TRAVEL SPECIAL: THE DESTINATIONSANDREW PEACOCK
Mongolia’s Golden Eagle festivalMongolia lends itself to spec-
tacular photography opportunities for land-
scape and portrait as you explore rocky moun-
tainous terrain as well as Mongolia’s highest
peaks and largest glaciers. There are also
great opportunities for those interested in
portrait photography as you mingle with the
nomads whilst learning their way of life and
the challenges of living off the land.DON’T MISS
The incredible Golden Eagle Festival,
where you’ll see the Kazak Eagle hunters
(Burkitshi) in action with their highly skilledeagles. The hunters celebrate their heritage
and compete to catch small animals such as
foxes and hares with specially trained gold-
en eagles, showing off the skills both of the
birds and their trainers. Prizes are awarded
for speed, agility and accuracy, as well as for
the best traditional Kazakh dress, and more.BEST TIME TO VISIT
The festival is on once a year in early October.Featuring rugged mountains, towering
granite peaks, magnificent gorges and
mysterious waterholes, Arkaroola is
home to over 160 species of birds,
along with the shy and endangered
yellow-footed rock-wallaby.
Set in the dramatic Bayan-Olgii aimag region of
Mongolia, the Golden Eagle festival typically attracts
more than 500 competitors each year.