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Winter Nadaam - the Khovsgol Ice
Festival
Confirmed Dates:
February 27 - March2 2009 (depending on flight schedule) (4 days) 780 US
$ (+ domestic flights)
Our pictures from the 2007 ice festival are on-line. Click
here to see them! |
The ice festival is held annually after Tsagann Saar (the Mongolian new year festival) some time in February somewhere along the western shores of Lake Khovsgol. From May to November, the lake is normally a magnificent mass of water, majestically stretching 127kms from the Russian border down to Hatgal and 40kms at its widest part. To experience it as a sheer plate of ice is stunning and remarkable..... not to mention slightly eerie at times! The festival is attended mostly by Mongolians who live in the area to break the monotony of winter. There is a constant array of colourful deels (local costume), excited faces, and greeting styles that have been practiced and passed down the generations in Mongolia for centuries. Ice sumo, horse sledge racing, ice skating and driving competitions are all part of this colourful
event.
27.2.: We will pick you up at your accommodation
in UB for our flight to Murun, capital of Khovsgol province. From the airport, we drive the 3 hours to Hatgal, the gateway to Khovsgol National Park at the southern end of the lake with the same name. In Hatgal, we stay in a local guest house.
28.2.: In the morning, we have some time to visit Hatgal. To get to the festival we will need to drive onto the frozen expanse of the lake. The festival is held every year at a different location, depending on where the best ice conditions can be found. We will spend all day at the festival, watching the ice sumo, horse sledge racing, ice skating and driving competitions. We will spend the night in the gers/log
cabins of our Mongolian friends who use the festival to break the monotony of winter.
1.3.: We will spend the whole day at the festival. Depending on the location of
the festival, at night, we either retreat again to the gers/log cabins of our
Mongolian friends or stay in a guest house in Hatgal.
2.3.: We spend the morning saying our good bys to our friends. This might include a small ceremony in every ger. We then drive back to Murun for our flight back to UB. Our
winter adventure will end once we have dropped you off at your accommodation in UB.
Price
The price for this itinerary is 780 US $ per person. Apart from the airfare (about 250 US $) this is an all inclusive price. Please contact us
here for more details. This trip can run with only one client.
Additional services and extension options
We can of course pick you up at the airport or railway station and book your accommodation in UB for you, be it a small guest house or a four star hotel. We can also offer you a programme in UB.
If you would like to stay longer in Mongolia, we can recommend a short trip to the Gobi or a few nights in a ger in Terelj national park with its amazing rock formations.
Please contact us here for any additional information.
Important notes
Winter in Khovsgol can be VERY cold and warm clothing and a very good sleeping bag are essential. Temperatures as low as minus 20 Celsius are not uncommon. However, with the right equipment this will be a fascinating experience and intriguing insight into Mongolian winter life.
Due to the cold temperatures you need to be aware
that sanitary facilities will be limited and very basic.
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