In this trip you will have rare opportunity to meet with a local man who can communicate with dogs and wolf, beside that you also can experience the “Shamanism” rituals and also getting a bounty to spend your valuable time serving the local orphan children by helping with the vegetable growing activities, teaching some songs, having lunch, breakfast & dinner by overnight with the orphans. You will also learn how to ride horse, travel by horse/bull cards and also milking camels. Beside that you also will have opportunity to milking cow, mare and goat, making cheese by milk, making cream butter and airag (koumiss), visits to Rock Writing and Ochre Painting of Khuiten River, historical places such as ancient graves, cave and museum on the top the hill, the place where Chinggis Khan and the soldiers fought with Chinese army, museum where the Mongolian worrier Sukhbaatar had his war strategy office in 1970’s and also to experience the closure daily affairs at the Russian border and historical museum where you can see mammoth ivory, rhinoceros skull and etc. While experiencing the historical and out door activities you will also be entertain by the local cultural events of traditional long and folk songs, traditional dance, chanting with horse headed fiddle, yochin and contortionist acrobatic.
Difficulty of trip: moderate
Community Fee: $490USDfor 6 days/ 5 nights
Group size: min 2 per
Additional In-Country Travel Expenses
UB to Darkhan & return Bus Fee (approx): USD 9.00
Micro bus to first ger and pickup (4-10 persons): $101 USD
Small car to first ger and pickup (2-3 persons): $83 USD
Note: Jeep cost can be divided by number of persons
Booking & Travel Orientation w/ handbook: USD 25.00
Day One - Darhan city tour: You will leave from UB by local coach at 11am and will arrive in Darkhan city at 3pm and upon arrival, your guide (translator) will take you to Raja’s Curry House and you will have your set lunch. Later in the afternoon, you will have a short walk-through city tour via the local Museum, the Youth Theatre, “My Mongolia Park”, the Buddha’s Statue, the Morin Khuur (horse headed fiddle) Complex, the first (small-scale) hanging bridge in Mongolia and “Dari Ekh” Monastery in Old Darkhan. Later in the evening you will have a nice curry with parata (Indian pancake) and salads at Raja’s Curry House. While you were having your dinner, you will be entertained with local cultural performance such as chanting with horse headed fiddle and yochin, contortionist acrobatic by the name of “Lyrical Enchainment” and traditional dance by Darkhan professional artist with their students. This will be followed by local performers showing you how to play the horse headed fiddle, yochin and also you will have opportunity to take photos with the local entertainers wearing their colorful traditional costumes. Later in the evening you will overnight at the Raja’s Guest House or you can choose to stay with local family (home stay) to experience the life in urban areas.
Day Two - Trip to Sharyn White Lake and Ox Cart Ride: After having breakfast, around 9am at Raja’s Curry House, you will depart to the White Salt Lake by car or minibus for 25 kilometers. Upon reaching Mr. Balgan’s ger, you will have an opportunity to get to know your host family over some hot tea. After a short rest at the host family you will have a short round trip excursion by ox cart for 30 kilometers to visit the two lakes. During the ox cart ride you will visit a location where you will see ancient Rock Writings and Ochre Painting of “Khuiten” River that will be followed by an outdoor picnic. In the south and west of the small rocky mountain in the east of “Sharyn Tsagaan” Lake there are 20 ancient graves and mounds with square and circle rock fence. On the plain rock which faces the south, you can see painting of an eagle flying the wings (bird of prey), on right side you can see four horses riding in 2 rows on two different directions. At the distance of 2m from 1st painting you can see painting of a square with wide border and inside on top 5 dots on one row, in the center figure of two people and the bottom right 3 dots were depicted. In the late afternoon you will return to your host family and help out in the milking of cows and goat before having your evening dinner with the family. Before retiring for the evening to your pitched tent, Mr. Balgan will share with you some of his culture that includes a local dance and a traditional game.
Day Three - Experience the Nomadic Life Style traveling by Horse/Camel Back: After breakfast, you will travel by horse for 26 kilometers to the second nomadic family Mr. Kambaatar and on the way you will have a packed lunch. After you reach the second host family, you will have a chance to refresh yourself and rest a little before the host family prepares and serves you with hot tea and nomadic snacks. After you a well rested, you will have an opportunity to milk some livestock as well as ride a camel around your location. In the evening, you can help the host family to prepare and make meat pancakes that will be eaten for supper with your host family. After the dinner, you will have a warm evening with the family as Mrs. Oyundelger will sing traditional songs while you learn how to play traditional games before retiring to your tent for the night.
Day Four - Visit the nature museum on the top of the hill: In the morning you will have your breakfast and then travel by horse for 16 kilometers to the next nomadic family, on the way you will travel through a diversity of scenic landscapes that includes a cave and tree that grows in-between the rocks as well as vegetable fields. You will have your packed lunch at the cave. Upon your arrival at the third Mr. Batmonk’s family, they will prepare and serve you with hot tea and nomadic snacks while you have the chance to get to know the family. In the afternoon you can learn how to make nomadic dairy products from the beginning process that starts with the milking of cows before moving on to learning about techniques of traditional dumpling making. After dinner with your host family, Mr. Batmonkh and his two children will share with you some traditional songs as well as teach you how sing the first paragraphs of a song – so that you may all enjoy the evening together in melody before retiring to your tent.
Story of the cave: in 1976, a nomadic family who was living in that area saved his herds from harsh winter by accommodated 400 of is livestock’s in this cave and protected the animal from dying.
Day Five - Visit to the Russian boarder and the spot where Chinggis Khan Exit to Russia from Khenti province: After breakfast around 9am, you continue your travel by car for a round trip of 15 kilometers to visit the nature museum on the top the hill. In the museum, you can see many preserved wildlife as well as visit a location that flows with natural spring water. You will continue to Shamar town for 38 kilometers by car to visit Mrs. Altantoya ger, once you reach at Alatantoya’s ger they will prepare and serve you lunch before she shares a Shamanistic rituals for one hour with her teacher. A locally famous dog communicator, Mr. Maygmarjav, will follow this as he will show his talent by barking like a dog and communicating with them for 40 minutes. Mr. Maygmarjav will continue his vocal talents by showing off his singing talent by reciting a long song called “Arvanchin Unuug” (song about good horses) for 20 minutes.
Soon after you will continue your travel for a 40 kilometer can trip to Altanbulag town and visit the Chinggis Khan War spots ‘Urgitekh bulag” where Chinggis Khan and his soldiers fought with Chinese. This museum is where Sukhbaatar had his office in 1970’s; this nearby the Mongolian and Russian border and you will have the opportunity to witness the daily closure routine between Mongolian/Russian border gaurds. In the early evening, you will return to Darkhan for 150 kilometers where you will meet and have dinner with the orphans of “Enerel” Complex before camping out at the orphanage.
Day Six - Social Service and visits to Local Handy Craft and Souvenir making Family Groups: After breakfast at the orphanage, you will have a bounty of spending precious time volunteering with the local orphan children that includes helping with the vegetable growing activities, teaching some songs as well as having a delightful lunch with children. Late in the afternoon you will return 24 kilomter journey back to Raja’s Curry House for well deserved Indian lunch by car before visiting a few handy craft and souvenir making family groups where they will show you how they use local raw materials to produce handicrafts. You are welcome to purchase souvenirs for yourself as well as family and friends - purchasing locally made products directly supports their efforts to generate needed incomes. Later in the afternoon around 4pm, you will take the public coach back to Ulaanbaatar.
Included services:
Visiting nomadic families
Nomadic breakfast, lunch and dinner which are stated on itinerary
Malaysian breakfast, lunch and dinner in Darkhan which are stated on itinerary
One overnight at guest house in Darkhan
English speaking guide on route
City tour in Darkhan
Museum fee
Small folk art concert fee in Darkhan
Donation to orphanage
Herder guide service on route
Sightseeing
Horse riding according to itinerary
Cultural activities (milking animals, play ankle bone game etc)
Boiled water on route
Local jeep arrangement by facilitator
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