Siberia & Mongolia
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photo: Helge Pedersen Siberia & Mongolia: Spirits & Nomads 2020 ! Siberia & Mongolia: Spirits & Nomads The Gobi Desert, A Country Naadam Celebration, Lake Baikal One departure in 2020 – Cultural Series – 16 Days June 16-July 1 Beautiful and exotic, Siberia and Mongolia are worlds away from the traditional beaten path. Start in Mongolia with the country’s capital, Ulaanbaatar, a rich repository of Buddhist art and culture. Roam the legendary Gobi Desert, the natural habitat of gazelles, snow leopards, Bactrian camels and eagles, and experience traditional ger living in a nomadic herder’s home in the heart of Mongolia. In the desert, witness a celebration of Mongolia’s independence and a demonstration of its strong cultural heritage at a local Naadam celebration. Then cross into the Russian taiga’s unbroken forest to visit Siberia’s deep UNESCO-listed Lake Baikal, teeming with unusual marine life. Start at the western shore of Lake Baikal and explore charming Listvyanka Village and Irkutsk, home to early political exiles. Journey along a scenic leg of the world-famous Trans-Siberian Railway on a day’s trip to Ulan Ude, capital of the Buryat Republic and center of Buddhism in Russia. Stay at local homes in the timber town of Ust-Barguzin, and explore the beautiful islands and hidden coves of Chivirkuy Bay. Head to Olkhon Island by boat, searching for elusive freshwater seals; and from there back to Irkutsk to celebrate the journey. © 1996-2020 MIR Corporation 85 South Washington St, Ste. 210, Seattle, WA 98104 • 206-624-7289 • 206-624-7360 FAX • [email protected] 2 Daily Itinerary Day 1, Tuesday, June 16 Arrive Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia Day 2, Wednesday, June 17 Ulaanbaatar Day 3, Thursday, June 18 Ulaanbaatar • fly to Gobi Desert • Flaming Cliffs Day 4, Friday, June 19 Gobi Desert • Yolyn Am Canyon • Moltsog Els Day 5, Saturday, June 20 Gobi Desert • Country Naadam Day 6, Sunday, June 21 Gobi Desert • fly to Ulaanbaatar Day 7, Monday, June 22 Ulaanbaatar • fly to Irkutsk, Russia Day 8, Tuesday, June 23 Irkutsk Day 9, Wednesday, June 24 Irkutsk • Old Railway by boat • Listvyanka Day 10, Thursday, June 25 Listvyanka Day 11, Friday, June 26 Listvyanka • Irkutsk • aboard the Trans-Siberian • Ulan Ude Day 12, Saturday, June 27 Ulan Ude Day 13, Sunday, June 28 Ulan Ude • Ust-Barguzin Day 14, Monday, June 29 Ust-Barguzin • Chivirkuy Bay and Ushkaniye Islands • boat to Olkhon Island Day 15, Tuesday, June 30 Olkhon Island • Irkutsk Day 16, Wednesday, July 1 Depart Irkutsk © 1996-2020 MIR Corporation 85 South Washington St, Ste. 210, Seattle, WA 98104 • 206-624-7289 • 206-624-7360 FAX • [email protected] 3 MIR Signature Experiences • Celebrate your journey with a festive welcome dinner, Mongolian-style. • Thrill to the eerie and other-worldly sound of Mongolian throat-singing. • Spend three nights at the award-winning Three Camel Lodge in a traditional nomadic-style ger, with the vast expanse of the Gobi at your doorstep. • Witness a local country Naadam celebration, a tribute to strength, dexterity and marksmanship. • Breathe in the astounding beauty of UNESCO-listed Baikal, a lake so vast that locals commonly refer to it as “the sea.” • Visit a local village training center for Siberian Huskies: meet the trainers and learn more about these wonderful animals. • Climb to the top of the bell-tower of an Irkutsk church and enjoy a concert of chimes by a master bell- ringer. • Ride a segment of the famous Trans-Siberian Railway along the route from Irkutsk to Ulan Ude, center of Buddhism in Russia. • Board a private boat for a cruise along the spectacular old Circumbaikal Railway. • Visit a Siberian village to hear the powerful centuries-old songs of the Old Believers and learn about their unique traditions. • Spend a night in the home of a local Siberian family, and enjoy Russian hospitality at its finest. • Search for the elusive nerpa, the freshwater seal, on Lake Baikal. • Explore the beauty of Olkhon Island, the largest island in the world’s deepest and oldest lake, Baikal. Tour Highlights Ulaanbaatar Bogd Khaan Winter Palace Museum, Gandan Monastery, National Mu- seum of Mongolia, cultural performance of traditional music and dance Gorkhi-Terelj National Park Time-permitting visit – beautiful alpine steppe landscapes Gobi Desert Country Naadam celebration, Flaming Cliffs, Togrogiin Shiree (Fighting Dinosaurs), Moltsog Els, Yolyn Am Canyon, deluxe en suite accommodations at the award-winning Three Camel Lodge ger camp Irkutsk Decembrist Museum with concert, traditional wooden houses, Znamensky Convent, Church of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross and its bell tower, concert of chimes by a master bell-ringer. Lake Baikal Oldest and deepest lake on earth (UNESCO World Heritage Site) Listvyanka Baikal Museum, Museum of Wooden Architecture, Husky Hut, Chersky Mount Trans-Siberian Railway Ride a small section of the legendary railway Irkutsk-Ulan Ude through the Russian taiga Ulan Ude World’s largest Lenin head statue, Trans-Baikal Semeiskie - Russian Old Believers (UNESCO List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity), Ivolginsk Datsan (Buddhist monastery), Ethnographic Museum of Transbaikal Peoples Ust-Barguzin Chivirkuy Bay, homestay with local Siberian families Ushkaniye Islands Home to nerpa, unique freshwater seals found only in Lake Baikal Olkhon Island Khuzhir Village, Shaman Cape © 1996-2020 MIR Corporation 85 South Washington St, Ste. 210, Seattle, WA 98104 • 206-624-7289 • 206-624-7360 FAX • [email protected] 4 Daily Itinerary Day One, Tuesday, June 16 Arrive Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia Arrive in Ulaanbaatar and check in to your hotel after your arrival transfer from the airport. Today is left completely free as an arrival day, with no activities planned. Touring will begin on Day 2 around 9:00 a.m. Meals: Independent/En route – Best Western Tuushin Hotel or similar Day Two, Wednesday, June 17 Ulaanbaatar After breakfast, set out to explore Ulaanbaatar, the political, industrial and cultural heart of Mongolia. Located in a basin 5,000 feet above sea level, Ulaanbaatar is surrounded by the beautiful Khan Khentii Mountains. To nomadic Mongolians, the concept of a settlement or city is a fairly new one. Ulaanbaatar, meaning “Red Hero,” was established just over 350 years ago, quickly becoming an important trade and commercial center on the tea route between China and Russia. Begin the day’s touring with a visit to Gandan (Gandantegchinlen) Monastery on Dalkha Hill, originally founded in 1838. Until then most of Mongolia’s monasteries had been small, mobile organizations that moved with the nomads. Meaning “Great Place of Complete Joy,” the monastery was badly damaged during the 1930 Stalinist repressions, but the main temple was allowed to remain as a showcase for foreigners. Today this temple houses a 20-ton gilded statue of “The Lord Who Looks in Every Direction,” created in the 1990s to replace the one destroyed in 1937. After lunch, continue touring Ulaanbaatar, including the National Museum of Mongolia. This fascinating museum provides a comprehensive look into the steppe nomad’s history and culture ranging from the dawn of humanity through the incredible empire of Genghis Khan and on to the present day. The updated museum displays traditional implements of daily nomadic life, including Stone Age tools and enigmatic Bronze Age “deer stones,” authentic costumes and ornaments of Mongolia's minority tribes, sacred relics, and agricultural, fishing and hunting equipment, including the type of bow that Genghis Khan’s warriors made such deadly use of. © 1996-2020 MIR Corporation 85 South Washington St, Ste. 210, Seattle, WA 98104 • 206-624-7289 • 206-624-7360 FAX • [email protected] 5 Make a visit to the Bogd Khaan Winter Palace Museum. Mongolia’s last Bogd Khaan, or Living Buddha, lived for 20 years in this compound, built between 1893 and 1903. Unlike other old sites in Ulaanbaatar, this one escaped destruction in the 1930s Stalinist purges. Six temples remain, as does a ceremonial gate built without the use of nails. On display are many of the gifts presented to the Bogd Khaan. This evening, get together for a festive welcome dinner to celebrate the start of the trip. Meals: B, L, D – Best Western Tuushin Hotel or similar Day Three, Thursday, June 18 Ulaanbaatar • fly to Gobi Desert • Flaming Cliffs After breakfast, leave Ulaanbaatar for the flight to Dalanzadgad and the fabled Gobi Desert. The most likely flight time is this morning, though schedules in Mongolia are rather unpredictable. A morning flight allows time for touring on arrival in the Gobi. If using an afternoon flight, we may have the opportunity this morning to visit Gorkhi-Terelj National Park, with a quick stop to see the giant 131-foot stainless-steel-clad equestrian statue of Genghis Khan, an unforgettable sight. Fly to the Gobi Desert, stretching for 3,000 miles along the border of Mongolia and China, and harboring sites of some of the most important paleontological discoveries of the 20th century. Note the open landscapes dotted with hardy desert plants that serve as forage for wild Bactrian camels, Argali mountain sheep and goitered gazelle. This part of the Gobi is also home to golden eagles, saker falcons, jerboas (similar to kangaroo rats), and many endemic reptiles, and the surrounding mountains are home to some of the Northern Hemisphere’s rarest mammals, such as the dhole, snow leopard, and Gobi bear. Upon arrival in Dalanzadgad, transfer to Three Camel Lodge ger camp. Sheltered under a volcanic outcrop where ancient people carved their petroglyphs, Three Camel Lodge ger camp offers an authentic Mongolian experience. Mongolia’s premier eco-lodge, the ger camp makes use of Mongolia’s most abundant resources – wind and sun. Local artisans followed the canons of Mongolian Buddhist architecture in constructing the main lodge, without a single nail. Travelers sleep in traditional felt gers, each with an unobstructed view of the Gobi and the heights of the Gobi-Altai Mountains beyond.