The name Eternal Landscapes was created in Bulgan, back in 2010. Now, there are a few towns called Bulgan in Mongolia, but the one I’m referring to is the provincial capital of Bulgan Aimag, located in northern Mongolia. As a tour leader, many of you might have joined me on a visit to the local shop for ice cream (I…
Let Me Introduce You to Dakhar Dakhar calls the Tsambagarav Uul National Park his home. High above the provincial borders of Khovd and Bayan-Olgii Aimag in western Mongolia, this snow-capped peak stands tall at 4208m, surrounded by vast open valleys. It’s part of the magnificent Mongol Altai Mountain Range, and it’s where Dakhar has lived a life full of freedom,…
Up until 2019, we offered dog sledding itineraries as part of our series of Mongolia winter experiences. However, even though often the dog sledding was often the highlight of their trip for our guests, in early 2019 we decided to stop offering dog sledding options. The main reason is cultural – we describe our winter experiences as being a celebration of…
The Kazakhs are Mongolia’s largest ethnic minority group representing 3-4% of Mongolia’s population (Mongolia’s entire population is just over 3.2 million people – 2020 Census). A majority of Mongolia’s Kazakhs make their home in western Mongolia in Bayan Ölgii Aimag (Province) with another group in Khovd Aimag and then smaller groups spread throughout the country including the capital Ulaanbaatar. A percentage of…
Look at the image above. Not the most prepossessing image is it? But, what do you think it represents? Any ideas? For me, it reminds us as travellers that real life is everywhere when we travel. It is actually the business plan of a young fashion designer who lives in the ger districts of Ulaanbaatar – Mongolia’s capital city. A…
I recently read an article on the BBC News website that ‘Icelanders tire of disrespectful Instagram influencers.’ Part of the article included a comment by Pall Jokull Petursson, who makes a living out of showing photographers Iceland’s nature: ‘The good instagrammers try to show different ways of enjoying nature. We don’t tag places that are off the beaten path that…
Any ideas? Any ideas what the image represents? This is how our group spent a day recently in Ulaanbaatar – the capital city of Mongolia – at a felting project run by the Buddhist NGO Asral. The group learnt how to clean the wool, process the wool, colour the wool & then how to create by hand these intricate felt…
When you think of Mongolia you might not automatically think of swimming in Mongolia. It’s the second largest landlocked country in the world for a start, more than 30% of its landmass is covered by the Gobi Desert – the world’s 5th largest desert and the number of swimming pools outside of the capital city of Ulaanbaatar can be counted…
One of my favorite quotes about Mongolia comes from Steven J. Bodio’s book *Eagle Dreams*. In just a few short lines, he perfectly encapsulates what draws me back to this incredible country time and time again. He writes: “Each time I return I see constant changes alongside the things that never change. I love its paradoxes. Its space and hospitality,…