Mongolei - Tour - Itineraries

Gobi
a. Across the Gobi, various circuits on sedimentary terrains of lakes
dried-out millions of years ago (A) To see:

• Countryside with low hills
• The mirage
• Possibly onagers
• Herds of gazelle
• Volcanic landscapes
• "The cliffs of the big country"
• "The cliffs of the small country"
• The sand dunes
• Gorges
• The pikas
• Visit with a family of camel raisers

The eroded stone resembles the ruins of old cities (red stone, white and red, stupas (Dsaw of Hermès), the mirages can be taken for lakes (for example in the "valley of Ongiin"), the rocks can look like flowers and the flowers like rocks, the rocks in the hills shine as if they were oiled (in the Gobi), a large cloud of dust - wild donkeys running (it is difficult to see the countryside as all you see is the cloud of dust) then stop, is the earth shaking? No it is the gigantic herd of thousands of gazelle here, there are flat mountain tops and a conical mountain tops (in Mongolia, there are a lot of extinct volcanoes) stopping for a photo is essential! And there is a rock with a hole, here are two rocks that join to make one, there is a weathered exclamation mark, no need to continue, stay here and appreciate the ingenious artistic deployment of nature (in the region of "rocks of the big country") It is simply unique.

• Countryside of the steppes,
• semi-desert,
• the blue mountains,
• the round and square pits,
• the herds of free range cattle,
• les buzzards,
• the yurts (nomadic tents),
• les fantastic silhouettes of the enormous rocks,
• les caverns,
• the mountain lakes,
• the mountains with their snow-covered glaciers,
• visit with Mongol and Kazakh families.

The roads are dusty and there also many mosquitoes.

We cross the green-silver steppe, noticing the cranes that parade by the side of the road, the buzzards that wait patiently for their prey, the free-range cattle, and the white yurts like mushrooms on the green prairie. Seen from the south, the trees that have grown on the northern side of the mountain look like the manes of race-horses that have been cut for the party. There, just behind, there is a snow-covered mountain, where? There, not down there but up there! Ah yes, in the clouds, it's fabulous. Here, where we are it is midsummer and scarcely a few kilometres away, there are sparkling glaciers. Here, summer and winter are neighbours. There, there is a big yurt, shall we visit it? It is a Kazakh family; there is even the eagle that the head of the family uses to go hunting with. We stop to visit the family; the kazakhe yurt is different to the Mongolian yurt. The Kazakh hospitality is magnificent.

Hentiigebirge und Ostmongolische Steppen
c. tour following the tracks of the Mongols and their secret history (C) To see:

• Numerous historical sites linked to the childhood and young years of Genghis Khan,
• Remains of the Kidan era,
• vast plains,
• herds of gazelles,
• inactive volcanoes,
• caverns of the steppes,
• lakes et rivers.

The secret history of the Mongols is a poetic work of the 13 th century, recounted by a friend of the family of Genghis Khan. The majority of historical novels concerning Genghis Khan are based on this work.

We take the routes that Genghis Khan followed long ago; we touch the stone of an ovo (stone burial mound) that Genghis Khan, the famous man, also touched long ago, we pass the night in many historic places where the historic activities of Genghis Khan took place. Our vehicles cross the vast steppe, across which the young Temüjin went, then, having become Genghis Khan, took his army to war. We cross the plateau at the east of Mongolia with its herds of gazelle.

We can climb into the basin and admire the numerous inactive mountains. The sacred mountains, upon which the nomads from nearby offer mysterious sacrifices each year before our very eyes.

d. Route across central Mongolia (D) To see:

• the historic site of Karakorum ,
• le monastery of Dsuu at Erdenet
• the basalt slope,
• the Orchon waterfall,
• the saintly location where the studio of Zanabazar lay,
• the Terchiin Zagaan Nuur lake,
• the canyon,
• The solid granite mountain,
• The inactive volcano
• "Taichar"

We visit the historic site of Karkorum- ancient business and political centre and the monastery of Dsuu at Erdenet - Vatican Mongol from long ago, the lake "Ogiin Nuur" where many birds nest and the lake "Terchiin Zagaan Nuur", the astonishing crater - the inactive volcano "Horgo" and the erratic block that is 20m high - the Taichar and many other ruins, monasteries and different fortifications of different eras as well as the granite rocks of the sacred giant mountain dotted with kititka colonies and free range cattle.

e. Expedition north, the lake Khövsgöl - la blue pearl of Mongolia (E) To see:

• The big blue lake Khövsgöl ,
• The mountainous landscape
• The yak-raising families
• The fields of edelweiss

We cross the mountainous countryside of Mongolia . August is the best season, to have a breakfast of fresh bilberries and thick creamy yak-milk yoghurts and drink the full cream milk at night. En route, you will discover the herds of startled yaks. The Khövsgöl lake ) is fantastic, one can see as deep as 20m through the calm surface of the water. The face of the mountain is covered with knee-high flowers. At night, the stars shine like diamonds, the satellites criss-cross the sky.
Enigmatically, the flowers of the Edelweiss bloom in the moonlight. Seen from the face of the mountain, the mountainous landscape resembles a huge aquarium, the clouds blurring into the mountains.

f. We rove around with a kibitka like the nomads did in summer

With the agreement of our hosts, for the coolest season, we take a kibitka or a big tent, in order to eat more comfortably, to keep warm while sleeping and to sit down in the dry when it is wet outside. The setting up of the kibitka will amuse you for sure. You will soon become a specialist at setting yup and dismantling a kibitka.