An adventurous trail that takes you deep into the remote province of Zavkhan, an area boasting expansive steppes, forested valleys, mountains, lakes and deserts. This is a challenging area to reach and to travel in, where there is very little tourist development compared to the usual Mongolian horse riding routes near Ulaan Baatar - but the rewards for travelling that bit further are great. For those who do make the effort, beautiful untouched landscapes, fascinating local culture, and perfect riding country awaits.
Mongolian horses are very hardy and full of character. The hosts, a New Zealand/ Mongolia partnership, work closely with local nomadic families who can provide a range of high quality horses with good tack suitable for any level of riding ability and exceptional service levels for an adventure of this caliber. Another highlight of this trip is the chance to experience the legendary hospitality of local nomadic families.
The local people do not grow vegetables, agriculture does not lend itself well to a nomadic lifestyle, but fruit and vegetables are brought from Ulaan Baatar, along with staples such as rice, flour and pasta. Your hosts trade for delicious yoghurt, cheese and milk when you encounter local people. In the evening fresh bread is cooked on the camp fire. In autumn you feast on blueberries, currants, pine nuts and other fruits of the forest. And the rivers hold some excellent eating fish.
Staying in temporary campsites each night and cooking over an open fire this is a genuine wilderness experience.
The ride has a flexible itinerary, which means that once the group sets off on the horses, you don't follow the same old trails, allowing you to make the most of whatever adventures Mongolia may send your way, following the land as generations of nomads have done before...
2012:
Classic Mongolian Explorer - 24 August
Mongolian Explorer and Great Mongolian Road Trip - 25 June (FULL)
*please see notes below for this ride
Eagle Festival and Altai Mountains - 23 September (FULL)
No supplement if willing to share. Otherwise: Please enquire.
SAMPLE ITINERARY - MONGOLIAN EXPLORER
Day 1
Arrival in Ulaan Baatar capital of Mongolia. You will be met by your hosts at the airport and transferred to your hotel. You are then free explore fascinating Ulaan Baatar before meeting up with your hosts and fellow riders in the evening for dinner.
Day 2
Fly to Zavkhan, meet the drivers and head north toward Lake Telmen (4 hours) where you will stay the night at a local ger camp. If time allows you will visit the lake, great for a swim or bird spotting.
Day 3
Drive to the small town of Tosontsengel (2 hours), set up a river-side camp, and meet the horses. You will start with a safety briefing and pointers about the local riding style, and then begin by matching you to your ideal horse. A day ride around the area (a mix of forest and steppe) will allow you to decide if this is the horse for you.
Day 4 - 13
For the next ten days we ride through steppe and forest and into the mountains of Tarvagatai Uul National Park. There are various routes we can take, some we know well but others we are keen to try out. We are really only limited by the need to meet the support vehicle at the end of each day. Whichever way we go, we aim to eventually reach an old abandoned natural spa in the mountains by around Day 7, perfect for a day of resting and soaking in the hot baths, before picking a route back out to the steppe. By Day 13 we will be back in the area where we first started riding. We farewell the horses and our Mongolian friends and drive back to Lake Telmen.
Day 14 Drive south-west through desert-steppe to Khar Nuur (5 hours), a beautiful lake where desert sand dunes meet crystal clear water. No trip to Mongolia is complete without seeing the country's spectacular sand dunes, and here they plunge in to the clear waters of Khar Nuur. Set up camp on the lake shore for two nights.
Day 15
Khar Nuur is the perfect place to relax after all that riding. Spend the day swimming, climbing the dunes or just reading a book.
Day 16
Drive from Khar Nuur to Uliastai (4 hours), and fly back to Ulaanbaatar in the evening.
Day 17 If you have time we will help with finding any last minute items to take home for friends and family, and you can see some more of the city. Finally we take you to the airport/train station and say farewell.
All itineraries are for guidance only and may be altered due to weather or other unforeseen circumstances.
NOTES - MONGOLIAN EXPLORER
The Great Mongolian Road Trip + Mongolian Explorer - 25th June 2012 If you believe that flying to Zavkhan just means you are missing out on experiencing what's down on the ground, then this is the trip for you. You get the same great riding as on the standard Mongolian Explorer itinerary above, but with the added bonus of what we like to call The Great Mongolian Road Trip.
The drive from Ulaanbaatar to Zavkhan follows 850km of less than perfect roads, eventually becoming little more than a dirt track. They use reliable Russian four-wheel drive vehicles (the mighty 'furgon'), ideal for the conditions and driven by their highly experienced drivers Ganbaa and Toroo. We believe that no trip to Mongolia is really complete without a road trip, but once is enough for most people, so you will fly back at the end of the ride! The drive is broken up over two and a half days, staying in comfortable ger camps each night.
Day 1 Meet, dinner and overnight in Ulaan Baatar.
Day 2 On the first day of driving we set out across rolling steppe and reach Kharkhorin (Karakorum), famous as the site of the13th century capital of the Mongolian Empire, built by Genghis Khan's son Ogedei. Erdene Zuu Khiid (monastery), founded in 1586, and slowly being rebuilt after partial destruction in the Stalinist purges of the 1930s, is definitely worth a look around. And the infamous penis rock can be visited (although it's really quite small).
Day 3 The second day of driving will see us reach Terkhiin Tsagaan Nuur (The Great White Lake), a lovely spot surrounded by forested volcanic mountains. On the way we stop at Tsetserleg to stock up on any last supplies at the local market. It's much like Ulaanbaatar's Black Market, but a more manageable size and without the pick-pockets.
Day 4 The following day we cross the high Solingontyn Pass and reach the wilds of Zavkhan. Keep an eye out for bronze-age burial tombs dotting the hillsides.
By early afternoon we arrive in Tosontsengel where we meet our local wranglers, and familiarise ourselves with the horses. We will take plenty of time to match you to a horse you feel comfortable with, since you'll be seeing a lot of each other in the coming days!
From this point on the trip is the same from Day 4 as per the itinerary above...
Getting There
The most common route to Ulaan Baatar (ULN) from Europe is via Moscow (SVO) flying with Aeroflot (£500-£800). An alternative option is to fly to Beijing (PEK), serviced by many international airlines, and to then fly or take the Trans-Mongolian train to Ulaan Baatar.
Other Info
Even by Mongolian standards this area is off the beaten track, and riders are unlikely to encounter any other western tourists. Local nomadic families are not used to seeing foreigners, but are very welcoming, which makes for a rewarding cultural experience. The itinerary of the trips is flexible, allowing for more riding time and less time in the desert if the group decides as a whole. If riders would like to see Przewalski horses (the world’s only true wild horse), a day or overnight trip from Ulaan Baatar can be arranged (before or after the trip, at extra cost).
The four-wheel drive support vehicle allows participants to have a level of comfort which is not possible with pack horses (food, camping equipment etc). However to avoid this detracting from the ‘adventurousness’ of the trip, you meet the vehicle at the end of the day, while during the day you follow routes accessible only on horseback.
For riders arriving in Ulaan Baatar before day one of the trip, or staying longer after the trip, we can assist with arranging accommodation. Due to international arrival/departure schedules, it is often necessary to include an extra day or two in Ulaan Baatar before or after the trip. . Small saddle bags are provided for each rider, which will hold a raincoat, water bottle and snacks for the day.
Mongolia is a developing country and this trip is to a remote region.
The weight limit for this ride is 16 st/220 lb/100 kg, please enquire if you are an experienced rider exceeding this weight.
FURTHER DETAILS
As we are specialists in our field we have extensive knowledge of all our products from details of accommodation and meals to number/size/type of horses to pace of riding ... and much more.
Should you wish to receive further details of this ride please click here.
WHAT IS INCLUDED
All transfers from the airport/train station, all meals with tea, coffeeand water, accommodation including first and last night in Ulaan Baatar, riding, horses, tack, English speaking tour leader, English speaking translator, support vehicle and excursions described in itinerary. 2-person tents and eating equipment (plate, bowl, mug, utensils) are supplied.
WHAT IS NOT INCLUDED
Drinks other than tea and coffee. Other drinks are not included but local beer and vodka can usually be bought at the last town before you meet the horses.
International air/train travel
Single supplement (only if unwilling to share)
Mongolian visa
Personal medical and travel insurance
Entry fees into monasteries etc in Ulaan Baatar
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What you see on our web site is exactly how much your invoice will come to and this will not change once booked. Unlike some other companies the prices on our web site are fully inclusive of often hidden extras such as: VAT, Sales Tax, state taxes, city taxes, service charges, non-optional tips, fuel surcharges which can add 20% or more to the advertised cost. Prices are available in £ sterling, Euros and US$. Once invoiced, prices are guaranteed against adverse currency fluctuations. Contact us for package prices which include flights from the UK and see each ride for exact details of all items in individual itineraries.
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