A Family Adventure in Mongolia

Join your guide for a visit to Choijin Lama Temple. Located between modern high rises, one of the architectural gems of Mongolia consists of a group of five temples. The Choijin Lama Temple museum houses various Buddhist artifacts dating back to the 1800s including the masterpieces of the famous Mongolian sculptor Zanabazar and the best collection of the tsam masks for the religious ceremonies in the country.

Take a stroll through Sukhbaatar Square, named in honor of the revolutionary leader who commanded the Mongolian army to fight for the nation’s independence from Manchuria with the help of Russian army in 1920s. It is also the site of the Great Khans Memorial built in celebration of the 800th anniversary of the Mongolian Empire.

Visit a nomadic family and spend an afternoon learning more about their way of life. Help to herd the animals and milk them or perhaps learn how to prepare milk tea or a dairy product.  About 30% of Mongolia’s population still lead a nomadic way of life and move from pasture to pasture living in harmony with nature and off the land.

Take a steep hike up Havsgait Mountain for panoramic views of the grasslands and to see some amazing artwork of our ancestors. Preserved at the top of the mountain are some of the precious petroglyphs of the Gobi, ancient works of art that can be clearly seen as the sun hits the rocks from the right angle. From the depictions of these petroglyphs, we can gain a better understanding of the everyday lives of the people who lived in the Gobi during the Bronze Age.

Visit the legendary Flaming Cliffs, named for the orange glow of the rock at sunset. The red sandstone of the Flaming Cliffs is rich with dinosaur fossils, and paleontological expeditions continue to make significant discoveries at this site.

Spend some time with a local nomadic family learning about their way of life. There is strong emphasis on dairy and dairy products. Every region has their own ways of making dairy products. The most common is called ‘aaruul’ or simply hardened milk curd. You can also delve into the ancient art of archery as the local family guides you through the intricacies of crafting bows and arrows.

Witness the horsemanship of the local nomads as they demonstrate how they lasso horses and ride bare back. Followed by Tinge Ilu, a game of grabbing coins from the ground while riding a horse. Another fun game is the Kizguar, a Kazakh dating horse game, where the young men and women can chase each other on horseback and be rewarded with kisses on the cheek if they fancy each other.

For over a millennium the Kazakh’s have been practicing the art of falconry, a tradition passed down from their Turkic ancestors, using golden eagles. Weighing up to fifteen pounds, the females are nearly one-third bigger than the males and their vision is eight times more acute than the human eye. Through the winter months the Kazakhs hunt foxes, rabbits and marmots, with their eagles. Learn about how they care for the eagles and see a demonstration.

Begin your day with a quick walk to the Chinggis Khan Museum, Mongolia’s newest and largest museum. The museum showcases over 10,000 cultural exhibits revealing 2,000 years of history. Then join a paleontologist for a behind-the-scenes tour of a local laboratory and examine the latest batch of dinosaur fossils excavated from the field. After lunch, head to Zanabazar Fine Arts Museum which contains one of the best collections of Buddhist art and artifacts in the world.

Visit the National Museum for an excellent overview of Mongolia’s history and culture. The newly remodeled museum displays traditional implements of daily nomadic life including Stone and Bronze Age artifacts, historical costumes of Mongolia’s minority tribes, sacred religious relics, and agricultural, fishing, and hunting equipment. Then in the evening enjoy a performance featuring traditional Mongolian dancers and khoomi throat singers, followed by farewell dinner.