• Food
• Transportation
• Accommodation

Archaeological evidence from petroglyphs suggests that early in the Bronze Age, the inhabitants of the Altai mountains depended primarily on hunting and fishing, only gradually shifting to a greater dependency on the herding of small and large animals. These included sheep and goats, horses, cattle and, at higher elevations, yak. Bactrian camels seem to have entered the life of the herders in this part of Mongolia only at the end of the Bronze Age.

By approximately 3000 years before the present, quasi-sedentary pastoralism was gradually replaced by semi-nomadic, horse-dependent herding involving periodic movement up the long valleys leading to the rich grassland of higher elevations and then, in cold months, down to the protection offered by lower elevation

The Kazakh ger (yurt) is bigger than the Mongolian ger, and it’s measured by the number of poles. The minimum size would be 60 to 70 poles, the largest, 80 to 100 poles. In ancient times, some wealthy families lived in gers that had 150 poles and big walls.

It was difficult to get the poles into the right position, so people often rode horses while setting it up. Kazakh gers are extravagantly decorated with hand stitched embroidery done by women.

Today, we will drive about 120 km (4-5h) to the west towards TAVAN-BOGD National Park, through Ulaanhus and Tsengel Valleys.
Along the way, we’ll stop by ancient burial sites that date back 4000 years. Some of them have been excavated by archaeologists and still remain open.

We’ll travel to the edge of Lake Khoton, near where it joins with Lake Khurgan, in an area known as Sirgali. Snow caps with lurch tree forests below, crystal clean lakes surrounded with the whistles of herders herding their livestock, and the delighted screams of children playing with their horses makes this area one of the most beautiful parts of this trip. It is also a good place for bird watching and fishing.

We visit a nomadic Kazah family and will stay for 2-nights. You will be introduced by Kazakh culture, working with the animals, making dairy products. Also you will be involved for herding animals. Mattresses and blankets will be provided.
Overnight in a Ger (Yurt)

Include

• B-L-D
• Food
• Transportation
• Accommodation

Today we will spend the day with a Kazakh family. We’ll get up at the same time as our nomadic friends and experience milking cows, goats, and sheep alongside them. There will be plenty to see and do, including riding with Kazakh herdsmen, watching how they take care of their animals, helping them process dairy products and sampling their traditional food.

Here, you will have a chance to taste homemade yak cheese and yogurt. Explore the authentic way of living in a regular nomadic family and personally experience their friendliness and hospitality.

We will also enjoy time with an eagle hunter today. The tradition of hunting with Eagles goes back thousands of years in Central Asia. Summertime is not an eagle hunting season but the hunter will show us his training methods and you will be introduced to the art of eagle hunting through your interpreter. You will also see how Kazakh embroidery is made.

After lunch, we’ll ride horses and visit another nomadic family. We’ll stay with the family for a while before heading back. For dinner we’ll have a big bowl of stewed mutton including horsemeat sausage, potatoes and homemade folded noodles sprinkled with small pieces of carrot and onion. This dish is called ‘Besbarmah’ in Kazakh, meaning ‘Five fingers’ because the meal is eaten with the hand.

Include

• B-L-D
• Food
• Transportation
• Accommodation