Travel-Learn Program

When: August 09, 2012 - August 19, 2012 (iCal)

Description

Join us on an incredible journey to the open Mongolian steppe. We will get a feel for the nomadic life a world away from home, sleeping in a circular felt and willow ger near the ruins of Genghis Khan’s capital, Kara Korum; searching for takhi, the wild Mongolian horse, in Hustaii Nuruu National Park; and appreciating the living traditions of the Mongolian people in a meeting with a local nomadic family. Traveling over the open steppe to the Gobi Desert we will bear witness to the otherworldly glow of the Flaming Cliffs at sundown and imagine discovering the first nest of dinosaur eggs ever found. In this hauntingly beautiful destination, we will discover the life of nomadic herders under the big sky.

Activity level: Active

Download the program brochure.

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Cost

From $6,295 per person, double occupancy.

Contact

For more information,contact Usha Nand Sellers Ed. D., Director Tufts Travel-Learn Program, at usha.sellers@tufts.edu or 617-627-5323.

Itinerary

Day 1 & 2 - Depart USA/ Arrive UlaanBaatar

We begin our journey today and depart from the USA, transit to Seoul and change planes, arriving in Ulaanbaatar in the late evening. After passing through customs, we will be met and transferred to our centrally located hotel.

Day 3 - Ulaanbaatar

After breakfast at the hotel, we will depart for an introductory city tour of UlaanBaatar, the political, industrial and cultural heart of Mongolia. Mongolians are traditionally nomadic people, and the concept of a city is relatively new - at one time, over 90 percent of Mongolians followed a nomadic lifestyle; now over 30 percent of the country's population lives in UlaanBaatar. We begin our city tour with a visit to the Gandantegchinlen (Gandan) Monastery and its 20-ton gilded statue of “the Lord Who Looks in Every Direction.” Following this we will visit UlaanBaatar’s Natural History Museum to view dinosaur bones and nests discovered in the Gobi Desert. This evening we will meet for dinner and an evening performance of the unique art of throat singing.

Day 4 - UlaanBaatar/Khogna Khan/Hustaii Horse Reserve

After breakfast, we head to the Hustaii Nuruu National Park, home of the last remaining species of truly wild horse in the world. Please note that horse sightings are not guaranteed. Continuing on across the Mongolian steppe, we arrive in Khogna Khan this afternoon and settle into our traditional “ger” camp. Tonight we will meet for dinner in the dining ger and expect a relaxing overnight at the ger camp.

Day 5 - Khogna Khan/Kara Korum

Today we will visit the location of Kara Korum, Genghis Khan's capital. This 13th-century city was the seat of power for an empire that stretched across two continents. Kara Korum had served as capital for only 40 years when Kublai Khan moved the capital to Beijing, and the city was later destroyed by invading Manchurians. All that visibly remains today is the enigmatic Turtle Rock, made of stone and weighing several tons. After lunch, we will have the opportunity to explore the Mongolian steppe on horseback.

For those who do not wish to ride horses, a visit with a local nomadic family will be arranged. One of the last remaining horse-based world cultures, Mongolia still claims a substantial percentage of nomads.

Day 6 - Kara Korum/Ongiin Monastery/Mid Gobi

We depart this morning into the “back of beyond,” the heart of the Gobi Desert. This will be one of the longest days of our itinerary as we drive under the big Mongolian sky toward the Ongiin River and the nearby Ongiin Monastery. Our dinner and overnight accommodations tonight are near the banks of the Ongiin River.

Day 7 - Mid Gobi/South Gobi

Following breakfast, we journey further into Mongolia’s wild hinterland and check into the Three Camel Lodge, Mongolia’s premier eco-lodge. Here we will sleep in traditional felt gers, and our meals will be served in a large ger, modeled after the ceremonial tents of the great khans. We will have access to a western-style bathroom and shower facilities located in the main lodge. This afternoon we will venture to Moltsog Els, where the constantly shifting sands are piled by the wind and reach surprising heights. We will have the opportunity to enjoy a hike and perhaps a camel ride before returning to Three Camel Lodge for dinner.

Day 8 - South Gobi

After breakfast we will drive to Togrogiin Shiree, a white escarpment where the famous “Fighting Dinosaurs” (a fossil of a protoceratops and a velociraptor locked in combat) were discovered. In the late afternoon we will visit the town of Bulgan, a local settlement established near a natural spring and the famous Flaming Cliffs named for their red-gold luminescence in the rays of the setting sun. Roy Chapman Andrews, widely believed to be the inspiration for the film character Indiana Jones, found the world’s first nest of dinosaur eggs here in 1922. Afterwards we return to the Three Camels lodge for dinner.

Day 9 - South Gobi

This morning we head for the Yol Valley at the foot of the beautiful peaks of the Gurvansaikhan Mountains. Here we will hike amidst the spectacular canyon scenery and wildlife, such as Argali sheep, snow leopards, ibex, wild Bactrian camels, and eagles. Afterwards we will visit a family of nomadic herders in Gurvansaikhan National Park and learn about their unique way of life.

Day 10 - South Gobi/ UlaanBaatar

Following breakfast we will fly back to Mongolia’s capital and transfer to our hotel. In the afternoon, we will take a city tour including a stop at the State run Department Store as well as the Cashmere outlet store. This evening we return to the hotel and then head to a local restaurant for dinner.

Day 11 - Depart UlaanBaatar

After breakfast at the hotel, we will transfer to the airport for our international flight departures.

Price and Itinerary are tentative and subject to change

617-627-5323|usha.sellers@tufts.edu