The most economically advanced of the 'stans' is a mix of progress and tradition: the largest city, Almaty, has an almost European atmosphere, with tree-lined boulevards, the Alzhir Memorial Museum, glittering shopping malls and an effervescent nightlife. Situated in the northern steppes, Astana has now turned into a 21st century capital with a profusion of futuristic buildings. But outside the cities, travellers can experience the most unforgettable adventures, such as hiking the trails through the high mountains and green valleys of the Tian Shan, watching wildlife in the lake-studded steppe, enjoying the warm welcome of village guesthouses and discovering remote underground mosques in the western deserts. Here, then, is what to see on a trip to Kazakhstan: everything you should not miss.
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The skyline of Almaty and the surrounding mountains, Kazakhstan ©Aureliy/Shutterstock
1. Almaty
Set against the backdrop of the snow-capped Zailiysky Alatau peak, the verdant city of Almaty has always been one of the most fascinating Russian creations in Central Asia. Today, Almaty's newly rich live in expensive flats in residential neighbourhoods, drive large SUVs and frequent glitzy shopping malls, Western-style cafés, exclusive restaurants, nightclubs where they dance until dawn and new ski resorts where they can enjoy life. The less fortunate, on the other hand, live in the suburbs or rural areas and crowd into the crowded buses and marshrutky, the rickety mini-buses that stop at the Zelyony Bazaar (fruit and vegetable market) or the Sayakhat bus station.
Almaty is Kazakhstan's main transport hub and many foreign travellers pass through it. If you decide to stay there for a few days, you will discover a sophisticated city with green parks, excellent museums, shops, markets and the best offer of restaurants, cafes, bars and nightclubs in Central Asia. And just a stone's throw from the city are beautiful mountains, offering hiking and skiing.
2. Kolsai Lakes
When you see these three deep blue lakes set among the steep spruce-covered hills at the foot of the Küngey Alatau, you might think you had been transported almost magically to Canada or Switzerland. This is undoubtedly one of the most scenic areas in the whole of Kazakhstan. These three glacial lakes lie just 110 kilometres south-east of Almaty as the crow flies, but to reach them by road you have to travel almost three hundred kilometres, via Chilik (Shelek) and Zhalanash. The three lakes follow one another along the course of the Kolsai River, at an altitude of between 1800 and 2800 metres, ten kilometres south-west of the village of Saty.
We advise you to take precautions in May and June, when ticks carrying encephalitis are present.
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The mausoleum of Kozha Akhmed Yasaui in Turkestan, Kazakhstan ©Dmitry_Chulov/Getty Images
3. Turkestan
Turkestan is home to Kazakhstan's most famous architectural complex and its most revered pilgrimage site, the mausoleum of Kozha Akhmed Yasaui. Built by Tamerlane in the late 14th century on the basis of a grandiose design worthy of the magnificent palaces of Samarkand, this complex fears no rival in Kazakhstan in terms of man-made beauty. Turkestan is an ideal base for a day trip to Sauran and Otrar.
4. The Aksu-Zhabagly Nature Reserve
Lush valleys, rushing rivers, snow-capped peaks and imposing glaciers characterise the beautiful landscape of this nature reserve covering an area of 1319 square kilometres, the first to be established in the country and one of the most interesting in the whole of Kazakhstan. The main access point to this reserve is the village of Zhabagly, located seventy kilometres east of Shymkent as the crow flies.
This area, where the mountains meet the steppes and the flora and fauna are very diverse, is a true paradise for nature lovers. Some of Kazakhstan's best nature guides live in this area, making it an excellent base from which to visit the region's other natural attractions, such as the Karatau Mountains, steppe lakes, deserts and some sites of historical and cultural interest such as Turkestan and Otrar.
Within this park, you will have the chance to spot various wild animals, including Nubian ibex, argali sheep, long-tailed marmots, paradise flycatchers, golden eagles, Himalayan brown bears and the elusive snow leopards.
5. Aral Sea
Get ready for the eerie sight of Soviet shipwrecks in the barren gorge on the shores of the returning lake.
Forty years ago, Aral was an important fishing port on the shores of the Aral Sea and inhabited by twice the population of today. The large mosaic inside the railway station illustrates a scene from 1921, when the inhabitants of Aral supplied their starving comrades in Russia with fish. This, however, was before the environmental disaster of the Aral Sea, a victim of Soviet irrigation programmes that took water from its tributaries, the Syr-Darya and Amu-Darya rivers, moving the coastline sixty kilometres from Aral.
If you want to see with your own eyes the environmental disaster of the Aral Sea, the bleak and dilapidated town of Aral, whose inhabitants display a marked distrust of foreigners, can be a good base for a stopover for a couple of days. Aral is easier and less depressing to visit than the disused ports of Uzbekistan, because efforts to save the northern part of the Aral Sea seem to have paid off and the fishing industry is growing again.
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The stony deserts of the Mangistau region ©Yerbolat Shadrakhov/Getty Images
6. Mangistau
The stony deserts of the Mangistau region stretch four hundred kilometres eastwards from Aktau to the border with Uzbekistan. This labyrinth of striking gorges sculpted into bizarre shapes by the elements, colourful rock formations, mysterious underground mosques and ancient necropolises is little known even to archaeologists, who have only recently begun to explore it. In the past, a side branch of the Silk Road ran through these inhospitable lands, and sacred sites, some of them strongly linked to Sufism, arose in places where the dead were buried or venerable men lived. The underground mosques may have originated as hermitages of the ascetics who retreated into the desert.
To visit the Mangistau sites, one must bring along all the provisions one might need, because most of them are in the middle of nowhere. It is a good idea to bring food to share with other pilgrims at Beket-Ata and Shopan-Ata.
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Lakes in the Tien Shan Mountains, Kazakhstan ©humancode/Getty Images
7. Tian Shan
Kazakhstan's highest and most spectacular mountains rise on the border with Kyrgyzstan and China. Located near the Kyrgyz border, Khan Tengri (7,010 metres) is considered by many to be the most beautiful and challenging peak in the Tian Shan. It is surrounded by many other mountains exceeding 5,000 metres, including Mramornaya Stena (Marble Wall, 6,400 metres).
On either side of Khan Tengri are two long glaciers stretching westwards: the northern Inylchek on the Kazakh side and the southern Inylchek on the Kyrgyz side.
It is possible to embark on treks lasting between one and three weeks and real mountaineering expeditions, using the base camps on the Inylchek glaciers located at an altitude of around 4,000 metres. This area is often reached by helicopter, starting from the base camp located in the Karkara Valley, where the trek is organised. Many treks also include a helicopter flight around the highest peaks and excursions to the glaciers at the foot of Khan Tengri and/or Pik Pobedy, on the border between Kyrgyzstan and China.
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Astana at sunset ©alpinrage/Shutterstock
8. Astana, the capital
The country's new capital has grown rapidly across the northern steppes and has now become one of the symbols of 21st century Kazakhstan. According to plans, it should continue to grow to become a city inhabited by more than a million people by 2030. Its skyline is becoming more attractive by the year, thanks to a series of original buildings constructed along the wide boulevards by internationally renowned architects in various styles: Asian, Western, Soviet and futuristic. Several of these spectacular structures are open to visitors, who are always fascinated by this 'Singapore of the steppe'.
Although Astana is characterised by cold, windy winters and hot, dusty summers, it is a city that looks to the future, as evidenced by its youthful and pleasant atmosphere. An increasing number of ambitious and talented young Kazakhs are moving to Astana; if you spend a few days there, the capital of Kazakhstan will know how to involve you too.
When to go
-April - June Steppes and hillsides are filled with flowers and migratory birds - a paradise for nature lovers.
-May - September Thanks to the ideal climate, the trekking season begins in July.
-November - April It is cold and skiers gather in the important ski resort of Chimbulak.
A special mention must be made of the Aksu-Zhabagly nature reserve. Although the park can be visited at any time of year, the best months are between April and September. For botany and birdwatching enthusiasts, the best months are April and May. The famous Greig's tulip is one of the 1300 flowering plants that can be admired in the reserve. These flowers dot the alpine meadows and even grow in villages from mid-April to early May. Spring is also the best time to spot the Himalayan brown bear.
Documents
Two documents are required for a trip to Kazakhstan: visa and passport.
-Entry Visa It is preferable to apply for it before departure but in special cases it can be issued at the airport or at the land border (only with the authorisation of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Kazakhstan). The visa may allow stays ranging from thirty days to one year.
-Passport The passport must have a residual validity of at least six months longer than the duration of the visa.
Published in December 2018