Mongolia - Singing Sands to Golden Eagles

Based on 4-5 people $13,785

Based on 6-7 people $12,973

Based on 8-9 people $11,212

Single Supplement $ 5,250

In what country do horses and camels outnumber people? And what country on this planet has the ability to conjure up more mystery than any other? This country is Mongolia. On this trip, you will begin your exploration with a visit to the vast and wild Gobi Desert. Legend has it that ghouls, goblins, evil spirits and demons roam the great Gobi. Sand, sky and bones of far-gone travelers fill its vast expanse. Most people imagine the Gobi as a lifeless sandy desert, but in reality, only 5% of the total area is sand dunes. Most of the Gobi is a land of steppes, sands, mountains. It is home for camel breeders, and is rich with wildlife and vegetation.

The Gobi contains many surprises for unexpecting travelers. Archaeologists have discovered Dinosaur eggs and remains of several Dinosaur species. The excavating teams are hard at work discovering new treasures beneath the sand. The Gobi is also home to the critically endangered Bactrian camels. These are true camels having two humps compared to Arabian camels  (dromedaries) with one hump. The Bactrian camels are the rarest of all camels and are also known as Mongolian camels. They are perfectly adapted for desert survival.

You will then visit the extreme west of Mongolia in the province or aimag of Bayan Ulgii. In the west and north it borders Russia and on the south-west it borders China. About 90% of Bayan Ulgii’s population are Kazakh, and almost all of them are Muslim and possibly Russian, but nothing else.

This aimag has a rich collection of archaeological sites, including many ‘balbal”, or Turkic stone figures believed to be grave markers. Turkic, and not Turkish, includes ethnic groups like Kazakhistan, Azarbeijan, Uzbekistan,etc. while Turkish means coming from Turkey only. Here we can find deer stones which are ancient megaliths carved with symbols and used for ceremonial and funerary practices from 1400 to 700 BC (late Bronze Age to early Iron Age). Kiirgans, or burial mounds and a remarkable collection of 10,000 petroglyphs near the Russian border are also found here.

The main reason we travel to this far province, is to find the Kazakh eagle hunters. In the 13^th Century under Chinggis (Genghis) Khan, this nomadic culture started hunting with eagles – namely golden eagles.  Today there are an estimated 250 eagle hunters in Bayan Ulgii which is located in the Altai Mountains.

This custom involves hunting with golden eagles on horseback. They primarily hunt red fox, hares, marmots and rabbits. On occasion, and depending on the particular eagle, they may hunt wolves, the sworn enemy of the Kazakhs and most Mongols. Wolves predate precious livestock (yak calves, reindeer and goats) of the Mongolians.

To obtain their eagles, the eagle hunters either climb treacherously steep cliffs to capture their eagles as fledglings still in the nest or trap them when they are less than a year old. They only use female golden eagles which are larger than the males and more ferocious hunters. The eagle hunters create a special and very close bond with their eagles. They work together as a team while hunting, and the eagles often times live in the home of the hunter and family.

Each year in the fall, Kazakhs who train golden eagles for hunting, gather in the valley of the Altai Mountains and celebrate the Golden Eagle Festival. We will attend the Olympics of eagle hunting while we are in the west and will be able to observe the prowess of these hunters as they compete with each other to show their skill of hunting with their eagles.

When the eagle grows to about 7 years of age, the hunter releases her back into the wild. This is a very emotional time for each hunter after spending so many years together as friends and hunting partners.

During our time in the west, we will meet perhaps the most famous eagle hunter, Dalaikhan, who is well known in Mongolia for his eagle hunting skills and who was also featured in the first scene of the movie called ‘The Eagle Huntress’.

This is a special trip to Mongolia specifically designed to learn about Mongolian culture and its people. The Wild Focus’ team has traveled a great deal all over the world, but the Mongolians continue to build a special place in their hearts. They are a fiercely strong, generous, warm and kind people who love their country and its history. They live in a harsh environment where most people could not survive and their country is humbly landlocked between two behemoths, Russia and China. But like their horses, Mongolians have big hearts and it shows in everything they do. In war,  China learned this over and over throughout the centuries.  Despite China’s size, it was desperate in its attempts to protect itself from the stout hearted warriors of the Mongol empire, resulting in the building of the Great Wall.

Come with us and learn about Mongolia and the Mongol people. It is a trip that you will not forget.