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Mongolian Naadam is a three-day festival celebrating Mongolian tradition with games, parades and celebrations. The highlights are the ‘three manly games’ of wrestling, archery and horse racing.
Naadam is a truly amazing spectacle not to be missed.
512 wrestlers come together to fight in the stadium for the prestigious title of “State Titan”. Both the “Titan” himself and the trainers have the opportunity to choose partners during the first few rounds, thus reducing the number of less experienced wrestlers early on and creating more excitement for the final matches on the second day. The rules are very simple: the wrestling area is unrestricted, there are no weight-classes and the one who touches the ground with any part of the body, other than their feet, has lost. The winner continues to the next round. The loser has to pass under the wings (arms) of the proud winner as he conducts his eagle dance in celebration. The wrestlers wear tight pants and a small vest which covers the arms & shoulders but not the chest. The unique wrestling top was brought in, according to legend, to prevent women entering the competition after a woman managed to enter the competition and win!
It has been said that Mongols are almost born with archery skills, once an integral part of nomadic lifestyle. From childhood such qualities such as excellent eyesight, judging of distance, patience and strength are nourished to develop a good archer. Mongolian bows are very tightly strung, so that it requires a great deal of strength to use them. Several teams of 5-7 archers compete, with each attempting to hit 33 leather cylinders from a distance of 75 meters, in a true test of skill.
Welcome to our very clean, convenient and cozy Meg’s Guesthouse with friendly staff. We are perfectly located centrally within the city area, with a variety of attractions moments from our doorstep. Your two nights’ accommodation will be in our bunk beds in the guesthouse.
Tour departure times can be flexible, however, 8 am on the morning of departure is recommended. The driver and guide can pick you up from the airport, train station, or your accommodation to suit your requirements.
Most of the meals on this tour are included in the tour price. All included meals will be prepared from fresh local produce. The majority of the shopping for food will be done before the trip departs, and fresh goods, such as meats, fruits, vegetables, and dairy products, will be bought en-route during the trip from supermarkets, local shops and markets. Breakfasts will generally consist of breads and cereals, if time allows a warm breakfast may be prepared. Many lunches will be provided en-route and will be light meals such as sandwiches and/or salads or local restaurants. All evening meals will be freshly-prepared hot meals, and will consist of a variety of continental and local dishes. Our GUIDE will organize the meal preparation and lead the way here. Vegetarian meals and other dietary requirements can be catered for but need to be specified prior to arrival.
Summer months in Mongolia are from early June to mid September. Although the Mongolian summers are hot and dry with occasional rain, the temperature can fluctuate as much 14-20 degrees centigrade between day and night. So be prepared for all weather conditions.
Sleeping bag (we can provide sleeping bag, if your luggage is full), sleeping bag liner, sunscreen, a hat, long underwear, shorts, comfortable footwear, lip balm, sanitary hand wipes, sunglasses, prescription medications (if needed), rain gear, flashlight.
Like all great festivities, it all begins with an opening ceremony. Dancers and musicians delight the watching crowds athletes and horse riders march across the National Sports Stadium in UB. And after the spectacular ceremony, the competitions begin.
Most of the day will be spent at the horse racing course after driving about 30km out of the city to see the amazing races. Later in the afternoon watch the Mongolian traditional Song and Dance Ensemble.
Horseracing: The most impressive spectacle of the Naadam festival is surely the horseracing competitions. The horses cover different distances according to their age. Azarga (stallions) 28km, Ikh Nas (horses more than 5 years old) 30km, Soyolon (5-year olds) 25km, Khyazaalan (4-year olds) 22 km, Shudlen (3-year olds) 20km and Daaga (colts to 2 years old) 15km. There are no limits on the number of horses participating; usually 200-600 horses in each race. The five winning horses are honored with a cup of mare’s milk (airag) poured on their necks, a khadag (respectful blue silk scarf) and a medal.
The day trip will start at 8am driving to the impressive Chinggis Statue, which dominates the landscape. Spend an hour marveling at the largest statue of Chinggis Khan you will ever see. It is a jaw dropping scene among the beautiful hills and plains. For the daredevil inside there is also gliding available to witness this spectacular monument from the air. Terelj is a picturesque place of high cliffs of granite, rivers and forests. Terelj is famous for its distinctive rock formations including the ever-popular ‘Turtle Rock’.
National Park activities including horse riding, eat lunch in a local family ger and hike to Ariyabal Meditation Temple.
Your 3 Day Naadam Festival adventure will finish in Ulaanbaatar around 6pm.