Simply Beautiful
Tour 241
"Simply beautiful", is the right description for a region in Mongolia that harbors many surprises. The northwest of Mongolia belongs to the areas that are very little developed for tourism. In the west it is completely surrounded by Altai Mountains with its foothills and in the east it is bordered by the Archangai Mountains. The closed location has preserved this region in its originality.
Nowhere in Mongolia can you find the different landscapes so close and compressed in one region, as in the Zavkhan Aimag. Here the highest mountains border on the largest desert areas of Mongolia. Then again the change to the grass steppe, with its gentle hills and far reaching valleys.
“Simply beautiful”, is the right description for a region in Mongolia that harbors many surprises. The northwest of Mongolia belongs to the areas that are very little developed for tourism. In the west it is completely surrounded by Altai Mountains with its foothills and in the east it is bordered by the Archangai Mountains. The closed location has preserved this region in its originality.
Nowhere else in Mongolia, you can find the different landscapes so close and compressed in one region. Here the highest mountains border on the largest desert areas of Mongolia. Then again the change to the grass steppe, with its gentle hills and wide reaching valleys.
The forgotten desert in the middle of Mongolia. The desert fan gets his money’s worth here, even more than in the Gobi. In central Mongolia, there are the largest and most extensive sand fields in Central Asia. We will explore parts of them by camel.
Another special feature, are the desert lakes, partly completely enclosed by sand and without drainage. Some of them are difficult to access and therefore one of the last untouched retreats for different bird species. The largest of these lakes is the Uvs nuur with an area of about 3,350 square kilometers (Lake Constance about 540 square kilometers). Ornithologists count up to 200 different bird species at the lake. The salt concentration in the Uvs nuur is about 5 times higher than in the Pacific.
The region is bordered to the east by the highest mountains of the Archangai range. The “Otgon Tenger” (4.008 mtr) is the highest mountain in the Archangai and also an important religious place. Here we will meet the Otgon Tenger (youngest son of heaven) and we will explore the region on foot and by horse.
Ultimately, I can recommend this trip to all Mongolian guests who like to move in the untouched landscape, who enjoy exploring a region that really has not yet been conquered by mass tourism. On this trip, we deliberately avoid the “tourist Mongolian classics” such as Karakorum and the Gobi, in order to have more time for a unique nature, landscape and its inhabitants. The trip is also varied in that we will not only be on the road by jeep, but the combination of hiking, horse, camel and jeep promises a lot of variety.
Translated with www.DeepL.com/Translator (free version)
| 1.Day | Arrival in Ulaanbaatar, airport transfer, check-in at hotel, program briefing. After that we will visit Ulaanbaatar. You will visit the famous Gandan Monastery with the 27 mtr high Buddha statue. The monastery museum of the Tschojdshjin – Lama, the important Lama in the history of Mongolian Buddhism and a small city tour are also on the program. In the evening you will visit a folklore performance with traditional musical instruments, snake girls and the famous throat singing. |
| 2.Day | Early morning airport transfer and about two hours domestic flight to Ulaangom (Red Valley). Ulaangom is our starting point for exploring the Uvs Nuur depression. Ulaangom is only 936 m high and therefore one of the lowest points in Mongolia. After the domestic flight, sightseeing, there is a small museum with exhibits from the animal / plant world of the area and from a burial chamber found nearby. Then drive to the nearby Uvs nuur. |
| 3.Day | In the morning, we explore the Uvs nuur with its diverse bird life. The lake is highly saline and an important resting place for many migratory birds. Often you can also meet herds of cattle breeders, who cover the salt needs of their animals. The Uvs nuur has been included in the UNSECO World Heritage List. The region includes 12 independent nature reserves, is transboundary between Mongolia and Russia. The region is characterized by the fact that all landscape and vegetation zones of Central Asia are found here densely packed. Continuation to the northernmost sand dune area on earth, to "Böörög Deliyn Els". In the middle of this large sand dune is the Bayan nuur, on the edge of which we will spend the night. |
| 4.Day | In the morning we have time to walk along the shore of Bayan nuur before we continue south to Hyargas Nuur. We will drive through the typical Mongolian grass steppe. We will cross the Hanhohiynnuruu Mountains. Hyargas Nuur is a slightly saline, drainless lake that gets its water from the Zavhan River. On the eastern shore there is a yurt camp, which we will head for the night. |
| 5.Day | Today we have time to explore Hyargas Nuur at our leisure. The surrounding area is home to many salt-loving (halophyte) plant species and home to some rare birds. Many interesting salt deposits can be found on the shore. Of course, we also have time to stop by one of the nomadic families living on the shore. |
| 6.Day | We leave Hyargas Nuur in the morning to drive into the westernmost desert area of Mongolia. From the lake we first drive over sandy passages for a while, and then enter the Mongolian grass steppe again. Our first destination is the small village of Urgamal, where we can replenish our supplies. Now we continue on the southern side of the Bor Hyary Els sand dunes. However, we are separated from the huge dunes by the Hungiy Goll River. Between these dunes and the river, a constant battle rages. The drifting sand, brought from the vastness of the Gobi, keeps filling up the riverbed, but the sand is always carried away by the river. |
| 7.Day | Today we visit in the middle of the sand dunes a small natural spectacle, the sources of the Mukhartiin river. In the middle of the large sand field of Bor Hyary Els, this river rises with a 20 mtr. wide spring lake. |
| 8.Day | Excursions at Har Nuur, a lake surrounded only by sand dunes on almost three sides. The Char Nuur, (Mongolian Хар нуур, Black Lake) is located in western Mongolia, on the southeastern edge of the "Great Lakes Basin". |
| 9.Day | Through vast grasslands, the road leads us to the western edge of the Archahgai Mountains and to the district capital of Uliastai. In the afternoon, arrival in Uliasatai and visit of the big "Ovoos" , which towers over the town. Optionally, we can also visit the regional district museum, with exhibits from the area. |
| 10.Day | In the morning we will leave for Otgon Tenger. Halfway to the summit we will set up our camp. Around noon, we will set out for a hike of several hours to Ho Nuur, a very clear mountain lake that can only be reached on foot. The path leads us through larch forests. With a little luck, our guide will catch some trout in the clear mountain stream, which are very abundant here, for the evening meal. |
| 11.Day | In the morning we will take over from our horse guide, the horses for the ride in the direction of Otgon Tenger. After getting used to each other, or better the animals, we start the ride. The route leads us in the first time always along the Zavhan River, alternately through larch forests and mountain grasslands. Gradually the tree cover decreases and we reach the treeless tundra region of Otgon Tengers. After reaching the summit, we set up our camp at the source lake of the Zavhan River, which is located a little below the summit. |
| 12.Day | Ride back towards our "base camp". Towards afternoon we will say goodbye to our horse guide and we will go back by jeep to Ulaistai, which we will reach in the late afternoon. |
| 13.Day | In the morning, airport transfer to Uliastai airport. Due to the mountainous location of Ulaistai, the airport is about 45 minutes drive from the city. Domestic flight about two hours to Ulaanbaatar, airport transfer and the rest of the afternoon at leisure. |
| 14.Day | Early, airport transfer and return flight |
| *) Program and route may be subject to change. The itinerary as sent in the booking confirmation is binding. | |
| Service specification overview | |||||||||
| Category | |||||||||
| Travel time and overnight stay | A | B | C | D | Transport | ||||
| Travel time in the country | 14 Days | Int. flights | – | ||||||
| Hotel twin | – | – | – | 3 | Int. Rail journey | – | |||
| Guesthouse | – | – | 2 | – | Domestic flight | ✔ | |||
| Gercamp Twin | – | – | 2 | 2 | Domestic bus trip | – | |||
| Guest ger b.Nomads | – | 3 | 1 | – | Off-road vehicle | ✔ | |||
| Tent | 11 | 8 | 8 | 8 | Motorcycles BMW 650 | – | |||
| Self-organized | 2 | 2 | – | – | Mountainbike | – | |||
| Support vehicle | – | ||||||||
| Food service | A | B | C | D | Horses | ✔ | |||
| Restaurant Ulaanbaatar | – | – | – | 1 | Camel | – | |||
| Breakfast | 11 | 11 | 11 | 13 | Yack trolley | – | |||
| Lunch | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 | |||||
| Dinner | 11 | 11 | 11 | 11 | Optional Prices on request | ||||
| Self-organized | 5 | 5 | 5 | 2 | Int. flights | – | |||
| Business Class | – | ||||||||
| Service | A | B | C | D | Single room | – | |||
| Breakfast b. Arrival | – | – | – | ✔ | Single ger | – | |||
| Citytour Ulaanbaatar | – | – | ✔ | ✔ | Single ger | – | |||
| Airp.-/Train station transfer | – | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | LUX ger | – | |||
| Guide | ✔ | Off-road vehicle westl. | – | ||||||
| Entrance fees museums | ✔ | Veg. Food flight | – | ||||||
| Entries Nat.parks | ✔ | Veg. Food on the way | – | ||||||
| Entrance Nadaam festival | – | Cancellation insurance | – | ||||||
| Photo/film fees | – | ||||||||
| Alcoholic drinks | – | ||||||||
| 2 l drinking water p. day | ✔ | ||||||||
| Date 2022 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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