrates the achievements of the new state.[1] Naadam was celebrated as a Buddhist/shaman holiday until secularization in the 1930s under the communist influence of the Soviet Union.

The three sports are called "Danshig" games. They became the great celebration of the new nation, where the nobility got together to dedicate to the Jabzundamba Khutugtu, the new head of state.

Genghis Khan's nine horse tails, representing the nine tribes of the Mongols, are still ceremonially transported from Sukhbaatar Square to the Stadium to open the Naadam festivities. At these opening and closing ceremonies, there are impressive parades of mounted cavalry, athletes and monks.

Another popular Naadam activity is the playing of games using shagai, sheep anklebones that serve as game pieces and tokens of both divination and friendship. In the larger Nadaam festivals, tournaments may take place in a separate venue.

12/03/2016

Buuz is the Mongolian version of the steamed dumpling which is found throughout the region. Etymologically, it reveals its origin to China, as baozi (Chinese: 包子; pinyin: About this sound bāozi) is the Mandarin word for steamed dumpling. They are eaten in great quantities throughout the year but especially during the Mongolian New Year celebrations, which usually fall in February. Buuz are prepared in the weeks before and left outside to freeze; they are consumed with salads and fried bread, accompanied by milk-tea and vodka.

12/03/2016

Khuushuur (Mongolian: хуушууp [xʊ́ːʃʊr]) is a kind of meat pastry or dumpling popular in Mongolia, similar to Russian and other cuisines' chiburekki. The meat, either beef or mutton, is ground up and mixed with onion (or garlic), salt and other spices. The cook rolls the dough into circles, then places the meat inside the dough and folds the dough in half, creating a flat half-circular pocket. The cook then closes the pockets by pressing the edges together. A variety of Khuushuur has a round shape made by pressing the dough and mince together using the dough roller.
After making the pockets, the cook fries them in oil until the dough turns a golden brown. The Khuushuur is then served hot, and can be eaten by hand.
This type of Mongolian cuisine is similar to buuz in that the meat is prepared in the same way and cooked in a dough pocket, the principal difference being that buuz is steamed instead of fried.
Some Mongolians hold the fresh khuushuur between their palms and also with the tips of all fingers to stimulate the nerves and blood circulation in the hands. This is believed to be curative. In some occasions, a hot khuushuur is placed on the soles of the feet and other selected places to treat neurosis and health conditions related to the balance of the air element of the five elements composing the human body

12/03/2016

The Erdene Zuu Monastery (Mongolian: Эрдэнэ Зуу хийд ) is probably the earliest surviving Buddhist monastery in Mongolia. Located in Övörkhangai Province, approximately 2 km north-east from the center of Kharkhorin and adjacent to the ancient city of Karakorum, it is part of the Orkhon Valley Cultural Landscape World Heritage Site.
Abtai Sain Khan, ruler of the Khalkha Mongols and grandfather of Zanabazar, the first Jebtsundamba Khutuktu, ordered construction of the Erdene Zuu monastery in 1585 after his meeting with the 3rd Dalai Lama and the declaration of Tibetan Buddhism as the state religion of Mongolia. Stones from the nearby ruins of the ancient Mongol capital of Karakorum were used in its construction. Planners attempted to create a surrounding wall that resembled a Tibetan Buddhist rosary featuring 108 stupas (108 being a sacred number in Buddhism),[4] but this objective was probably never achieved. The monastery's temple walls were painted, and the Chinese-style roof covered with green tiles.
The monastery was damaged in 1688 during one of the many wars between Dzungars and Khalkha Mongols. Locals dismantled the wooden fortifications of the abandoned monastery. It was rebuilt in the 18th century and by 1872 had a full 62 temples and housed up to 1000 monks.
According to tradition, in 1745 a local Buddhist disciple named Bunia made several unsuccessful attempts to fly with a device he invented similar to parachute.
In 1939 the Communist leader Khorloogiin Choibalsan ordered the monastery destroyed, as part of a purge that obliterated hundreds of monasteries in Mongolia and killed over ten thousand monks.[8][9] Three small temples and the external wall with the stupas survived the initial onslaught and by 1944 Joseph Stalin pressured Choibalsan to maintain the monastery (along with Gandantegchinlen Monastery in Ulaanbaatar) as a showpiece for international visitors, such as U.S. Vice President Henry Wallace, to prove that the communist regime allowed freedom of religion. In 1947 the temples were converted into museums and for the four decades that followed Gandantegchinlen Khiid Monastery became Mongolia's only functioning monastery.
After the fall of Communism in Mongolia in 1990, the monastery was turned over to the lamas and Erdene Zuu again became a place of worship. Today Erdene Zuu remains an active Buddhist monastery as well as a museum that is open to tourists.
On a hill outside the monastery sits a stone phallus called Kharkhorin Rock. The phallus is said to restrain the sexual impulses of the monks and ensure their good behavior.

12/03/2016

Ancient Kharkhorum-Khorgo national park-Orkhon waterfall
Kharkhorum is built in 1220 and for 32 years it was a Capital of the Great Mongolian Empire.The city of kharkhorum survived 140 in total. The erdenezuu monasteryis the first center of Buddhism in Mongolia built in year 1586 by Avtai sain khan on ruins of Kharkhorum.
Region: Arkhangai province and Uvurkhangai province
Tour name: Valley of Orkhon
Tour length: 11 days, 10 nights
Highlights: waterfall Orkhon, erdene zuu monastery, Khorgo national park
Day 1. Arrival in Ulaanbaatar and check in at the hotel OR GUESTHOUSE. After the welcome lunch you will make a city tour and visit the wonderful, still in use, Gandan Monastery, the Sukhbaatar Square and the Natural History Museum.
Day 2.Drive to Elsen Tasarhai (290 km), the stunning sand dunes, streams and rocky mountains. Drive to Karakorum (80 km). Visit the historic site–Erdene-Zuu monastery from the 16th century and its surroundings like ruins of Tumen Amgalant Palace of Ogoodei Haan and the Ph***ic Pock. After lunch drive to Tsetserleg town (130 km), center of Arkhangai Province. Overnight in a tent on the way.
Day 3. Arrive at Tsetserleg township. Visit surroundings of Tsetserleg town: Ethnography Museum established on the ruin of Zayain Huree monastery. Overnight in Hotel.
Day 4. Drive to Horgo, a volcanic mountain and the nearby lake of Terhiin Tsagaan Nuur (180 km). Overnight in nomadic family.
Day 6 After breakfast we go to kharkhorum. Look around this historical place. Erdene Zuu monastery is the first Buddhist monastery in Mongolia.
Day 7. After lunch go to ulaan tsutgalan waterfall. Visit a nomadic family. Observe a nomadic way of life and the technology of making milk products. Taste airag (mare’s milk). Horse riding. Drive to Uurtiin Tokhoi waterfall, following Orkhon river upstream.
Day 8. Orkhon water fall. Overnight in ger.
Day 9. After breakfast We drive to Ugii lake.
Day 10. After lunch We drive to UB city. Stay in guesthouse.
Day11.Check out from hotel and transfer to Chinggis Khaan International airport or Ulaanbatar train station for departure.
Included:
• All meals as listed in itinerary
• All entrance fees
• Sightseeing as per itinerary
• Accommodation in UB (twin standard room double occupancy)
• Shared accommodation in ger camp
• Transportations by 4WD vehicles
• English speaking guide (other language guide on request)
Not included:
• International airfare
• Travel insurance and Visa
• Beverages
• Optional activity cost
• Excess baggage charge
• Single room supplement
• Any additional things which are not mentioned above

12/03/2016

Ulaanbaatar-Amarbayasglant monastery-Khuvsgul lake This tour to organize from June to October. It situates on the north of Mongolia . It is one of the nice place which is fond of tourists . You will see the Amarbayasgalant khiid which was dedicated to Undur gegeen Zanabazar and “Uran togoo” extinct volcano on the way go . This tour is under the slogan of “ We love nature “ . Professional group is with you . Khuvsgul is a famous lake not only Mongolia , in Asia more over can ride a reindeer and see the folk art here . 1 day. Stay in hotel or guesthouse. Travel city tour to Ulaanbaatar. City tour to Sukhbaatar Square, a large and famous landmark at heart of capital city, Natural History Museum, which houses a large collection of Mongolia’s natural history, culture and minerals exhibits; Zaisan hill and Memorial Monument for Russian soldiers. /L,D/ 2 day. After Breakfast we go to Amarbayasgalant monastery. The monastery is 140 km south east of Darkhan. We will continue the tour to volcano Uran. It is a dormant volcano and its surrounding is very beautiful. Today We overnight in tourist camp. /B,L,D/ 3 day. After breakfast we drive to Khuvsgul lake. The khuvsgul lake is the cleanest lake in central Asia. The fish such as Coregonus autumnailis, lota, Brachuysmystax lenok, the water’s of the lake. Khuvsgul lake area is a motherland to unique tsaatan tribes. We stay in tourist camp. /Mongolian ger/ B,L,D 4-5 day . We see national food and horse ride. We visit to Tsaatan family and Mongolian nomadic family. /B,L,D/ 6 day. We head back to Bulgan city . We stay in tent. /B,L,D/ 7. We head back to Ulaanbaatar via Darkhan city which is the capital city of Darkhan Uul province, and is Mongolia's second largest city, with a population of 90000 residents. The modern city of Darkhan, with foundations which were laid in 1967, is one of the Mongolia's largest industrial centres and has many functioning steel processing factories. We stay in hotel./ B,L,D/ 8. Today after breakfast we go to UB. We visit to temple AGLAG on the way to UB.Stay in hotel or guesthouse. / B,L,D/ 9. Check out from hotel and transfer to Chinggis Khaan International airport or Ulaanbatar train station for departure.