Mongolia Travel Blog

By tulga on October 29, 2010

Jillian McKee; January 27, 2012

Healing Trails

Nomadic Trails pioneered the therapeutic benefits of horseback travel in exotic Mongolia for people with Autism. This story was made famous in the book and movie called “Horse Boy” by Rupert Isaacson who brought his autistic son on just such a journey and then shared their tale with the world. They are now offering similar journeys for cancer sufferers. It is well established that alternative treatments can play an important role in the healing process, even for very aggressive cancers like mesothelioma. The Mesothelioma Cancer Alliance website has a lengthy listing of alternative treatments which advocates for better nutrition, physical activity and getting away from the stress of conventional treatments to improve the mesothelioma prognosis. You can enjoy all of these benefits in the beautiful landscape and ancient culture of Mongolia with a trip booked through Nomadic Trails.

Spirituality and physical healing have long gone hand in hand. This is especially true for conditions like cancer, which frequently defy conventional treatments and are not well understood by modern medicine. Make your own pilgrimage of hope and healing. See local shaman and consider the wisdom of an older form of medicine. Revel in the beauty of the untamed landscape. Get back to nature. Get to know a culture that was old before the United States of America was born. Live more fully.

Stay in tents in the countryside and four-star hotels in the city. Trips available for varying levels of horsemanship, from beginner to advanced riders. Modern chemicals and pollutants are known causes of cancer. Get away from the poisons of modern life for a time, give your body a break from such known stressors, and give yourself a chance to heal both body and soul.

As recommended by The National Institutes for Health, consider this or any alternative treatment as an adjunct to your regular therapy. See also these travel tips to help you better prepare for your journey and ensure it is a wonderment and adventure of the most positive sort. Please see the Gallery for breath taking, inspirational photos giving your imagination a taste of things to come.

For additional information to help you plan your vacation of a lifetime, please contact Nomadic Trails at info@nomadictrails.com.

Mongolia Essentials:

Healing Trails

Naadam Festival 2012

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Talley and her Mongolian Adventure

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A dear long time friend of mine, Talley Hutcherson, took an amazing outdoor adventure journey to Mongolia. She brought me back a reindeer carving. I got to hear about her adventure that included harsh weather, snow, her illness, and sleeping in Mongolian tents. She traveled on horseback with other riders on horses and on reindeers. I asked her to write her story for my readers, because I know you will all enjoy her experiences.
One of the reasons she traveled to Mongolia was from reading the book “The Horse Boy” by Rupert Isaacson and his true account of his quest to heal his autistic son. Talley is now hosting a clinic with Rupert. I will let her tell you all about it…

As a student of Carolyn Resnick’s I have developed and cultivated a heightened appreciation for nature and horses. In 2009, I read the best-selling book “The Horse Boy” by Rupert Isaacson and saw the film detailing the story of a family’s journey to Mongolia to help their autistic son. This journey became the inspiration for my own trip to Mongolia to celebrate my 50th birthday and have an unforgettable adventure. With the help of my guide Tulga Otgonbaatar and my travel companion, 75 year old Rachel Golden, I spent 2.5 weeks traveling amongst the nomadic people, vast undisturbed natural landscape, and herds of goats, sheep, horses, reindeer, cows and yak to let go of something I no longer needed and find something I could really use.

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Mongolia essentials

The Naadam Festival

Shaman Healing & Spiritual Holiday

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My Kind of Town-Ulaanbaatar

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Richard Dunwoody,

the former jockey, reveals he likes Ulan Bator for its culture, surprisingly good nightlife and access to the Mongolian Steppe.

WHY ULAN BATOR?
I love the way that modern life blends somewhat awkwardly with the traditional Mongolian lifestyle – this juxtaposition makes it a fascinating city. There is plenty of culture: the Winter Palace of the Bogd Khan and the National Museum of Mongolian History are well worth visiting, and the nightlife is surprisingly good, except on the 1st and 15th of every month when alcohol is not sold. The city also makes the best jumping off point for exploring the Steppe.

ANYTHING SPECIAL I SHOULD PACK?
Due to the amount of coal burned in the city in winter the pollution can be bad, so if you are asthmatic don’t forget your inhaler. If you are heading out of town into the Steppe be sure to pack for all seasons, as they frequently all occur in one day.

WHAT’S THE FIRST THING YOU DO?
If it’s the afternoon I’ll go for a hike down Peace Avenue, taking in the Beatles wall and Sukhbaatar Square. By evening I’m ready for a beer, so I usually head for the Grand Khan (Seoul Street, Sukhbaatar District; 00976 11 336666; www.gk-irishpub.mn), where they show a lot of live sport, or the Ikh Mongol (Seoul Street, Sukhbaatar District; 320450) opposite the State Circus, where there’s usually a live band. Not that the music is quite my thing – an odd kind of fusion Mongolian rock – but the atmosphere is invariably great.

WHERE IS THE BEST PLACE TO STAY?
The Bayangol Hotel (Chinggis Khaan Ave-5; 312255;www.bayangolhotel.mn) stands out in a somewhat unremarkable field, as long as you book an air-conditioned room and make an allowance for the gym. The Puma Imperial (Amar Street-2 Sukhbaatar District; 313043;www.puma imperialhotel.mn) offers a good alternative, with the added benefit of a great Indian restaurant.

WHERE WOULD YOU MEET FRIENDS FOR A DRINK?

The Dublin Irish Pub (Seoul Street, Sukhbaatar District; 328626) is the best of the ubiquitous Irish bars and for me it’s the best pub in the city.

WHERE IS THE BEST PLACE FOR LUNCH?
For a light lunch Café Amsterdam (Peace Avenue; 8891 1832;www.amsterdam.mn) and Millie’s (west side of the Choijin Lama Museum, in front of the Sukhbaatar Square; 330338), are the best. The eponymous Millie is a wonderfully hospitable host and the artwork on display is also well worth seeing.

AND FOR DINNER?
Veranda (Jamyn Gunii Gudamj 5/1; 330818) for its wonderful Italian food (try the world-class risotto). If you manage to secure a table outside during the summer you have a great view of the Choijin Lama Monastery.

WHERE WOULD YOU SEND A FIRST-TIME VISITOR?
The Gandan Khiid Monastery and the fantastically eclectic State Department Store.

WHAT SHOULD I BRING HOME?
Some traditional Mongolian clothing, such as a deel (a type of overcoat) or a lovooz (a Mongolian hat).

WHAT SHOULD I AVOID?
Ulan Bator is mostly a very safe town and it’s fine to wander around at night. But keep an eye out for those that have had one or two too many, which is not an uncommon sight. The Russian Zaisan Memorial probably isn’t worth the journey, though it does offer a decent view of the city.

IS THERE ANYWHERE THAT ISN’T YOUR KIND OF TOWN?
Gibraltar. For some reason I have never found it the friendliest of places.

Richard Dunwoody is a former Grand National-winning champion jockey and horse-trek guide for the adventure travel specialists Wild Frontiers (020 7736 3968; www.wildfrontiers.co.uk). His next 14-day riding trip to Mongolia departs this year on June 12

Mongolia essentials

Tailor-made tours

Nomadic Trails

The Naadam Festival

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The Other Olympic Games

The riotous Naadam festival could hardly be more different from the Olympics. No sponsorship or politicking – and a lot more fun.The first person we met on the dirt road was Bold. He was at the head of a tidal wave of animals: 500 sheep, 500 goats, 20 yaks and the camels that were carrying the ger, the Mongolian word for yurt. “We’re moving to the city,” he told us. “Life is too hard in the Gobi with all the droughts we’ve been having.”His three sons galloped up on horseback. Talk of the city brought huge grins to their faces.

“They’ve never seen a town before,” said Bold. “That’s why they’re so happy. What about the Naadam festival?” I said. “It starts tomorrow. Won’t you celebrate?In Mongolia Naadam is like the Olympics, the Grand National and Christmas, all rolled into one. It is celebrated in every town, village and nomadic encampment. Missing it is unthinkable.You will see a lot of people on this road heading for the big festival in Bulgan,” said Bold. “But we’ve had no time to train our horses, and without training they can suffer, even die – you will see.” He sighed. “I might try to come for a day. It’s a pity to miss the races – and a bit of wrestling.We left him and his sons rounding up the straying herds. Soon, as Bold had predicted, we encountered our first festival-goers: four families travelling in battered old trucks with half a dozen horses swaying in the back. Each animal had had its tail plaited and its mane tied up in a plume, signs that they would be racing.This Naadam is a special one,” an old man told us, offering me a pinch of snuff from an ornate stone vial, a traditional Mongolian greeting.

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The Other Olympic Games

“We heard there are Jeeps for prizes.We were all heading for the town of Bulgan, 300km north-west of the capital, Ulaanbaatar. Like all towns in Mongolia, Bulgan is relatively new – 70 years old this year, a fact that it was celebrating with a particularly big Naadam. This annual championship of horse racing, wrestling and archery has changed little from the 12th century and the days of Genghis Khan: the sports are the same, as are the details – horse saddles and riding style, archers’ equipment and targets. The strange apparel of the wrestlers – tight shorts and a chestless pair of sleeves joined at the back – is not so ancient, however. The design was introduced after a muscly woman won the Naadam disguised as a man.I had come into Mongolia via Beijing and after the pre-Olympics frenzy of corporate sponsorship and politicking, I was looking forward to seeing a pure sporting tournament. No bickering, no drugs, no money . . . well, just the occasional 4×4 as an incentive.

It was night when we pulled into Bulgan and all the hotel rooms, we discovered, had been commandeered by local communist officials. Tulga, my guide and translator, was outraged, but over a beer in Bulgan’s only bar, he conceded that Mongolia was changing. “We are even getting uncomfortably warm winters,” he said. “Last year there were days when it hit minus 15.Our accommodation worries were soon solved when we heard about a ger camp in the hills. These camps, which have a restaurant and shower block, can be found all over the country, catering for locals and tourists. My tent had a welcoming woodburning stove – the nights in the mountains can be chilly even in summer.At sunrise, looking over the steppe towards Bulgan, we saw that the emerald green of the rolling hills was already dotted with camps, each with a string of horses tied up outside. We went down to visit some of the contestants, relatives of Tulga who had set up their ger on a ridge near a shamanistic shrine.Visiting family, friends, neighbours and anyone else is the whole point of Naadam, and is something that everyone does with great enthusiasm.

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