Introducing the Yak Festival!

Sainuu!

You may have heard of the Naadam Festival? This is one of our most famous festivals - here we call it Eriin Gurvan Naadam - the Three Manly Sports. 
The National Naadam is held in UB (Ulaan Baatar) on July 11th and 12th - the dates of the revolution when Mongolian revolutionaries, together with the Russian Red Army brought independence from China. This year Kharkhorin will celebrate the special Mongolian fectival "Naadam"from July 23-24. Stay at Gaya's Guesthouse in Kharkhorin to experience this wonderful holiday. This year, Naadam is extra special because Kharkhorin is celebrating its 60th anniversary! There will be traditional singing, dancing, and poetry on top off all the exitement of Naadam.

This is the 2013 Tsogt Ovoo Naadam - it is smaller than the Kharkhorin Naadam but all Naadam celebrations are great.

However, here in Mongolia we don't just have the one yearly festival. We have many smaller ones throughout the year as well. One close to me is the Yak Festival - held close to the community of Bat Ulzii based in the Orkhon River Valley.

The dates have yet to be 100% confirmed, but it could be around July 23rd. The festival programme includes yak races, yak polo and yak rodeo. (A lot of herders in the Orkhon Valley have yaks - this is why, they have decided to organise the yearly yak festival). As with most festivals in Mongolia, there will also be performances of traditional Mongolian music and dance. 

It is not just for tourists either - many local herders come to the festival to meet with friends and to have a short holiday as well.

I can arrange transport from Kharkhorin to Bat Ulzii. I can also arrange for you to stay at Ulaan Tsutgalan before or after the festival. This is the Orkhon Waterfall and is a beautiful place for horse trekking and walking. You can also swim in the waterfall as well.

The Orkhon Waterfall - taken by Ann Ang when I was with her travelling with Eternal Landscapes

Although July is quite a long time away I thought you may find the details of the yak festival interesting. Those are my thoughts this week. My ger guesthouse is open to all travellers. Please just get in touch - I am happy to help and would love to welcome you to my home.

Thank you for spending time on my blog. I will be back soon.

Saikhan Amraarai, Gaya

Come and be our guest!

April is here and so my family and I are starting to prepare for another year. Although my ger guesthouse is open in the winter, a majority of our guests visit from spring onwards. On travel forums such as Lonely Planet, travellers often ask if it is possible to travel independently in Mongolia. The answer is yes! 

It really is as simple as catch the bus from UB, let me know when you're arriving and I'll take care of the rest. Horse trek along the Orkhon River? Visit to Erdene Zuu Monastery? Spend a day visiting Ogii Lake with its beautiful bird life? I can help to arrange it for you using local people here in Kharkhorin.

Please do come. Phone me from UB and let me help you and welcome you as our guest. As  Ann Ang, one of our 2013 guests wrote on Facebook:

'Looking to stay at a ger in Mongolia? Gaya our very friendly host provides a good stay complete with vegetable buuz and hot shower (oh that is very precious)!'