Tsaatan Reindeer Herders - East Taiga, Northern Mongolia

In an almost forgotten part of Mongolia, a little-known community of reindeer herders live on. Originally from Tuva in Siberia, the Tsaatan are one of the last groups of nomadic reindeer herders in the world and Mongolia's smallest ethnic group. They live in the taiga forests, close to the Siberian border in Khovsgol province. For a very long time, they have depended on the reindeer for milk, transportation and basic tools. This is a place where time is measured in the passing of seasons; and home is where the ortz (teepee) is set up on grazing land for the reindeer.

I'm thankful to have journeyed and spent time in the East Taiga in May 2014, and experienced some of the warmest hospitality from the locals.