Help with Proposed Western Mongolia Itinerary

I already have a jeep arranged and I have 7 days in Western Mongolia. I want to visit nomads (eagle hunters, mongolian) and experience natural scenery.

We fly from UB to Khovd on September 26th in the morning and we depart October 2nd from Ulgii to UB.

We will visit the eagle hunter competion on october 1st in Ulgii.

Now Madcat I have read your recommendation for visiting Altai Tavan Bogd. What rough itinerary would you recommend for visiting this place beginning on Khovd and leaving from Ulgii?

My proposed itinerary thus far is as follows: We are trying to limit our driving to 100km's per day but we can go over if necessary.

Day 1) Friday 9/25/09:

-Arrive: 09:50 (ULN)

-Airport pick-up $22 by Nassan Guest House

(Is this too expensive?)

-Day trip to Terelj National Park, a beautiful forested area near Ulaanbaatar. Optional hiking and horse riding. Return to UB for dinner and an overnight stay in the hotel.

-Overnight Ulaan baatar (Nassan Guest House single room 21$/night)

Day 2) Saturday 9/26/09:

-Depart to Khovd

-Drive about five hours to the Namarjin Valley in the Altai Mountains. You will be rewarded with the view of this vast wide-open valley filled with grazing herds of goat, sheep, and yaks, and spotted with many gers. Towering over the valley is the impressive snow-capped peak of Tsambagarav
Mountain. Because our horsemen’s families live here you will have a unique opportunity to experience the nomadic way of life. We will stay in our tents or with the nomads in their ghers.

Day 3) Sunday 9/27/09
Tsambagarav Mt area to do some hiking
-Camp in Gher with nomads

Day 4) Monday 9/28/09
Travel to lake Tolbo

(If this is not feasible can you recommend another place we can go from here to visit Kazakh eagle hunter nomads in their ghers and camp with them? We would prefer a remote area)

Day 5) Tuesday 9/29/09

Camp among Kazakh families, of which many are eagle hunters.

Day 6) Wednesday 9/30/09
Sagsai Soum where many Kazakh families stay in autumn.

Day 7) Thursday 10/1/09

Shar Nuur ger camp, 25 km from Ulgii, eagle hunter competition

Day 8) Friday 10/2/09
drive to ulgii

Day 9) Saturday 10/3/09
fly to UB from ulgii
Visit Gandan Monastery

-Nassan Guesthouse $21/night single room

Day 10) Sunday 10/4/09

-Depart 1030am from UB

We will have our own food and cooking stove.

Thanks for your help,
Matt

Hello from Mongolia.
Anyway all of guesthouse's airport pick up price is 10USD.
Taxi is more expensive than guesthouses.. please, you check out www.hostelworld.com site in Ulaanbaatar's guesthouses.
also, all of guesthouses organize the arranged tours in Mongolia.

Just returned and thought I would offer a trip report.

1st day flew from LAX to UB via Beijing on Air China. No problems, flights were on time and airport transition was smooth. Arrived in UB checked in at Nassan Guest house and met my vehicle and driver for Nomads travel agency and spent the day driving within Teralj National park (Turtle Rock, monastery, and visiting some randome nomads here and there in their ghers.

2nd day-Flew to Hovd via Eznis Airways. Flight was on time no problems. This is a new airline in Mongoia that flies new planes-Saabs and it very timely altough a little more expensive. Met my driver in Hovd set up by Nomads Travel agency (55$/day up to 100km's/day with driver and russian jeep). We drove to Tsambalgard mountain and stayed with an eagle hunting family in a gher. We drove where ever we wanted and hiked at our leisure. The family was vey hospitable and cooked gave us tea and were all around great. We gave them about 15$ the next mornin when we left.

3rd day-drove to lake Talbo and stayed with another Kazakh family. Once again great. The weather was cold and drizzling today.

Day 4-Drove to Olgii showered in the spa center for 2$ and contined driving to an eagle hunter's family outside of town and he demonstrated some of the eagle's skills to us. This family was very kind and they broke out some vodka and we did lots of shots that night. This time I gave them about 15$ dollars again when we left.

Day 5) Drove to a remote valley where the Tuvans and kazakhs live together. We stayed with a Tuvan family who demonstrated throat singing. The valley was amazing and a mountain loomed over the other end. I estimate the valley was half wat between Olgii and Tavan Bogd.

Day 6) Drove to Sagsai slowily stopping to hike and relax. Camped by a river and we visited randome ancient stone men.

Day 7) Drove to a valey near some Kazakh and Mongolian ghers. An eagle man demonstrated some eagle flying for us and we stayed with a mongolian family and hiked around the mountains watching wild golden eagles flying around.

Day 8) Drove to Olgii and met some friends from the airplane from UB. Visited the Baazar, museum, restaraunts, and mosque. Not much to do here.

Day 9) flew Eaziness air to UB. On time no problems at all. Explored UB-Gandar monastery and area. Stayed at nassan. Nassan was great-no problems.

Day 10 flew via beijing to US-Air China-no problems.