Mongolia is the Land of Eternal Blue Sky, a country of great contrasts and vast natural reserves. There is nothing to limit the view; from any point, only the horizon can be seen — the green of the steppe plains and the deep blue of the sky — both colors merging so far away that it is possible to perceive the curvature of the earth.
We will begin the route in Ulaanbaatar, the capital of Mongolia, with reception by the Samar Magic Tours team. Then, departing toward the West to attend an Authentic Mongolian Nomadic Show, which demonstrates the traditional lifestyle of Mongolia’s nomads — the breeding and use of five types of livestock, moving from place to place using ox carts, yaks, camels, and horses.
At the scheduled time, meeting with Samar Magic Tours at the hotel reception (*rooms must be vacated by 12:00 noon). Transfer to the new “Genghis” Khan Airport in Ulaanbaatar. Included flight Ulaanbaatar/Murun. Domestic flights pending final schedule. Meeting at Murun local airport with the local vehicle and private transfer to the Great Khuvsgul Lake National Park, crossing the city of Murun, capital of Khuvsgul Province (a town of only about 28,000 inhabitants, at an elevation of 1,283 m above sea level). The Great Khuvsgul Lake, bordering Siberia, is Mongolia’s Paradise or Mother Lake due to its great beauty. This is a magnificent and vast blue lake, surrounded by dense Siberian forests and abundant wildlife. The water is so clear that it is perfectly drinkable; mountains everywhere (about 2,000), fresh pine forests, and graceful yaks and horses galloping elegantly. There we will meet the Tsaatan, better known as the Reindeer Nomads (some are powerful shamans), since they mainly breed these animals for their meat and hides. Mongolian shamanism, broadly understood as Mongolia’s folk religion and sometimes also called Tengrism, refers to the ethnic animist and shamanic religion historically practiced in Mongolia.
Tuva became independent in 1921, when Mongolia achieved independence. The Tsaatan people fled from the city of Tuva at the outbreak of World War II, when Tuva was annexed by the Soviet Union in 1944. The tribe settled in Mongolia because of food shortages caused by the war — domestic animals were confiscated by the Soviet Union, among other reasons.
The Tsaatan practice shamanism, a religion based on the worship of nature. The tribe believes that the souls of their ancestors live in the forest, guiding the living. They worship shamans, whom they call “Boo,” and follow many sacred texts and different teachings in their daily lives, such as hunting or driving away rain.
In the second part of this great circuit, depart in the N/E direction to visit the 40-meter / ~133.3 ft Equestrian Statue of Genghis Khan on horseback. The statue symbolically points east toward his birthplace. It is located atop the Genghis Khan Statue Complex, a visitor center 10 meters (32 ft 10 in) high, with 36 columns representing the 36 khans from Genghis Khan to Ligdan Khan. Visitors walk up to the horse’s head through its chest and neck, where they can enjoy a panoramic view. Then, departure toward the Gorkhi-Terelj National Park, located in the N/E at 1600m above sea level, with high Mesozoic granite rocks, mountains, steppes, alpine forests, and large rock formations of curious shapes from the Mesozoic era, such as the Turtle Rock, etc.
Next, departure toward Karakorum (Central Mongolia), the ancient capital of the Mongol Empire, where ‘Genghis’ Khan began the construction of the capital in the year 1220 (later destroyed by the Manchu soldiers). Here, we will visit the Monument to the Mongol States, located on a hill overlooking the city of Karakorum (Kharkhorin), on the bank of the Orkhon River. It was built in 2004. The monument consists of a large pile of stones (a shamanic ovoo) carefully assembled in a conical shape, roughly the size of a tipi, with nine poles protruding from the top. This structure is mounted on a stone and concrete platform and is surrounded by three walls representing three sections of a circle. The outer sides of these walls feature three colorful mosaics representing three maps, one for each empire.
- First, there was the Xiongnu Empire, a confederation of nomadic tribes that lived on the steppes from approximately the 3rd century BC to the 1st century AD.
- Then followed the Turkic Khaganate Empire, established by the Göktürks in 682 and lasting only until 744.
- Finally, and most famously, Genghis Khan founded the Mongol Empire in the 13th and 14th centuries.
The iconic place of the Mongol Empire in culture, combined with the shamanic symbolism of the ovoo in the center of the monument, encourages people to leave offerings of vodka, milk, tea, rice, and other edible treats that inevitably attract birds and the occasional herd of passing goats and sheep. Several animal skulls can also be found around the monument, completing the surreal scene. It is no coincidence that the Imperial Map Monument is located in Kharkhorin, as this city (then called Karakorum) was the capital of the Mongol Empire under the successor of “Genghis” Khan, Ogedei Khan. The Imperial Map Monument is a great viewpoint to contemplate the city of Kharkhorin and the Orkhon River, and to imagine what this collection of dirt roads and low buildings might have looked like in its days of glory.
Next, visits to the Erdene Zuu Monastery (One Hundred Treasures), the Turtle Monument, and the Karakorum Museum, to see relics of the ancient capital of the Mongol Empire. The Erdene Zuu Buddhist Monastery, with its 108 stupas and first Buddhist Lamasery (16th century), was the most important religious center. Today, it remains an impressive sight, with its walls, stupas, and temples occupying an enclosure of 400 square meters, surrounded by the steppe. Construction was continued by his son Ogedei Khan after his death. Forty years later, Kublai Khan (grandson of Genghis Khan and host of Marco Polo) moved the capital of the Empire to Beijing (Yuan Dynasty).
We continue the route toward the Elsen Tasarkhai dunes (known as the Bayangobi Desert). These desert sand dunes extend for 80 km across a beautiful valley. Opportunity for hiking, walking along the dunes, and photographing the landscapes. Included excursion to ride the Bactrian camels across the dunes. Finally, return to Ulaanbaatar for last-minute shopping.
A large part of the Mongolian population remains nomadic, moving from place to place on horseback, camel, or yak, with their Gers and herds, and the occasional encounter with one of these families and their way of life is an unforgettable experience. We emphasize that, to fully enjoy this experience, one must accept in advance the conditions mentioned earlier, renounce some preconceived ideas of how things should be according to our mindset, and remain open to what this country can offer.
