The Altai and
the golden eagles
Ten days in the far west: Neolithic petroglyphs, the glaciers of Tavan Bogd, a night with an eagle hunter's family, and the festival itself over the first weekend of October.
The real one, in Bayan-Ulgii
The Kazakh hunters of the far west fly golden eagles at fox and hare, and once a year they compete on speed, obedience and traditional dress. Getting there costs two domestic flights and several days of driving, and the Altai on either side of the festival is the reason to spend them: the highest mountains in the country, thirty-four glaciers, and valleys carved with ten thousand Bronze Age figures.
Day by day
We collect you and put you on the domestic flight west; a driver and guide meet the plane at the other end. Depending on the landing time there is usually room for the market or the Ulgii museum before dinner.
