MONGOLIA | How to meet the Tsaatans, reindeer farmers? Practical tips & information for a responsible experience.

What you will find in this article built in the form of questions / answers :
→ The organization necessary for this expedition (detached).
→ Our advice for a multi-day experience in nature without water or electricity.
→ Practical information (access, time to plan, budget and contact details of an independent guide so that this experience takes place with respect for hosts and sustainability).

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In practice: the questions / answers to go to meet Tsaatans in Mongolia

→ Do I have to take a guide to meet the Tsaatans?

Yes! Unless you investigate the place and have long weeks in front of you to wander the taiga, you will not be able to find the Tsaatans by yourself: neither roads nor paths lead to their place of life. And besides, being a nomadic tribe they have by definition no fixed place of life. Only a handful of people know the habits of these tribes. They alone can guess where their camp is approximately depending on the season and will be able to drive there. Your guide will also serve you interpreter with families and it is with him that you will organize the expedition: the number of days, the stages, the loan of horses, the food...

A guide is (sensely) a trusted person for these families. With him, you make sure your presence doesn't bother those nomads.

→ Do I have to. e Take a driver to meet the Tsaatans?

A guide doesn't go without his driver, it's the shock duo. It's like tick and tac, Tintin and Milou, Bonnie and Clyde, Batman and Robin, Starsky and Hutch, Han Solo and Chewbacca... We stop there. Driving in the taiga is a real skill and especially a good vehicle! Usually each guide works with one, two or three drivers. They will hire them according to their availability, You won't take care of anything..

→ How to find a guide?

On-site | The Tsaatans live in the north of the Mongolia, near the border with the Siberia. To our knowledge the best way to find a guide is to go to the place: by « on site » we hear as close as possible to this region, the city of Mörön. There you will find some « Ger camp » who will be able to offer you an expedition to visit the Tsaatans. For our part we left with Zaya, an independent guide, beyond her professionalism, Zaya is a passionate woman who exercises her profession in respect of her country and the tribes that populate her by proposing only immersions in a very small group. Over the years Zaya has become a true friend and we'll see her again as soon as we can during our adventures in Mongolia. If you want to contact her don't hesitate to send us a message

From Ulan Bator | It is also possible to organize this expedition via numerous agencies of the capital, they will take charge of the trip from Ulaan Bator and will offer you (according to the agencies) the same services as an independent guide: guide, driver, horse, equipment... With one exceptionYou might be in a group of up to 10 people.

When we experienced this adventure the expeditions to meet the Tsaatans were less popular than today. We regularly learn that some families are beginning to be over-solicited, that it is not uncommon to cross groups of about ten people and that the distribution of benefits is not necessarily very equitable. Pay attention to the claimant you choose: big agencies are flourishing in Mongolia and often organize these trips without worrying about the opinions of nomads or the fairness of their remuneration.

→ When can I visit the Tsaatans?

Mongolia is a wild land whose living conditions can be very difficult in winter. The guides do not ensure any expedition in the middle of this season, snow preventing any horse or vehicle from advancing, even the Uaz. The period to visit the Tsaatans therefore extends from March to mid-November. For our part we had left at the beginning of October but the winter was exceptionally early that year: the first snows had fallen, we had had about 8° during the day and -15° at night, our expedition was the last of the season.

→ Budget: How much does an expedition cost to reach reindeer farmers?

The prices will be almost everywhere the same and will be close to the 50€ per day per person*. This price is all included: transport, accommodation, horses, most meals. You can try to negotiate if you want to leave for a longer time, but keep in mind that the money you will give is not only for your guide... The latter will redistribute it to the nomadic families who will welcome for the first and last nights, to the driver, to the horse guide (the one who will provide the horses and take care of them throughout the journey) and especially the Tsaatans families you will meet and who will share with you their resources. This price will also cover fuel and certain meals.

*October 2019.

These tribes perpetuate ancestral traditions in increasingly difficult living conditions. Many Tsaatans families have been forced to abandon this way of life To reach the nearest cities and find another job, that's why they have now almost all disappeared and that there are only about 40 left on our planet. The fact that you're visiting them can provide them with additional income. The few euros you'll be tempted to negotiate will be one less chance for them to perpetuate what you came to observe.... We're telling you that because as long-term travelers, negotiation is part of everyday life. We were tempted to do so also for this expedition there, but eventually upon our return we almost felt guilty of not giving more than it seemed to us that Zaya and these Tsaatans tribes needed this money more than we did. Even if it is important to keep in mind that what we give in return to those people who welcome us should not be limited to the financial aspect.

→ Timing: How many days does it take to see the Tsaatans?

Such an expedition will require at least 4 days Once there.
> A day trip to Uaz from the city of Mörön + a day trip back.
> Add to this two mandatory days of horse, even logical: one to go, one to return.
This formula makes you spend one night with the Tsaatans.
If you're leaving the capital, you can plan one week.

→ Food: Are all meals included? Do I have to bring any supplies?

It will depend on your guide: you will have to fix the details of this point with him. Most of the meals will certainly be taken care of but keep in mind that the Tsaatans take that only one real meal a day and have very limited provisions: a little help will be welcome to feed these extra mouths! If you adopt their way of life, you'll have bread in the morning, at noon and probably a little boiled meat in the evening. For example, you can bring rice to complete your meals or products that the Tsaatans do not have access to and that you wish to make them discover: we had brought rice but also sausage, spread dough to spread on the bread in the morning, and on the spot we had made them the surprise of making a jam of blueberries. Also foreseen some snacks for long days of road or horse, or for meals that will not have been large enough if you have a lot of appetite.

→ How to come from Ulaan Bator, capital of Mongolia?

Rdv at the bus station (Dragon Station), then take a ticket to Mörön (or Murun) which will cost about 32 000 tugriks or 11€50.

EQUIPMENT

→ What should I take for several days in autonomy in nature?

The food point is already okay. For the rest, the rivers will be your showers, the nature your bathroom, the duvets provided by nomadic families will be both your sheets, cushions and mattresses. Of course, if you wish, you can bring your own extra equipment. In any case, an additional horse (or two, depending on the number of people composing the expedition) will accompany to carry the equipment (still try to go to the essential). For our part we did not know exactly what we would find in the Tsaatans and were already well equipped bivouac level, so here is what we had taken away:

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