Departure
codes and dates:
NSA-010,11-26 Sep, 2008
Price per person
for a group more than 9 people:
USD 2.486
Single supplement:USD 100
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Day
1 Arrive Ulaanbaatar
On arrival in Ulaanbaatar, you will be met at the airport
and transferred to a three star hotel. After lunch you will
have the opportunity to visit the Natural History
Museum, the highlight of which is the huge skeleton
of a dinosaur that was found in the Mongolian Gobi. In the evening you will have a folklore
performance followed by a welcome dinner at a recommended restaurant.
Day
2 Flight to Dalanzadgad, South Gobi – Yolyn Am
Today you will take a flight to the capital of the South Gobi
Province, Dalanzadgad either in the morning or afternoon depending
on the domestic schedule. The flight takes one and a half-hours.
On arrival at the local airport we will be met by our local
drivers who take you to Yolyn Am, the ‘Eagle Valley.’
The drive is roughly 40km. Yolyn Am is a long valley with
high cliff walls, which shade some areas of the valley floor
from the sun for the entire year, creating an ice gorge. Walk
through the valley, see the Ibex grazing on the cliff faces
and visit the Natural History Museum. The areas we will be
visiting are situated in the Gobi Gurvansaikhan National Park
that encompasses the ‘Three Beauties’ peaks and
the most easterly points of the Altai Mountains. We will return
to the ger camp for dinner and the night.
Days
3-4 Altai Mountains – Bayanzag - Sand-Dunes –
Camel ride
Today we drive west along the Altai Mountain range until we
reach Khongoriin Els – the Singing Sand-Dunes. On the
way we will visit Bayanzag, the famous site of dinosaur fossil
finds, where even now there is an abundance of precious findings.
We will have our lunch at Khongoriin Els. These are Mongolia’s
largest sand- dunes, reaching a height of 800 meters in some
areas. The contours of the dunes give the impression of a
beautiful silk scarf dropped in the middle of nowhere. Mount
Sevrei lies to the south of the dunes and the Khongoriin Gol
(River) runs along the northern edges enabling lush green
grass to grow, contrasting beautifully with the yellows of
the dunes. We will stay for two nights in our tented camp
near the sand dunes. The colour of the sand-dunes changes with
each hour of the day, from yellow to silver to rose-coloured
at dawn. On our second day we will enjoy this impressive
scenery by hiking, taking pictures or just relaxing. There
will be an opportunity to explore the surroundings on camels,
with our guide.
Day 5 & 6 Bugiin Tsav, Naran Daats & Zuun Mod –
dinosaur excavation site & more colours and camels of the
Gobi
Today we will drive to Bugiin Tsav, where fossilized remains
of dinosaurs and other fresh-water inhabitants have been found.
These findings are a clear indication that this part of the
Mongolian Gobi was a depository or fresh-water riverbed some
100-200 million years ago. Some scholars believe that further
dinosaur remains may be found here. The second we will drive
in the direction of Zuun Mod, the beautiful oasis in the desert
with low sand dunes and with trees and bushes. We have a very good chance of meeting a nomadic
family that breeds camels and other domestic animals. We will
spend a day riding camels and sharing their nomadic lifestyle. Nomadic people are very hospitable and always pleased
and excited to see guests. After the camels are arranged,
we start our “camel safari.” On the camel’s
back we will experience a different quality of time. In the
evening we will return to the family, and we will share a
traditional Mongolian meal of ‘buuz’ with them,
having a good time at the fire place…
Day 7 Mount Burkhad
Some people would recommend this place for rock climbing,
but you do not need to be so sporty to enjoy this camping
spot. the black of the mountain goes beautifully with the
reddish colours of the cliff and within you find greenish trees
(Tooroi). It's a great place to stroll around or to
relax.
Day
8 Mount Ikh Bayan – Bronze Age cave painting
Today we will drive to Mount Ikh Bayan. During the Bronze
Age this area was full of life. The ecological environment
allowed the growth of rich vegetation. Huge forests, meadows
and lakes covered the landscape. Consequently the wildlife
was varied and humans have benefited from it for thousands
of years. Their vibrant lifestyle is reflected in the gallery
of ancient stone paintings. We will stay here overnight and
have enough time to track down the remains of that period
the next morning.
Day
9 Ancient Stone paintings - Ikh Bogd Mountain range & Tsagaan Bulag
Spend the morning with discovering the ancient stone paintings
before heading to Tsagaan Bulag, via Bayangobi. Ikh Bogd Mountain
range dominates the valley in which this small town is located.
The landscape is of vast open space stretching to the horizon,
with colorful low hills in the distance and the massive Mount Ikh
Bogd lying behind. We will then continue to a place
called Tsagaan Bulag, which some locals believe that aliens
left some traces behind having once visited Mongolia. Looking
at the shape you may imagine a head and a handprint! Mongolians
would visit this place not only for this curiosity but to
heal their kidney problems. Tented overnight
.Day
10 Tsagaan Cave
Today we will make an early start and continue driving towards
Bayankhongor Province, and onto Tsagaan Agui, or the ‘White
Cave.’ Results of archeological research have proven
that man lived in these caves some 700 thousand years ago.
While exploring the caves the tented camp will be pitched,
to await your arrival, so you can recover from the long day
of driving. The cook is waiting to spoiling you!
Day
11 Lake Orog, Mount Ikh Bogd
After breakfast we will drive around Mount Ikh Bogd and onto
Lake Orog. This lake rests at the foothills of Ikh Bogd Mountain.
It is a picturesque spot with grazing camels on its shore
and a rich bird habitation. You might spot swans, whose
white bodies contrast beautifully with the blue-greenish colours
of the lake. Here we will set up camp for the night. There
will be time for a walk and if a nomadic family is around
you are welcome to try riding a Mongolian horse.
Day
12 Bayankhongor
Today we will drive towards the township of Bayankhongor.
The previous night’s camp will be close to the city
so we will have time the next day to discover the city that
is named after the colour of a horse. Starting with Erdenemandal,
a hill situated in the city, we will have a good overview
of the layout of Bayankhongor. We will visit the local museum
while your cook will ‘hunt’ fresh meat for the
traditional meal, which is called ‘Khorkhog’.
The meal is mutton cooked slowly in a huge metal urn with
vegetables, water and hot rocks taken from the flaming fire.
The meat becomes soft and tasty and the water turns into a
thick meaty broth. It is a delight for Mongolians and visitors alike.
Tented overnight.
Day 13 &14 Driving towards the old capital of Monglia
- Karakorum
Today we will start to drive towards Karakorum. This
is your last tented overnight! We will reach the ancient capital
on the afternoon of the second day. There is a
small township there now. On arrival, the first and most
obvious landmark is the massive wall of the Erdenezuu Monastery.
This Monastery was built in 1586 and is surrounded by
a massive 400m x 400m wall. Only a few temples remain standing
after the communist purges. In previous times the grounds
held over 60 temples with 10000 monks using them for their
daily worship. Overnight at Anar ger camp.
Day
15 Ulaanbaatar
After breakfast you will drive back to Ulaanbaar. On arrival you will be transferred to
your hotel where you can happily take a long and well-deserved
shower! The farewell dinner will be at a recommended restaurant.
Day 16 Departure
After breakfast you will be transferred to the airport
for your international departure.
Prices
include the following: A domestic flight, transportation
within Mongolia, twin accommodation in a 3 star hotel. Single
accommodation can be arranged at an additional cost. Tented
accommodation while on trek, three meals a day, English-speaking
guide, all sightseeing costs, transfers, camel or horse hire
where specified, support staff including drivers, horse/camel
men and camp assistants.
Prices
do not include: International transportation, travel
insurance, visas, departure tax, alcoholic drinks, gratuities,
items of a personal nature, sleeping bag.It is the responsibility of the client to
be fully covered with travel and medical insurance while traveling
in Mongolia.
Please
note: An additional ‘single supplement’ price is given with all our prices. This refers to single
room accommodation in hotels only. Upon request, single supplement
in the countryside can be provided at the additional cost.
In case single accommodation in ger camps was not provided
the amount would be calculated based on the missing nights
and reimbursed. Nomads cannot be held responsible for over
bookings, as long as the company can prove with sufficient
documentation that overbooking has been the error of the third
party.Should circumstances beyond our control, such
as the imposition of quarantine restrictions, any changes
of domestic flight or train schedules, require a change of
itinerary, we will inform your agent and propose an equivalent
itinerary. Again, Nomads cannot take over the responsibility
for the Airlines or the National Train Company. The traveler
is responsible for having proper travel documents, such as
a valid passport, proper visa and the necessary passport pictures.
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