Ethno tour The pearls of Tuva (8 days/7 nights) takes place in the Republic of Tuva.

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Region

Tuva is situated on the South of Eastern Siberia in the geographical center of Asia. It borders Krasnoyarsk region, Khakassia republic, Mongolia, Altai republic. Tuva is very rich in natural resources: besides huge geological deposits, there are about 8000 rivers, including famous Khemchik and Yenisei, about 20 big fresh and salt water lakes, lots of healing mineral springs. Fauna of Tuva is very unique and diverse: here one can meet a camel, a desert dweller, and a reindeer, inhabitant of northern territories, Tuvan mountains Tannu-Ola are the realm of snow leopard. Also bear, wolf, squirrel, moose, sable, roebuck, lynx, glutton and birds like hazel-hen, blackcock, goose, duck, eagles and even swans are often met here. From fish such species can be mentioned: Siberian and Mongolian grayling, salmon, bass, pike and many others.

The population of Tuva is about 315 thousand people. The capital of the republic is Kyzyl, the place having been calculated and depicted to be the geographical center of Asia. Distance from Abakan – 400 km, from Krasnoyarsk –1000 km. Time difference with Moscow is +4 hours.

Main confessions: Orthodox Church, Buddhism, Shamanism.

Places of interest in Kyzyl are: free Arat square, The Geographical center of Asia obelisk, National Tuvan museum, Tuvan national theatre, Shaman clinic.

Holidays and customs of Tuva

Shagaa – New Year according to the luni-solar calendar. (January-February)

Constitution day of Tuva Republic – 6 May

Republic Day – 15 August

Naadym - nomads' festival, the date and place is changing every year, traditionally middle August, in Kyzyl.

Season rituals of worshipping nature (sug bazhy dagyyr, taiga dagyyr, ot dagyyr).

If you happen to appear at a Tuvan family’s place, you should know that it is used to give little presents to hosts. You present children with sweets or cookies, and adults may be presented with something useful, for example a torch. It’s very important to deal with older ones with respect, following subordination.

Singing songs in a company of people is much preferred by Tuvans, so be ready to be asked to sing, Good vocal abilities are not important – it’s important to support singing anyway. In their songs Tuvans chant the praises of great rivers Yenisei and Irtysh and of great mountains Sayan and Altai, steppes and valleys. They sing about their friends – horses.

How to get

The journey starts in Kyzyl. Time difference with Moscow is +4 hours.

By air (schedule plan is possible to be changed)

You can get to Kyzyl from Moscow by airlines IrAero. The flight is Thur, Sun at 22:00, arrival in Kyzyl at 07:05. Return flight is on Mon and Fri 07:55-08:55. The one way ticket costs about 170 euro. 

You can get to Kyzyl from Krasnoyarsk by airlines Nordstar. The flight is Mon, Tue, Thur, Sat at 08:10, arrival in Kyzyl at 09:45. Return flight is on Mon, Tue, Thur, Sat 16:25-18:05. The one way ticket costs about 60 euro. 

You can get to Kyzyl from Novosibirsk by airlines Nordstar. The flight is Mon, Tue, Thur, Sat at 13:30, arrival in Kyzyl at 15:45. Return flight is on Mon, Tue, Thur, Sat 10:25-12:40. The one way ticket costs from 80 euro. 

You can get to Kyzyl from Irkutsk by airlines IrAero. The flight is Wed, Fri at 14:00, arrival in Kyzyl at 15:20. Return flight is on Wed, Fri 16:10-20:20. The one way ticket costs about 70 euro.

By train

There is no railroad in Tuva. The next railway station is in Abakan (400 km to the north of Kyzyl). Abakan you can reach by train 124 from Krasnoyarsk or by train 068 from Moscow via Ekaterinburg and Novosibirsk.

From Abakan to Kyzyl you can get only along motor roads:

In the republic there are 2 roads of federal significance: Kyzyl-Abakan and Kyzyl-Ak-Dovurak-Abakan.

1) transfer ordered in advance, which will be arranged for you by our company, traveling time 6 hours.

2) by private fixed-run taxi and cars (Toyota Fielder, Honda Odyssey) from the railway station from 06:00 to 11:00. The car leaves as soon as it is full, so passengers usually wait up to 3 hours. Traveling time 4-6 hours, the price is from 35 Euro one way

3) by private car on the highway M-54, the distance Abakan-Kyzyl - 400 km.

Accommodation

Yurt camp Biy-Khem (4 nights)

The yurt camp is located 22 km from Kyzyl, on the bank of Yenisei river, and is specially designed for tourists’ accommodation. These are yurts with low door facing the East. They are furnished for 1 or 2 people. There are 2 beds, a cupboard, bedside tables in yurts. At the door you can find a washstand. Electrical heating, electrical outlets. Toilet and shower are in a special big yurt. Also canteen and bar are situated in a separate yurt.
Extra service: banya, shamans' kamlaniye ritual.
Address: Tuva Republic, Piy-Khem kozhuun, Kara-Khaak settlement

At the time of departure of tourists on the radial routes involving overnight stays outside the yurt complex tourists have to check out the yurt, leave extra luggage in a cloakroom, taking to the route what you need, some valuable things. Arriving back in the yurt complex tourists are accommodated in free yurts.

Yurt camp Sai-Khonash (3 nights)

The yurt camp is located in the Western part of Tuva, 40 km from the main road Kyzyl-Ak-Dovurak, in a very beautiful place, surrounded by mountains, nearby there are many nomads sites. Conditions are close to the real Tuvan yurts.

Accommodation in local yurts for 2-3 persons. Single accommodation is not provided, but we may ask the reception if a necessary case.

Please note that the yurt camp offers visitors a minimum comfort: a wooden toilet and washing facilities outside yurts, there is no summer shower, but there is a Russian wooden banya (you will visit it twice within 3 days stay), also a separate kitchen in a yurt.

The yurt camp is an excellent opportunity to get acquainted with the real life of the Tuvan nomads. All activities there carry the cognitive character.

Weather

The climate in Tuva is sharply continental. Summer there is dry, temperature up to 40 C. Winters are cold –50 C and not snowy.

• It's very beautiful in June, as the greenery is still fresh, everything is in blossom, at the same time you can see snow high up in the mountains. It's warm during the day, but rather cool in the evening.

• July is the hottest month, but sometimes there might rain for a week. The weather is stable and it's warm in the day time (till +40) and at night (+20). At the end of the month the steppe starts getting dry.

• The first half of August is warm, but later it starts getting colder. Nights get colder. At the end of the month there is a change of colors in nature surroundings: leaves get red and yellow. At this time of the year there is a great many of mushrooms and berries.

• September is rich with a diversity of nature colors, red, yellow, and green colors prevail. Usually, the first half of the month is warm but nights are cold. During the second half of September it can be rainy, the temperature can drop to +5 C.

Meeting and seeing off

Transfers from airport or bus terminal of Kyzyl are organized at fixed time between 09:00 and 16:00. Tourists are met with a board, where tourist’s name or a name of a company is printed.

Seeing off is organized according to your tickets between 08:00 and 12:00. Tourist are transferred to the airport 3 hours before a flight.

The contact numbers of guide will be given to you 7 days before the day of start.

Transportation

Traveling by minivans, minibuses, cars UAZ, jeeps according to group’s size. The final decision, what kind of bus to coose, is made upon group's formation, usually 10 days before the tour start. All transport is with air conditioner (exc,UAZ). During the tour there are several stops, rest, walks and picnics. It is forbidden to smoke in buses, stops in some places, preserves. Driving during the night is also forbidden because of the seasonal pasture.

Guide services

We have highly qualified guides working in our company, due to this fact the tours of the company Sayan Ring have become so interesting and fascinating. The guides will be English, German or French speaking. They say, without a guide any journey, even a short one is nothing more than going some distance, but with a guide it is already travelling. On some trips you will be accompanied by experienced instructors. Tipps to our guides and drivers are not included in the tour price.

Meals

During the tour you will be offered three meals a day: in camps, restaurant, picnics (lunch box). On the way short picnics or packed lunches will be organized. Mineral water, local drinks, coffee, tea are included in tours' pricing. Alcohol beverages are not included in price. We also consider the tourists' preferences, those who follow special diets or are vegetarians. For this you need to inform us in advance about your wishes. In case the meal preferences were not specified one will be provided with standard menu. Any alterings in meal during the tour are possible only for additional fee.

The national Russian and Tuvan cuisine will be an integral part of the program.

The traditional dishes of Russian cuisine are thought to be pancakes, rosted and backed pies, meat dumplings, salty cucumbers, beetroot salad, cabbage soup, fruit drinks and many others.

Speaking about Tuvan people, they also can’t do without meat and diary products. In fact, they eat mostly meat and all other food is just an addition to it. Various dishes made of meat and flour are quite popular with local people, these are soup with meat and noodles (uzken bydaa), meat dumplings prepared on steam (boozy) and traditional ones (manchy), round fried meat pie (khuzhuury), minced meat with pastry (tyrtykan) and many others. Moreover, you can find on the table of Tuvinian people vodka made of milk (araga), which is made of sour milk, boorzaki – pieces of pastry fried in boiled oil, cakes, which are eaten not with prepared food, but as “individual dish” and soktaan dolgan – ground barley. Also Tuvinian people like blood pudding, green tea with milk (it is drunk with butter or salt). The importance of diary products as well as meat product is very high for these people. They developed different ways of cooking products made of  milk such as – cheese (bashtyk), butter (sarzhag), cream (oreme), koumiss (khymys), kefir (tarak), sour clotted milk (khoitpak), dried cottage cheese – of hard  and crumbly consistence (kurut and aarzhy respectively).

Security

All vehicles along the route are equipped with first-aid kit and all our guides have been specially trained to do primary medical assistance. Also all our tourists are insured against accidents and tick-borne encephalitis (insurance Nadezhda, telephone customer service center +7 812 325 72 92, +7 800 333 72 92). Follow the rules of precautions and personal safety.

Mobile communications on the route

On the most part of the tour the cellular network coverage is available. Mobile phones operated by local operators (MTS, Beeline, Megafon, Tele2) are working alright. There is no mobile connection in Sai Khonash camp (you will be not available since the midday on the day 3 till the midday on the day 6).

Useful tips

Travelling clothes must be comfortable. Please, take clothes you put on for walking and outdoor activities with you.

• Light-toned T-shirts with long sleeves and light pants to protect your skin from spiny plants in Tuvan steppes

• Shorts, T-shirts in light colors

• In May and in September warm sweater or fleece jacket, thermal underwear, gloves, hat

• Cotton socks 2-3 pairs; wool socks in May, late August and September

• Windproof and waterproof jacket / raincoat

• 2 pairs of shoes: a pair of sport shoes (preferably closed) and a pair of waterproof shoes.

• Hat or cap to protect your head from the sun

• Sunglasses

• Sunscreen (in Tuva high solar activity)

• Swimsuit

• Flashlight, you will need it in the evening at the camps

• Repellents

• Personal hygiene items

• Insurance

• Individual medicines in the presence of chronic diseases

• Cash (for souvenirs, sweets, alcohol drinks, other personal expenses)

You can choose from a travel bag, backpack or suitcase, all options are ok. You do not have to carry your luggage over long distances.

You do not need to take with you:

• tents, sleeping bags and other camping equipment

• soap

• toilet paper

• towels (all hotels and camps providetowels, but you can take your own from personal hygiene reasons)

Ticks and mosquitoes

In Tuva there are not many mosquitoes, but there can be a lot of mosquitoes because of continuous rains, which is a rare phenomenon for Tuva. We recommend tourists to make sure their arms and legs are covered in twilight because mosquitoes are enlivened in the evening time. Anti-mosquitoes repellents are recommended.

There are ticks in steppes of Tuva. The territory of the yurt camp Biy-Khem is treated by the pest control. The peak of ticks activity is from May to Middle July. We provide tick-borne encephalitis insurance for you. Special anty-ticks repellents and vaccination are recommended. What is more, we recommend everyone to regularly check your cloths, open skin areas, the head. Most often ticks fasten on legs and then crawl up, sucking to the upper body, above the waist.

Water

Water provided during the tour is clear and doesn’t need any additional purification. You will be given water for drinking (still or carbonated), that’s why there will be no need in taking water with you. Water in hot Tuva is necessary.

Other information

Information  including meeting guide telephone and timed program is provided 7 days before the first day of the tour. You can get your insurance certificates, air and railway tickets booked in advance from your guide at the starting day.

Guarantees

Sayan Ring is the incoming tour operator in Krasnoyarsk regional, Khakassia and Tuva. The company is in the Federal Register of Tour Operators, according to it our Certificate Number is # PTO 015694, given by Federal Tourist Agency. We are the member of Association of Russian Tourism Companies.

Enjoy your holiday!