 Day 1. Ulaanbaatar
Arrival in the morning into Ulaanbaatar. Met at the airport and taken to your comfortable
hotel in the center of the city. Morning at leisure to rest and then
later met and taken a short city tour past Sukhbaatar Square and into
Ganden Monastery, the last functioning monastery left among the 800 that
got purged when the communists took over in the 1930’s. The city
is easy to get around on foot.
Later taken back to your hotel for dinner and overnight.
Day 2. Dundgobi province
This morning we will drive heading to the Gobi Desert. The Gobi is one
of the most remote locations on the globe and truly a wild and mysterious
place. We’ll explore this region of vast space and rugged mountains,
where traditional nomads still travel by camel caravan. It is the home
of wolves, pallas cat, lynx, gazelle, ibex, argali, a variety of raptors
and the snow leopard.
On the way we will pass by Dundgobi or Middle Gobi province. In Dundgobi
we will stop by in several historical and natural sights. Dundgobi is
flat, dry plains, occasional deserts, rock formations and little else.
The northern part of Dundgobi is relatively green, but southern and eastern
areas are mostly bone-dry.
We will spend a night camping in desert closed to Dundgobi.
Day 3. South Gobi
Today we continue driving to South Gobi, the largest but the least populated
province in Mongolia. Straddling Central Asia, spliced between frozen
Siberia to the north and China to the south, lies the Gobi Desert, one
of the most mysterious and intriguing of all the world’s arid lands.
Moonscapes, flaming cliffs and the amazing Hongoryn Els sand dunes stretching
to the horizon may all be found, but the Gobi is also alive with wildlife,
particularly in September when the heat of summer begins to subside. You’ll
very likely see antelope, wild ass, gazelle, and more than 200 species
of bird inhabiting the park, including cranes and raptors.
At the end of the day we will reach “Juulchin Gobi-1” camp
and we will stay in the comfortable gers.
Day 4. Gobi Gurvan Saikhan National Park
This morning we will drive over the Altai mountains in the Gobi Gurvansaikhan
National Park, "The Three Beauties of the Gobi." These three
mountain ridges provide habitat for species such as snow leopards and
its prey, ibex and argali sheep. When we reach the canyon of Yol, there
is a small museum at the gate on the main road. The museum has collection
of dinosaur eggs and bones, and stuffed animals including snow leopard.
We will hike through the canyon of Yol. This is a place of fantastic geology
and filled with numerous bird species, most notably the lamargier or "bearded
vulture".
Sleep tonight at a comfortable ger camp with an excellent staff, large
dining tent, bathrooms and showers in the middle of nowhere.
Days 5-6. Camel trekking to Hongoryn Els
The next two days offer a window into a way of life that seems to belong
to another era. We’ll commence a two-day trek into Hongoryn Els
(Singing Sands), supported by camels, horses, our own dining ger, sleeping
tents and local herdsmen. Camels are smelly and ornery and belligerent
– you’ve got to try it! By employing this ancient means of
transport you’ll be stepping back in time and experiencing an exceptional
insight into a way of life that has endured for centuries on the steppes
of Central Asia. Stay in gers, welcomed by the locals, or camp under the
stars for a truly remarkable adventure.
Members of local families will extend their knowledge and skills to move
our camp in true caravan style nearly the same as any nomad would today.
We will be travelling across an awesome, lonely expanse, under a sky hundreds
of kilometers from the usual disturbances of air traffic and street lights.
It’s speculated that at one time nearly all human beings were nomadic:
here is a chance to straddle the millennium, to peer as it were into the
ancient soul of man.
Overnight in tents.
Day 7. Hongoryn Els
Today we will explore the Hongoryn Els. These dunes are some of the largest
and most spectacular in Asia, stretching over 180 km/112 miles and reaching
as high as 780 m/2560 feet. They are known as the "Singing Dunes"
because as the wind blows, causing ripples in the sand, a musical sound
is heard.
In the afternoon we will head back to our camp where we will stay for
overnight.
Day 8. Bayanzag
This morning we will drive to explore the Bayanzag, another surprising
site in the Gobi. The Bayanzag, also known as the "Flaming Cliffs"
is a dramatic site of red rock gained fame when palaeontologist Roy Chapman
Andrews, while on an American Museum of Natural History expedition in
the 1920s, discovered and unearthed the first fossilized dinosaur eggs,
jaws and skulls found in Central Asia. The cliffs are among the world’s
most important archaeological sites, and the dashing and charismatic Andrews
provided the model for Steven Spielberg’s leading man in Indiana
Jones.
In the afternoon we will head back to Ulaanbaatar making several stops
in Dundgobi province. Overnight in tents.
Day 9. Drive back to Ulaanbaatar and overnight at the comfortable
hotel.
Day 10. Ulaanbaatar
Today you will be taken to National History Museum and to the Zaisan Memorial,
the tall and thin landmark on top of the hill south of the city. The Memorial
is built to commemorate “unknown soldiers and heroes” from
various wars. It offers the best view of Ulaanbaatar city and the surrounding
hills.
In afternoon you can take your time for shopping the souvenirs and cashmere
outfit as well as sightseeing. In the late night you are invited to see
the concert of folk music and dance.
Day 11. Departure from Ulaanbaatar
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