Comments on: The Tsaatan: Mongolia’s Reindeer People

By: Theodora

Theodora — Fri, 23 Jun 2017 11:31:51 +0000

In reply to Mariana.

Hi Mariana,

I think if you’re planning to come all the way from Mexico to see the Tuva you will likely be disappointed: tourism has firmly interfered with their lifestyles, right down to affecting the timing of when they pasture their reindeer, and they’ll likely be even more visitors than there were when we went. There are two populations – one of which rejects contact with outsiders, and the other of which embraces it. You might do better to consider exploring across the border in Russia, where there are many more Tuva people, and I suspect (though I don’t know) that they are less visited. If the Tuva are just one part of your vision for exploring Mongolia, then by all means stick with Mongolia: if they’re your only reason, I’d be cautious. Whatever you do, do please buy some handicrafts to contribute to their society.

Theodora

By: Mariana

Mariana — Wed, 21 Jun 2017 16:28:27 +0000

lease note the previous posting had an incorrect email.
Hello. I haven’t seen any activity lately. Hopefully Theodora you can read my post and we could be in touch.
I’m planning to go to Mongolia this summer, female traveller alone, and want to visit the Tuva people but without interfering with their special and unique vision of the world. I have mixed feelings about getting out there but ont he other hand I would love to go there.
I look forward to hearing from you.
I would go all the way from Mexico so quite a long and expensive trip.

By: Mariana

Mariana — Wed, 21 Jun 2017 16:27:06 +0000

Hello. I haven’t seen any activity lately. Hopefully Theodora you can read my post and we could be in touch.
I’m planning to go to Mongolia this summer, female traveller alone, and want to visit the Tuva people but without interfering with their special and unique vision of the world. I have mixed feelings about getting out there but ont he other hand I would love to go there.
I look forward to hearing from you.
I would go all the way from Mexico so quite a long and expensive trip.

By: Theodora

Theodora — Mon, 26 May 2014 05:33:15 +0000

In reply to Drew | The Hungry Pa. Flights to UB are expensive -- and, of course, entering from China requires getting a Chinese visa. It's quite a pleasant overland trip, if you have time to burn...

By: Drew | The Hungry Pa

Drew | The Hungry Pa — Mon, 26 May 2014 02:30:11 +0000

Ahhh I want to go to Mongolia so bad!! But flights are too expensive to there from Korea… I hope to go soon 😀

By: Theodora

Theodora — Mon, 17 Mar 2014 01:34:02 +0000

In reply to Larry. Great!

By: Larry

Larry — Sat, 15 Mar 2014 14:44:16 +0000

This has convinced me to take Mongolia seriously … thanks to you, I’ll be making a trip here when I’m in Asia a year or two from now!

By: Theodora

Theodora — Mon, 04 Nov 2013 11:41:44 +0000

In reply to Adam P.. Throat-singing is wonderful, really. I thought it would just be one of those tacky touristic folkloric experiences I'd run a mile from, but it's an extraordinary phenomenon.

By: Adam P.

Adam P. — Mon, 04 Nov 2013 08:45:34 +0000

I came across Tuva a few years ago thanks to this great documentary called Genghis Blues. It´s about a blues musician who learns throat singing on his own and then travels to Tuva to sing in a throat singing festival there. Really powerful and so beautifully authentic. Highly recommend. It was kind of wonderfully strange to come across Tuva people again thanks to your post. I guess not many people are aware of them, so it feels rather special to have this bit of knowledge about them and their culture.

By: Theodora

Theodora — Sun, 27 Oct 2013 16:52:39 +0000

In reply to Sand In My Suitcase. Ha! We've slept on a bamboo platform used for smoking deer, and on a rocky riverbed, so we're fairly robust on the old sleeping front...