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Inter-Cultural Arts Exchange

Experience ancient culture as it has existed for thousands of years.
click the title in blue below to view the detailed itineraries

Naadam Festival July 9-23
Buddhist Heritage and Nomadic Culture
includes the Gobi Desert.

Attend the Nadaam Festival and tour the countryside learning about
Mongolia's nomadic culture and Buddhist history.

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.

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 iin schedules of local events.

Continue with us on the Litang Horse Festival tour of Kham, Eastern Tibet.

WESTERN MONGOLIA - SOLAR ECLIPSE TOUR- July 29-Aug 12, 2008

(888) 367-6147 - Intl (415) 381-5861
P.O. Box 446 Mill Valley, CA 94941