In the morning, at 9:43 a.m., we will board the Trans-Mongolian train. We will travel on the popular Moscow-Beijing railroad for the entire day. Mix with the locals and take part in this epic, world-famous rail journey. It’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. You’ll arrive in Sainshand, a town in the east Gobi, at 19:33 p.m. At the railway station, a jeep will be waiting for you.
(Family stay L, D)
We will visit the grounds of the Khamariin Monastery (Sambala Khiid) today, where you will find petrified wood, dinosaur bones, the Sambala energy complex, and cave monasteries. We’ll take a stroll through the stunning red sand dunes.
Khamariin Khiid was founded in 1822 by 17-year-old monk Danzanravjaa, one of Mongolia’s most experienced and forward-thinking masters. The oasis at Khamriin Monastery housed about 500 monks at its peak.
Ravjaa, a poet, songsmith, dramatist, painter, and naturopathic doctor, added to Khamariin Khiid’s spiritual activity by establishing Mongolia’s first secular secondary and art schools, as well as a museum, library, and theater. Every summer, the latter put on elaborate operatic dramas with Buddhist themes. All of the costumes, sets, and props were made in the monastery’s workshops, and the actors received training there.
The monastery was destroyed and looted almost all at in 1938. 64 crates of Danzanravjaa’s books, possessions, and precious gifts were buried in the desert for more than 50 years thanks to the extraordinary foresight and bravery of a Mongolian man called Tudev.
A series of caves to the north of the monastery are where monks could retire and practice high-level meditation for 108 days (108 being a sacred number in Buddhism).
(Family stay B, L, D)
Today, we’ll visit two humped camel breeding families and learn about their simple, modest, hard-working, but incredible way of life. The Gobi Desert is the world’s coldest desert, with cold winds blowing almost the whole autumn, winter, and spring without any shelter uncovered in the plains, necessitating extreme survival methods of living. Gobi nomads are well-known in Mongolia for their dedication to hard work. We’ll be treated to the friendly hospitality of Mongolian families. Dinner will consist of a traditional Mongolian barbeque cooked by nomads over a hot stone. If your travel dates are within the right season, you will have the opportunity to try fermented camel milk. Our guide will assist us in making contact with the locals.
We’ll ride our camels to Zuunbayan today to see the ghost town. This town used to be a Russian military base, but it has since been abandoned after the Russians left. Now there are only vacant buildings left. Discover the odd contrast of an abandoned ghost town in the middle of the Gobi Desert.
At 21:10 PM, you’ll board the evening train back to Ulaanbaatar.
(Overnight train B, L, D)
We will arrive at 7:15 AM in Ulaanbaatar. Our team will transport you to your hotel without delay. You can use your free afternoon as you will. You can go see lovely cultural show. Admire the contortionists while watching the colorful and rhythmic Mongolian dance.
(B)
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