Scenes from Mongolia's Golden Eagle Festival Sweepstakes
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The isolation of the Altai Mountains has preserved the language and traditions of the Kazakhs, who live amongst some of the most spectacular scenery in Mongolia. During the trip, you will visit a Kazakh eagle hunter's family. Kazakh gers are usually decorated in very bright colors, showing off handcrafted felt carpets and delicately embroidered tapestries made by Kazakh women.
When you are in Western Mongolia, you'll attend the annual Golden Eagle Festival. Over 60 Golden Eagle hunters come on horseback with their eagles to this event each year.
A proud hunter with his Golden Eagle. During the festival, Golden Eagles are evaluated for their speed and agility.
After dinner, you'll attend special performances of traditional Kazakh dance, song and music arranged for the competition's participants—many of whom traveled as far as 140 miles on horseback. You'll also participate in traditional Kazakh games as you wait for the results of the Eagle Competition.
Horses grazing alongside the singing dunes of Hongoryn Els. Extending 60 miles alongside the Gobi Altai Mountain range, these sand dunes, reaching upwards of 600 feet, are the most magnificent in the Gobi.
During the trip, you will visit a camel breeder family. Nomads often use camels to move to a new pasture.
The Three Camel Lodge is eco-friendly; most electricity is generated by solar or wind power. The Lodge's Bulagtai restaurant uses locally grown organic produce and organic meat from Mongolia's free-range livestock herds.
The Deluxe Gers are heated by wood stoves and furnished with hand-painted wood-frame beds. You can spend your nights relaxing in felt slippers and Mongolian-styled bathrobes while you enjoy the desert silence.
Learn more about Mongolia's Golden Eagle Festival Sweepstakes and enter for your chance to win!Bora Bora, Italy, London and more: Read about all 5 adventures
From the
June 2010 issue of
O, The Oprah Magazine
