Altai Kazakh Eagle Festival

September 17–18, 2022

Eagle hunters and their trained golden eagles will gather for the Altai Kazakh Eagle Festival outside the town of Ulgii in Mongolia's Altai Mountains.

Blue Silk Travel has proudly sponsored the past two annual festivals at the invitation of the eagle hunters.

Classic Trips: Across the Land of Eagles and Nomads

The Golden Eagle

The eagle festival celebrates nomads' relationship with golden eagles, a human-animal partnership made famous world-wide by teenager Aisholpan and the photographs of Asher Svidensky. At the eagle festival, visitors have the opportunity to share in this bond with the eagles.

Kazakh Culture

In addition to eagle hunting, the eagle festival celebrates many aspects of Kazakh culture: food, clothing, embroidery and music, that continue to thrive in Mongolia's remote Altai Mountains.

The Tournament

At the festival, hunters bring their golden eagles to the top of a rocky outcropping, and then call them from hundreds of feet away. The eagle festival judges assign scores based on the speed and accuracy of each eagle.

Kokpar

The eagle festival also features a variety of other competitions, including kokpar, a sort of tug-of-war between men on horseback using a headless goat carcass.

Privacy Policy

Part I: Introduction

Blue Silk Travel, LLC, an Ohio limited liability company, is America's only tour operator specialized exclusively on travel to Mongolia. Our partner on the ground in Mongolia is Blue Silk Travel, Ltd., a Mongolian limited liability company.

This Policy explains when and why we collect personal information about people who visit our website, contact us, book our tours, or travel with us. It explains how we use this information, the conditions under which we may disclose it to others and how we keep it secure.

This Policy does not cover information collected when your view our pages on social media sites. These sites collect information about you, and share some of that data with us. That data collection is governed by the privacy policies of those sites.

We may change this Policy from time to time so please check this page occasionally to ensure that you're happy with any changes. By using our website, booking or traveling on our tours, or sharing information with us by phone, email, mail, in writing, or in person, you're agreeing to be bound by this Policy.

For questions regarding this Policy and our privacy practices, please send us a message using our contact form, write to 16800 Van Aken Boulevard, Shaker Heights, OH 44120, or call 1-800-225-0560.

We collect for the purposes outlined below. We will not sell or rent your information to third parties, and we will not share your information with third parties for marketing purposes.

Part II: Information Collected for the Proper Functioning of Our Website

A. What Information We Collect

Functional Cookies

We collect cookie data from you. Cookies are small bits of data saved on your computer by our website. Some cookies, which we call functional cookies, are needed for the proper functioning of the website (we also collect analytics cookies as described in Part III). These indicate information such as whether we should provide you with the desktop or mobile version of the website.

Log Files

As with the vast majority of websites, Blue Silk Travel records log files, which list every request made to the server (loading a web page, loading picture, sending a form, etc.), the time of that request, the result of the request, the IP address that made the request, and the page from which the request came. Another file stores similar information for every error encountered when loading and processing website files.

B. How We Use This Information

Functional Cookies

Functional cookie data are stored on your computer and are sent to the website computer server to provide you with the proper version of the website. We do not retain these data.

Logging Files

We review the data from these files to investigate suspicious activity, maintain website security and troubleshoot technical issues with the website. The server automatically deletes these files after a period of time.

C. How to Limit our Information Collection

Functional Cookies

You can set your browser settings to block cookies from this website. However, the website may not work as well.

Logging Files

No, a user cannot turn off logging for this website or any other website that you visit. However, if you do not want your IP address logged, we suggest connecting through a VPN or using another anonymization technique.

D. How We Share This Information with Third Parties

This information is stored on a web server which is owned and operated by a major hosting company which has stated that it follows standard security procedures.

Part III: Information Collected for Analysis of Website Usage

A. What Information We Collect

In addition to placing functional cookies (described in Part II above), we also place analytical cookies. These cookies record your estimated geographic location, each page on the site you've visited and what time you visited it, and how you arrived on our site.

B. How We Use This Information

We use this information to examine overall trends about how many people visit our website, when they visit, how they interact with the site, and how this has changed over time. Our website sends this data to Google. Google's computers aggregate the data from all visitors to our site, and shares it with us through the Google Analytics service.

We have taken steps to protect your privacy and gather data relevant only to overall statistical analysis of our site. For example, we do not send Google complete IP addresses, and have not enabled certain features of Google Analytics that track user demographics.

C. How to Limit our Information Collection

If you do not want us to send information to Google Analytics, you could block all cookies from this website, but that would also block functional cookies. Instead, you can install the Google Analytics Opt-out Add-on, which is designed by Google to block Google Analytics not only on this site, but on every website you visit.

D. How We Share this Information with Third Parties

Google stores this data on its servers.

Part IV: Information Collected to Send You Information on Our Tours

A. What Information We Collect

When you fill out a form on our website, we receive the following data: the information you submitted on the form (name, email, message), the web page (including mobile vs. desktop) from which you submitted the data, and the time and date that you submitted the request. We also collect similar information if you call us or email us asking for information, along with any details you provide to help us plan your trip.

B. How We Use This Information

We use this information to send you the information that you requested, and then to respond to any further questions and messages you send. We don't like mailing lists, spam, etc., so we won't be put on a mailing list and we won't send this information to anyone else.

If you have requested, we may use your information to design personalized travel proposals, and may make use of additional information about you when it is available from external sources to help us do this effectively.

We may use your personal information to detect and reduce fraud and credit risk. We also use this information to analyze overall trends, such as how many people request what type of information via which source and when.

C. How to Limit our Information Collection

You do not need to provide this information, but without it we will not be able to send you the information you have requested.

D. How We Share this Information with Third Parties

We don't share this information with third parties.

Part V: Information Collected To Book and Run Tours

A. What Information We Collect

When you book a tour, we collect a variety of information in order for us to carry out the tour. This includes your name, address, passport information, trip and booking details, flight schedules, emergency contact information, allergies, and other information relevant to your booking. We also collect payment information when you pay by credit card.

We may also collect your COVID-19 vaccination and/or testing status.

B. How We Use this Information

We use all of this information to provide you with our core business purpose of providing tours to Mongolia. We do not sell this information or use it for future marketing.

C. How to Limit our Information Collection

Most of this information is required to participate on our tours, because we or our partners need it to make travel arrangements. You can choose not to give us some information, such as dietary needs, but it will impact your tour (for example, if we don't know that you're a vegetarian, we won't be able to order vegetarian food for you.)

D. How We Share this Information with Third Parties

Third Party Service Providers

We share information with our business partners when it is necessary for completing tasks and providing services to you on our behalf (for example, to book reservations for your tour). These partners include airlines, hotels, ger camps, restaurants, and insurance companies. We may pass your information to our third party service providers, agents, subcontractors, and other associated organizations for the purposes of completing tasks and providing services to you on our behalf (for example to book reservations for your tour). When we use third party service providers, we disclose only the personal information that is necessary to deliver the service and we have a contract in place that requires them to keep your information secure and not to use it for their own direct marketing purposes. Please be reassured that we will not release your information to third parties for them to use for their own direct marketing purposes, unless you have requested us to do so.

Mongolian Government Agencies

For obtaining travel permits, requesting visas and for other purposes necessary to conduct tours, we sometimes have to disclose traveler information to Mongolian government agencies, as required by Mongolian laws and regulations.

We may be required to disclose your COVID-19 vaccination and/or testing status to Mongolian government agencies.

Credit Card Processor

If you pay by credit card, your card information is not held by us. It is collected by our third party payment processors, who specialize in the secure capture and processing of credit/debit card transactions. If you have any questions regarding secure transactions, please contact us.

Fellow Travelers

We share a list of fellow travelers with travelers on a group tour. However, we will only include you on this list if you have chosen to be on it.

Part VI: Information Collected To Improve Our Tours and For Marketing

A. What Information We Collect

Evaluations

We ask travelers to provide written feedback for us on evaluation forms. Some travelers also provide us with additional written and verbal feedback. Finally, our staff sometimes makes notes of issues that arise on tours in order to improve future trips.

Photos and Videos: We sometimes take videos and photos of our travelers on our trips.

B. How We Use this Information

Evaluations

We use this information to improve our future tours. We analyze what aspects of our tours travelers liked and disliked and seek to uncover trends and systematic issues. We also use this data to contact travelers to resolve issues. If a traveler decides to opt in by checking the appropriate choices on the evaluation form, we sometimes use this information for marketing efforts, including by publishing travelers' comments on our website and in marketing materials.

Photos and Videos

If pictured tourists choose to opt in, we use some videos and photos in print, online, and in-person marketing efforts

C. How to Limit our Information Collection

You are not required to provide any feedback on our tour; travelers provide this feedback voluntarily. You may also provide feedback, but choose not to participate in our marketing, by selecting the appropriate choice on the evaluation form.

Tourists who do not wish to be videotaped or photographed should indicate opt out, either by choosing this option when given the choice on a form, or by telling the photographer or videographer.

D. How We Share this Information with Third Parties

Evaluations

If our analysis identifies systematic issues, we may transmit non-personalized, overall feedback to a third-party partner, such as a hotel. In addition, upon the request or with the consent of a traveler, we may transmit information on a traveler's complaint to the relevant third party partner. We publish feedback publicly only if travelers have agreed to participate in our marketing efforts.

Photos and Videos

We only publish photos and videos of travelers who choose to opt in to this sort of marketing effort.

Part VII: Additional Conditions Under Which We May Share Data

We disclose information as we are required to do so by law, for example, by a court order or for the purposes of prevention of fraud or other crime.

Part VIII: Security

Non-sensitive details (your email address etc.) are transmitted normally over the Internet, and this can never be guaranteed to be 100% secure. As a result, while we strive to protect your personal information, we cannot guarantee the security of any information you transmit to us, and you do so at your own risk. Once we receive your information, we make our best effort to ensure its security on our systems.

Part IX: Your Rights and Responsibilities

A. Learn What Personal Data We Have Stored About You

If you would like to know what personal data we have about you, please contact us.

Note: The information collected by our website is anonymous. Therefore, in order for us to know if data collected by our website was your data, we would need your IP address and/or Google Analytics clientID. This would then tie data to you that we otherwise may not have known was yours.

B. Ask That Your Data Be Deleted

We generally determine what data to retain or destroy in accordance with our data retention policies. However, if you are a resident of certain jurisdictions, you may have the right to require us to delete certain data. If you would like this data deleted, please contact us.

C. Withdraw Consent

You have the right to withdraw any consent that you have provided for us to use our data, and also to lodge a complaint regarding how we have used your data. We will not contact you for marketing purposes unless you have given your prior consent. You can withdraw consent that you have previously given, lodge a complaint, or change your marketing preferences at any time by calling us at 1-800-225-0560 or contacting us on our contact page.

D. Informed Consent

By submitting a form or otherwise requesting information, you acknowledge that you have reached the age of informed consent for your home country/jurisdiction.

We may use your information to process a payment that you have made, process bookings and reservations for your selected tour, carry out our obligations arising from any contracts entered into by you and us, notify you of changes to our services and send you communications which you have requested and that may be of interest to you.

Part X: Data Retention

We review our retention periods for personal information on a regular basis. We will hold your personal information on our systems for as long as is necessary for the relevant activity, as long as is set out in any relevant contract you hold with us, and as necessary to satisfy current and potential legal and regulatory obligations.

Last updated on March 20, 2021

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Come Together | COVID-19

A trip to Mongolia should be the journey of a lifetime — meaningful, fun, safe, and responsible.

COVID-19 in Mongolia

Mongolia lifted mandatory quarantines for international travelers on October 15, 2021.

As of October 15, 2021, 91% of Mongolian residents aged 12 or older are fully vaccinated.

Mongolia in 2022

Blue Silk Travel looks forward to welcoming you to Mongolia! All of our 2022 Mongolia tours feature our Come Together program. Come Together focuses on an enhanced health and cleanliness experience, along with the cross-cultural immersion and engagement for which Blue Silk Travel is famous.

Communication

We are your partners in helping you travel safely. Beginning during the trip planning process and continuing throughout your entire trip, we will provide you with relevant, up-to-date information to help you stay safe and healthy.

Prevention

We are reviewing every component of our tours to enhance cleanliness and prevent the spread of disease. We will continue to update our policies in line with official regulations and recommendations. Some highlights:

Groups limited to sixteen travelers or less
Preventive care kit of essential supplies provided to each traveler
Vehicles sanitized daily
Tour receivers and earpieces used to allow travelers to avoid crowds while listening to tour leaders
Restaurants and accommodations chosen based on their commitment to health and cleanliness standards

Flexibility

We also want you to book worry-free. We have lowered our deposits, and if Mongolia reimposes quarantines or border controls on vaccinated, COVID-negative travelers, we will work with you to reschedule or cancel your journey, penalty free.

Testing and Vaccines

All travelers on Blue Silk Travel tours should complete their coronavirus vaccinations well in advance of their travel to Mongolia.

As of October 15, travelers will be tested for COVID-19 upon arrival at the airport in Ulaanbaatar. Visitors who test positive are subject to quarantine. Your home country and the countries through which you will transit may require COVID-19 testing and/or vaccination before, during, or after your trip.

Vaccination and testing requirements may change. Travelers are responsible, at their own expense, for fulfilling all vaccination and testing requirements in place at the time of travel. No refunds will be issued due to a traveler's failure to meet these requirements.

Additional Resources

Blue Silk Travel's Health in Mongolia Information

U.S. CDC's COVID-19 Information for Travel

U.S. CDC's Mongolia Travel Health Notice

U.S. Embassy in Ulaanbaatar's COVID-19 Information

U.S. State Department's Mongolia Travel Advisory

Last updated on October 15, 2021

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