| Dear fellow travellers! I would like to share with you my impressions of an unforgettable trip across Kazakhstan! I would call it The Great Kazakhstan Round Trip! After all, in just 16 days I managed to see everything I had planned, and even more! Kazakhstan is the largest country in Central Asia, a place where antiquity and modernity, Eastern traditions and Western modernity are closely interwoven. The world’s first cosmodrome, Baikonur, was built here. Here you will find the magnificent Charyn Canyon – a sibling of the American Grand Canyon, wild endless steppes, whimsically shaped chalk mountains, cosy felt yurts, unique Tien Shan spruces and turquoise mountain lakes… Although I have travelled, it seems, half the world and have been to the most varied corners of our planet, Kazakhstan struck me to the very depths of my soul! Only here did I see such incredible contrasts created by nature itself! |
But untouched, wild nature is only one of the reasons to come to Kazakhstan. I would also like to say a few words about the kindness of the local people, their traditions, the incredibly delicious cuisine, the warmth and the hospitality… Although… When you come here, you will understand what I mean! And now let us talk about the organisational matters and logistics. I believe the best months for travelling in Kazakhstan are May and September — it is not as hot as in summer. Keep in mind the sharply continental climate. The very best way to get around is, without question, a car! You will be able to reach the most interesting and remote corners.
| My big journey consisted of two parts. The first part was the “Almaty” one: here I visited the Singing Dunes, saw the Aktau Mountains in Altyn-Emel National Park, walked to Kolsai Lakes 1 and 2, saw the unique Kaindy Lake and Charyn Canyon, visited Big Almaty Lake and the cosmic ray station, made my way across the passes and harsh off-road terrain of the Dzungarian Alatau to the tallest waterfall in Kazakhstan, and in the Zailiysky Alatau hiked Trail No. 6 to Lake Manshuk Mametova! |
The second part, even wilder, was across Western Kazakhstan! It started from the city of Aktau. Here, in the Mangystau region, we drove hundreds of kilometres across endless steppes! We visited underground mosques, spent the nights in chalk canyons, explored the Valley of Balls, Torysh, saw Zhygylgan (Fallen Earth), reached the Akespe and Sherkala mountains, walked through the Airakty Valley of Castles, raced along the Tuzbair Salt Flat in a jeep — and the real explosion of emotions was standing before the majestic Bozzhyra!
So why am I writing all this? To say that my route included a huge number of stops and the trip logistics were anything but simple. Yet our guides Sergey and Oleg simply turned my dreams into reality! I spent many days side by side with these people, and I can recommend them unconditionally and without reservation. My entire trip, from the meeting at Almaty airport to the flight out of Aktau, went perfectly! I could write a great deal about these men — that they are consummate professionals, responsible guides who know the routes perfectly and treat their work with devotion, take an individual approach and are ready to show you the most beautiful places… But you know, for me the highest mark of quality is the answer to one question: “Would you go on a reconnaissance mission with him?” So here is my answer: “With them — to the ends of the earth, straight into the fire!” So if my story has inspired you and you want to see the beauty of Kazakhstan with your own eyes, you will not find better guides!
Viktoria Gorbunova
