MONGOLIA
We traveled to Mongolia in July, 2026, on a photography trip with Akari Photo tours of Canada. The trip was led by Kevin Pepper, the co-founder of Akari. He is an outstanding photographer and a superb guide whose entire focus was on our enjoyment and success in taking great photos.
Mongolia is a landlocked country bordered by Russia to the north and China to the south. It is about 2.3 times the size of Texas. it has a population of about 3.5 million people, making it the world's most sparsely populated sovereign state. Its capital and largest city is Ulaanbaatar where about 1/2 of the population live. It is known for its Tibetan Buddhist traditions, horse culture, and eagle hunters, as well as the birthplace of Genghis Khan.
We began in Ulanbataar at the annual Naadam Festival, a centuries-old celebration highlighting the country's nomadic traditions and cultural history. We were admitted to the festival with the special privileges that come with press passes which afforded us front row seats for the event. Kevin also arranged outdoor and indoor private portrait sessions with models in traditional dress. We also visited (1) the Gandan Monastery where we were permitted to photograph several monks, (2) a farm where we saw and photographed extraordinary demonstrations of horsemanship, (3) Hustai National Park where we saw and photographed Przewalski's horses which are believed to be the last truly wild horses in the world, and finally (4) we flew to western Mongolia where we spent several days in the foothills of the mountains living with and photographing a nomadic family of Eagle hunters.
We traveled to Mongolia in July, 2026, on a photography trip with Akari Photo tours of Canada. The trip was led by Kevin Pepper, the co-founder of Akari. He is an outstanding photographer and a superb guide whose entire focus was on our enjoyment and success in taking great photos.
Mongolia is a landlocked country bordered by Russia to the north and China to the south. It is about 2.3 times the size of Texas. it has a population of about 3.5 million people, making it the world's most sparsely populated sovereign state. Its capital and largest city is Ulaanbaatar where about 1/2 of the population live. It is known for its Tibetan Buddhist traditions, horse culture, and eagle hunters, as well as the birthplace of Genghis Khan.
We began in Ulanbataar at the annual Naadam Festival, a centuries-old celebration highlighting the country's nomadic traditions and cultural history. We were admitted to the festival with the special privileges that come with press passes which afforded us front row seats for the event. Kevin also arranged outdoor and indoor private portrait sessions with models in traditional dress. We also visited (1) the Gandan Monastery where we were permitted to photograph several monks, (2) a farm where we saw and photographed extraordinary demonstrations of horsemanship, (3) Hustai National Park where we saw and photographed Przewalski's horses which are believed to be the last truly wild horses in the world, and finally (4) we flew to western Mongolia where we spent several days in the foothills of the mountains living with and photographing a nomadic family of Eagle hunters.
