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Inter-Cultural Arts Exchange

Naadam Festival: July 9-23, 2009

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The Naadam festival, celebrated each summer, was organized many centuries ago as a test of courage, strength, daring, horsemanship and marksmanship-- all necessary for nomadic people and warriors. The largest celebration is held in Ulaanbaatar, July 11-13, to commemorate the Mongolian People's Revolution.

Though the name of the game is competition,
it is the pride and spirit of the nomads that make this experience so rewarding.

The opening ceremonies of the festival are highly produced with colorful synchronized choreography, an exciting parade of regal Chenngis Khan warriors on horseback, music and dance performances of various nomad groups and other demonstrations. While the festival celebrates the skills of the nomadic culture of by-gone years, it is the spirit of the attending locals that makes the event so special for all of us visitors.

The three manly sports: wrestling, horseracing, archery and also traditional anklebone shooting competition, make up the core program of the Naadam Festival. Mongolian wrestling contests, involving over 500 contestants, are an exciting spectacle. As there are no weight classes and 16 contests are held simultaneously, the competition progresses quickly. Before the contest, wrestlers perform eagle dances to limber up and display their fine physiques. Each wrestler has a second who acts as a coach and herald to announce his charge's heroic deeds.

Archery contests have inherited a tradition dating from the time of Chingis Khan when they were intended to sharpen military skills. Men fire 40 arrows made from willow branches and griffin vulture feathers from a distance of 75 meters and woman deliver 20 arrows from 60 meters at a target consisting of 360 leather rings fitted to a wall. In accordance with ancient custom, several men stand on either side of the target singing a folk song (uuhai) to clear the contestants and then use hand signals to indicate the results.

Horse-racing is the favorite sport of the herds who bring their best horses from great distances. Races, which take place on the steppe over distance from 15 to 30 km, are a test of endurance for the horses and riders, boys and girls, some as young as six years old. The races are organized according to the age of the horses. Mare's milk is poured over the heads of the winning horses that are also honored with songs.

Ulaanbaatar (UB) is surprisingly hip with cafes, 'bier gartens,' numerous art galleries and museums, a great selection of restaurants; and of course the wonderful cashmere shops. The countryside is an amzing expanse of astonishingly beautiful pristine land; the nomads are friendly and hospitable.

We will be driving 4-5-6 hrs per day, including stops for photos, visits to sights enroute, rest and meal breaks, on bumpy dirt roads. On the drives we experience miles and miles of open land passing yaks, sheep, goats, horses and the occasional nomad ger. We will stop a few times to visit nomadic families. These are spontaneous visits, not pre-arranged, for a truly authentic experience.

Our overnights in the country are in tourist ger camps which are like deluxe camping. The gers have beds with linens, pillows, blankets and a wood stove in center. We usually have 2 people per ger; single gers on request based on availability. There are western bathrooms and showers housed in a separate building. Meals are very nicely prepared and usually consist of a cabbage, carrot or beet salad, sometimes soup, main dish is mutton or beef and potatoes and rice or pasta. A wonderful fresh white fish is served at the lake stay. Vegetarians may request all veg meals.

We generally arrive at the ger camp in time for lunch, though ocassionally take picnic lunch on longer drives. Afternoons are free to relax, explore the area independently by hiking or strolling about, or partake in optional activities such as camel or horse back riding.

This tour is designed with as much flexibility as possible allowing participants to be as active or relaxed as preferred.

The itinerary or sequence of activities is subject to change due to weather, road conditions, changes in schedules of local events.

Detailed Itinerary

July 9 Ulaanbatar (D)
Arrive in Ulaanbaatar the capital city of Mongolia. Your guide will meet you at the airport and transfer to hotel. After freshen up, visit National Museum of Mongolian History, which presents Mongolian history and culture from the dawn of humans to the present day. Enjoy traditional art performance and welcome dinner at the Ger Restaurant. Bayangol hotel.

July 10 Ulaanbaatar (B)
Morning visit Gandan Monastery, where we will attend ceremony and meet with the monks. Gandan is the largest monastery and temple complex in use in Mongolia. Built in 1810, partly destroyed and reconstructed 1990, it contains one of the biggest standing Buddhas in Asia (26m high. Afternoon visit Zanabar Gallery and free time to browse and shop. Your hotel is centrally located.

July 11 Ulaanbatar (B,L,D)
Naadam! Naadam! Mongolian national day is celebrated throughout the country. The Naadam Festival, celebrated each summer, originated many centuries ago as a test of courage, strength, daring, horsemanship, marksmanship, all skills necessary for nomadic people and warriors. The largest celebration is held in Ulaanbaatar on July 11-13th to commemorate the Mongolian People's Revolution. The three manly sports: wrestling, horseracing and archery and also traditional anklebone shooting competition make up the core program of the Naadam Festival. This morning the Naadam festival is opened officially by the President of Mongolia. Soldiers on horseback, sometimes dressed in Chinggis Khan warriors regalia, will get the nine white horsetail banners at the Parliament house where they are normally displayed and will then ride in procession through the city, later to be placed in the center of the National Stadium, from where we will be viewing the Opening Ceremony. At the stadium, a huge procession is held including hundreds of adults and children dressed in costumes representing Mongolia's numerous ethnic groups. The opening ceremony features a colorful show with folk music and dance, parachute show and more. The first round of wrestling will start immediately thereafter. Usually 512 wrestlers from all across Mongolia will compete in the first round! But sometimes more than 1000! After that you will see the archery competitions where contestants can only rely on his keen eye, firm hand and experience, take aim at a target of fist-sized baskets. Also you will enjoy seeing ankle bone shooting competition. Overnight in the hotel.

July 12 Ulaanbatar (B,L,D)
In the morning travel to Khuu Doloon Khudag, the horse racing field.
The horse races continue over the two main Naadam days. Mongol horseracing is part of a living cultural heritage, similar to the equestrian tradition that brought the Mongol armies to faraway places during medieval times. Horse racing is an interesting challenge to experience. There are seven categories of races depending on the age of a horse. Two or three hundred riders ages 5-12 compete in every age category in a distance of 15 to 35km. We will see the four year old horse racing around 11 am. The horse race is actually a bit far from the barriers set up for visitors, so bring binoculars! However, the fun of attending is really seeing the locals. We can visit nomadic tented camps that have sprung up behind the race track and experience a concentration of nomadic Mongolia at one site! Herdsmen have come with their horses and all provisions for the festivities, which include airag (koumiss; fermented mares milk) for the merrymaking. Picnic lunch at horse racing field. Travel back to Ulaanbaatar. Visit Natural Museum (time permitting). In the evening enjoy public dances and music show and other Naadam festivities. Visit the Zaisan Memorial Hill, erected on the 50th anniversary of the Communist Revolution-serves to honor the Soviet and Mongolian soldiers and you can see whole city Ulaanbaatar from the top of the hill.

July 13-18 Travel in the Mongolian countryside (B,L,D)
including visits to Khustain Nuruu National Park, a beautiful reserve that protects the takhi, Mongolian wild horses known as Prjewalski's horses; ruins of 16th century capital Kharakhorum and Erdene Zuu (Hundred Treasures) Monastery. Tsetserleg.and Zayayn Gegeenii Khuree, built in 1586; currently houses an active community of 70 monks; the Great White Lake. Opportunities for hking, horse and camel riding.

July 19 Return to Ulaanbaatar. (B,L)

July 20 Fly to Gobi Desert. (B,L,D)
Drive to Khongoriin els sand dunes. Known as Singing sand dunes, ''Khongoriin els'' sand dunes are up to 300 ms high, 15 kms wide, and 180 kms long. Camel back riding around area. Overnight in the tourist ger camp.

July 21 Gobi (B,L,D)
Travel to Yol Valley via Bayanzag, the saksaul forest and sand dunes which are nearby. Bayanzag is an area of red cliffs which have been formed from the erosion of the sand and rock over many thousands of years. It is also the site of several successful dinosaur excavations. The drive to Bayanzag from the Ger camp will take about one hour and you will see some wide open desert scenery on the way. You will also visit Moltsog Els (sand dunes) today. Visit Nomadic family by camel ride. Overnight in the Ger camp.

July 22 Gobi (B,L,D)
Early morning trekking through Eagle Valley. This approx 40kms from your Ger camp and will take 45 minutes drive. The valley is a about 10kms long and is completely shaded from the sun in some parts due to the high cliff walls. Visit Gobi museum.

Fly to Ulaanbaatar. Afternoon visit Winter Palace Museum of Bogd Khaan, home of the last Mongolian King and religious head Bogd Javzundamba who ruled from 1911 until 1924. It displays objects used by the Bogd Khaan and religious and cultural items from the 17th century to the beginning of 20th century.

July 23 Depart for home. (B)

NOTE: the sequence of activities through the tour may be changed due to changes in weather, road conditions and flight schedule changes. Please be assured we will cover all the places and activities mentioned.

PRICES $2995 per person; based on min 4 people; Single supplement in Ulanbataar $350, Single supplement in gers $175.

Included: All activities described in the itinerary, accompanying escort and guide service in Mongolia, accommodation, entrance fees to Special Protected Areas, Naadam festival, all transfers by AC bus in the city and 4WD Japanese mini bus in the countryside, bremeals as indicated in itinerary.

Area Information

Khustain Nuruu National Park. Established in 1993, the park is about 100km southwest of Ulaanbaatar. This beautiful 50,620ha reserve protects the takhi, Mongolian wild horses or best-known Prjewalski's horses which are the last remaining species of truly wild horse in the world. The landscape ranges from grassland steppe to forest steppe, and dawn and dusk are the best times for visitors to see the wild horses, deer and gazelle. There are over 200 Przewalski horses in Mongolia. This species was last seen in the wild in 1969, since then no one has observed them. Visit the park museum to learn about the history of the last pure wild horses in the world and the history of the area.

Khognokhaan Mountain Natural Reserve, a sacred mountain, was venerated by the Orkhon Turks. The area has been protected since 1997, and it covers 46,900 hectares of Khognokhaan Mountain, is made of granites of Paleozoic age and surrounding beautiful places. Here you can enjoy the unique combination of Mongolian mountains, forests and Gobi type landscapes all in one location. Trek to ruins of 16th century Uvgun Monastery, built in 1660 after the existing monastery was destroyed and the monks were massacred by the armies of Zungar Galdan Boshigt, a rival of Zanabazar's in 1640. In the mountains, a few ruins have recently been restored and two small temples have been back in use since 1992. Camel riding near the small sand dunes of Elsen Tasarkhai or 'Sand Scrap'. In the evening enjoy Mongolian night sky, star-gazing with singing and dancing.

KharaKhorum, ancient capital of the Mongolian Empire Visit the symbolic ruins of KharaKhorum, which was built in the early 13th century on the site of the former military fortification known as 'Takhir Shivee'. KharaKhorum existed for 140 years, but was the capital of the empire for only 32 of those. Visit famous Erdene Zuu (Hundred Treasures) monastery, built on the remains of Kharakhorum city in 1586 by the order of Abtai Sain Khan, descendant of Chinggis Khan. It was the first Buddhist center in Mongolia. Surrounding the monastery there is a wall with 108 stupas, of which 25 are on each side and 2 at every corner of the wall. Each stupa was erected in commemoration of a particular event, related in the inscription on each one. The three temples inside the wall represent the three stages of the Buddha's life: childhood, adolescence, and adulthood. This is the place to learn about religious and cultural traditions of Mongolia. Outside the monastery walls are the two "turtle rocks" which are most important remains of the imperial capital. One is easy to find: just walk out of the northern gate of the monastery and follow the path north-west for about 300m.

Tsetserleg, the center of Arkhangai province. Visit Zayayn Gegeenii Khuree, a large old Buddhist monastery, remarkably intact, preserved as a museum-but with an active community of monks. The first temple was opened in 1586, expanded to 5 temples in 1679. At its peak it may have had 200 to 1000 monks, today 70 monks are in residence. This complex included several groups of Tibetan and Manchu style halls. Much of the monastery now houses the Museum of Arkhangai province. The contents are magnificent, housing many treasures, clothes, games and ceremonial masks and memorabilia.

Lake Terkhiin Tsagaan, an astonishingly beautiful lake with crystal clear fresh water. Known in English as the Great White Lake, this freshwater lake is certainly the highlight of Arkhangai, and one of the best in a country full of beautiful lakes. The lake, which was formed by lava flows from volcanic eruption many millennia ago, is excellent for swimming, though a bit cold in the morning-try the late afternoon, after the sun has warmed it. Torrents of lava issuing from the Khorgo volcano blocked the north and south Terkh river, so forming the dammed lake of Terkhiin Tsagaan at an altitude of 2060 meters above sea level. On the way we will see river Chuluut, rises in Egiin Davaa of the Khangai Mountain Range and flows for 415 kilometers north to join the Ider river, thus forming the Selenge river. The Chuluut river flows through a sheer basalt canyon which extends 100 kilometers from the mouth of the Teel river to the Atsat. The basalt is formed of lava of nearby extinct volcanoes such as Khorgo Volcano and others. Overnight in Ger camp. BLD

Trek or drive to Khorgo mountain, a dead volcano which lies east of the lake Terkhiin Tsagaan. The volcanic crater of the mountain is 200 meters wide and 100 meters deep. The northern slope is covered with Siberian Larch.

Ugii Lake a wonderful place for bird watching - Cranes and Ducks, Swan Goose, White Spoonbill and Dalmatian Pelican have been recorded. Ugii lake is located 1387 meters above sea level in Ugii Nuur Soum in Arkhangai province. It covers 25 square kilometers, and is rich in Perch and Pike. Optional boat trip on the request.

Accommodation: The nomads have developed a circular felt-covered dwelling, the ger (or yurt in Turkish language), adapted to the difficult conditions of their daily life (cold, wind, sun) and easy to be moved as can be raised and dismantled in thirty to sixty minutes. The gers have beautiful carved and decorated doors south oriented. When entering into a ger airag and cheese are blown and snuff bottles are exchanged. It is very easy to meet nomads and enter into a ger, Mongolian nomads being very hospitable. Accommodation in ger camps provides a perfect balance between comfort and authenticity and allows travelers to visit remote places where no other accommodation facilities are available. The gers are clean and comfortable and furnished in traditional Mongolian style with 2-3 single beds in each ger, table and chairs, and small potbelly stove for heating. There are showers and western toilets in a separate building.

Transport by car, jeep or minibus depending on group size.

About the Mongolian traditional meal: Mongolian diet is based on dairy products and meat, especially boiled mutton, Steamed-boiled dumpling (buuz) is another varient of cooked meat and some vegetables, especailly potatoes, cabbage, carrots and onions.They serve really lovely carrot, cabbage and beet salads.

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