MONGOLIA In Search of Dragons and Eagles: Journey to the Land of the World’s Last Nomads Mongolia is home to one of the last nomadic, horse-based cultures in the world. The spirit of adventure that lives within the people of Mongolia might best be described by a traditional proverb: “While your father is alive, know as many people as you can… while your horse is “The Grande Dame” of Women’s strong, see as many places as you can.” Adventure Travel Since 1982 Are you ready to know the people of Mongolia and to explore their 2013 ~ Celebrating 31 Years! ancient culture in one of Asia’s few remaining pristine ecosystems? Then join AdventureWomen for a luxurious journey through landscapes DATES where mounted soldiers once galloped across the the golden steppes September 30 - October 12, 2013 of the Gobi Desert with the warrior Genghis Khan, and to the Altai COST Mountains, where Kazakh hunters celebrate their traditional culture $6,395 from Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, and magnificent Golden Eagles. includes all internal airfare in Mongolia ($800 deposit) Our journey begins in Bayan-Uglii Province at the Golden Eagle RATING Festival. Each year the region's Kazakh hunters attend the festival with Moderate their Golden Eagles, known as berkut, entering them in competitions testing speed, agility, and accuracy. Ceremonies, dance performances, ACTIVITIES a parade in the provincial capital's city square, and a Kazakh play in Hiking, Cultural Exploration, Golden Eagle honor of the hunters and their eagles are among the highlights of this Festival, Camel Trekking, Sea Kayaking, Natural History, Sightseeing, Wildlife unique experience. Viewing, Birding, Photography Continuing the expedition in the vast and dramatic Gobi, we'll explore an incredible array of unforgettable landscapes, including the sand MAIN ATTRACTIONS dunes of Moltsog Els and the deep desert valley of Yol Valley National • Attend the spectacular Golden Eagle Park. We'll visit the Flaming Cliffs, the legendary site where the first Festival, with up to 60 Kazakh hunters nest of dinosaur eggs was discovered, and Tugregiin Shiree, where and their magnificent Golden Eagles. paleontologists unearthed the "Fighting Dinosaurs" fossil. We'll travel • Visit ancient monasteries and natural through the diverse and wild beauty of Mongolia’s scenic wonders in wonders, from the Gobi Desert to the comfortable 4 X 4 vehicles with knowledgeable guides, past fields of Altai Mountains in far Western Mongolia. wildflowers, snow capped mountains, alpine lakes, and towering garnet • Travel to the Flaming Cliffs, where leg- sandstone cliffs. This is truly a journey back in time to a place where endary explorer Roy Chapman Andrews more than half the population still lives on the Mongolian steppes in discovered the first nest of dinosaur eggs. lavishly decorated tents called gers. • Stay in unique accommodations from traditional Mongolian gers (yurts), to In this land of nomads, we explore the Gobi on the back of a Bactrian the luxury Three Camel Lodge, in a mag- camel, visit local families, a farm and sewing cooperative, walking in ificent Gobi setting. the wide-open countryside under immense skies. We'll explore monas- • Visit nomadic families in their gers, dec- teries, dinosaur sites in the Gobi, and dune formations called the orated with the colorful textiles of “Singing Sands.” Western Mongolia's Kazakh craftswomen. Accommodations during this trip are in 4-star hotels, charming gers, • Experience an active itinerary, with and the luxury Three Camel Wilderness Lodge Ger Camp. Meals are opportunites for beautiful hikes and prepared with fresh regional ingredients. mystical landscapes of the Gobi Desert atop a two-humped camel. Come to Mongolia with AdventureWomen and discover a beautiful, welcoming land where the rest of the world seems a million miles AdventureWomen is the oldest away. Take this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to sample life as a adventure travel company for nomad, under Mongolia’s wide, blue skies. active women over 30. ADVENTUREWOMEN, INC. | 300 RUNNING HORSE TRAIL | BOZEMAN, MONTANA 59715 EMAIL: [email protected] | WEB SITE: www.adventurewomen.com 406 587 3883 | 800 804 8686 | 406 587 9449 FAX Mongolia - In Search of Dragons and Eagles ~ 2013 2 WHAT’S INCLUDED IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT TRAVEL ARRANGEMENTS IN THE PRICE OF THIS TRIP Round-trip airfare from the U.S. to Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia is NOT • 11 days and 10 nights in Mongolia in the included in the cost of the total trip package price. best available hotels, lodges, ger camps, Your 2 internal airline flights within Mongolia (a total price of $1,115), and a luxury ger camp: double occupan- ARE included as part of your total package price of $6,395.00. cy with private baths (or western-style baths close to the gers.) You need to arrive in Ulaanbaatar, the capital of Mongolia, no later • 2 round-trip airfares from Ulaanbaatar: than the evening of October 2, 2013. to and from Ulgii in the Western Province for the Eagle Festival; to and As of June 2012, the cost of and the easiest way to get to from the Gobi Desert, Three Camel Ulaanbaatar, round trip from Los Angeles, is Korean Air (via Seoul, Lodge. (Included price for these flights Korea): $1,367.44 midweek, including all taxes and fees. is $1,115 and will remain the same even We suggest you book your international air reservations from the U.S. if the price increases.) to Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, with our travel consultant EARLY and soon • Group airport transfers upon arrival after registering for this trip, to get a good price! Please contact Ciretta and departure. Green at Montana Travel to make your airline arrangements: • All meals and sightseeing in Mongolia, from arrival to departure. 1-800-247-3538 OR FAX 1-406-586-1959 • All ground transportation within email: [email protected] Mongolia, as described in the itinerary. CANADIAN RESIDENTS, please call 406-587-1188 • All excursions, activities, entrance fees, Other gateway cities to Mongolia’s capital Ulaanbaatar are Beijing (Air and visits as described in the itinerary. China or Mongolian Airlines), and Tokyo (Mongolian Airlines). • Bottled/purified water throughout the Additionally, there are weekly flights from Berlin (Mongolian Airlines) trip. and Hong-Kong (Mongolian Airlines) as well. Due to the time differ- • The services of knowledgeable, bilingual ence, passengers originating from the USA or Europe, will have to local guides throughout our trip. leave 1-2 days prior to the trip commencement date. • One AdventureWomen trip escort. • Complimentary luggage tags and pass- Please be aware, however, that if you are traveling to Mongolia via port wallet China, you are only permitted 24 hours or less in the Beijing airport without a visa. If you plan on leaving the airport or have a layover, it is imperative that you obtain a double-entry Chinese visa in advance. HOW TO REGISTER NOT INCLUDED First, call (800-804-8686) or email ([email protected]) the AdventureWomen office to determine space availability. We will hold a • Round-trip airfare from your home- space for you for 5 days while you complete the application process, town to Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia. and make personal and travel arrangements. • Gratuities for local guides and drivers. We recommend $8/person/day for Next, complete and sign the registration form on our website by click- local guides; $3/person/day for driv- ing “Book Now” on our homepage. We can also fax or mail a registra- ers; and $1 per bag for hotel baggage tion form to you. Return the form to us by mail, fax, or scan and email, handlers. and be sure to include the required deposit that can be made by credit • A Mongolia visa is not required for cit- card (Visa, MasterCard, or Discover), personal check, money order, or izens of the United States for a stay up cashier’s check. You can also register over the phone with a credit to 90 days. For other nationalities, a card. Once we receive your deposit, we will mail you a packet of infor- visa is required and is not included in mation verifying your registration. the cost of this trip. • Any airport taxes in Mongolia. Then, call our travel consultants at Montana Travel, 800-247-3538, and • Items of a personal nature, including ask for Ciretta to make your airline reservations. alcoholic beverages, laundry, and tele- Note: We will only hold your space for 5 days without a trip application phone calls. and deposit payment! Questions? 1-800-804-8686 ~ 1-406-587-3883 (outside the US) ~ [email protected] Mongolia - In Search of Dragons and Eagles ~ 2013 3 TRAVEL DOCUMENTS, HEALTH REQUIREMENTS, AND HEALTH LIABILITY FORM INSURANCE AND FINAL PAYMENT Citizens of the United States must possess a valid passport, which Part of what ADVENTUREWOMEN, must be valid 6 months beyond your intended stay in Mongolia. If you INC. hopes to foster is the taking of do NOT have a passport, GET IT NOW! Please don’t wait until the last more self-responsibility for our own minute. You should always carry 2 extra passport photographs with lives, health, and safety. Please read the you in case of emergency (if your passport is lost or stolen.) LIABILITY FORM carefully, sign it, and return it with the remainder of your As a U.S. Citizen, you do NOT need a visa for travel into Mongolia. balance due by: Most other nationalities, including Canadian and European, DO need a JUNE 1, 2013 visa to enter Mongolia. Please let us know if you need an invitation let- CANCELLATIONS AND ter to support your visa application. REFUNDS If you are traveling through Beijing, China, you are only permitted 24 Notification of cancellations must be hours or less in the Beijing airport without a visa.