WILD EARTH JOURNEYS
KING TAIMEN ADVENTURE
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Trip Duration: 14 days
Trip Dates:
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Aug 15th- Aug 28th, 2024
Group Size: 6 paxs
Trip Cost: $5950 USD PAX
Private trip supplement: $USD 800 per person
TRIP OVERVIEW :
Floating the Onon River in Mongolia is a magical experience that every angler would wish to experience. Only a few people get to do it every year. Join us on an incredible fishing adventure to the upper section of the Onon River in the majestic Khentii Mountains. Fish with some of the most experienced local fishing guides to make the most of this unique expedition. The Onon River is home to the most predatory and monster fish -Taimen but also has plenty of lenoks, amur, pike, and trout to reel in. There are over 36 species of fish in the Onon, making it the river with the most diverse fish species in Mongolia. Alongside the incredible fishing, some of Mongolia’s greatest landscapes are experienced in its mountains and valleys which are filled with larch and pine trees. Away from crowded fishing zones and busy highways, this place will provide the most memorable fly fishing adventure that you won’t forget for years, with the perfect mixture of tranquility floating down beautiful scenery to adrenaline-filled smiles while reeling in river monsters.
Our trip allows travelers to visit places that few others ever get to see, and catch fish that have possibly never been caught.
TRIP HIGHLIGHTS:
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Catch the king taimen and feel the genuine thrill behind the fly reel. When a taimen rises towards your fly, it may turn into an intense fight that will make your heart skip a beat. Come live every angler's dream, experience the fight of a taimen.
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Float the Onon River, which is the headwaters of the Amur River basin. It is considered to be one of the oldest rivers on earth. Immerse yourself in the incredible scenery of this 100-kilometer pilgrimage.
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Explore historical sites that are connected to Genghis Khan’s early life and 13th-century Mongols. Visit places like where Genghis Khan was born and crowned as the king of the great Mongolian Empire. This is the exact location where Mongols started to gain power and went to conquer the world.
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Discover the spectacular Baldan-Braven Monastery which was established in the 17th century as the major Buddhist center in north-eastern Mongolia.
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Meet the Buryat people, ethnic people who were named the “mountain citizens” during the Genghis Khan era. Although they suffered horrific political purges during the 1930s, they were able to preserve their remarkable culture and tradition up until today.
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Visit nomadic beekeepers on horseback. The beekeepers represent Eco-friendly farming in the community. This is an excellent opportunity to get your hands in beekeeping. See how bees are cared for and how honey is harvested. Learn how impactful bees can be in improving the condition of pastureland in the region.
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Discover and watch white-naped cranes, one of the rarest birds on the planet earth. This area is home to these elusive birds for summer breeding. It is estimated that only 6000 individuals left in the world. Over 1 thousand of population gather and breed in this small piece of area. This place is regarded as one of the major birding area that possess multiple rare species including great bustards (the largest fly bird in the world) and 5 other different species of cranes as well as white tailed eagles and other raptors.
King Taimen – Fly Fishing adventure 2024
Guests arrive to Ulaanbaatar preferably the day before Orienation. Upon arrival at the Chinggis Khaan International Airport our staff will meet you for the transfer to the hotel, (Bayangol Hotel) located within walking distance of Sukhbaatar Square, museums and shops. Our staff will be holding a sign board when you cross the main gate of the airport.
ITINERARY:
Day 1: Orientation, Bayangol Hotel, dinner in UB
After breakfast, around 9 a.m., everyone will gather in the lobby to meet. Following the meet and greet there will be a brief orientation and then a visit to the Gandan monastery, for an insight into religious practices. After Gandan, we go to the National History Museum. Following a morning of religion, culture, and history we will walk to one of the best restaurants in Ulaanbaatar. Post Lunch, you're at your own disposal where one has an opportunity to shop, explore, or rest. After several hours of free time, we will gather at the hotel lobby for our welcome dinner.
Bayangol Hotel (B,L,D)
Day 2: Uglugch wall and the Onon River
Once breakfast is served, we will set off on our journey to the wilderness of the Khentii Mountains. Our destination today is the Onon River. The journey will start at 7 a.m. with a northeastern trajectory through vast grasslands. On the way, we will stop by Tsonjin-Boldog, A giant statue of Genghis-Khan. In the late afternoon, we will stop by the Uglugch wall to explore. This stone wall was constructed more than a thousand years ago and there are still lots of secrets about this place. We will spend 1-2 hours at the site exploring on foot.
Following this we will set off to spend the night in a tent.
Drive: 255 miles (410 Km), approx. 6-7 hours driving including a lunch stop.
Day 3 – 8: Fishing and rafting
On this day, our fishing adventure begins! For the next 6 days, we’ll be on the river in search of Hucho taimen and many other species of fish. We cover new stretches of water daily, our total trip spans a total length of over 100 km. Multiple tributaries enter the main flow every day, in these locations, we have the opportunity to stop and wade fish. Every day, we camp at a new location where our cooking staff has set up camp and brought our food and supplies, there is a support vehicle that meets us at every camp spot. During our journey, the river meanders through many different types of terrain including lush-covered mountains and wide open valleys.
Float: 70 miles (over 100 km) in total. Approximately 7-8 hours of fishing each day, plus 1-2 hours for lunch on the riverside. Overnight in tent camp (B, L, D).
Note: please bring only few important clothes and items you need on the boat, all other luggage will be sent via our truck and you will have them at the camp each night.
Day 9: Cultural event, visit Genghis Khan's Historical sites
After we've spent six days fishing on the river, we move on to the next part of the adventure. On the morning of the 10th day, our destination is the local village close to the takeout called Binder Tsum. It is believed that
Genghis Khan was born and raised in this area and also the location where he was crowned as the king of the Great Mongolian Empire. Yogi Mongolia's top distance accuracy fisherman was raised in this village. As a local, he will provide a lecture on the history of Ghengis and his descendants.
After that, we will have lunch at the Respectful Palace of Genghis Khan. In the afternoon, there will be a cultural event organized for us by local Buryat people. They will proudly wear local clothing and have horse performances, as well as ethnic songs and dances. In the evening, we have a barbecue with locals where we will dance and sing around a bonfire together. Buryat people are famed for their Yokhor dance.
Drive: 6 miles (10 Km), approximately 1 hour driving.
Overnight in tent camp (B, L, D)
Day 10: Visit the nomadic Bee farm, and ride to visit the Buryat family.
In the morning, we will ride horses to a local bee farm to participate in honey harvesting. We take part in their daily chores and learn about the lifecycles of bees and the different roles within the hives! The Saraana bee farm has nomadic beekeepers and the bees produce honey from the assortment of wild flowers.
After lunch we remount are horses and are off to visit a local nomadic Buryat family. In the nomadic families yurt one will be able to ask and learn about the daily life of a Mongol nomad and any other curiosities.
Ride: 12 miles (20 Km), approx. 4-5 hours riding, camp (B, L, D)
Day 11: Visit Baldan Bereeven monastery
Once breakfast is served, we will set off on our journey to the peaceful Baldan Bereeven Monastery. On the way, we will stop by Rashaan Khad ancient petroglyphs, which date back to the stone age. In the afternoon, we will arrive at our destination the Baldan Bereeven Monastery, an ancient Buddhist center of Mongolia.
It is a beautiful place surrounded by rock cliffs. We will explore the area on foot for 1-2 hours. Following this we will set off to spend the night at a local Ger camp.
Drive: 110 miles (170 Km), approx. 4-5 hours driving including a lunch stop. Overnight in Bayangol Ger camp
Day 12: Drive to Gun-Galuut nature reserve, Khar Zurkh Lake
On the morning of the 12th day, we begin our drive back in the direction of Ulaanbaatar. Our destination is the Gun-Galuut Nature Reserve. Before we reach Gun-Galuut, we will drive through Khar Zurkh Lake which is where Genghis Khan was elected as the leader of the Khamag Mongol tribe in the year 1189. We will spend some time in the area and have lunch there. After lunch, we will drive to Gun-Galuut Nature Reserve. Dinner will be served at the Gun Galuut camp.
Drive: 93 miles (150 Km), 5 hours to Gun-Galuut camp.
Overnight in ger camp (B, L, D)
Day 13: Return to UB, Farewell dinner
After breakfast, we will go horse riding to explore. This area is home to several amazing species of wildlife including wild mountain sheep (argali), grey wolf, and corsac foxes. Additionally, it happens to be one of the main birding zones for migratory birds. After our ride and animal sightings, we will have lunch at camp and then have our final drive back to UB (2-3 hours). Farewell dinner and folk concert.
Drive 90 miles (140 Km), approx. 2-3 hours driving.
Overnight in Bayangol Hotel (B,L,D)
Day 14: International Departures
Transfer to the airport.
INCLUSIONS:
THE PRICE INCLUDES:
DOES NOT INCLUDE:
Pre-trip expenses, extra night in hotels before or after the trip, medical immunizations, emergency evacuations, visa fees, travel insurance, and other expenses of a personal nature (alcoholic beverages, laundry, etc).
Double or twin occupancy at Bayangol Hotel. Welcome and farewell dinners and lunch, all entrance fees to museums based on itinerary, English speaking guide, lodging (ger camps), meals, National Park fees, Special taimen permits issued by the Ministry of Mongolia, Airport transfers, everything related to transport, local crew, local concerts, payments horses.
BOOKING YOUR TRIP:
To secure your spot on a fishing trip, email gdtkelly99@gmail.com. Galen will provide our bank details for a wire transfer and he’ll send you a detailed pre-departure trip planning packet that tells you all you'll need to know about preparing for your trip, and then some. If we can't offer you a place we'll return your deposit within 14 days. 20%of the total price per person upon booking (to secure your spot $1130). The Final payment is due 90 days before your departure ($4520). If we haven't received your payment and no special arrangements have been made, we will assume that you've canceled and filled your spot from our waitlist. If someone else is paying for any portion of your trip, you (the traveler) are responsible for payments and cancellation fees. Additional payments may be required on customized itineraries. We will inform you of these once you have placed your initial deposit.
DEPOSIT
20% of the trip cost is the amount you pay to secure your spot as a deposit. After receiving your deposit, we will notify you with
pack list, departure information etc.
FINAL PAYMENT
3 months prior to trip departure.
CANCELLATIONS AND REFUND POLICY
Wild Earth Journeys requires all cancellations to be submitted in official written form (digital forms accepted). You can make cancellations for any reason up to 90 days before departure and receive a full refund, with an administrative processing fee of $250 deducted. The cancellation charges are determined by the number of days from the receipt of the written cancellation notice to the scheduled main trip departure date. The following time limit is implemented by Wild Earth journeys for the cancellation charge:
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Before 90 days - $250
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Between 89-45 days - 50% of total trip cost
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45 days or less - 100% of total trip cost
Come to Mongolia's Siberia
Khan Khentii mountain Region
Davaa, Uvur and Unguljiin rivers start from Khan Khentii Mountain, a peak of Khentii Mountain range, and running along on two sides of Botokhon and Boorji that lie next to Mountains Burkhan Khaldun create a river called “Onon”. The river runs for 808 km along beautiful high mountains that support forests including boreal coniferous forests and through vast meadows and steppe in Khentii and Dornod aimags of Mongolia and then goes to a territory of Chita province of Russian Federation. While running through the territory of Russian Federation, Onon River creates Shilk River by joining Ingedei River started from Sohond Mountain, a peak mountain continued from Khentii Mountain range to the north east. Joining Ergune River, the Shilk River creates scenic Amur River that marks off borders of Russia and China and inflows into Pacific Ocean having run through vast taiga/boreal coniferous forests. Thus, starting from a tributary of Ungulj and Davaa rivers and inflowing into the ocean, this big river runs for 4,444 km. The river width is five km in average by running in narrow streams in its some parts. It is internationally recognized that Onon River is a head river of Amur River, one of five world biggest rivers that freely runs without any natural embankments and barriers. There are over 400 rivers and streams inflowing in Onon, Ulz, Kherlen, and Khalkh rivers in Mongolia that belong to Amur River basin. Amur River basin is one of 35 eco-regions that require inevitable conservation as announced by World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF). Therefore, the protection of Amur river, which is specific with its scenery, natural resources, rarely found ecosystem features and regarded as one of the biggest not only in Asia but also in the world, should start from the protection of Onon river basin.
Yogi was raised along the banks of the Onon River. His dad took him on fishing and hunting trips since he was a young boy teaching him how to survive in the wild, respect Mother Earth and live in harmony with nature. He was recruited as a local guide by outfitters and learned about fly fishing and never stopped. He’s been guiding and fly-fishing for more than 20 years in his homeland waters. He’s known as “Yogi bear” by his fellow fishermen. He’s also an accomplished photographer of birds and tracks wild animals in the offseason.
YOUR GUIDES
GALEN KELLY
Galen was raised in the foothills of the Himalayas and the Mongol steppe. He learned how to ride horses and fish as a toddler in Mongolia. He has spent 20 summers on Mongol rivers and is ready to experience the vast rivers and valleys alongside you. He’s worked multiple summers on the cold Alaskan ocean catching fish and has also guided fly fishing and Horse Riding in central Mongolia for a decade with National Geographic.
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Thomas L. Kelly
Thomas began his world travels as a Peace Corps volunteer in Nepal, in 1978, and has since worked as a photo-activist-documenting the struggles of marginalized people and disappearing cultural traditions around the world. His work has appeared in Time, National Geographic, The New York Times, and many more publications. Thomas has worked in Mongolia for nearly 25 years and is excited to share his deep knowledge of Mongolian life. He's Fly-fished for over 50 years.