First trip of the year: Through the snowy forest, to a reindeer herding village isolated from the world

Listening to the sound of the horse-head lute, riding a sleigh on the frozen Khuvsgul Lake, exploring the nomadic life of the last reindeer tribe... are unforgettable experiences during blogger Vinh Gau's trip to Mongolia in early 2024.

Mongolia - the homeland of the famous leader in world history, Genghis Khan. Winter in Mongolia is long, the green steppe will be covered with snow, creating a beautiful fairy-tale scene. In addition to the scenery, survival in a place where the temperature can drop to minus 50 degrees Celsius always attracts enthusiasts of exploration.

“Winter (from November to February) is usually the low tourist season in Mongolia, due to the harsh weather. However, each season has its own charm. In summer, there will be cool green grasslands with muscular Mongolian men riding horses. In winter, there will be pure white snow, as beautiful as a fairyland,” blogger Vinh Gau shared.

So what will tourists experience when coming to Mongolia in winter?

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Cherishing the plan to go to Mongolia, blogger Vinh Gau had a reindeer tattooed on his left arm many years ago. However, it was not until early January 2024 that his dream came true.

As soon as he arrived at Genghis Khan Airport (capital of Ulaanbaatar), the Vietnamese male tourist received information from the loudspeaker - the outside temperature was minus 20 degrees Celsius.

“In winter, Mongolia has heavy snowfall and temperatures can drop to minus 50 degrees Celsius, forcing animals living here to find shelter to survive the cold season. However, this is an easier time to meet the world’s last remaining primitive reindeer tribe in Mongolia,” said Vinh.

The Dukha tribe (also known as the Tssaatan) lives in the remote northern regions of Mongolia. They are the last nomadic reindeer herding tribe in the world. The Dukha people's lives are completely dependent on reindeer herding. Therefore, reindeer are considered the soul and main source of life for the tribe.

“Reindeer bring many benefits to the Tsaatan people. They can drink reindeer milk, use their milk to make cheese, use their skin to cover tents to keep warm or make shoe leather. Reindeer antlers are used for handicrafts and decoration. Reindeer are used as a means of transporting goods when migrating or going to town... And recently, reindeer have also created a source of income for the tribe when allowing tourists to experience nomadic life. Therefore, the Tsaatan people rarely kill reindeer for meat to sell,” said Vinh. According to CNN, to take pictures with reindeer, tourists are willing to pay the tribe 2.5 USD.

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Each season of the year, the Tsaatan people will migrate with their reindeer herds to a place with the most suitable climate. Reindeer are animals that like to live in cool places. In the summer, they will take the reindeer deep into the forest, higher up in the mountains to find food. In the winter, they will take them closer to the edge of the forest, closer to the town where they can live more easily. Therefore, in the summer, it takes only 9-10 hours of horseback riding to reach the tribe's migration site deep in the forest. In the winter, when many rivers and lakes freeze, off-road vehicles can drive straight to the edge of the forest where they migrate, taking only about 2 hours from the nearby village of Tsagaan Nuur.

“Sitting in the car, speeding on the snowy road in the middle of a vast space, without any signs, driving dozens of kilometers before seeing a roof or a cattle farm, I asked myself: “If I didn’t go with a local, how could I have gotten here by myself?”. My Mongolian brother said: “I’ve been driving in this area for over 20 years, don’t worry” when he saw that I was still worried because I didn’t know where I was in the middle of a vast space with only the white color of snow, whether I was going the right way, what if something happened in a place where I had to drive all day to see a car going in the opposite direction,… Well, since my brother said so, I could rest assured and enjoy the winter beauty of this place”, blogger Vinh Gau recalled.

Since landing in the capital Ulaanbaatar, it was not until the 5th day that Vietnamese tourists were able to approach the Tsaatan reindeer tribe. The distance was about 1000km, with heavy snowfall, the sections that started to turn from the main asphalt road to the forest were no different than... riding a roller coaster.

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“Here we are!” I exclaimed when I saw the sharp triangular tents often seen in movies about Mongolia. All the fatigue from the long journey disappeared, I got off the car and walked to the tents. Uncle Davaajav leaned on his cane, stood up and shook hands with everyone.

Having to migrate many times a year, nomads here often use tents that are easy to disassemble and assemble. The simplest is the ortz tent, also known as teepes. The second type is the Gor tent, also known as a Yurt. This type of tent has a round shape, a low ceiling, and a larger living space than the ortz. Regardless of the type of tent, there is always a wood stove inside to keep warm and is a place for the whole family to gather on the cold winter days of northern Mongolia.

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The life of the Tsaatan tribe is getting better and better with the support of some modern means. The tents now have solar panels and satellite dishes for watching television. However, the people still retain their unique customs, culture and the mysteries of the past.

Due to the Earth's climate change and the development of society, the Tsaatan reindeer tribe is facing the risk of disappearing. The number of people in the tribe is currently only about 300 - 400 people. Currently, the Mongolian government is supporting each family member from young to old with a monthly allowance to help them preserve the tribe.

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Once arriving at the reindeer tribe, visitors will experience many interesting things. Sitting in a warm tent, warming their hands over the stove, while watching the snow-covered pine forest in the distance. The scene becomes more fairy-tale when the reindeer pass by, stopping to use their feet to dig the snow off the grass, then bend down to nibble on it. The peaceful and interesting scene makes visitors forget the initial strangeness.

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The reindeer herd lives and is domesticated in a natural environment, but tourists can easily approach and take souvenir photos. If you pay attention, you will easily realize that the reindeer are shedding their antlers, only a few in the herd have intact antlers. The shed antlers will be painted with many unique patterns by the locals and sold to tourists.

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“Tourists under 70kg can experience riding reindeer around the village with the support of the Tsaatan people. Personally, I do not recommend this activity, because it can affect the health of the reindeer. You can walk with them around the village, which is also very interesting,” the humorous blogger shared.

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In addition, when coming to Mongolia, tourists also have many interesting experiences such as sitting in a horse-drawn carriage on the vast Khuvsgul ice lake, which is more than 2 million years old. Each carriage will have about 4 people and will be driven by a horse driver.

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Explore the world's tallest steel equestrian statue at the Genghis Khan Statue Complex and learn more about Mongolian history and culture.

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Enjoy the melody of the traditional Mongolian horse-drawn lute (Ma dau qin) and the impressive throat singing. When mentioning this unique singing style, we cannot help but mention The HU, a famous rock band from Mongolia.

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Explore Jargant spring near Tsagaan Nuur ih village, a spring that never freezes even at minus 50 degrees Celsius. The spring water is very clear and cool.

Or explore Bahdag spring which also does not freeze. But the interesting thing is that if you sing or whistle loudly enough, the water in the spring will bubble up. The louder the volume, the more bubbles.

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Dog sledding: each sled has 2-3 people and is pulled by more than a dozen dogs on the glacier for 2-3km. Before starting, you will be instructed on how to operate the sled, how to steer, how to brake, etc. This breed of dog is not originally from Mongolia but comes from many places such as Alaska, Finland, etc.

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The journey to the Mongolian reindeer village is arduous but brings many unique experiences. You will never forget the freezing cold, the moments of lying on the thick snow, or the first time in your life touching reindeer, witnessing the simple but mysterious nomadic life of the Tssaatan people...

(According to 24h, February 15, 2024)

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