Sept 30th – Oct 10th, 2024
- Description
- Details
- Itinerary
- Accommodations
- The Eagle Hunters
- The People
- Instructors
- Video Highlights
- Tour Pack
Description
Experience and photograph the
Great Eagle Hunters and more!
October 1st – 10th, 2024
Do not miss this once-in-a-lifetime adventure!
Mongolia should be at the top of your list!
Every once in a while we do a tour that as much as we can hope to explain in words and images must simply be experienced for yourself! Mongolia is THAT TOUR!
Once again, as the world starts to reopen, it is a great time to experience locations that can be packed, but now find themselves a lot quieter. This is great for photographers and creating other unique opportunities!
This is one of the most exciting and adventurous tours you can do. In fact, you may have even seen our buddy Jenisbek recently on CNN as the most eligible bachelor in Mongolia! He is pictured below! Or maybe some of our wonderful friends such as Aisholpon the Eagle Huntress featured in the documentary that made her famous and of course many others in documentaries and specials!
We have a unique situation in Mongolia with friendships that allows us to do much more than the average tourist could ever dream of! Be sure to watch Saen Higgins below and what he recently experienced on our tour!
Photographic Excursion for ALL LEVELS – Including Beginner through Advanced!
No matter what your photographic level, you can attend this tour. Beginners through advanced will find this tour wonderful in so many ways. You will be instructed personally by the MPA team!
Camels, Yaks and more!
Mongolia has recently been voted as one of the top 10 places to experience travel by several leading travel publications and organizations.
It is a PERFECT time to go!
Details
- Dates: September 30th – Oct 10th, 2024
- Price: $7,295
- Based on shared accommodations. A single supplement is available for $700 for only 2 guests. However, it is not guaranteed in one Ger camp as space is limited.
- $1500 deposit and a payment plan on balance offered interest-free over 10 months.
- Limited Non-Photographer Spaces are available for a rate of $6,795.
Included During Tour Dates:
- Personalized Instruction with MPA team**
- All meals as listed in the itinerary (B, L, D each full day)
- Transportation while on tour. (In country air not included)
- Accommodations – Combination of Hotels, Gers and Camp Accommodations are clean and simple. This is true Mongolia when out with the people and culture.
- All sightseeing fees
- Nomad Family Visit
- Horse and Camel Back Riding
- English Speaking Local Guide
**Note – Instructors are scheduled but may change without notice. You will always have a top MPA instruction team!
NOT Included:
- Transportation to and From Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia
- Trip Insurance (Compulsory for This Tour)
- In country airfare
- Personal Expenses Such as Soft Drinks, Alcohol, Laundry, Souvenirs, Etc.
- Tips for Guides and MPA Team Outside of David and Ally
- Extras and Optional Activities
David McKay and the MPA team will personally be your host on this trip. You will be photographing, learning and enjoying Photography, Travel, Friendship, and Adventure all together on one of the most amazing photographic tours in the world!
Our heart’s desire is for everyone to have an experience of a lifetime that you are unable to get with anyone else! We work incredibly hard to make sure our guests are well taken care of, have plenty of photographic instruction and enjoy an amazing adventure. This is why our clients return again, and again!
Once your registration is complete, MPA will be in touch to work with you on a payment plan. Due to limited space, this tour is available on a first-come-first-serve basis.
Itinerary
Please note that with Mongolia, there are many factors that can come into play. Sometimes, even at the last minute. Currently, this is a base schedule, but note that we will be adjusting this based on Eagle Festival, being able to get the most of our time with the Eagle Hunters, and more!
Base Itinerary as Scheduled*
Please also keep a few days available on each end of the tour dates just to allow for flexibility for flights and possible schedule needs. We have already added one day just so we can fit more cool stuff in. 🙂
30 Sep – Day:1 Arrival in Ulaanbaatar
You will be picked up and transferred to your hotel.
A traditional concert is followed by a welcome dinner.
Accommodation: Tuushin hotel
Meal: D
You will be picked up and transferred to your hotel.
A traditional concert is followed by a welcome dinner.
Accommodation: Tuushin hotel
Meal: D
1-2 Oct – Day:2-3 Mongol Nomadic Camp; Hustai National Park
These two days include Mongol nomadic show, meeting a shaman, visiting a
nomad family, photographing dozens of horses, and experiencing wildlife in the
park such as Takhi or Przewalski`s horses, this is a mating season for red deer so
high chance to catch them. Busy days hoping to catch all of them.
Accommodation: Ger at the Mongol nomadic.
Meals: B, L, and D
These two days include Mongol nomadic show, meeting a shaman, visiting a
nomad family, photographing dozens of horses, and experiencing wildlife in the
park such as Takhi or Przewalski`s horses, this is a mating season for red deer so
high chance to catch them. Busy days hoping to catch all of them.
Accommodation: Ger at the Mongol nomadic.
Meals: B, L, and D
3 Oct – Day:4 Return UB – Chinggis Khaan statue
After breakfast, off to Chinggis Khaan statue complex via UB. Stop at a
grocery store to get a snack as there is not a decent restaurant for lunch.
Back to UB and check-in take time for preparation for the morning flight to Ulgii.
Accommodation: Tuushin hotel
Meal: B
After breakfast, off to Chinggis Khaan statue complex via UB. Stop at a
grocery store to get a snack as there is not a decent restaurant for lunch.
Back to UB and check-in take time for preparation for the morning flight to Ulgii.
Accommodation: Tuushin hotel
Meal: B
4 Oct – Day:5 Fly to Ulgii
You will be picked up from your stay and transferred to Chinggis Khaan
international airport take a flight to Ulgii town and check in Ger at camp.
Drive off to Kazakh families meet eagle hunters and experience the daily lifestyle
and photo shoot with a dozen of hunters.
Accommodation: Ger at camp at the river
Meals: B, L, and D
You will be picked up from your stay and transferred to Chinggis Khaan
international airport take a flight to Ulgii town and check in Ger at camp.
Drive off to Kazakh families meet eagle hunters and experience the daily lifestyle
and photo shoot with a dozen of hunters.
Accommodation: Ger at camp at the river
Meals: B, L, and D
5-6 Oct – Day:6-7 Golden Eagle festival
You will experience with Golden Eagle festival which includes a parade, kokbar,
calling for eagle, picking coins, and more!
Accommodation: Ger at camp at the river
Meals: B, L, and D
calling for eagle, picking coins, and more!
Accommodation: Ger at camp at the river
Meals: B, L, and D
7 Oct – Day: 8 Private time
This day is dedicated to us only with hunters at Tolbo lake.
Accommodation: Ger at camp at the river
Meals: B, L, and D
This day is dedicated to us only with hunters at Tolbo lake.
Accommodation: Ger at camp at the river
Meals: B, L, and D
8 Oct – Day:9 Fly back to UB
Take a flight back to Ulaanbaatar and we could stop at a cashmere shop on the
way to your hotel.
Accommodation: Tuushin hotel
Meals: B
Take a flight back to Ulaanbaatar and we could stop at a cashmere shop on the
way to your hotel.
Accommodation: Tuushin hotel
Meals: B
9 Oct -Day: 10 Free Day
Mckay team can have an editing class . Farewell dinner that evening.
Accommodation: Tuushin hotel
Meal: D
Mckay team can have an editing class . Farewell dinner that evening.
Accommodation: Tuushin hotel
Meal: D
10 Oct – Day:11 Departure
You will be taken to Chinggis Khaan international airport.
Meal: B
You will be taken to Chinggis Khaan international airport.
Meal: B
* Due to many situations, Itinerary may be adjusted as needed to create the best photography and group situations for this tour.
Accommodations
Ger Camps and Way of Living
A Ger is a traditional Mongolian home that is still used today throughout the country. Each location we travel to outside of the main city of Ulaanbaatar, we stay in traditional Ger camps. This is still the traditional way most people live that do not live in the city. However, we DO have electricity to charge our batteries, cell phones, and laptops if desired.
Each Ger is simple yet accommodating and comes with two beds, a table, and in some cases a small sink. They are comfortable and a unique experience in and of its own!
Although the camps can seem primitive in nature to keep things authentic, our select camps also have toilets and showers, which is a nice benefit!
In addition, a special dining Ger set up as a gathering place, where we receive wonderful authentic meals and drinks! Special dietary needs such as vegetarian can be met as well.
The Eagle Hunters
The Great Eagle Hunters!
If you have not yet watched the documentary “The Eagle Huntress” about Aisholpan, the young girl who is the first woman to compete in the ancient Eagle Festival…it is a MUST! Here is a link to the film trailer and it is available on Amazon at this time!
With the popularity of the film, Aisholpan has become quite famous and the film along with other publications and news stories such as the recent 60 minutes special, and has ignited an interest in the Famous Eagle Hunters of Mongolia!
For the few that make the trip to Western Mongolia to visit with an Eagle Hunter, most offer that you may get to visit with 1-2 Eagle Hunter families.
However, with our guide Oso and his knowledge and connections, we not only are able to visit, but we are able to do incredible EXCLUSIVE photography sessions with 8-10 Hunters! No…that is not a typo. We are the only group that has ever been able to arrange this!
This without a doubt, has been one of the top highlights of any photographic tour and life experiences we have ever had and it will be for you as well!
Each of our guests are also usually able to hold and have a photo taken with a Golden Eagle. You can too!
As we have built a relationship with these amazing Eagle Hunters, we are now able to work with them with future tours in a way no one else can! This is something that no one has been able to do. As I was talking to another guide at the airport, his eyes got big and he said, you were able to photograph 10 Eagle Hunters privately! NO ONE gets to do this!
We are incredibly excited about our return!
It is important to note that because we have established this relationship with the Eagle Hunters, we need to return sooner rather than later to guarantee the experience with them as things are changing QUICKLY in this country!! The outside world is moving in and we have a relationship now that we can work with them in this type of way. This is why we are returning a year from now. We do not know how long we will continue to get this unique opportunity and want to guarantee it now!!
NOW IS THE TIME TO RETURN WITH US!
The People
The Mongolian people are made up of over 30 ethnic groups spread throughout the country. Each has their own traditions, history and story, and they are fascinating!
The people of Mongolia are some of the most beautiful, sincere, genuine and welcoming you will ever meet. Everywhere we visit, you will be warmly welcomed with smiles and invited to sit down in the family Ger! Truly a beautiful cultural exchange taking place with each family or location we visit!
Instructors
- David McKay
- Ally McKay
Instructors are scheduled, however, they are subject to change as needed.
Video Highlights
Tour Pack
Please download the Tour Packet from link below when it becomes available.
Much of the information contained in this packet is also available under the Tour Prep page here on the web site. However, this packet will also include some gear specifics for this tour. Please note that specific flight information, arrival and departure times, accommodations, and other logistical information may not be in this packet. Those items will be emailed to you at various times in the planning process of each tour.
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