Great Journey in the Distant Land of the Kazakhs

The Kazakh – a Turkish word meaning ‘free man’, ‘adventurer’, ‘separated from the herd’ – originally belonged to a confederation of Uzbek tribes from which they separated to from a political unit in northeast Turkestan. The Mongol Kazakh are though to come from the Hereit and Naiman tribes, who are mentioned in the Mongol chronicle, the Secret History of the Mongols.

Day 1: Ulaanbaatar

The Mongolei Reisen crew will greet you at the Buyant-Ukhaa International Airport for transfer to the 4 star hotel, conveniently situated in downtown Ulaanbaatar. After freshening up from your trip, we will spend the day touring some of the capital’s most noteworthy sites starting out at the capital of Mongolian Buddhism, Gandan Monastery. The monastery was one of the few preserved through the 20th century and features a spectacular 25 meter, 20 ton statue of the Megjjd Janraysig Buddha. From here, we will go to the Natural History Museum which holds the skeletons of several of the unique dinosaurs discovered in Mongolia, including the famed ‘Fighting Dinosaurs’ skeletons – considered to be one of the most unique in the world. The heart of Ulaanbaatar, Sukhbaatar Square, is just a short walk away. Here we will see the statue of Sukhbaatar, the hero of the Mongolian revolution, the Parliament house, National Opera, and City Hall. Afterwards we’ll visit Zaisan Hill, which offers great views of the city. In the evening, you will attend a performance of traditional dancing and khoomii (Mongolian throat singing). Overnight in hotel. (L, D)

Day 2: Bayan Olgii
After breakfast we fly to the westernmost province of Bayan-Olgii, located in the heart of Central Asia’s towering Altai Mountains. The Kazakhs make up 90 percent of the local population, while ethnic Tuvans, Durvuds and Urianhai constitute the remaining ten percent.
Overnight in tents (B, L, D)

Day 3: Altai Tavan Bogd Mountain
We will travel west to visit the spectacular Tavan Bogd Mountains, whose permanently snow-capped peak rise a towering 4374 metres above sea level, marking the borders of three countries – Mongolia, China and Russia. There are spectacular mountain views with snow-capped peaks and glaciers surrounding the mountains, making it clear why this is one of Mongolia’s most popular tourist destinations. Overnight in tents (B, L, D)

Day 4: Bayan Olgii
We travel through the Altai Mountains towards thevillage of Sagsai, where you will meet a Kazakh family and learn about their unique lifestyle – which combines traditional herding with hunting usingspecially-trained Golden Eagles. In addition, we will see traditional Kazakh arts such as colourful wall hangings and felt carpets that decorate many
Kazakh gers. In the evening we return to the capital of Bayan-Olgii. Overnight in hotel (B, L, D)

Day 5: Tolbo Lake and Deluun county
We leave Bayan-Olgii in the early morning to visit the pristine Tolbo Lake – situated at 2080 metres above sea level-on the way to Deluun county. The lake is the site of a famous battle in the 1920’s struggle for Mongolian independence and several monuments recognize the heroism of Mongolian soldiers. We stop in Deluun village to visit the local WWII monument, then continue to the Chigertei River, whose unusually warm water is fed by a nearby hot spring.Overnight in tents near the spring (B, L, D)

Days 6 – 7: Munkh Khairkhan Mountain
Travelling through the breathtaking mountain landscapes marked by rugged cliffs, we cross the Tsenkher River to get a close-up view of the snowcapped Munkh Khairkhan Mountain, Mongolia’s second-highest peak, at 4205 metres above sea level. This remote area is home to some extremely rare mammal, bird and plant species. Overnight in tents (B, L, D)

Day 8: Khoid Tsenkher Cave
Crossing into Khovd province, we travel to the famous Khoid Tsenkher Cave, site of the most ancient known rock paintings in Central Asia, thought to have been produced at least 15,000 years ago. You will have the rare chance to examine these ancient paintings of mammoths, ostriches and other animals that lived in Central Asia prior to the last Ice Age. Overnight in tents (B, L, D)

Day 9: Khar Us Lake and Khovd
We will continue to Khovd city, the capital of the province, via Khar Us (“Black Water”) Lake. A birder’s paradise, Khar Us is home to more than 200 different species of migratory waterfowl in the summer months. Overnight in local hotel (B, L, D)

Day 10: Ulaanbaatar
We fly back to Ulaanbaatar and transfer to the hotel for some much need rest and relaxation. In the afternoon, we will visit some interesting museums including the Winter Palace of the Bogd Khaan. This was the residence of Mongolia’s last Buddhist king until 1924, and now a museum displaying exotic Buddhist thankas and embroideries, statues and objects illustrating the lifestyle of Mongolia’s last Emperor. The museum has an interesting collection of gifts the King received during his life and plenty of biographical information about this fascinating figure. The remainder of the day is free for shopping or independent touring. After dinner, we’ll attend a performance of an ensemble performance
of Mongolian folk art. Overnight in hotel (B, L, D)

Day 11: Departure
Our adventure together ends with your transfer back to the Buyant-Ukhaa International Airport for your departure.