{"ID":1022,"post_date":"2024-02-22 16:44:28","post_parent":0,"post_title":"Why join us for the Naadam Festival?","post_status":"publish","post_type":"post","post_name":"why-join-us-for-the-naadam-festival","image":{"width":1333,"height":1000,"src":"https:\/\/admin.absolutenomads.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Russian-Trucks-1.jpg"},"post_content":"

Beyond the Steppe: Naadam Festival Tour<\/strong><\/p>\r\n

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Why visit Mongolia? Well, if you\u2019re looking for a reason to travel to this incredible beautiful country filled with nomadic herders, snow-capped mountains, vast deserts, and never-ending steppe, then look no further than our Beyond the Steppe tour which will whisk you around the most beautiful parts of Mongolia, culminating with the famed Naadam Festival.<\/p>\r\n

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Mongolia was voted the top place to visit by the Lonely Planet, and for good reason. With such a vast and varied country, there\u2019s something for everyone \u2013 so much in fact, it\u2019s almost impossible to encapsulate it all in one adventure.<\/p>\r\n

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However, that\u2019s exactly what we\u2019ve done here \u2013 taken all the highlights of Mongolia, and wrapped them up into one action-packed adventure, delving deep into the heart of a country which is known by many as the \u2018Outdoor Capital of the World\u2019.<\/p>\r\n

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So, if you want to experience ankle-bone shooting, taste the traditional foods of nomadic herders, and camp alongside the crystalline waters of one of Mongolia\u2019s most beautiful lakes \u2013 look no further, because this is the adventure for you!<\/p>\r\n

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Mongolia in Summer<\/strong><\/p>\r\n

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Mongolia is known by many names worldwide, but it\u2019s picked up two particular monikers.<\/p>\r\n

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\u2018The Outdoor Capital of the World\u2019 and the \u2018Land of the Blue Sky\u2019 might give you the idea that Mongolia is the perfect summer getaway, and you\u2019d be right.<\/p>\r\n

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Throughout the summer, the country boasts reliably warm temperatures and clear skies, making it an ideal destination for your adventures through June, July, and August. This is the most popular time to visit the country, and so that\u2019s why we make sure we\u2019re far off the beaten track during this time, exploring areas that very few other foreign travellers get to.<\/p>\r\n

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If you\u2019ve been perusing the internet looking for a Mongolian adventure, you\u2019ll notice very few trips run over the winter \u2013 that\u2019s because, despite the glorious summers, the winter in Mongolia is particularly harsh, with temperatures dipping below -40*C on some occasions, so we\u2019d recommend steering clear of any winter holidays to the country (unless you\u2019re searching for Snow Leopards that is!).<\/p>\r\n

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Where We Go & Why We Do It<\/strong><\/p>\r\n

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Another thing you might have noticed if you\u2019ve been scouting around for a trip to Mongolia, is how many trips cover the same areas. Spend a day in the capital, head down through Central Mongolia, travel through the Gobi, and then head back to the capital. This is a popular route, although we feel that there\u2019s more to offer \u2013 especially during the height of summer, and during festival season!<\/p>\r\n

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On our summer trip, we\u2019ll spend a couple of days in the capital, Ulaanbaatar, before boarding a flight which will take us to the far west of the country and the provinces of Khovd and Bayan Olgii \u2013 often considered by Mongolians and foreigners alike to be the most naturally beautiful parts of Mongolia. That\u2019s high praise, considering almost all of the country is untouched wilderness!<\/p>\r\n

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We\u2019ve been running tours to this region for over 15 years, and in that time, we have created the perfect recipe for a full-on Mongolian adventure \u2013 wrapping up all the highlights into one spectacular expedition.<\/p>\r\n

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On a personal note, as a small family company, we also have links to Khovd itself, with family members either coming from or still living there; this has given us fantastic footing in the region, which we have leveraged to create something truly unique. Along the way, we\u2019ve also built up an extraordinary cast of friends and partners across the Far West who make our trips run seamlessly and are always looking for anything new to add to the itinerary.<\/p>\r\n

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In short, we travel there because we love it. The adventure, the relaxing scenery, the beautiful landscapes \u2013 it really does have everything. The perfect recipe for an authentic Mongolian experience.<\/p>\r\n

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Hitting the Highlights<\/strong><\/p>\r\n

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It\u2019s a clich\u00e9 to say we head off the beaten track, but nowhere is that more true than here. However, despite travelling far beyond where others dare, we make sure to hit the highlights; we know there are some things that a visit to Mongolia simply must include, so we make sure to weave those experiences into the heart of our plan.<\/p>\r\n

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For most of the trip, we\u2019ll be camping alongside local nomad families \u2013 staying in our own tents so as not to intrude on their lives, but spending time living alongside them, helping with their daily tasks, and getting a real sense of what it\u2019s like living as a true nomad.<\/p>\r\n

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Often, we\u2019ll serve as entertainment for them. A local family can easily erect their home tent, known as a Ger to Mongolians and a Yurt to Kazakhs, in around 25-30 minutes; you can imagine their enjoyment watching us spending far longer attempting to erect our North Face tents next door to them. However, they don\u2019t hold this against us and often invite us in for evening meals or a plethora of traditional tasty snacks.<\/p>\r\n

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One of the best things about the Mongolian countryside is how friendly the people are \u2013 you will never meet a more charming and hospitable people anywhere in the world, so I have no doubt you\u2019ll leave Mongolia with a stomach full of snacks!<\/p>\r\n

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We\u2019ll also have the chance to ride horses \u2013 this is an optional activity that gives us the chance to travel as the locals travel, and how their ancestors travelled across this vast land for thousands of years before them.<\/p>\r\n

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Hiking is another opportunity we\u2019ll have out in this wide open wilderness \u2013 whether it\u2019s spending free time hiking along a river or stream, or hiking up to the peak of the mighty Potanin Glacier \u2013 we certainly won\u2019t miss an opportunity to get out of our trusty trucks and stretch our legs across the Mongolian steppe.<\/p>\r\n

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This area is famed for its incredible mountains, fast-flowing rivers, and gorgeous lakes. We\u2019ll also spend time on the famous Mongolian steppe, which dominates much of the countryside and truly makes the intrepid adventurer feel as though they\u2019re on a completely different planet.<\/p>\r\n

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We\u2019ll top this adventure off with a visit to the traditional Naadam Festival, the culmination of our expedition and the most important day in the local calendar.<\/p>\r\n

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Naadam in the West<\/strong><\/p>\r\n

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The Naadam Festival in Mongolia is the most important celebration in the country. Traditionally, nomadic families would spend all their time isolated, tens, if not hundreds of miles from their nearest neighbours. Naadam was the annual opportunity to meet in one place; families would play sports, younger people would dress to impress in the hope of finding a partner, and older people would spend the day eating, drinking, and enjoying the displays of sporting prowess.<\/p>\r\n

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Many foreigners descend on Ulaanbaatar every year for Naadam \u2013 however, at the same time, hundreds of thousands of Mongolians flee the hustle and bustle of the city, instead choosing to celebrate with family in the countryside. Naadam in the capital has become a tourist trap, with spectators confined to their seats as they watch the sports in a stadium \u2013 this is not what Naadam is to the local people.<\/p>\r\n

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Instead, we\u2019ll arrive in Khovd the night before the celebrations begin and be there for the opening ceremony. Whilst we\u2019re still in a stadium (albeit one much smaller and cosier than the capital), we\u2019re not confined to seats, in fact, very few people will be sitting down. Instead, you\u2019re free to spend your day wandering around, watching sports, meeting locals and trying local delicacies.<\/p>\r\n

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The centrepiece of the celebration will be the so-called \u2018Three Manly Sports\u2019 of wrestling, archery, and horse-riding. On top of those incredible spectator sports, ankle-bone shooting, where locals fire sheep's ankle-bones towards a target using small, powerful catapults, is available to watch and maybe even try!<\/p>\r\n

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Explore the Gobi Desert<\/strong><\/p>\r\n

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Once you reach the end of this adventure, you\u2019ll have truly experienced an authentic Mongolian adventure. However, if you\u2019re not done yet \u2013 join our \u2018Explore the Gobi Desert\u2019 tour which picks up where the summer tour leaves off and heads down south into the Gobi Desert where we\u2019ll explore vulture-filled canyons, mammoth sand dunes dominating the horizon, and flaming cliffs home to the remains of countless dinosaurs.<\/p>\r\n

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I hope to see you in Mongolia!<\/p>","category":[1],"short_description":"Why visit Mongolia? Well, if you\u2019re looking for a reason to travel to this incredible beautiful country filled with nomadic herders, snow-capped mountains, vast deserts, and never-ending steppe, then look no further than our Beyond the Steppe tour which will whisk you around the most beautiful parts of Mongolia, culminating with the famed Naadam Festival.","event_date":"","event_link":"","cats":[1],"meta":{"short_description":"Why visit Mongolia? Well, if you\u2019re looking for a reason to travel to this incredible beautiful country filled with nomadic herders, snow-capped mountains, vast deserts, and never-ending steppe, then look no further than our Beyond the Steppe tour which will whisk you around the most beautiful parts of Mongolia, culminating with the famed Naadam Festival.","video":"","event_date":"","event_end_date":"","event_link":""},"posts":[{"ID":921,"post_date":"2024-01-26 14:04:31","post_parent":0,"post_title":"Mongolian Food: Delicious or Scary","post_status":"publish","post_type":"post","post_name":"mongolian-food-delicious-or-scary","image":{"width":450,"height":300,"src":"https:\/\/admin.absolutenomads.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/4-10-450x300.jpeg"},"desc":"The majority of traditional Mongolian food is meat-based since meat is traditionally considered the perfect source of protein during the long, harsh winter months. Vegetables and other crops are also challenging to grow throughout much of the country.","video":"","category":[1],"short_description":"The majority of traditional Mongolian food is meat-based since meat is traditionally considered the perfect source of protein during the long, harsh winter months. Vegetables and other crops are also challenging to grow throughout much of the country.","event_date":"","event_link":""},{"ID":918,"post_date":"2024-01-26 13:58:22","post_parent":0,"post_title":"The Tupolev ANT-20 | Soviet Icons","post_status":"publish","post_type":"post","post_name":"the-tupolev-ant-20-soviet-icons","image":{"width":450,"height":300,"src":"https:\/\/admin.absolutenomads.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Tupolew_ANT-20_1935-450x300.jpg"},"desc":"The Tupolev ANT-20 was a mammoth eight engine flying marvel, the largest aeroplane of its day, it was built as a flying propaganda machine. The \u2018Tupolev ANT-20 Maxim Gorky\u2019 was constructed to spread the communist message to the furthest reaches of the Soviet Union.","video":"","category":[1],"short_description":"The Tupolev ANT-20 was a mammoth eight engine flying marvel, the largest aeroplane of its day, it was built as a flying propaganda machine. The \u2018Tupolev ANT-20 Maxim Gorky\u2019 was constructed to spread the communist message to the furthest reaches of the Soviet Union.","event_date":"","event_link":""},{"ID":948,"post_date":"2024-01-26 14:42:09","post_parent":0,"post_title":"Who Was Lyudmila Pavlichenko? | Soviet Icons","post_status":"publish","post_type":"post","post_name":"who-was-lyudmila-pavlichenko-soviet-icons","image":{"width":450,"height":300,"src":"https:\/\/admin.absolutenomads.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/561919d39dd7cc02308b5837-450x300.webp"},"desc":"Lyudmila was a woman who would break the mould of what people thought possible for her sex and show the world that more could be achieved, and you\u2019d better beware throwing stereotypes in her direction!","video":"","category":[1],"short_description":"Lyudmila was a woman who would break the mould of what people thought possible for her sex and show the world that more could be achieved, and you\u2019d better beware throwing stereotypes in her direction!","event_date":"","event_link":""}]}