Eagle festival, Mongolia
| country: | Mongolia, Russia |
| departures: | This trip is no longer running |
| price: | From £2485 (12 days) including flights from the UK. From £1875 excluding flights. Includes 3 nights hotel, 7 nights yurt accommodation, 11 breakfasts, 10 lunches & 10 dinners |
| vouchers: | Gift vouchers can be used with this holiday |
photo gallery
1of3
1of3check out similar holiday ideas...
introduction to Eagle festival, Mongolia
Kazakh Eagle Festival
In remote Western Mongolia the people are predominantly ethnic Kazakh; a Muslim people with a Turkic language, they have been hunting with eagles for over 2000 years. The annual Eagle Festival near Olgii provides a fantastic opportunity to witness the prowess of both hunters and eagles first hand in a competitive test of skills. We spend 2 full days at the festival, mingling with the local nomads who come from miles around to enjoy this lively and colourful event.
As well as watching the eagle hunting, there's also the chance for those with other talents to show-off; with archery contests, horse races and the unusual Central Asian game of Bushkashi, a sort of polo played with the corpse of a goat! During our time at the festival we stay in cosy yurts, the traditional felt tents of the nomads which come fully equipped with beds and a small stove.
Altai, Mountains and Glaciers
From Barnaul, the gateway to the Siberian Altai, we journey into the mountains to search out the ancient monuments and burial sites of the Ongudai region. Ascending the Kosh Agach plateau we reach desolate grassy steppes and the last town in Russia before the isolated border. The remote and wild lands of Mongolia's far west are home to its highest mountains; 4000m peaks are permanently covered in snow and awesome glaciers feed crystal-clear alpine lakes. We visit one of the region's best national parks. This is the domain of ibex, maral, elk, the rare argali sheep and snow leopard.
Please note: Few travellers reach this remote corner of Mongolia; expect rough roads and bumpy journeys, some cold weather and a warm welcome. You should be in good health and reasonably fit to enjoy the day walks.
In remote Western Mongolia the people are predominantly ethnic Kazakh; a Muslim people with a Turkic language, they have been hunting with eagles for over 2000 years. The annual Eagle Festival near Olgii provides a fantastic opportunity to witness the prowess of both hunters and eagles first hand in a competitive test of skills. We spend 2 full days at the festival, mingling with the local nomads who come from miles around to enjoy this lively and colourful event.
As well as watching the eagle hunting, there's also the chance for those with other talents to show-off; with archery contests, horse races and the unusual Central Asian game of Bushkashi, a sort of polo played with the corpse of a goat! During our time at the festival we stay in cosy yurts, the traditional felt tents of the nomads which come fully equipped with beds and a small stove.
Altai, Mountains and Glaciers
From Barnaul, the gateway to the Siberian Altai, we journey into the mountains to search out the ancient monuments and burial sites of the Ongudai region. Ascending the Kosh Agach plateau we reach desolate grassy steppes and the last town in Russia before the isolated border. The remote and wild lands of Mongolia's far west are home to its highest mountains; 4000m peaks are permanently covered in snow and awesome glaciers feed crystal-clear alpine lakes. We visit one of the region's best national parks. This is the domain of ibex, maral, elk, the rare argali sheep and snow leopard.
Please note: Few travellers reach this remote corner of Mongolia; expect rough roads and bumpy journeys, some cold weather and a warm welcome. You should be in good health and reasonably fit to enjoy the day walks.
day-by-day itinerary
| Day 1: | Fly London/ Barnaul (Siberia) |
| Day 2: | Arrive Barnaul; drive Salut via Biysk and Gorno-Altaisk. |
| Day 3: | Drive to Karakol via burial sites & stone figures. |
| Day 4: | Cross border into Mongolia; drive Sagsay. |
| Day 5: | Drive Tsambagarav National Park Day walks. |
| Day 6: | In Tsambagarav National Park.< /TD> |
| Day 7: | Drive Sagsay ger camp via Olgii. |
| Day 8-9: | At Eagle Festival. Events over the 2 days may include demonstration of hunting skills, archery, horseracing, bushkashi, costume competition and handicrafts auction. |
| Day 10: | Cross Russian border; full days drive to Salut. |
| Day 11: | Visit Patmos monastery at Chemal; drive Barnaul. |
| Day 12: | Fly London. |
small group cultural tours
Typically you will be sharing your experiences with between 4-20 like minded travellers (depending on the trip, operator and how many others are booked on the trip) and you'll have a group leader with you. Whether you are travelling alone or with friends it's good value, and a great way to meet new people! While itineraries are pre-planned there is some flexibility and you'll have plenty of privacy. This trip will appeal to travellers of all ages who enjoy meeting new people as well as experiencing new cultures.award winner
This tourism business won an Award in our 2008 Virgin Holidays Responsible Tourism Awards - organised by responsibletravel.com in association with The Daily Telegraph, World Travel Market, Geographical Magazine, of the Royal Geographical Society and BBC World News.Since 2004, the Awards has recognised individuals, companies and organisations in travel making a big commitment to the culture and economies of local communities and helping to conserve biodiversity.
how this holiday makes a difference
|
Environment
Employing local guides also generates employment in a region where there are limited opportunities. Travelling in remote parts of Russia and Mongolia we stay in yurt/ger camps which are low environmental impact, generate local employment and give us a real taste of traditional life on the steppes. We aim to minimise our impact on the environment through our tour operation. We and our suppliers work to the strict environmental guidelines laid out in our Responsible Tourism policy, governing how we deal with waste and operate walks to minimise our impacts. All leaders are trained in responsible tourism matters too and take the lead in this key area. Community Festivals express the very soul of a community, rooted as they are in local history and folklore. They’ll engage all your senses, with their din, colours, scents, tastes – the sheer rawness and spontaneity of the whole experience. This is a fabulous way to learn about the local customs and traditions and get an authentic view of the country you are travelling to in an unpackaged way. This tour offers a unique opportunity to witness traditional nomadic skills which date back centuries. In addition to our tour leader, we use local guides on this tour, so we’ll be able to get a real insight into not only the background to the festival but also the daily life of local people in a world so different to our own. We believe learning about and respecting local people is an integral part of the travel experience and particularly important in such a traditional region. We support a variety of charities and projects worldwide which support vulnerable communities and habitats including Friends of Conservation, Hope Worldwide and Send A Cow. We are also actively engaged with UK travel industry bodies which promote best practice in responsible tourism, such as Tourism Concern, The Travel Foundation and AITO. Our commitment to responsible tourism is not limited to our overseas operation and we have measures to ensure our UK office operates according to our responsible tourism policy. Carbon offsets for all flights booked with us are included in the tour cost. |
Tourism can be good and bad for destinations & local people. We carefully screen every holiday against our criteria for responsible travel. 'Look behind the brochure' to find how each holiday makes a difference (see left). We don't claim to be perfect - there is no global accreditation - but we've led the way since 2001 and screened 1000's of holidays. We invite every traveller to write a review about their experiences and responsible tourism. This valuable feedback is sent to the people who run the holidays. We keep a very close eye on it and take off holidays that don't live up to our standards. |
check out similar holiday ideas...