There is a certain something about Mongolia that is hard to put into words. It’s one of those places you can’t understand unless you experience it for yourself.
It’s in the nomadic lifestyle that is passed down through generations, the deep vibrations of the Mongolian throat singing and the ancient flavors cooked over an open fire. It’s in the beauty of the snow capped mountains, and rolling hills dotted with nomadic ger tents. It’s in the timelessness of Kazakh culture and temples.
Mongolia is where you go to give yourself a different perspective of the world. It’s where you’ll experience moments, lifetimes away from the bustle of everyday life.
Traveling through Mongolia with The Solo Female Traveler Network isn’t just a great photo op (okay, it is that too) – but it’s actually one of the most unforgettable, unique experiences of all of our tours.
The Eagle Huntress & The Solo Female Traveler Network's Inspiration
We were inspired to travel to Mongolia after our founder Amanda watched the 2016 National Geographic documentary, “The Eagle Huntress”. It’s a film featuring the Golden Eagle Festival in Western Mongolia, where a 13-year-old Kazakh girl, Aisholpan, became the first female to enter – and then win the competition. Amanda was so inspired, she brought it to the team and we got to work on curating a trip that would allow us to be a part of the festival ourselves.
It took a few years and a brief pause while COVID concerns shut down borders – but we made it to Mongolia in 2023 and this trip was more than we ever expected. It was completely different from any other place we had ever been in the world. Traveling around Mongolia gave us that awe-struck feeling of traveling for the first time – over and over again.
We were lucky to have such a unique experience on our trip to Mongolia in 2023. Our highlight of the trip was without a doubt, The Golden Eagle Festival, and we are so excited and honored to be invited back once again for 2024 and 2025.
Golden Eagle Hunting in Mongolia
Golden Eagle Hunting dates back to the 1100’s – so we’re talking nearly a thousand years. In a literal sense, it highlights a beautiful, symbiotic relationship between human and eagle, where the hunter releases the eagle into the sky and pursues the signaled prey. It then captures the animal and returns it to the hunter, who gives it a piece of meat as a reward. Typically, Golden Eagles are treated as very prized pets and given the utmost care.
The Golden Eagle Festival with The Solo Female Traveler Network
As we learned in the documentary, “The Golden Huntress,” for the last 500 years, men have been the only people to compete in the Golden Eagle Festival until everything changed in 2016. This past year when we attended, 145 Mongolian men enrolled in the competition and only one female signed up. The female who was competing was also a 13-year-old girl, named Ay Moldir, just like the 2016 Golden Eagle winner, Aisholpan.
Obviously, our girl gang of SoFe travelers were ecstatic for the young girl to compete. We cheered her on endlessly, and got a chance to talk with her and have her share a little bit of her experience with us. After much anticipation, we were beyond thrilled to witness Ay Moldir win the entire competition. She beat the other 145 male competitors and our collective SoFe travel group shared the kind of moment that only women truly can.
Coming into Mongolia we were excited for The Golden Eagle Festival and had high hopes for more female competitors. As a group of female travelers, this experience was very powerful and impactful for us all. Watching a young girl face adversity and succeed immensely in a male dominated tradition was humbling. Although many of us are from a different world than Ay Moldir and Aisholpan, we feel connected to them and drawn in by their courage and bravery, reminding us that all over the world, iconic women and girls have made magnificent impacts with seemingly small changes.
All-Women Mongolia Trip Highlights
After such an incredible trip to Mongolia in 2023, we want more women to experience the Golden Eagle Festival and the eye-opening lifestyle Western Mongolia has to offer. Here are some highlights we are looking forward to in our 2024 Tour to Mongolia.
- Ay Moldir is competing in the Golden Eagle Festival again and we will be there to cheer her on. Not only will we be able to watch her compete, we will also have the opportunity to visit her at her family’s ger (Mongolian home) before the competition to wish her luck.
- On our next Mongolia tour we have been invited to be a part of two traditional local family dinners. One is a planned tour and the other is organized through our guide while we are already in the country. With help from our guide we will go shopping to provide gifts and food and head to our destination to eat and experience an authentic dinner with a Western Mongolian family. This is a one-of-a-kind experience to be welcomed in by the Kazakh people and gain perspective on their everyday lives.
- Our SoFe Travel crew will head to Terelj National Park to stay at a luxury ger camp to enjoy the stunning views of Mongolia’s mountains. Experience a traditional Mongolian ger, similar to a yurt, but enjoy it with a few more comforts of home. With heated floors, private bathrooms and gorgeous scenery, this part of the trip is rejuvenating and luxurious and the perfect place to enjoy the golden sunsets of Terelj National Park!
If you want to hear some Mongolian throat singing, watch Ay Moldir at The Golden Eagle Festival and have a life-changing experience, then this trip is for you! Words truly can’t describe the rich Kazakh culture and the authentic and traditional ways of nomadic Mongolian life. Sign up now for our Women Only Tour To Mongolia. We can’t wait to see you there.
