The journey to discover one of the last nomadic reindeer herding tribes in the world was not easy, but it was an extremely memorable experience for me. From Ulanbator - the capital of Mongolia, we prepared carefully, from luggage, food, medicine before entering the vast, vast steppe.
Reindeer are used to cold climates so the herders have to move constantly in the vast Taiga forest. The guide kept trying to contact them to know where they were going to take us.
Apart from the highways that connect major cities, most villages and residential areas have no roads or directions. Drivers just drive straight into the steppe, using their own experience and memory to find their destination.
After more than 1,200km, we finally arrived at the Taiga forest reserve in the vast Darkhad valley. A beautiful but also extremely harsh land, lacking everything from electricity, water, food. Most families living here are self-sufficient with their livestock.
We had to register in advance with the reserve, then go deep into the valley to meet the horseman's family who raises and tames the horses. To get deep into the forest, to the reindeer herders, we could only travel by horse.
It took the group an hour to put on protective gear and get acquainted with the horses. Although they were tamed, the guides and jockeys were still very careful, always reminding us how to hold the reins or how to urge the horses to move. To ensure safety, in addition to our two guides, there were two members of the horseman's family to ensure the safety of the whole group.
Although I was a little nervous about getting on the horse at first, tamed horses are extremely intelligent. They mostly find the safest routes to travel. Our main task is to control the horses to follow the group, at the right speed, not to try to gallop or to push them forward when encountering difficult sections such as streams, swamps or steep climbs.
Beautiful scenery at the Taiga forest reserve in the Darkhad valley. (Photo: Tuan Dao)
The scenery changed as we rode, from grasslands and prairies to streams, swamps and vast forests. For the first time in our journey we felt so excited, eager and nervous.
There were streams that were quite deep and flowing, the horses still walked gently through, or swamps that were nearly 1 meter deep, they still walked proudly through. There were steep and slippery slopes, but somehow, they were still able to move forward to our relief.
We continued walking like this for 6 hours. When I was starting to feel sore and tired from the long journey deep into the forest, a vast land appeared before my eyes, a clear blue lake appeared in the middle of the forest, in the distance were the snow-capped mountains. On the other side of the lake were two huts nestled in the forest. We knew we had arrived. The journey to follow the nomadic reindeer herders had paid off.
In this forest, there are only about 50 families of the Tsaatan tribe - the last tribe in Mongolia that raises reindeer with about 3,000 animals, scattered on the two mountains of East and West Taiga. There is a lack of everything, no electricity, no running water, no amenities, and no education for their children.
It takes a love of reindeer and nomadic life for them to be able to stay here. Every day, they live in the wild, sleeping in small tents with a few simple personal items.
Nomadic life is always on the move and the cold weather makes it difficult for them to grow crops or find other sources of food. Almost everything depends on the reindeer.
Herding is also very hard work, and even the smallest mistake can have unpredictable consequences. Last winter, they lost dozens of reindeer in an avalanche. The government has tried to support the families with some money to help them make ends meet, as well as to preserve the tribe's thousand-year-old traditional profession.
We were invited into the tent and served reindeer milk and homemade bread by the Bayanmonkh family, who were reindeer herders. On the hearth were dried lamb skewers, which were their daily staple.
In the tent there are only one or two wooden boxes, a few blankets, a few pots and pans, and some essential personal items to make it easier to carry when moving. For electricity, they have to use solar energy to charge batteries, and if they want to make a call to the outside world, they have to hang an antenna on a tall tree.
A herd of reindeer are wandering and grazing in the forest. (Photo: Tuan Dao)
While I was still enjoying the reindeer milk, the tour guide signaled me outside the tent and pointed to a nearby forest. Looking closely, I realized that in front of me was a reindeer with snow-white fur grazing in the afternoon sun.
Following behind was another one with ash-gray fur, also approaching with its characteristic hard antlers covered in velvet. It was a beautiful scene that left us all in awe. Thus, the biggest wish of the journey had come true. All our fatigue and worries disappeared, leaving only joy and happiness.
We quietly watched the reindeer grazing in the forest until a Mongolian girl led us behind the tent. There was a newborn reindeer calf, pure white and without antlers. Her job was to care for the calf.
At the end of the day, I played with the children with the group. They were innocent and adorable with red cheeks from the cold, playing ball throwing, even though the ball was sewn up and torn. The hardships of life did not stop the children from being happy.
It was getting dark and the temperature was dropping. The Bayanmonkh family arranged for the group to sleep in the third tent they had set up earlier.
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