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Ölgii

Mongolia

Central Asia modest ~$60/day
How to get there

Fly to Ulaanbaatar, then a domestic flight across the entire country to the Kazakh far west.

Where to sleep

Town guesthouse, then ger stays with eagle-hunting families in the Altai valleys.

What to expect

Kazakh nomads who hunt with golden eagles from horseback, the Altai mountains stacking into Russia and China, and the October festival where it all competes.

First move on arrival

Arrange three days with a berkutchi family — you will hold the eagle, and your arm will remember it.

When to go

September to October for the Eagle Festival

One phrase to carry

Salemetsiz be — hello, in Kazakh; this is Kazakh Mongolia.

Read before you go

Eagle Dreams by Stephen Bodio — the definitive book on Kazakh eagle falconry.

Getting weirder nearby

The Altai Tavan Bogd massif — glaciers, petroglyph valleys, and the three-country cairn.

One honest warning

Distances are enormous and roads are notional — budget more days than the map suggests.

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